Sheep to be Slaughtered

~Chapter Twenty-Five~

           Damien and I sat across from each other, neither of us saying a word. What were we to do now? I had thought we had at least a month's time to gather what resources we needed and find the edge of the forest... but Founder Marco's sudden diversion from his meticulous rituals had me wondering if that were true...

          And the way he had so easily plunged that knife into Matthew... there had been no hesitation... no look of remorse... and the crowd had practically screamed their approval to Founder Marco...

           Perhaps Damien was right then, and we could not save the villagers even if we tried... even if they knew the truth...

          I needed to know.

          "We have to try to help him, Damien," I said softly.

          Damien looked regretful, but he shook his head regardless. "He won't stand a chance running with those wounds... and the blood will just lead the Venge right to him... and to us if he's with us."

          I didn't have a response at first. I was shocked he had already decided to leave Matthew to such a grisly fate... yet the truth of his words, while difficult to hear, was valid... "We can't just let him die like that... what if we can get to him before nightfall? Surely, he has a chance to get through the forest in the daylight?"

          Again, Damien shook his head. "With the state he's in, it's not worth risking getting discovered." He rose to his knees to peek out one of the windows. "We'll have to wait until the village gathers to escort the Selected to the forest... then we'll make a run for it."

          I looked away from him, feeling torn inside. Why could I not just accept the villagers were not worth saving? Why could I not be dismissive like Damien? Perhaps I knew deep down that it was because I was one of them... or had been once... and my mother had thought I was worth saving...

          "Eleyah... Eleyah, look!" Damien whispered harshly as he stared out the window.

           I jumped at the sudden mention of my name but moved to his side. I peered out into the village, getting an excellent view of Founder Marco's house... and the small procession of people carrying Daily Offering towards his house...

          "No..." my voice trailed off. "Daily Offering goes to... Founder Marco?"

          Damien said nothing, but his jaw was clenched, and his short nails were digging into the wood of the walls.

          "After all these years..." I breathed. "How foolish I was to never before wonder what became of all that food... all that food we needed so desperately through these cold months... and Founder Marco feasted through it all..."

          I saw Founder Marco now at the back of the procession and suddenly I felt as though his eyes were upon me... I felt exposed... as though he knew I were here, and he did not care... that smug look on his features I could see from here seemed to tell me he wasn't afraid of anything I would do... or could do... he would always hold the upper hand...

          I ground my teeth together.

          I wanted to feed him to the Venge myself...

~

          Hours of waiting in silence drug by slowly. The house remained empty but for me and Damien. I had become very familiar with these blank walls after having stared at them for so long...

          All I could think about was how blind I had been... all those nights where Leanna and I had gone to bed hungry... all those nights wondering how we would have enough to last through winter... while Founder Marco thrived. My blood boiled at the thought of how much he had taken... at how much he had likely thrown out because he hadn't been able to eat everything before it had spoiled...