BLOODY CITY

SUDDEN DEATHS

The end of the autumn season was making itself felt, as the icy weather was fast approaching. At this time of year, the suburb of Balan was at its peak, as the residents prepared for the traditional Christmas festivities. Decorations adorned public places, children participated in dances and plays, and the Balan choir held numerous rehearsal sessions for the occasion. However, this year, the Christmas celebration seemed particularly dark and mournful, as deaths multiplied.

Every day, cries of distress and rumors of a resident's death echoed throughout the city, spreading fear among every Balanese, while each family awaited their turn with anxiety.

Some heads of households gathered women and children in a single room, organizing night watches to monitor their sleep and guard against a possible attack by the black angel. They equipped themselves with various materials, including crucifixes, candles, and incense, using salt, garlic, and bitter oranges to encircle the living space.

Other families abandoned their homes to take refuge in the neighboring village, as doom seemed to befall Balan. Animals loaded with provisions, bags of clothes on their heads, and eternal goodbyes became commonplace. A true exodus descended upon the village, almost nonexistent until now.

Midnight became a fateful hour, and every Balanese considered themselves lucky to emerge victorious from the previous night. At the waking hour, villagers checked on their neighboring kin to ensure everything was alright. Like every morning for the past three weeks, the residents of the Balan suburb expected a new death, all drained of their blood and dessicated within a few hours.

The curse that struck the city had a profound impact on the community's life. Dark and fearful looks, raw sensitivity, negative emotions, recurrent tears resulting from the loss of loved ones set the backdrop on the faces of the Balanese.

At the small chapel of Balan, the residents gathered to try to solve the curse that had befallen their once peaceful town. Some refused to participate in the gathering as they believed that nothing would be resolved without finding the source of the evil. Mostly men in this gathering place, as women remained at home to tend to household chores and their children.

Everyone took their place next to a friend or acquaintance since in this village of a few square meters everyone knew each other. At the conference table were the chapel's administrator, Reverend Father Aristide; the centenarian and patriarch of the village, Mr. Normil; the healer Francky; the notable Charlebois, and the chief of the brigades, Virgile André.

The administrator took charge of calming the frayed nerves by proclaiming a message of faith and repentance. Some Balanese rebuked him, demanding instead an immediate and severe response to the plague that ravaged them.
- I'm sorry, Father Aristil ! Despite all the respect I owe you, certainly faith counts, but the evil lurking around us is real and powerful, declared Jasmin the carpenter. We already count nineteen deaths, not to mention the disappearance of our dear Albert.

Voices approved his approach when Emile, the baker's son, affirmed, 
- We are all afraid and tired of what is happening. Personally, I am eaten up inside and I hardly sleep since the attack of the black angel. I fear for my life and that of my daughter.

And the crowd nodded in agreement, some supporting him with interjections or short phrases : 
- Yeah ! exclaimed a voice.
- Exactly ! This specter is very fast and concise. It strikes in a fraction of a second.
- Personally, I didn't even have time to see it properly. But it seems it's a child; with a stuffed toy in hand and the body completely soaked.
- We've had enough, another voice said.
- If we don't do anything, we will all die.

And the murmurs intensified until the notable Charlebois asked them to calm down, as they were there to find a substantial response to the affliction that plagued them.
- Calm down ! Calm down, he proclaimed as he stood up. We won't get anywhere with this panic swirling around us.
- But there's reason to be panicked, affirmed Sandra, the midwife from the suburb. More and more children are being stillborn because of the stress and panic caused by this scourge. The crowd was stunned after this declaration until she continued:
- Do you think I'm going to expose myself at night to save a life that hasn't even taken flesh yet ? I'm sorry, but as the priest knows how to say : God helps those who help themselves.