Heaven - ONC 2022 LONGLISTED - old version

chapter 4: (non)human

Midnight bled into one AM like a gutted boar dangling from a tree. Everything was silent except for a faint murmurer coming from the belly of the forest. "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me." Father Caleb knelt among the herculean trees. Above, the branches created a leafy canopy, nearly shielding the ground from fragmented tendrils of moonlight. Yet a stray ray of light – having lost its way – reached down and illuminated the spot where Caleb knelt. When Cal looked up to the light, his lips shone with fresh blood. "Let me be forgiven," he cried.

In his grasp lay a rabbit, floppy and lifeless like someone's old toy. Blood trickled over its fur and pooled at Cal's knees. Shifting his gaze to the creature, Caleb let out a pained cry. "I'm so sorry," he whispered before murmuring a prayer and carefully burying the rabbit under a cluster of fallen leaves.

Summer stood with its tiptoes over the edge. A rogue breeze indicated fall would soon be near. The trees above had paid little attention to the lingering summer and a few of them had already shed some of their leaves. Below, little clusters of flowers began to die away, all but the weeds.

Rising, Cal licked the blood off his lips. Yet when he hunched over to wipe the dirt off his jeans, he realized he was trembling. It had been months since he had last fed. But rabbit had not been on the menu the last time. He knew it would only be a matter of time until the hunger became too powerful for him to bear and he would need something more than a poor unsuspecting rodent.

"Why did you forsake us? We were of you and made in your honor; your children. You tore our wings and cast us asunder. We are not all to blame!" Gasping through his words, Cal felt as though he'd choke on them. "What am I going to do? Oh God, when will it stop?" he cried as he arched his head to the sky. But there was no reply. There never was.

The tequila bottle had been half full when Sina had taken it from Cody. Now, what little remained sloshed around lazily as he staggered towards the forest in a drunken haze. His eyes blurred and the trees before him reminded Sina of soldiers who didn't want to let him through.

"Make way!" Swearing under his breath, he pushed at a tree and stumbled around it. "I've got as much right to be here as you do. Ya hear me?" Bumping against a maple, Sina groaned like a deflated balloon. He leaned against the trunk then wriggled down till he was sitting on the yellowing grass.

A little dandelion had its head arched towards Sina. The weed stood alone and proud among the bunch of wilting wildflowers.

"Hello little lion-flower. Thirsty?" Sina slurred and tipped the bottle so a few drops fell on the dandelion's crown. "Me too but the damn thing's got a hole in the bottom." Tipping the bottle over, Sina accidentally dropped it and it broke when it fell upon a rock. "Well, ain't that just absofuckingly wonderful." Reaching down to pick the pieces of broken glass and toss them away, he felt the razor jaws of the glass slice against his hand. "Motherfu –" he howled and brought his bleeding hand to his mouth. Trying to stop the flow of blood, Sina scrunched up his face and licked at the wound. He hated the taste of blood. Always did.

In another part of the forest, Father Caleb caught the aroma of newly spilled blood and instantly knew it was not an animal. He drew in a deep breath and shuddered at the glorious scent, something akin to communion and spices. "Oh, dear God," he gasped and brought his hands up to cover his nose. "No. Please, God..." Inside, Caleb was filled with a burning ache. A desperate need to get on his knees, crawl to whoever was there and beg them for a taste. Tears pooled in his eyes yet his hatred for himself stopped him from perusing. "I cannot do this," he uttered into his palms. "I will not succumb to this weakness again." Backing away, he staggered and nearly tripped over roots that had poked out of the ground as if desperate for air.

Caleb looked towards the darkness. He could not see who it was that had spilled their blood but he knew one thing for sure, that there was only one sort of creature whose blood had ever brought such euphoria to Father Caleb. And it was not human. Not even close.

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