The Bride✓

↦Chapter 19: The Family Ritual

The moment Grace opened her eyes, they met with those huge animal's head which looked like it were about to fall on her face any moment.The deer, the cow and the owl would bring shivers to her spine. She gasped as she tried to move her body but she couldn't. Both her hands and her feet were tied. She couldn't even think about screaming for help as her mouth was tightly covered with a tape.

Grace finds herself trapped on a huge round table which had a star-like symbol on it. The symbol of the devil's triangle. She was surrounded with the family members who were all terrifyingly dressed in a green coat, all covering their heads with the hoods.

Grace tried to scream but it was muffed. She tried to move but in vain. She could only grunted. Her heart was racing so fast that she could hear it in the side of her ears.

From her upside down view, Grace could see Tony reciting tantrics in latin which she couldn't even understand herself. The rest of the family members would repeat the same words just after Tony.

Grace immediately understood that they were doing the ritual and that meant the end of her life.

Daniel then gave Tony a mid-size golden glass and the father recited his few latin words before tasting the mixture and passing it to the other family members.

Everybody tasted the mixture. It was a part of the family ritual but when it was Daniel's turn, he silently placed the glass on a table behind while everyone was unaware of it.

They recited 2 more lines when Tony slowly grabbed the short pointed sword which was lying next to Grace's head and as Tony lifted it up, Grace would shook her head by grunting and crying.

"We renew our plage this night as our ancestors before us with this offering of living flesh and blood" said Tony as he held the sword in the air and Grace could face the pointed part of the sword just above her head. She continued to scream while they all recited in latin for the last time.

"Hail!-"

Tony lifted the weapon in the air with all his force and as high as he could when he was about to penetrate it inside the head of Grace but in vain.

Tony gasped for he could feel something bubbling in his stomach and coming up through his throat. He gasped and started coughing blood while the sword fell from his hand and clattered on the floor.

"Brother!" screamed Helene as she watched her brother retching and vomiting blood.

She was about to rush to her brother when she gasped and started retching blood as well as did the other family members except Daniel.

Grace frowned and was perplexed when Daniel removed his hood and quickly started untying the feet of Grace.

While helene was holding her stomach, she pointed her finger at the glass:

"POISONED!!"

She screamed out of fury.

Tony's eyes grew bigger when he shouted:

"SON OF A BITCH!!!" he tried to punch Daniel when the latter turned to the right and Tony missed his target and fell on the table instead.

"Oh god" said Emilie as she held her stomach in pain.

Meanwhile Alex kept grinding the handcuffs against the bed handle.

•••

"Wha-what did you give u-us?" asked Becky.

"Stuff we poured on the maids. White bottle, little red cap" replied Daniel as he was now untying the hands of Grace.

"Hydrochloric acid!!???" screamed Tony.

"Come on, get up!"

Daniel grabbed Grace by the arm and they rapidly trudged and left the room.

Alex finally broke the bed handle and he then managed to free himself from the handcuffs by opening it with the help of the key which was hidden in the drawer. It was by the chance of Alex that he secretly saw where his mother kept the key. He then swiftly run in the hallway.

"Grace!" called out Alex.

•••

"Did you just..did you just kill 'em?" asked Grace still in a state of intoxication.

"No, I just gave them a nip" replied Daniel as he quickly removed his coat. And as they trudged forward, he continued:

"I googled it. They'll shit weird for a week, but they'll be fine"

They both nervously and constantly turned behind them while walking when Daniel said:

"Don't worry, I'll get Alex out too"

"FIND THEM!!" the voice of Tony could be heard.

Daniel and Grace gasped and they sprinted until they hide together below the stairs.

Daniel swiftly put his head down the moment Helene passed by while Grace kept looking and watched her going away when she turned to Daniel and said:

"I knew you'd help me..." she stared at him.

Daniel stared at her and replied:

"I didn't"

He then poke his head out while he continued:

"All I knew was, at some point, somebody had to burn it all down"

They both then got out from their hiding place and trudged silently.

"Never thought it'd be me" said Daniel.

They were about to enter the corridor when a voice was heard:

"Daniel"

The latter turned around only to find Charity pointing a gun at him.

Grace and Daniel stopped on the spot but Daniel remained stood in front of Grace to shield her.

"Get out of the way" said Charity as she made a step closer to them.

Daniel was drenched in perspiration when he placed his hand in the air and slowly moved it up and down and sighed.

"Charity.." he said as he slowly stepped forward in her direction.

The lady stared at him when tears appeared in her eyes and she sniffled when she said:

"You really don't care if I die"

Daniel shook his head

"Listen..you don't have to-"

Daniel was suddenly interrupted when a loud gunshot was heard and blood was split on the face of Grace.