Beyond The Lost

14

He stayed to chat with her for a while, so I decided to head to the room she gave us and lay down for a bit. I slept for a good few hours, only to be woken up by Victor with a smile on his face. "It's time to go outside."

I slowly sat up, rubbing my eyes and taking in a deep breath. "I'm so tired."

He stared at me, resting his palm on the side of my face. "Me too."

"Let's just get through this." I stood up but he quickly pushed me back down in front of him, leaning down to meet my eyes. "What is it?"

"Our odds are finally looking up, why are you so upset?"

"Our chances of making it out are still very slim. Lying doesn't ease me." He's staring at my lips as I speak, his fingers pressing roughly into my skin. His blood smears across my cheek as he leans forward, only an inch from my nose.

"I'm not trying to put you at ease. I'm trying to get you out of bed to dance by the fire with me. Without your unpleasantness."

I shook off the unsettling feeling and agreed. One night couldn't hurt.

I followed him outside where hundreds of people were gathered around a large pile of sticks. The pile of wood is wrapped around a thick tree, several of the older men and women grabbing my arms to pull me closer to it.

I didn't think much of it until the same lady from before pulled me up onto the pile and stood with me against the tree. Sticks poke at my ankles, scratching my skin angrily. "Before us, evil has come!" She shouted, the village screeching with excitement as she spoke. "We welcome our visitors with open arms to join us in the lord's praise!"

They're all watching me, Victor included. I met his eyes, confused. He's being dragged over to the edge of the fire pit, shoved down to his knees in front of it. Two large men with metal pitchforks held a hand on each of his shoulders to keep him down. "Victor, what's happening?" Now that he's within earshot, I can talk to him. But he doesn't seem to hear me, he only struggles against the men holding him down.

"What the hell are you doing!?" He flailed around more, earning a boot to the side of his head. I flinched when he hit the ground, soot splashing across his face as his nose began to pour blood again.

"Stay still, boy."

"What're you doing to him?" I attempted to step forward but she grabbed my arm to hold me in place.

"Before our lord, we will cleanse this filth that wandered from the dark forest. We will free them from their wickedness." She continued to shout, pulling my arms behind the tree and holding them tightly as another man walked up to us. He moved behind me, sharp pain following close behind.

I felt him hammer nails into my palms, nailing my hands to the tree before I could think to move away. I had no exit, fear slowly creeping up my legs. I screamed out in pain as they wrapped a rope around my neck and tied my head and body against the tree. "Victor!" I call out to him but he's still on the ground, nearly unconscious. His eyes flicker at me, as if he's trying to see what's going on. Every time he tries to sit up, he's greeted with another kick to the face. "Leave him alone!"

"May god have mercy on their souls as their filth is burned away." She roughly wiped Victor's bloody fingerprints from my face and showed her hand to the people before us. "This woman has been tainted, turned to a witch by the hands of his sexuality! This disgusting filth will not go unnoticed!"

I swallowed, my breath heavy in my stomach. I feel like I'm going to puke. "No- we didn't- thats not what happened!"

"You filthy sinners..." she clicked her tongue at me. "Lying through your teeth. How dare you bring your desire into my home." She locked eyes with the men holding Victor down and smiled. "He will feel the pain of his filth. Cleanse him with fresh blood."

Without another word, the men began mercilessly beating him. I watched them kick him in the head and stomach multiple times, ripping hair from his head and slamming rocks into his bones. He wasn't moving.

"Stop! Stop it!" I struggled but the more I moved, the more those nails dug into my hands. It hurt, but I couldn't imagine how much pain he felt. Blood pooled underneath him, coating every speck of his skin in the thick, dark liquid. I panicked. "You're killing him!"

Tears welled in my eyes as he limply took each blow, his eyes not leaving mine. He's trying to stay awake, but with each strike against his head, his consciousness falters. One of the men jammed their pitchfork into his stomach, making him nearly vomit. He's breathing through his teeth, jaw shaking as he tried to maintain composure.

I felt something in my chest, heavy and hot. The anger shoots to my head, spreading through my face as I watch him try and fail over and over again to get up.

Black smoke begins to creep from between the twigs I'm standing on, tears soaking into the cracks of my lips as I glare at the men causing him harm. "Let him go." My words are empty, unheard. I'm shaking. "Let him go!"

"Light the fire." She stepped down and joined the rest of her people, pouring a pitcher of liquid around my feet and dousing my clothes in the foul smell. I stare her in the eyes, watching her skin turn white at the sight of me.

"I will bring nothing but hell to you unless you release him now!" I claw at the tree bark, splinters piercing my fingers as the rope burns my neck. The amulet in my pocket begins to rattle, my body boiling hot as I let rage soak my bones. "Your god will punish you for harming the innocent and for the rest of your miserable life you'll do nothing but wish you hadn't."

"I do not fear the dead." She hissed back at me, lighting a match in her hand.

The black smoke beneath me shot up into the sky, silencing the stars and leaving it pitch black above me. They began to whisper to each other. "You will."

I wince at each thud coming from Victor, my heart aching as I watch him brutally beaten. No matter what I say, they're not stopping.

I rip my hands away from the tree, leaving deep holes in the center of my palms. As soon as I reach for the woman, she drops the match and my body engulfs in flames.

I can't feel the heat of the fire, all I can feel is the pain in my chest. I want to save him.

A familiar face forms before me in the fire, Mary gently ripping the rope from my neck. "I watched you suffer enough. It's time you learn the extent of your potential."

"I don't understand." I stared at my body, flames refusing to burn me. It's as if the fire is purposefully blowing away from me. I can't see anything but Mary, the fire dancing in her eyes.

"You're upset." She placed a hand on my chest, filling my body with energy and leaving me to quiver with anger. "I will help you if you promise to repay me."

"If you're going to help, do it now."

She reached her hand into my chest and smiled erratically at me, climbing into my body and giving me the strength to walk forward.

I stepped into the crowd of people, fire covering my body as my eyes coated with white. My tears became blood, nails sharp and chest burning with frustration I hadn't felt before.

My body is in a state of panic, but I grab a medium sized rock from the ground and slam it into the older woman's head several times. After she hit the ground, I grabbed both of the men on top of Victor and threw them against the tree. I heard their bones break on impact, each body burning with a foul smell as they screamed in pain.

I stood above Victor, watching the blood drain from his body. Glancing at the people around him, I watched them all take a step back from me. "I will show you evil."