We were led into the gate that was guarded, I was terrified, looking around. Many of those people were looking at us, laughing and speaking in a language that I couldn't understand. They held some kind of necklace on their neck and whispered words, maybe curses. They put my friends and me in handcuffs and we didn't try to resist, it would have been not only useless but also dangerous. We got caught so easily and silly, from being too busy to look behind our backs, how stupid of us was it? We were led further and further into their little base, there were women and children inside, having fun around tents with food and all kinds of supplies, necklaces, dresses, and shoes. I wondered why they decided to put it up like on show. Everyone, even the kids wore long gowns and symbols of the cross and once they saw us with our whole delegation, they usually moved away, maybe afraid that we would do harm to them.
"Where are we going?", I asked them. One guy, the guy who caught us, turned back and looked at me, but didn't respond. Grumpy. They took away our weapons and told us to be quiet or they would shoot, especially if we tried to escape.
Me and Drake exchanged looks, they beat up his face for trying to take out one of their guys and now I could see his face getting swollen from all of the hits and his lip was actively bleeding. His eyes had something written in them, a hidden message. He was disappointed and scared. He was disappointed with me, that I was the one who dragged them into all this trouble with all my curiosity. He had once said that my luck would end one day and I realized that that day was today. I hoped that I could be more careful or aware.
They led us to a building at the end of the street. It looked older than everything around and was patrolled by a dozen men at the entrance. They literally pushed us inside and came in themselves. I almost fell but managed to stay stable. Bellatrix fell to the ground and hissed from pain. Someone grabbed her by the arm and made her get up, even though they could see she was hurt. I hoped her stitches didn't come apart and open her would again. They led us up to a pedestal with a book stand on it.
"You are going to stand and wait for Him to come down for you," told us one of the men. He had a thick accent. "Down on your knees, dirty rats."
I looked up at them with disgust. Drake quickly obeyed and Bellatrix was forced easily, she was pretty weak. I was standing though. I wouldn't dare to fall on my knees before people who killed my dad. His weak look and his body covered in blood were still before my eyes. The man who commanded earlier turned to me and gave me a rough look. "I said, down on your knees for Him."
"Who the fuck is Him?" I shouted.
The guy grinned and grabbed my shoulders, hitting me in the calves and making me fall to my knees.
"You don't get to ask questions, little witch." he leaned in to me and whispered to my ear. He sent shivers down my back. A witch? How did he know? The suspicion made me feel uneasy. What if they knew what I was? He smiled to my face and took a step back motioning to the rest to do the same. He put on a black hood that covered his face and went silent, waiting for Him, the mysterious person who they all seem to honor.
I heard someone's footsteps approaching and soon a tall figure with its face hidden came up to the pedestal and stopped in front of us. It spoke on a different language, referring to the men behind us and they responded to it. It had a man's voice, so I assumed that it was the mysterious Him. I tried to look into the darkness behind his hood and see what was hiding in it, any hits of His face, but I couldn't see anything, only shadows. After a short conversation, the figure turned to the book on the book stand and started to turn pages.
"Did you know, my friends, that witchcraft is not what Lord welcomes?" said He, referring this time to us, because he switched to the language we could all understand.
We exchanged looks, none of us seemed to understand what was happening. He chuckled, looking at our confusion and stopped on one of the pages of his thick and old-looking book.
"A man or woman who is a medium or spiritist among you must be put to death. You are to stone them; their blood will be on their own heads." he read out loud. He silenced, the shadows under the hood were moving, but still, nothing was becoming more clear, except the tension that was present in the air. "I see it doesn't ring a bell in your lost, sinfull heads. Give me one more moment."
I looked around the room, most of which was hidden in darkness, but I could still make out benches behind us and the cross symbols everywhere on the wall. It must have been their temple of some kind. Man's voice sounded again and I turned to listen to him.
"But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death." he went quiet again, but the silence seemed to mock him. "Have you never read the Book of Life?", He sighed. "Of curse you didn't. Well, for such idiots like you, my guests, I will hurry to explain that your suffering will be over soon. Oh, your lost little souls must be punished to be clear again, and maybe then our Lord will love you."
"Sir, you must have made a mistake." said Drake quietly and nodded his head.
"Oh, have I?" He laughed like it was the funniest joke He's ever heard. "I don't think so, young man. Is it not true that two witches are your companions in this journey?"
I tensed. Two witches? He definitely meant me, but how could he know? And who is the second witch that he mentioned? His words were confusing.
"Listen, I confess of practicing so-called witchcraft," I turned my head to Bellatrix, what was she doing? Why was she saying that? "But those two are not guilty. Let them go." she begged.
My head, for just a moment, was empty, but then all of the thought flooded my brain and I definitely needed answers. Was she the same as me? Was she the second mentioned witch? Did she have the same power?
"Oh, I wish your lips were speaking the truth, but you are a sinner. There are two witches in this room and I can sense that." the darkness of His hood turned to me and my heart sank. "Darling, be honest not before me, be honest before Lord. You've sinned too much, but don't let yourself sin again. Answer me, do you practice magic?"
I didn't know what to say. Nobody ever described it as magic before, but I guess that's what it was, magic. And their religion says that magic is sin.
"I... suppose." I said unsure.
The man chuckled. he probably felt superior for proving his right, but whenever I tried to reach to him and find out what he felt, I only felt emptiness, no feelings whatsoever, like he skillfully hid it from me.
He turned to Drake this time. I knew Drake wasn't gifted with any "magic", so I didn't see how he could get into this trouble with us.
"And you, my son? What made you trust those two hellish creatures and follow them? I sense something familiar in you."
Drake looked at the man with eyes full of hate, but kept his mouth shut. I could sense annoyance in him, but his fear washed away completely. How could he be so brave at this moment when i was shaking like a maple leaf?
The man on the pedestal said something to his fellows behind us and one of them came up to Drake and ripped off his shirt. I gasped for no reason. It wasn't usual for me to see his shirtless, but his muscles that he probably gained on his hunter job looked... impressive. Now I understood why he seemed strong to me. Because he actually was. But something that I noticed on his body, that looked abnormal was a little scar on the left side of his chest that looked like a cross. All of a sudden the man took of his hood, revealing his old face and long white hair, as well as the shocked looked that froze on his face.
"You are one of us!" he exclaimed.
YOU ARE READING
Let There Be Darkness
Fantasy"No. I don't want to," I answered. Our conversation didn't go well, because I wanted to be silent, and he wanted to talk. It seemed to me that it had become even lighter around, although the night was only deepening. It couldn't be dawn already, cou...
