Chapter 6
Chapter 6
He was awoken in the night by the light of the full moon, and his mother and brother slowly moving him on his straw bed towards the old pig barn. “What?” He asked sitting up, bits of straw stabbing at his hands like the usually did “what on earth are you doing?” “Oh, Yeiach put the bed down he’s awake now” his Mother said. “Ah ha? What a crazy prank that would have been - for me to wake up in the pig barn huh?” Eduardo said, begged, his mother to confirm. His mother stared at him, silent without guilt. “Mom?” His brother said. “Eduardo we are not pranking you, we have a gift for you” she said grabbing ahold of his wrist “why don’t you come see it.” “This is no time for gifts, we must sell what we have to get Diamond the medical care he needs. So thank you but I’ll be returning to bed now.” Eduardo said sternly and tried to pull himself free. It was when Yeiach grabbed his other arm that he truly began to panic, shaking himself in every direction possible, his feet scraping against the mud as they pulled him towards the barn. “Yeiach! Let me go” Eduardo cried. “It’s you or me” Yeiach said his finger tips digging deeply into his skin. Eduardo turned for a moment to glance upon the face that was just as upset as he. “Mother you can’t do this! What is the point must you really favour Diamond above us so that you would see us all perish?” “No Eduardo” she said as the barn doors were opened by two elders, Vivane who had wandered into the forest and only returned when his daughter died from age and Melan whose lover was a trader, who was still lost in the forest “help! Help!” Eduardo screamed at the top of his lungs and the two elders were quick to grab a limb, someones hand was clasped over his mouth.
Eduardo was dragged on to a chalk drawn rectangle in the centre of the room, leftover straw from the pigs that used to live there was kicked into the air. “Stop this! You’re betraying our village I have done nothing to warrant this!” “And Diamond has?” His Mother cried “Yeiach hold down his shoulders firmer.” His mother took a poultice and put it on his stomach, and from behind herself she pulled a curved black knife. “Fuck! Fuck! You bitch, you’re a shit mother, you’re a shit parent and that’s why he’s ill! Yeiach if this doesn’t work she’ll take you next” Eduardo yelled. “Shut up! Spirit of the village who hovers by us from the light of our ancestors I plead of you to take this fresh body” she said, and cut open the centre of his wrist. Eduardo screamed. His mother stood up chanting something unintelligible and then knelt by his other wrist and did the same.
“No” Yeiach said and let go of Eduardo “this is not what you said would happen.” Eduardo punched the elders in the face and was quick to scramble to his feet but his mother grabbed ahold of him, blood flowing and splashing everywhere it could. “Where are you going! The ritual is almost complete all you need to do is stay still. You’ll never live now anyway, let us save Diamond.” “Let him go!” Yeiach cried and pushed his mother away, the knife she was holding stabbing deep into his stomach as he did so. “Oh Yeiach! Yeiach my baby!” She screeched as he fell to his knees. Diamond opened the barn door, tired looking as always, nose bleeding as usual. “What’s going on, y’all yelling is-” Diamond paused as his eyes slowly translated the images, but Eduardo was not going to wait around to explain. He made his bloody way out the door running as fast as he could. He didn’t look where he went, he trampled through the wet damp grass and flowers and weeds and nettles that didn’t seem to hurt his skin anymore. “Most humans ending themselves in my forest choose to do it by rope.” A red eyed creature covered by the shadows of the trees said. Eduardo was not having a good day. “I don’t want to die” Eduardo said, and almost immediately the ground around him came to life and grabbed a hold of him. He struggled as the plants climbed up him, around his legs and arms before digging into his wrists. The plants were quick getting deep into his flesh, and tying him back together, before leaf like bandages hugged his hands and wrists. Eduardo stared, pain throbbing so that he barely recognised his own hands, but the evil plants feet had left him alive. “What?” “It’s nothing personal I just don’t like ghosts and I’m not hungry, so I have little other choice besides I don’t like upsetting the villagers and you have nought me wrong. So there, now realise your fool hardy attempt at an early rest and go back to your life it is short anyway.” “I didn’t try to kill myself” Eduardo said but the red eyes remained silent, as the sound of crushing leaves were quick to catch up with him. Eduardo darted over to the red eyes but found they had disappeared. “Eduardo” his mother said, as she, the elders and Diamond trampled to catch up with him. “They’re trying to bring a spirit forth by sacrificing me! You don’t want that right?” Eduardo said and promptly passed out. “That was a strong boy” said the red head Melan “he would have served well in the village.” “He will serve better by keeping bad spirits as bay” Vivane said. “Actually, I’m going to sell him to the spirit trade” the mother said walking over to Eduardo. “What!” Milan yelled. “That is not what we agreed.” “No. No the only thing you agreed to do was help me” the mother said “the amount of money I can get from him not only will I be able to pay for Diamonds health care - but everyone in the village.” “No one else in the village is sick” Vivane said. “Diamond has crib sickness there is no cure for him.” Melan said “this is foul Deliah, just because Diamond looks similar to your late husband? This has cost two of you children. Transforming Eduardo was not forever ending him, but this surely is.” “Then I’ll leave! Banish me, I’ll go to the city with my children, somewhere pretty where the birds don’t wake me.” The Mother said putting Eduardo’s arm over her shoulder, she tried to step away but her feet were stuck in the ground. “Shit” Vivane said as he and Melan struggled with their feet. “Mom” Diamond said frightened. “Let us go Forest spirt. I’m sorry our drama came this far out, we have not harmed you and we will leave quietly. The leaves of the trees rustled. Viviane looked to the branches his eyes big, sweat dripping down his forehead. Two red dots appeared in the trees above them. “All this yelling has me working up an appetite. I do not wish to make a mistake with serious consequences, so tell me humans, did you try and turn the blonde into a village spirit.” “Only so that he could talk to you, and set clear boundaries” Melan cried “we thought he would help to keep us safe.” “That’s funny” said the voice and the weeds shot up as sharp as blades through both the elders hears. Diamond screamed. “Mom! Mom I never wanted this please.” “It’s okay Diamond, it’s okay” she hushed him “let us go spirit we will leave.” “I killed the trader waiting outside the village” said the voice. “That’s okay.” “I hope you’ll be able to find another without to much trouble” said the voice. The woman sighed relieved. “It will not be too much more work. Thank you” she said. The grass around Diamond stood growing long. “What are you doing?” the mother panicked as the grass shot out slice through Diamonds throat and he fell choking to the floor. “Diamond!”
Chapter 5
Chapter 4
Chapter 3
Chapter 2
Chapter 1
Prologue