by Samie Sands
“What?” I snap, turning to face him head on so he can see the redness of my rage. “That I would have sex with him just because he’s the leader of whatever this is? Alex, I haven’t even had sex with you...”
“Because you have to sleep with him first. That’s the rule.”
A snort of mirthless laughter erupts from me. “Is that what makes me your offering? Or am I really just a sacrifice to appease God?”
Alex pales. “He told you about that? Did you agree?”
I throw my hands in the air in frustration. “Do you even hear yourself? This is madness. Sheer insanity. Are you guys killing people for a God that doesn’t exist? Doesn’t that bother you? It’s murder. Full blown murder.”
“You haven’t seen what I have.” He pales. Even more so. “You don’t know. Not like I do. If we don’t offer God something, the world will descend into chaos, into Hell.”
“Some people might suggest that’s already happened.” My joke falls flat. Figures. “Come on, Alex, let’s get out of here, away from this. You can’t expect me to stay now knowing that crazy Cloud wants to kill me. Would you? If I’d had any idea this was what meeting your friends was going to look like, I wouldn’t have come.”
“Don’t I mean anything to you?”
“Don’t play the guilt card, Alex, you know you mean everything...”
“Then why won’t you stay? Let me be ‘the one’ tonight. The person who brings the offering and saves the world. Let me stop demons from roaming the planet.”
“You want to become ‘the one’ by killing me?” I reply flatly. “Isn’t being the one for me enough?” I tug him closer to me. “I want to be your wife, Alex, I want us to have a future together. I don’t want to die here.”
“If you don’t die, there won’t be a future.”
Okay, I’m not getting through to him at all. I need to try something new.
“It shouldn’t be me. It shouldn’t be anyone new. I should be someone from within the cult...group.” I correct myself quickly so as not to offend. “That will be a real sacrifice. And if it’s Cloud, then it might appease God forever.”
“But he’s our leader! How could you even suggest that, Juliet?”
“Because he’s your leader. That’s what makes it so good. It’ll free you from the shackles of God’s oppression.”
I don’t want to seem like I condone murder, but getting rid of Cloud will free all the people here. They’ll finally get their lives back, stop this madness, so it can only be a good thing. And if it keeps me alive, even better.
“I don’t know, Juliet.” Alex backs away from me, looking afraid, like I’m the monster here. “What you’re suggesting is insane.”
“Not as insane as killing me.”
I don’t know if I can convince Alex. This is years of him being brainwashed that’ll need to be undone. I can try, but I don’t have time to stick around in case I lose out and end up dead.
“I’m leaving, Alex,” I tell him firmly. “I’m going right now. I can’t stick around here. You understand that, right? I don’t know what you lot believe but it isn’t for me. Now, you can either come with me, or stay. But I’m not sticking around so Cloud can kill me.”
“I want to be ‘the one’,” he gushes pathetically. “I want to save the world. Can’t you understand that?”
I’M NOT SUPPOSED TO be leaving alone in Alex’s car with tears down my face. Tonight isn’t supposed to be going this way at all.
Alex chose them, he wants them, he’s too brainwashed. I don’t think I can save him, ever. I want him to be the one for me, he wants to be ‘the one’ for them, saving the world.
He’s willing to do that for the love of his cult.
I thought I loved him, but I walked away.
“Shit.”
I screech the car to a halt and scream into the steering wheel. What can I do here? What choice do I have?
I need to go back.
I don’t want to go back, but I need to.
I don’t feel like I have any choice.
I always told myself I would do anything for love, but now the chance is here, I’m running away.
I can’t go back alone though, that’s for sure. Not if I want to save Alex and break him free. I need someone on my side, protection, a hero...
ONE YEAR LATER...
“Here she is, the one.” Alex throws his arm around my shoulder and pulls me in for a kiss. “You look beautiful today. I mean, you always look beautiful, but especially today. You’re like a dream.”
His words wash over me like a gorgeous river. I swim in them loving that I finally have everything I’ve ever wanted. I have my man, I’ve had the big white wedding, and now I have the baby in my belly. It’s a dream come true.
“Everyone is so excited about today, my love, about you proving yourself all over again. Last year, the way you came out of the blue with the hitchhiker and saved the day, saved the world from the demons.”
“Hmm.”
I prefer not to remember it. To me, it isn’t my finest moment. But this year will be. This year, I’ve bided my time, I’ve made some strong bonds, I’ve got my plan in order...this year I will be proud.
“Who knows who will be ‘the one’ this year,” Alex continues. “I can’t believe how badly I wanted it to be me last year. I nearly sacrificed the love of my life.”
I don’t want to talk about that, I don’t need to remember it, it puts a dent in my otherwise happy memories.
“Let’s go, shall we? See what’s going to happen.”
I already know. This year, God will be getting who he needs. That arrogant, punk-ass, son-of-a-bitch, Cloud. Alex might not like it, it could cause another blip in me and him, but everyone else will be free.
Enough people agree with me, they were just too afraid to speak out before I came along, but not anymore. Today is the first day of the revolution.
Finally, after a year of sacrifice, my life will be my own at last.
I didn’t used to agree with murder, but now I think in some cases, it’s needed. I do feel bad about the hitchhiker, he didn’t need to die for some imaginary demons, but I won’t about this. Cloud deserves to die. Whether there really is some God to be appeased or not, is irrelevant, but the world will be a better place without him in it.
Alex will be fine. He’ll be okay with this in the long run, I’m sure of it.
After all, he’s the one. I’m his one. We are destined to be together. I’m his wife, about to be the mother of his child. With a love like this, where we will do anything for one another, then we can get through anything.
Now, I just need to make sure that Cloud dies. I need to ensure the plan I’ve put into action doesn’t fail He needs to be the one with the knife in his chest.
Then the new world can begin!
Samie Sands
Samie Sands is the author of the AM13 Outbreak series—Lockdown, Forgotten, Extinct, and Not Dead Yet. She’s also had a number of short stories published in very successful short story anthologies. To find out more about her and her work, check out her website at http://samiesands.com.
FACEBOOK.COM/SAMIESANDSLOCKDOWN
Twitter.com/SamieSands
Wattpad.com/SamieSands
Amazon.com/SamieSands
The Witches Bite
Linda Jenkinson
the witch’s bite
it leaves a wound that won’t heal and profound questions
The witch’s bite was worrisome at the very least. What kind of treatment does it need, for a start? But what really was frightening Zoey was the nagging thought that it might do something to her; something she didn’t know; something gross or scary or horrible. And, of course, there was always the chance it would turn her into an animal or something, or even a witch. She really had to address it now and drop everything else.
Zoey walked into the library, her long legs and excellent posture creating a graceful and kind of undulating gate, as her flip-flops gently slapped the underside of he
r feet. This particular library was new to her and she didn’t have a clue where to look for information on witch’s bites. She walked up to the librarian who was busy writing something down on a messy notepad.
“Witches,” Zoey startled her with her clear precise voice. “Can you tell me where I should go for books on witches?” The librarian had a funny smell, like musk or dank basements and she looked at Zoey in obvious distaste. She pointed over to the back of the room and told Zoey, she’d have to the stairs and then down to the basement and look for a sign that said ‘Occult History and Practices’.
Zoey thanked her and went in that direction, hoping that what she needed would be in that collection of books. She looked down at her bite and she could see it was still red around the bandage and throbbed despite the ointment she had dressed it with. As she walked to the stairs her thoughts went back to just two nights ago when she was bitten.
It’s not easy killing a witch. You have to know how to do it. The thirty-something witch put up quite a fight. She could see that brassy blonde hair flipping around and around as she tumbled down the two flights of stairs. It isn’t like they have superhuman powers or anything. They only have powers in their spells and craft, but physically, they are not very strong. But that’s the trick, isn’t it? Making sure they don’t have time to throw out one of their debilitating spells while you’re trying to kill them. Her father had taught her that, at least. Although, she was sure he would never have dreamed that she would be wrestling with a wiry witch one day.
Yes, her father had mentioned that you must distract them with very loud kind and loving words while you’re fighting them so they can’t recall the spell words- the demon words that call on powers to help them. Her dad knew about that from his own father who once killed a witch. Her dad had told her the witch was trying to disable or kill Zoey’s grandmother, his mother.
“Maybe it skips a generation like everything else,” she said to herself, as she slowly descended the stairs to the basement. She didn’t even want to kill that witch but the bitch-witch said she would render Zoey’s youngest brother mute for the rest of his life. And the witch had already made Max, her other brother, only able to tell the truth all the time. This got him in big trouble with his girlfriend, friends, teachers and even their mother.
Plus, the same witch had put a spell on Zoey’s mom too. She had made her mom only have an appetite for raw meat and had no taste for vegetables or fruit and was getting so thin and sick. It was disgusting. No, Mandy, the witch had to be stopped. Who knew where it would end? Too bad she was able to sink her teeth into Zoey’s hand just moments before she went flying down those stairs. But the good news? All the spells dissipated the moment that witch hit the floor. Zoey knew, cause when she got home her family were all better and back to normal.
She saw the sign reading ‘Occult History and Practices’ and after a while picked up a book labeled, ‘Spells and Remedies for the Modern Witch’. She checked and ‘Modern’ in this case actually referred to 1963, but hey, most spells and witch history were ancient anyway.
In the index of that large thick book, she saw a chapter named, “Protection from Witch Attacks”. Now that sounded right, so she took the book over to the nearest table and perused for a bit. “How lucky can you get?” she said softly to herself because right there, in that particular chapter was information on witch’s bites.
Her eyes narrowed though when she found out what an unattended bite could do. Now she really had to get to work, as this was getting urgent. She read for about half an hour and then decided just to check the book out and take it home.
Zoey was spending a few weeks with her Aunt Lorrie until the heat died down from the dead witch. She eventually told her mom what happened and both of them decided it would be best for her to go to the city and stay with her aunt for a while.
Aunt Elise played a prominent role in Zoey Foster’s life ever since her dad’s untimely death when Zoey was only fourteen. Her Aunt and the rest of the family stepped right in to help with the grief and made sure they were around on family holidays that would cause them pain.
But time does heal and now that she was grown at 18 years old, they saw her Aunt Elise and grandmother, etc. a little less often. However, she did share a bond now with Aunt Elise that they knew would be there forever.
And Aunt Elise had a sad history too - several years ago she got married and her new husband died in a freak accident where he worked. He fell into some machinery at his plant. It was after that tragedy that Zoey and Lorrie became even closer. But tragedy does that, doesn’t it?
When she got back to her aunt’s house, Zoey poured over the book- it really did have some excellent remedies in it. It was worn and tattered but Zoey learned to trust those older remedies as they were often tried and true. Even her dad used to recommend them as responsible tools and guides.
She went back to the section that mentioned witch bites. It stated that if she didn’t get the bite seen to properly, she would keep getting weaker, and could eventually die or just remain in that shaky, exhausted, bed-ridden state her whole natural life! The bite would suck the virtual life out of her.
“Well, what’s the remedy?” Aunt Elise blurted out, getting more and more anxious, as she waited for Zoey to tell her.
Zoey slapped the book closed. Exasperated, Zoey told her that unfortunately, all the specific remedies were in the second volumeand that this first volume just ended short of naming them.
“I’ll have to go to the library tomorrow and get it. There’s not a lot of time.”
“I’ll go with you, hon.” her aunt smiled and gave Zoey a hug.
A DISCOVERY AT THE library.
As they sat in the glorious, all-enveloping silence and solitude of the library, Zoey’s turquoise-blue-painted fingernail scanned the page of the second volume.
“Oh no—guess what?” Zoey almost yelled, “It says that a witch has to kiss it—!” and she looked up quickly, her long lashes curling up, almost to her brow, “No, seriously. A witch bit it and now a witch has to kiss it! Kiss it better! And then it has to be wrapped in a special cloth and soaked in Valerian tea for a few days. That’s it! That’s all! I just have to get a damn witch to kiss it,Aunt Elise. That’s a cinch!” she said sarcastically, but with a definite tone of desperation.
Her aunt put her arm around Zoey’s shoulder and patted her arm.
“We’ll get a witch to kiss your hand if that’s what we have to do. And I already have the Valerian tea. We will!”
“And don’t worry; we have a little power over witches—right?” Aunt Elise continued, “Your grandpa, my father, was victorious and so were you. You already know that once you kill a witch, that strength goes down the family ties, right? I won’t have it really—as it goes down the line and has strengthened you—but maybe I have it a little bit. But for sure, I have the conviction, like my brother Victor- your dad did!”
And then Aunt Elise looked at Zoey and said, “Oh yes, I have the conviction.” And Zoey knew she had a lifelong ally in Aunt Elise and felt comforted.
“And besides,” she continued, “you killed a witch of your own on top of it! This will be a walk in the park!”
“A walk in the dark is what it will be.” Zoey smiled, lamely, rolling her dark eyes, “Where can we find a witch in the first place?
“I’ll do some research on the Internet tonight, hon. Right after dinner.” Aunt Elise smiled her cheerful smile, showing her perfect white teeth. “We’ll find you a witch!”
Zoey looked down at her hand where the bite was located. It still looked red and infected.
“There was something funny about that librarian,” Zoey said suddenly.
“She smelled funny—musty or something.” She looked at her aunt, who looked surprised.
“Anyway,” Zoey went on, “I feel so tired. I’d love to go home and lie down. Would you start the search for witches?
Aunt Elise? I just need a little rest.”
“Sure thing, I’m
going to start by looking through those books, you got. I’ll see if smelling funny means anything! Wouldn’t that be lucky? “Aunt Elise said. She was beginning to be concerned about Zoey’s weakness.
But when they walked by that same librarian on the way out, Zoey stopped short and looked at her. Aunt Elise picked up the cue and went over to talk to this seemingly ordinary woman. There was indeed something strange about this librarian.
“Here we go, we’re taking out another book on witches!” and Aunt Elise really emphasized the word. “We need a remedy.” And she smiled ever so sweetly at the older woman. And when she looked down she saw that this otherwise ordinary-looking librarian’s hand was shaking and that her nails were excessively long and painted an ugly purple.
They checked out the book with her, but when they got to the parking lot they stopped abruptly to talk.
“Oh my God!” Zoey exclaimed, “She stinks to high heaven of rot or something! It’s stronger now than it was when I first met her. “
“I didn’t smell that, Zoey, but I felt drawn and repelled at the same time. But she’s just an ordinary...” and then she added, “Or is she? Did you see her nails?” And with that question, they both looked at each other.
They went into Aunt Elise’s little red car and perused the index. “Here!” she exclaimed- pointing to something on the index page. “The odor of witches.”
And Zoey went to the page indicated and read aloud, “To the ones that are born and live here as witch warriors they will be able to smell the smell of death and evil from the witches. They must take care and approach with caution.”
“She’s a witch!” exclaimed Zoey. “We have our witch!” Aunt Elise just smiled and looked off into the distance.
THE REMEDY.
“I need to go home to get some aromatherapy oils, and then we can get back here about half an hour before the library closes.” Aunt Elise said as she started up the car.