Blood & Flames

Blood & Flames

Gus woke with a start. He smelt fire and heard voices chanting something. He attempted to open his eyes, but even when he did, it was still black. He tried to move his hands, but to no avail.

The last thing Gus remembered was being hit sharply on the back of the head while out for a cigarette, and now this. He moved his head back and forth, trying to wiggle his blindfold off. The chanting stopped.

“One of ‘em’s awake!” said a gruff voice.

“I guess so, Ern’. Cut him loose!” Said another voice.

Gus heard a blade being drawn and began to perspire. He moved his head around, trying pointlessly to see the person. He heard the snap of a rope and Gus hit the ground sharply. The people around him snickered.

“S’ok, mate. You won’ be feelin’ no pain for much longa’!” Said Ernie. He then sheathed his blade and walked up infront of the confused Gus.

“Devan, D’ya think we shou’ take off ‘is blindfold?”

“Ok, Take it off.” Said a girly, cold voice.

Gus felt a hand grip behind his head and his blindfold was ripped off his head. He raised his head and looked around.

He seemed to be in a very small, dimly lit forest clearing. The moon was high in the sky and there were people all around him. There were two other people tied up near him, motionless.

He looked up at the one called Ernie. He was standing over him with a maniacal look on his face, still gripping the blindfold. He looked scrawny and weak, but powerful at the same time. The other one, Devan, was rousing the other two, while a girl with dyed bright red hair dressed in leather leaned against a nearby tree.

“Who are you?” Said Gus fearfully.

“No one you nee’ to now ‘bout, mate.” Said Ernie with a twisted smile.

“Stop playing around, Ern,” Said Devan while kicking one of the other people. They woke with a start and started frantically mumbling. “Pick him up and put him on the altar.”

“I got the other one.” Said the woman with her cold voice. She walked over and lifted up the last person, who woke up and started thrashing about in surprise. A quick hit to the head stopped his squirming.

Gus stared Ernie in the face. He threw the blindfold aside and picked up Gus by the collar of his shirt. He didn’t resist as the sudden jerk cut off circulation, causing him to go into a daze.

“Tabbs, put him over here to wait.” Said Devan. Gus’s head lolled to one side and he moaned from the lack of air.

“Ern, if you pull any harder on his shirt, your gonna’ kill him before the ceremony.” Said Tabbs. Gus felt the pressure in his shirt slacken, and the stars in his vision disappeared.

He felt his head hit hard stone. His hands were unbound and then re-bonded to the edges of the stone, then the same to his feet so he was in a spread-eagle position. He felt numb.

“Ern, Give me your knife.” Commanded Devan. Ernie hastily walked away from the altar and handed the dagger to Devan.

Devan walked up to the altar and rolled up his sleeves. Gus finally got a look at his face. It was pale. Too pale. Like he hadn’t seen the sun in months. He had charcoal-black slicked hair protruding into his eyes. He was wearing what appeared to be all black as well; But Gus’s vision was obscured by his recent head trauma.

“Now, for the ritual,” said Devan with a twisted smirk. “With this mighty blade, I ensure our path to the underworld! The blood of the innocent, the sweetest blood, must be cast into flames, to be sent to him. It must appease him, and the ones who have sacrificed for him, will be summoned to his world!” Exclaimed Devan, while holding the knife high above his head.

“Now, for the blood! Get it over with, baby, we might be seen!” Said Tabbs cautiously. Devan cocked his head back at her, and she smiled.

“Say goodbye, innocent one.” Whispered Devan.

All of a sudden, the wind picked up and Devan halted mid-thrust. Hi looked up and Tabbs uncrossed her arm. There was a bright flash of light and the deafening roar of helicopter blades.

“We have you surrounded, put your hands up and stay where you are!” Commanded a voice from inside the helicopter. Gus heaved a sigh of relief.

“Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit!” Yelled Tabbs in fear. Devan threw away the knife into the forest and ran towards the edge of the clearing but tripped on a rock and slammed into the ground. Tabbs made a break for the other side of the clearing, when a group of S.W.A.T. team members charged out of the forest and grabbed onto her, whilst tumbling to the forest floor. Ernie was nowhere in sight.

Gus’s head lolled to one side. He saw Devan stumbling to his feet whilst panting heavily. He began to charge toward the edge, but he didn’t make it far. Two gunshots rang out into the night, and Gus saw a shadowy figure fall to the ground, and his vision faded to black.


Trivia:

-Inspired by the Roadrunner United song, Blood & Flames, which has no relevance to this story :)