Those That Slither | ON HOLD

Ten

"As darkness begins to bleed into the human, and a rage begins to overtake the good in them, a dangerous foe is born. For revenge, for the yearning of justice, or for the sour taste to kill- one may find themselves seeking a place in dark craft. Being a lesser known evil yet able to be the deadliest at its highest form, summoning the violet serpent is just the beginning of a path to pure destruction if allowed."

If this thing isn't at its strongest form, I can't lie and say I'm not afraid of what's in store.

Leah couldn't believe she had found herself flipping through the crafting book. Every second that went by with it in her touch felt strange. It had been put in her home as a sign, she had guessed. She felt foolish taking the bait, but when she found a section about her intruders the tingling sensation in her hands geared up. Her lips moved as she continued to read the introduction.

"One must understand the power they are handling and know of the potential of human energy as it blends with this craft. Beware, if not properly handled, the cloak of black craft may overtake the human,  stopping them from removing the curse of their target. In this case, both souls will be consumed and will spend a lifetime victim to the curse."

Leah looked at the bottom of the page at a hand drawn illustration. Her jaw dropped and eyes widened once she realized  what she had just read, and what the picture depicted.

There was a person holding a book, surrounded by objects. But the picture was drawn in a time lapse which then showed the same drawing except they were adorned in a black cloak and hood; the structure of their face a mere bony version, painted white with black markings.

Her mind went back to her dream. It was the same thing. A light bulb clicked above her head and she ran her fingers across the picture, "This is what they're doing."

Daniel walked his chair closer to her and sat back down, eyeing the page, "Are you positive?"

She nodded, "I've seen this in a dream. It was like it was judging me, and it sentenced me to death. Right after, I was covered in snakes. But then I wake up."

She turned the page and more bricks fell against her back, weight adding on by the minute. A drawing of what appeared to be the target took up most of the page. It was a woman, to her dismay; she was covered in the reptiles, her hands and face the only part to be seen. Her expression was without a doubt the look of pain and fear. The charcoal bits of her eyes were weeping.

Leah bit her lip and stared into them. As she did, color seemed to soak into the parchment. Right before her, the woman's eyes turned green. Suddenly it wasn't just any woman drawn on the page,  it was her. Her eyes stung and she blinked, turning away from the book.

"I think I've seen enough for now. She folded the edge of the page and closed the book without a second glance. Instead, she rose up and pushed her chair in. Her attention went to Daniel.

He too pushed in his chair and turned to her, "Maybe we should get out of here for a little while. Are you hungry?"

Leah wiped her eyes. She had pushed past the the growling in her stomach for hours. Skipping meals had never been in her behavior, food was good and appreciated. She remembered the taste of butter, pasta and chocolate covered goodness. Her mouth started to water, "I'm starving."

"When is the last time you ate something?"

"Hmm, days."

He flexed his jaw, "My treat."

"No Daniel," she held up her hands, "You have got to stop being so nice to me."

"You know, you are the only person I've ever met that complains about it."