Sacrifice

Sacrifice

The arrows flew past Kathryn as she ran, one skimming her left ear. She stumbled and fell, sweat and blood pouring down her face. Kathryn lay there panting for a moment but an arrow barely missing her arm helped her muster the strength to clamber to her feet. She had to keep on running, but she was so tired and her vision was blurred. Matt. He was here, running towards her, calling her name just before everything went black.

Kathryn awoke with a gasp, it was a dream. They weren’t really coming for her, they hadn’t found her, she was safe. She looked at her surroundings expecting to see her brilliant blue walls and shelves of books and photos but that wasn’t what she saw. From what she could tell, she was still in the woods but Matt was gone. She was alone, Kathryn started to rise but stopped as low growls began and long shadows approached. From the woods, black cloaked figures appeared. Kathryn scanned the woods and saw 12 figures already only meters away and more shadows following.

Kathryn’s heart pounded against her chest and she couldn’t breathe, they were so close, they could touch her. The closest figure let out a slow, menacing chuckle as another darted forward and snarled. The apparent leader of the figures reached for his hood and revealed his face. Kathryn took a sharp breath intake as she realised who it was. Demetrius. The man who had started everything. The man who stood between Kathryn and a normal life. The man who killed her father.

“Hello Kathryn” Demetrius gave her a smug smile that suggested that all this was planned. Kathryn fought the urge to shiver but kept still, face expressionless. “Demetrius” she said trying to sound bored and unthreatened. Demetrius just smiled. “Nice to see you again, even under the circumstances.” Demetrius looked at his followers and beckoned one forward. The tall figure trudged forward and stood to the left of Demetrius. “Come on Matthew, let’s begin.” The figure pulled of its hood slowly revealing none other than Matt, the love of Kathryn’s life, the one person she trusted with her life. “What’s going on?” Kathryn’s voice wavered and she cast a desperate glance at Matt. Why was he here? Why was he wearing that cloak? And why was he smiling?

After a long silence, Demetrius whispered something into Matt’s ear that made both their smiles grow. Matt reached into his cloak and pulled out a long dagger then handed it to Demetrius. Demetrius handled the knife carefully, turning it over in his calloused hands. Demetrius made another beckoning motion and two of the cloaked men approached carrying chains. Kathryn backed away but Matt slung her over his shoulder easily and placed her back on the stone table. Kathryn couldn’t believe it, the boy she loved was helping to kill her. She gave Matt an exasperated look and fought tears as he helped the other men chain her to the table.

As the men chained her down Kathryn examined their faces, the taller one she did not recognise but the shorter man resembled Mr Hodgers, the county inspector who was good friends with Kathryn’s mother. Mr Hodgers had never seemed dangerous or abnormal. Kathryn realised that she knew many of the cloaked figures. There was Mr Williams the local butcher; a stocky man with bulging muscles, Mr Parker the headmaster of North high was talking quietly to another figure who’s face Kathryn couldn’t make out. Sweat dripped from her forehead as Kathryn realised that the men who she had once thought to be genuinely nice and kind-hearted would show her no mercy as she lay on the stone tablet.

Demetrius stopped fingering the knife and handed it back to Matt. Demetrius then turned his greedy eyes to where Kathryn lay. “Come on boy, it’s time” Demetrius declared as he gestured for Matt to move forward. Matt hesitated but strutted over to Kathryn, carrying the glistening dagger in his left hand. He looked at Kathryn with desperation in his electric green eyes. He gave her a weak smile as Demetrius began. “Today is the day that our newest member proves himself to us as one of our own. Go on boy prove yourself, all you have worked for is for this time now.” Matt nodded vigorously and raised the dagger, hand shaking, beads of sweat on his forehead, tears glistening in his eyes. Kathryn looked at him one last time as the dagger was lowered and the excruciating pain began before her body went numb and everything went black.

The End