Human Sacrifice

Chapter Sixteen

I looked into the mirror for a few seconds before Katya would arrive, to drag me to have dinner with Scott. I looked down at the scattered makeup over my table. If I couldn’t get a guy when my appearance was nice with makeup, then I had no chance without it. I’m going to die alone, just like my mum did. I changed into some casual clothes as Katya knocked on the door.

“Brix, you ready?” she asked, peering around the ajar door. I nodded and with a sigh left the room. I didn’t feel like eating at all. I followed her with no enthusiasm left in me. I felt like a prisoner on death row just waiting for the day of my execution.

We walked into the front garden and she sat me down at a white table. I looked over to see Patrique chatting with Gwen and she complimented him on his appearance. I looked down at the difference between the two scenarios. Their table was lavishly decorated, with a crisp red tablecloth, candles and roses in a pristine vase. Our table was white. No tablecloth, no candles and certainly no roses.

I sat there for about half an hour, shaking from the breeze. I could overhear Patrique and Gwen laughing and having a nice time while I sat there contemplating what my last month would be like. If this was a sign, then I wished death would come sooner. I watched the willow trees sway in the cool dusk wind and noticed how dainty they were.

Lyle sighed and walked over to me. “Scott can’t come tonight, he has other arrangements. I can still bring you dinner if you want” he frowned, looking at me. I shrugged lightly and stared down at the empty table. He looked at Katya who nodded and he walked inside, leaving me alone again. I looked up at the empty chair opposite me and sighed. Alone again.

Lyle brought me my dinner and I thanked him with a nod. He sighed and stood by Katya. “She’s lost all of her fighting spirit now. I’s like she’s not even trying anymore. Maybe we should ask the King if there’s anything we can do”

“What? So he can kill her to put her out of her misery?” Katya growled. “Just leave her alone, Lyle, she can fight her own battles if she wants to”

I pushed the food around with my fork and wiped my eyes. They were right. For some reason I’d now discovered that I had more reasons to die than reasons to live. The King sighed and knocked on Scott’s door only to have to wait for five minutes before Scott managed to get to the door. He opened it whilst buttoning up his shirt as he looked at his father. “What?” he growled.

“Sorry to interrupt you” the King growled, pulling his son out of the doorway and into the hall. “You do realise that Brix turned up in my office crying earlier? I thought you’d care Scott, she’s one of your girls. No, instead she’s sitting outside by herself whilst everyone around her has a good time. She’s alone even in a place full of people, son”

“So? She’s going to die anyway, I don’t see why I should care” Scott replied with a shrug, looking up at his father uninterested.

“You should care because if she gets worse then we’ll have to do something Scott. You have to show more interest in her otherwise she’ll have a breakdown” he growled, fixing his son’s shirt. “Now go and have dinner with her, tell her about the ceremony.”

I finished my dinner after around an hour had passed before Scott decided to sit with me. I looked up at him with teary eyes and looked back down at my empty plate again. It gave him a chance to finally see the road of self destruction I was on, and the fact he wasn’t helping me get off of it. “Brix I have to talk through the ceremony to you ok?”

I shrugged, I honestly wasn’t interested.

He explained the basic structure of the ceremony to me as if it wasn’t a big deal. My death was just another thing in their world, the end to a ceremony, when Elwyn and I would lose our lives. He also decided to explain the drainage ceremony to me, which unfortunately sounded more gruesome than our ceremony.

“Brix, are you sure that you’re ok? You seem really out of it lately” he frowned as I sipped my water. I shrugged.

“Want to know why? Maybe it’s because you’ve locked me up and let your brother abuse and cut me. Maybe it’s because you stole my best friend and condemned another to death, and my other friend doesn’t even know if we’re alive. Maybe that might be the cause of why I’m sad. Or the fact that I’m going to die without the chance to live my life properly. You never really thought about it like that, did you?”

“You think I don’t feel guilty? Just because I may not have a beating heart, or a pulse, does not mean I don’t have feelings. I feel guilt like you do. I can’t let you out of here because you know too much and if any more humans find out then they’ll kill us all. I picked sacrifice for you because it’s the kindest method of death and I know that you don’t like me” he said, looking down.

“HOW CAN YOU HAVE THE POWER TO DECIDE HOW SOMEBODY DIES? IT’S LIKE YOU’RE PLAYING GOD AND I’M JUST A CHESS PIECE THAT YOU CAN THROW AWAY!” I sobbed, throwing my plate off the table and flinching as it smashed against the patio floor. I managed to compose myself and looked down, sobbing. “I don’t want to die, Scott”

“I’m so sorry Brix, but you are” he looked down. “If I’d have known I wouldn’t have picked you, and I wouldn’t have put you through all this pain and hurt”

I shook my head and sighed, looking into his eyes. I could see the pain behind them and the years of fighting he’d had with his family, and it looked unbearable. King Ashtin never seemed to like his sons as much as his wife did, and would frequently leave them alone whilst they went out. I think it scarred Scott internally as well as mentally.

I leant forward slightly until I was sitting on the edge of my chair. “Look Scott, Monica has been my best friend for years. I don’t want to see her hurt. She had an ex who beat her up before, and if you lay one finger on her with the intention to hurt her I will haunt you”

I never really stayed true to my word, and Monica knew it from that moment. It was every girl for herself. I’d get on Scott’s good side. I smiled as he kissed me slowly and passionately, and Monica growled from the window. I could almost feel her clench her fists.