Death to Witches

Sacrifices

WARNING More violence and gore, but i toned down visuals to lower it from mature (let me know if you think otherwise). If you do not like violent cruelty. Do not read! I can send a summary if you want to know how it ends!

I woke up I was outside, it was dark. I could feel a heavy weight in my limbs as I started to stand up, "this is a dream" I said to the darkness. It replied by showing me the earth beneath my feet rise up with two great horns growing from the ground. I stepped backwards as two great glowing eyes grew out of the rising mound.

I ran. My feet felt heavy but the landscape around me changed. I was in London. I was in Rid loch. I was in London. I was in Rid Loch. The landscape melted together and I tried running through the houses but the doors slammed shut in my face. I heard a loud roar of chanting shake my bones. Behind me the red eyes kept glowing at the same distance no matter how fast or slow I ran.
I felt cold water spike my feet and below me I was waist deep in the Loch. The water was blood red and floating in it were slippery red tongues.
I looked deep into the water and saw my face staring back. At first it looked scared but then it grew angry and transformed. The make up grew brighter and my features spiked to pointed noses and ears. The face stood up out of the water dripping with blood frowning. I looked into its face and it screeched. I felt like my ears were going to explode. Behind me I felt the mound monster wrap its arms around me in an embrace and then I woke up.
I thought I was still dreaming because I could still hear the reflection monster scream. Yet it was not from my dream. They were Sammy's screams.

I rammed against the door and it didn't budge. I slammed my shoulder against the window it was stiff from the frost. The window gave way and behind me I heard my bedroom door open. I was one foot out the window before they pulled me back inside. I kicked the air but my legs and arms were grabbed by a mass of hands. They forced my arms behind me and I felt ropes tighten around my wrists. They dragged me up and pushed me through the door, in front of me I saw Sammy's tied hands. I shouted for her name but a cloth tied around my mouth muffling my shouts.
Outside it was cold my bare feet kissed by the frost as they shoved us forwards. The rest of the locals were awake to see us paraded across the village. They threw rocks and cursed us as bad witches. The boys from School threw the sharpest rocks and I felt the sting of a cut on my head when one hit me. I shook my hands but I was powerless in trying to protect my face.
They pushed us to the old police station, at least now we were inside away from the shouting outside. They took us downstairs to the basement where old stone cells waited for us. They put me in one cell alone and the door slammed behind me. I sat down on a small mattress on the floor my hands still tied and my dress wet from the frost. My gag and ropes removed but there was little to do with small freedoms.

I lost track of time inside the cell there were no windows or lights. It was soundless apart from my own weeping. No one to talk to but myself. It felt like a day past before I heard the door unlock and Daisy walked in holding a tray of food. She still looked sick and covered in scratches but managed to talk.

"I'm not as sick as the others." She must have seen my shock.

"I think. I think I have you to thank for that." She said.

I shook my head. "Where's Sammy. I want to see my sister."

"She's not talking to anyone right now. Well she attacked me when I tried to." Said Daisy "We need your help to stop her. Mrs Hamish can only do so much. I believe you're the good on-"

"-Shut up! It was just a prank none of this is real." I said. "Tell them you are all faking ."

"Are the sheep faking it?" She said. "Is your Mum? Magic is real here you must understand."

I stared at her, my throat dry from lack of food and drink.

"Let me help you. Let me help your Mum."

She pushed the tray forwards. On it sat a small tankard of yellow juice and bread. From where I was sitting I could feel the warmth emanating from the bread, it's sweet smell drawing me closer. I grabbed the tankard with both hands and gulped down the drink. It tasted sweet like rose syrup butter. My mouth was moist again and fresh. I tore and the bread next. My stomach filling with the warmth of the pure baked goodness.

"Thank you Daisy." I croaked.

She stood up and split into two people who overlapped each other. I felt the room spin around me and the floor drop and rise back up like a wave. I tried to pick up the tankard again, was there something inside? My hand went through the handle like it wasn't there and I saw the floor was covered in tankards. I looked up Daisy was gone and instead I saw the mound monster with its great horns and glowing eyes. It walked out the room and pointed to the left. I followed and turned for Sammy's room. It was then I saw her. She had been tied to a chair but it wasn't the Sammy I knew, she looked more like the reflection monster. Drenched in red her face distorted and twisted in a rage. When she saw me I heard her howl a banshee cry shaking the room around us. For the first time I saw her for what she really was was. I felt two hands of the mound man rest his hands on my shoulder. I held them with one hand and with the other I pointed at the thing in the chair.

"Bad witch." I said.

Everything else was a blur I remember singing a document and drinking more liquid. This time the room stopped spinning and in front of me stood the painted man smiling.
We nodded to each other and started to sing, this time I could remember the words. We walked outside where the other waited and we walked to the Loch singing. In front I heard bells and a muffled scream but our drums drowned it out. We reached the Loch and I saw Sammy in ropes dragged to the center of the circle. She lay covered in ropes but still tried to run as the dancers started their moves. I felt a trembling hand grab mine. It was Mum who looked better but still sick from the curse. I smiled at her, soon she would be better again.
I felt a mask go over my head the eyes were blindfolded but I could still hear everything.

Sammy was thrashing around shouting at the people in the inner circle. Light footsteps pattered around with the sound of knives slashing into something soft. Lamps rattled with the cheers of the crowd with every slashing sound. I heard Sammy headbutt few of the dancers who yelped out in pain when her head made a hard thump into their sides. Yet Sammy stopped shouting when the crowd started to chant "GOATMAN, GOATMAN, GOATMAN."
Out of her silence she cried out one long angry groan before a sound of a knife cut through something long and wet . I heard her on the ground gurgling in pain while everyone else laughed "No more curses! No more lies!"

Feet rushed towards to center circle from the hard ground to wet splashes of soft shoes in puddle of blood. I heard the Painted Goatman take out another long thin knife with a defining screech before it slapped into meat. Sammy groaned with every deep painful breath. She was still alive but had little strength left. Wet slaps echoed out and a strong smell of sweet copper filled the air. I squeezed Mums hand, something small was beating like a clock. When the beating stopped the crowd cheered 'The witch is dead, the witch is dead!'

They took off my blindfold and in front of me the crowd parted aside to allow us cursed and the sick forwards. First Mum and the girls drank huge gulps of blood. They smiled as the curse was cleansed from their bodies. The farmers were next and we cheered as we heard bahs of the sheep in the distance. Last if all was me. For too long my twin controlled me. Kept me locked away from the village who wanted to take care of me. I put the veins to my mouth and felt warm blood trickle down my throat. It tasted sweet and metallic and a great weight lifted from me.

-

Under my bed I found a box of the old clothes, inside were my old city clothes. I took them out and changed back into the them. I looked so strange in them in the mirror. I took out my old phone.

"Dinner's almost ready." said Dad from the doorway. Darr-Dad smiled at me and I returned the same grin.

"This won't take long." I said.

I open the phone and turned on the camera. In it I saw our old friends in South London.

"Hey Sammy!" They shouted. "Or is it June? You coming back soon?"

"Sorry I haven't chatted I've been busy here. But don't worry about us we love it here now. Rid Loch is our home."

Any feedback welcome hope you enjoyed the horror!