Patrons-Legacy of the Gods

Έντεκα (11)

I was losing trust. Trust in the patrons. Trust in these strangers. The table had courses of everything. Luxuriant fruit. Inquisite grains. The same nourishments from the invisible chefs back at the edifice. None of this was here before. Many patrons entered in varied order, standing with coordinated partners. 

     With the bloody ceremony, I thought they weren't real. My eyes never deceived me, but I faintly saw a floating hand grab my wrist to form my suicide. Never believing in ghosts, this was my first encounter. Of course, I was wrong. Spirits will haunt the innocent.

     It was easy to spot the symbols printed on each individual being: a crescent moon, a hammer, a sickle, and reappearing ones like Kyle's odd, swirling medical symbol. I checked at my hand, its pain pumping through the river of veins. Covering the huge wound, I stayed away from the unfamiliar and neighbored alongside the unknown patron. He looked only straight ahead. Held eyes of oblivion. He was tense. Very tense to the fiery patrons.

     "Alright, everyone," the optimistic patron called up front, "with the completion of our remaining patronesses, our duty to carry out the actions of the gods and bring order to the outside world shall proceed in whole. Please, may the two arrive over alongside the patrons?"

     Damn it. Not this again. Among the crowd, Eli was up ahead, yet we were surrounded. Kayla was near us. She nudged me to go with her. I looked back at him, seeing his face painted in declination. However, I spotted Kyle coming towards us. In gray uniform, he lightly caught to the unknown patron. In response, the dark-haired man forebodingly turned around and noticed his upbringing. What business did he have? I just watched. I didn't do anything. I couldn't.

     "Come on," ushered Kayla as she hooked my arm and pulled me a few feet away. I let go, following her past the crowd. I looked back the whole way, finding the unknown man appearing more as we came.

     Arriving forth, we stood as white, orange, and black from left to right. The same, orange-suited man fingers spat trickles of fire. It almost caught on Kayla's dress. Get away, get away, get away. He issued, "For our festivity, we shall declare this feast for the fulfillment of our 3,000-year lineage! As of nightfall, they are officially one of us. They must be treated in respect and honor. In xenia." There was that word again. "For that, our trusted preparation begins here."

     On my right, about half the audience gathered into a semicircle around the table. It was in random order, standing behind the seats with more trustful ones. We were confused, unsure of their impatience. I felt wary of everyone, knowing we all came from somewhere in the world. Any continent, country, or nation.

     The rest came upon to fill the circle. Hestia's patrons went to the sides, separating the four of us from the rest. Felania with Kayla and Eli while I sat with two unknown men to my right. Glancing back, my hand's grand hole gave a greater detail of grotesque. The rips of human skin surrounded by dry blood. I need a cloth. Quick before an infection.

    I was afraid to ask. Besides my black dress, I searched around. Nothing. Just the talkative ones and no assistance. Everyone was already eating but us. One ate a piece of bread. Another took pinches from a pile of around 20 grapes. I spotted Tiana at the far left, biting bits of mangoes. Kayla was apprehensive of the cuisine, given the hasty circumstances.

     "Sorry, forgot to introduce myself," noted the fiery patron with unnecessary enthusiasm. "Orson, patron to Hestia. Seems they chose well."

     The two of us nodded in respect, unsure of the second part. They all knew each other, like friends and family. Except him. Only I noticed. He didn't even reach for the food. Behind him, I noticed another faint hand extending to his shoulder.  It grew more into an arm, then partially a torso. I wanted to ignore it, but it started to develop. As the thing took shape, it wasn't touching the ground. Its face. A mutilated, popped up face. The left eye punctured in. A part of the neck cutthroat. It limped over in the form of a malevolent, transparent figure. It began to plunge, reaching at his throat until...it slipped through.