Shanna made her way out of the cabin. As she left, she looked behind her to try to find the nail that she had backed in to when the pyrotechnics went off but couldn’t find any. She emerged at the back of the cabin and saw Jack and Emily standing next to a tree in a casual embrace – Jack’s arms draped over Emily’s shoulders. At once, she felt uneasy.
“Where’s An – everybody else?” she asked.
Emily looked solemnly at three figures about thirty feet away. Immediately, Shanna recognized Anna’s shape among the crowd. Relieved she began to walk toward them. She noticed Anna’s now familiar musk as she drew closer and smiled, becoming wet with anticipation. Then her lip curled. She smelled something else too. She smelled sweat, tears – Fear.
“The trail was a little to tough for KaTee,” Jack teased. Shanna almost turned around to confront him but she heard a none too playful slap against the side of his head from Emily’s palm. “Ouch, babe, that really hurt,” he said. Shanna continued on.
Katie was being held by Paul. Anna stood to the side, rubbing her back and shushing her like a mother comforting a frightened child. Katie turned as she heard Shanna approach and ran to her- arms extended she fell upon her and wouldn’t let go.
“Shanna,” she cried, “I was soooo scared!”
“It’s ok, hon’,” Shanna tried to reassure her. “It’s ok.”
Katie just sobbed for several minutes. “I don’t want to do this anymore. I want to go back to camp. I want to leave right now!”
“Katie,” Shanna said, trying to reason with her. “We’re almost done. You’ll be alright.”
“No, I don’t want to do this anymore. These people are sick. They’re animals. They’re sick animals. I want to … I want to leave ….right now!”
About then, Paul stepped forward. He was holding a handful of armbands made of reflective material, like something a jogger would wear on the road at night.
“I talked to one of the reapers,” he said. “He told me that we wear these, we can walk off the trail and we won’t be touched.” He placed an armband around Katie’s bicep then did the same on his. “We’ll go ahead and meet you at the end of the trail. No sense of spoiling the fun for the rest of you.” Then he headed off with his arm around Katie’s back.
As they passed Emily and Jack, Emily stopped them. “Can I have one too?” she asked.
Paul handed an armband to her without hesitation.
“You don’t need that, babe,” Jack said, “you’ve got me.”
“I just don’t want to be kidnapped,” Emily replied.
The remaining four members of the group waited a few minutes in silence as Katie and Paul set off. Once they were out of sight, Shanna and Anna moved past Jack and Emily as they made out against a tree.
“Come on lovebirds,” Shanna encouraged.
Anna glared at Jack as she passed. Her eyes glowed an eerie yellow as she stared him down, and Jack could have sworn he’d heard he growl at him.
After they passed, Emily and Jack turned to follow. Emily didn’t notice Jack slipping the armband off of her as her ran his hand down her arm in a gentle caress. He let it drop onto the trail.
About a quarter mile later, another skirmish with the trail staff began. Quickly, a figure in a grey robe grabbed Emily.
“NO!” she screamed, “NO, NOOO!, JACK, ANNA, HELP!”
Jack moved toward her, but as soon as she disappeared into the woods off the trail, he broke off the chase. Anna flew passed him and into the brush. Her adrenaline flowed as she surged into the night. She could see Emily’s captors clearly in the dark forest and moved on them quickly. They were on another path and she jumped on it to, making much better time. She watched them round a corner and was ready to pounce when a robed figure stood in her way. Anna stopped abruptly. She looked into the hooded figure’s amber eyes for a moment before turning around and returning quietly to the rest of her dwindling group.
Exhaustion made Emily stop struggling as she was dragged down the path. Her captors pulled her along until they reached an opening in the woods. The path led down a small hill and a green tinted fire burned on an alter made of stone in the middle of the circular clearing. Emily was led before the flame and she stood there silently for several minutes. The fire was hot and she grew uncomfortable as she heat singed her cheeks.
Slowly, two robed figures moved from the shadows to stand beside the fire. Each reached into their cloaks and removed an item. In union, they threw the objects into the fire. There was a brilliant flash, and Emily covered her face. When she pulled her hands down, the woman from the night before, the one who had given her the ale stood across the flame from her. The embers cracked and popped as the woman pulled back her hood.
“Greetings, sister,” she said. “Welcome THE Witches Woods. We have been watching you. We are here to reward you. We offer you a special honor. We offer to teach you the secret of the Witches Woods.”
Emily began to back away, but she was stopped by the women behind her. They held her tightly be the arms.
“You have been hurt,” the woman across the fire said. “People you relied upon have abused your trust. Not just tonight, but in your past. You have been hurt by those who should be your protectors.”
Emily gazed wide eyed at the woman. ‘How could she know this?’
“We know,” the woman said, “because the woods hold no secrets from the women of the woods.”
“We offer you the opportunity to join with us, to be one of us. We are strong, and we protect our sisters. You can be strong too. You don’t have to be afraid again.”
“Join us,” the woman said, as she produced a short dagger. Its jewel encrusted blade sparkled in the firelight. She placed the flame to her palm and sliced across it. Then the woman to her right produced a golden chalice. The woman let her blood flow into the cup. Then she passed the dagger and the cup the woman next to her.
That woman did the same, cutting her palm and letting her blood flow into the cup. “Join us,” she said before passing the cup along. The ceremony continued until all of Emily’s captors had mixed their blood into the cup. The last handed it back to the leader who held it before Emily.
“Mix your blood with ours,” that will be the first step in our pact.
Emily’s arm was drawn up and she winced as she felt the blade run across her palm. The wound throbbed in time with her heartbeat as her blood flowed into the cup. The leader brought the cup to her nose and sniffed.
“Our blood mixes with yours and makes you strong,” she placed the chalice into Emily’s hands. “Drink from our combined essence and grow strong and free.”
Emily’s hands were shaking as she drew the cup to her lips. She tilted the cup back and the pungent, salty liquid flowed into her mouth. She felt empowered by it! She threw her head back and drank in great gulps. The blood flowed down her throat. What she couldn’t swallow spilled over her cheeks and ran down her neck in tiny rivulets.
Once the cup was emptied, Emily returned it to the leader. She smiled wide at her.
“Our pact is made,” the leader said, “blessings upon you.”
Then there was another flash of light and they were gone in an instant.
Alone, Emily headed toward the end of the trail.