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Sometimes Dead Is Better

© Cederwyn Whitefurr

17th October, 2021

All Rights Reserved.

This Week's Writing Challenge: The darkness was all encompassing, but the light held strong'.

At least 1000 words, don't worry if you go over.

Tag all prompts with: WritingGroupChallenge.

Add all prompts to a separate folder.

Put the prompt description at the beginning of your story.

Sometimes Dead Is Better

They gathered in the woods, coming in ones and twos, dressed in neck to ankle dark robes carrying torches that flickered and guttered in the mid-winter breeze. All in all, nine gathered and formed a circle around a lightning blackened oak stump. A sacrifice was made, the goats blood running down the withered and blackened bark, soaking into the forest floor.

“Spirit of Darkness, Lady of Misrule, we your servants to hereby call upon you this night of nights! Samhaign! We honour the spirit of the one who fell and bid her welcome and may she join with us in the circle this night! Come forth, Daughter, Therian, do we summon thee unto our circle! We, your children of the Cloven Hoof Coven do hereby make our request you come forth from the darkness!"

Torches flared and exploded in a cascade of sparks and burning embers before an eldritch light began to glow and form. From out of the very ground itself, burst forth a brilliant ebony flame that burned like fire – yet held no heat of its own. It surrounded the worshippers, who stood resolute, their hands raised towards the heavens as if in benediction.

“Come forth child of none, come forth and grace us with your spirit and wisdom! Come forth, come forth, come..."

A ghostly form wavered into existence, before it sank to its furred knees, screaming silently and clutching at its muzzle.

“Child, hear me, for with this sacrifice do I give you that which was denied to you!"

Raising a black bladed athame, the High Priestess sliced through her palm and held it up, letting the blood run from the slash onto the ground.

“Come forth, I command you, child of none, daughter of darkness, COME FORTH..."

Shrieking, the ghostly figure clawed at its muzzle and screamed in agony, yet not a word was heard from it. It was as if it was in excruciating pain and suffering – being dragged from whatever hell it had been so cruelly thrust – once more brought back into existence.

“THERIAN, SISTER, I COMMAND YOU TO COME FORTH!" Screamed the High Priestess.

“Nnnnnggghhhh...." Came a low, mournful cry from the ghostly figure, as it began to materialise as if from the very ether itself.

Black cloven hooves come into existence, then the fur rippled and ran up the spectral shins to knee, to thighs, to groin and belly...

It screamed and continued to fight the magickal compulsion which was forcing it to return to the mortal realm.

Fur flowed up from the belly, firm breasts formed, then the fur spread down the shoulders, arms and fingers – fingernails turned into short, sharp hooflets that clicked and clattered as they were clenched and unclenched.

Finally, the fur moved up the neck, the screams becoming ear splitting agony as the voice-box drew oxygen and it tilted its head back. It screamed and screamed until surely it would run out of breath – yet still it shrieked and wailed like the damned souls in the worst hell imaginable.

Eyes opened wide. They were like twin pools of tar, so dark and filled with such agony. Spreading outwards, the fur ended at black tipped leaf-like ears.

“Welcome...sister..." Spoke the High Priestess, as she knelt down on one knee before the sobbing and shaking Doe who crouched on the ground.

Without warning, the Doe screamed and went from almost prone on the ground, to snatching one of the closest covener's in an iron-like grip by the shoulders. She barely had time to scream as her collar bones snapped like twigs and she uttered a choking gurgle as the doe's head tilted to the side and teeth like daggers plunged into the side of her neck. Blood spurted as the Doe snarled and bit down harder, holding the convulsing human body tight against her.

“Feed sister, feed and grow strong, for we have need of your wisdom and guile!"

Others watched, smiles wreathing their faces, as the Therian Doe snarled and bit even deeper, gulping down blood like it was the finest ambrosia until her victims heart finally stopped beating and with a snort, the Doe dropped the corpse to the ground.

“Greetings, sister, therian..." Intoned the Coven.

One by one, they sank to one knee before the blood splattered doe, who licked at her forearms and shuddered, before she gazed around.

“Why have you wrenched me back, you stupid, foolish children!" Snarled the Doe. “You meddle with a creature you have no idea of its potential!"

“Daughter, sister, I do now name thee!" Cried the High Priestess.

With frightening speed, the anthropomorphic Doe spun around and glared with pure malevolence and rage. Her body tensed as she prepared to spring at the insufferable woman.

“Kendra, daughter, sister, I do name thee, and by naming thee, do I hold dominion over you!"

“NO!" Kendra screamed. “NO! You can not! I will not obey..."

“Kendra! So you are thus named, thus do I hold dominion! You will obey me Therian! For so true named are thee, to which thou is beholden!"

Kendra dropped to her left knee, head bowed and bloodied fingers splayed out on the ground as she trembled in acquiescence.

“Such named am I..." Kendra shuddered, the words torn from her. “When you get to the deepest levels of hell... I'll be there to ensure you all suffer for what you have wrought this night..."

“Idle threats from a spirit who can harm none within this circle! For true named are you, your powers are nothing! I have dominion over you Kendra, to me you shall answer and obey!"

“Nnngh!" Kendra snarled, her paws clutching at the loam as she fought the magickal compulsion that bound her once more.

“True named is true named! I hold your very existence within this circle, for within and without, shall you do my bidding! Now, speak not of idle threats Doe, for there are fates worse than death – even for spirits of pure malevolence and cruelty such as you!"

“Oh...I know - “ Kendra smiled slowly, as she lifted her head up, blood dripping from her muzzle. “I intend to show them to you... before you die."

“You will obey me!" Screamed the High Priestess.

“Is that what you think? Child? You have no idea of what you and your equally child-like friends have done, do you? Ever time I am brought back, I lose some of my power! What can you possibly offer me to compensate me for such? Think you are the first to summon me back? I've been tugged too and fro from death to life and back again for over two centuries! Do you know what terrible pain...no, your feeble human mind couldn't begin to imagine..."

“Stay, Kendra!" Snapped the High Priestess.

“Nnn..." Kendra growled. “I am..."

Kendra shuddered and flexed the fingers on her right paw.

“Torn from death, forced to live – again – and again and... No, you have no idea what is taken from me each time! How I lose a part of my very essence – that which makes me... me! For what cruel and sadistic ritual do you think I will perform for you? Do you think I am but some puppet you can give life too and command as you..."

“Kendra, silence yourself!"

Kendra fought with everything she had, but the compulsion forced her back down onto one knee in submission and subservience.

“You think you're so smart and cunning.." Kendra panted, as she again clutched at the loamy soil and clutched it in her fingers. “You know nothing, witch..."

“How perceptive of you, Kendra..."

“You dare speak my name, like I am some common Therian? You...you..." Kendra's voice trailed off, as realisation suddenly spread across her face and she stood, then looked around her. “Emerald..."

“Yes, Kendra, you recognise the magicks now? You think we brought you forth from whatever suffering our true master banished you too with black magicks? Oh, yes, the sacrifice was necessary, as was this..."

Holding up her hand, the High Priestess showed the wound which healed itself, leaving a pale pink scar.

“No... NO! It can't be...!" Kendra screamed in fear, as she twisted about, seeing the emerald green glow intensifying from the eldritch flames that formed the circle around them.

“We mourn the sacrifice of one of our own, but we knew the risk in summoning you! Our sister's sacrifice shall not go in vain Kendra. For yes, you recognise the magicks, don't you? They are Fèidh magicks! Brought into existence by the teaching of our master, who taught two young Whitetail Therian's how to channel and harness it!"

“No, please!" Kendra wailed, dropping to her knees. “You can not do this!"

“We can, and we shall! Your spirit? That dark, corrupted and filled with such malice and cruelty! No, it shall not return to the darkness from whence a true practitioner of black magicks shall summon you forth!"

“Please – I'll do anything, anything!" Kendra wailed, as she clasped her paws before her in a supplicating gesture, pleading and begging piteously.

“Yes, I believe you heard that yourself, hundreds? No...thousands of times? As you claimed the souls of humans to fuel your own black and pitiless existence over the centuries?"

“I'll change, I promise! I'll turn from the darkness..."

With a pitiful sigh, the woman shook her head and plucked a crystal pendant from around her neck and held it at arms length towards Kendra.

“One such as you, given purely to its lusts, its black, corrupted spirit and heart? No, Kendra, there is no redemption for the likes of you. No turning from the darkness, which you took within yourself. Sometimes, dead is better. You should have died centuries ago. For that which was done to you, truly, do we grieve – yet your cruelty and malice knew no bounds! Our Master thought your spirit vanquished and banished. Even he was incapable of such. It has taken many years since that night Kendra...now we know that which we must do."

“Please, don't!" Kendra wept, pleading and begging like a fawn.

“Kendra, Daughter, Sister, Therian – hereby do we pass judgement upon your black and corrupted soul!" Came the chant from the Coven.

“No, please! You can not! You will condemn me to nothingness, to be imprisoned within that pendant for eternity? It's cruelty beyond anything I could ever do! How..."

“For your unspeakable crimes, of which are too many to name! We do hereby imprison and banish you into the heart of this pure crystal. Long may it last, until both Therian and Human are naught but dust – it shall endure until the very end of time itself, so we have spoken our will, and so mote it be! For your darkness was all encompassing, Kendra. Yet the light shall forever hold strong!"

Kendra screamed, as the eldritch emerald flames burst from the ground around her, closing in and began to lick at her cloven hooves. Kendra screamed and beat at the flames with her paws – which instantly ignited, the emerald fire spreading up her fingers to her wrists and forearms.

They watched impassively, as Kendra screamed and wailed, the flames consuming fur, flesh and even bone – until naught was left by a weak, almost completely translucent ghost once more.

“Kendra, daughter of none, sister, therian...do we, the Cloven Hoof Coven, hereby banish you into the heart of this crystal, so may your spirit be confined from now until the end of all things! So we have spoken, so is our will manifest, so mote it be!" Came their combined voices, as they raised their hands heavenwards and manifested their will and intent – focusing their magicks upon this one goal, with one mind.

Kendra's ghostly spirit screamed silently, before it flickered and the pendant glowed with an eldritch emerald green that faded into nothingness.

“So it is done, with that, the ritual is done. Go in perfect love and trust my sisters and brother, our circle is complete." Spoke the High Priestess as she placed the pendant in a black velvet bag, then crouched down and pressed it against the earth.

Almost as if by her will, the ground swallowed up the bag and pendant, closing in over it and leaving no trace of its existence. One by one, the Covener's bowed their heads sorrowfully and cut a magical doorway through the eastern side of the circle and left as quietly as they had first come, leaving the grove quiet and peaceful once more...

END