Chapter 4 : The Ritual of The Shadows

Vanessa:

I was tired after a long tiring day. I was waiting in the hospital for mom while Genesis & Stevven went home after visiting Vixxon. My mom stays for hours in the hospital along with my dad. I go home after school & wait until mom & dad come in the evening. But today was different, as Vixxon was in the hospital. I thought to stay until mom finished work. She came with a smile of comfort.

"Nothing's going to happen Vanessa! He's going to be fine. You know right, Time is the best healer?", she comforted.

"Yeah I do!", I looked at Vixxon who was in the room in front of me. His face looking tired, weak & painful. I went home with mom. But at the same time someone called out mom.

"Mrs.Deerhart, Dr Tigerson need you. It's an emergency!",she said.

"Oh! I'm so sorry Vanessa! I really have to go now! Can you go home by yourself?", she asked.

I didn't want her to take trouble so I said it's ok.

"Thank you so much dear. Take care. Bye!", she said.

"Bye mom!", I said & went towards the exit.

I took a cab to go home. Dad wasn't there too at home. So I was all alone.

I sat in the cab.

"Where do you want to go miss?",he asked.

"The Urban Forest", I replied. The Urban Forest is my home. It is a little town where most of the herbivores' family live. Its in the woods which suits for us. There is cultivation & few farming activities. A perfect place to soothe your mind from the busy cities.

The car started, I thought to listen to music while traveling as it soothed my mind. The car stopped all of a sudden at midway. I could see the windmills & the tall streetlights next to me.

"What happened?", I asked.

"There seems to be a problem with the car miss.", he said. His voice was now different. It was deep & disturbing.

"Uhmm. I guess I'll take a leave here. You can go & repair your car.", I said as I didn't feel safe. Something was wrong. The aura around him was evil. I got down from the car & at the same time he got down too.

He looked different now, he had a humpback, he wore a black robe rather than the cab uniform. As he came out, I started getting chills on my spine. I got goosebumps as he opened the hood from his face. It creeped me out! I ran & screamed for help. His looks were very triggering to my heart. Black eyes, white - pale skin & the smirk he gave.

I thought to call mom, but she wasn't picking up. I called dad too but he too didn't. I tried to call everyone I knew, Jones, Genesis, Stevven. No one picked it up! What was happening? I turned back as he was still following me. I ran as fast as I could. But something stopped me. In the opposite road of where I was, there were millions of people walking.

It looked like some kind of procession of some ritual. A satanic one. They stopped all of a sudden & looked at me. All of them looking the same. They had those black eyes too. Millions of black eyes starting at me was the most scariest thing I had ever seen. It was definitely not a dream. I knew it. I couldn't run anymore as I felt weaker & weaker as I saw the eyes. Then the cab person came out of the crowd & raised his right hand forward toward me. He pointed his index finger & did something.

My mind was getting hallucinated, my body getting weaker, my heart throbbing infinity beats per minute. I didn't know what was happening. Finally my body couldn't sustain & I fainted.

As soon as I opened my eyes, I was on the streets. No one was around. I thought to call mom again. But she didn't pick up. I didn't know where I was but I still knew it wasn't over. I thought to fight for my way & get out of this as soon as possible. I knew that I was part of that ritual so I had to think calmly of what to do next.

I walked in front to see what kind of a place I was in. It wasn't different from Heavenearth but had the same feeling. Maybe I was in Heavenearth, but never visited this place. I saw many houses by the street, forest covering the rest of the area. I thought to ask help from one of the houses.

I rang the doorbell of a house. A woman opened the door.

"Oh dear! What has happened to you?",she asked.

"I'm in a problem ma'am. I want to contact my parents but I'm unable to", I said.

"Hey! It's fine, you can stay here as long as your parents come to pick you. Its night time & I know it mustn't be safe out there.", she said

"Yeah it wasn't", I said. She invited me inside the house. They were a pretty simple family who were kind. At the living room were two kids, a baby & boy.

"The baby's cute!", I said.

"She's Mia, she is 5 months old", the woman said.

"Oh I see!", I said.

She made me sit on the couch & offered me some snacks & juice to fill up my stomach. I was so hungry that I finished the snacks in just a minute. The woman laughed as well as her children. I giggled & passed on a smile.

"Thankyou so much!", I said.

"I called your mom but she didn't receive for some reason.", she confronted.

"Yeah maybe she's still in the hospital.", I said while looking at the clock. It was just 8:00 pm!

I left the hospital at 7:30! What's going on! The whole trauma felt like an hour. It was just 30 minutes that passed. Time is slow in the world I was in. I was definitely not home & by home I mean Heavenearth. This was Heavenearth but wasn't like the one I lived. It was a mirror of Heavenearth. Everything happened the opposite.

It wasn't as technological as Heavenearth nor the roads were the same. After I passed out the world changed for me. I just needed to know how I came here. Maybe the police could help me. I headed out of the house.

"What happened dear?", the woman asked.

"I guess I'm far away from home!', I replied.

"Oh really? I can drop you home if you want", she asked.

"No it's fine! You can't drop me as my home is in a different world!", I explained.

"Thank you for everything ma'am! I appreciate it!", I continued. As soon as I said that I rushed out of the house. I looked at my phone which was dead out of battery. I ran to the cops as I had seen them in front of me.

"Excuse me sir!", I shouted.

"Sir, I'm lost. My home is in Heavenearth", I explained.

"This is Heavenearth miss!", he said.

"No not this one, the other one. Its technological, big, many people",I explained again hoping he would help me .

"Umm! I don't quite get you. We can call your parents to pick you up or we can drop you home.", he said.

"My mom's not picking up the call & she is definitely not here!",I said.

Both the cops looked confused. They started murmuring at each other.

"Look kid, it's not funny! If your mom is not here then where is she?", he asked.

"I'm not joking nor I'm in a mood to. I was taken from my world to your world. Look I know its confusing & weird but please help me.", I requested.

"If not here, then where is your world", he asked.

"I don't know about that. We can look after that can't we?", I suggested.

"Until we come to know anything about you or your home, you will have to go to the place/house from where you came from.", he said.

"We will look after that & inform you if we found something about you returning to your so - called world.", he said.

"Thankyou!", I said.

I didn't know where to go. It was all so unknown to me. I knew no one here. The cops couldn't help me. I sat by the footpath wondering how to get out of here. My mind was getting blanked & I didn't know what to do. I thought to go to the woman's house as I had no place left.

I was nervous because I wasn't sure if she would let me in. I wrecked out like a psycho. I rang the doorbell in fear. She opened the door & smiled again.

"Hey you back?", she asked

"I'm so sorry that I ran out like a maniac! I didn't mean to. I was confused because I'm new here. I didn't know what to do! I'm so sorry!", I apologized.

"It's fine dear! I know how you feel! Be comfortable & come in!", she said.

"Thankyou so much!", I said.

My stomach was growling for hunger again. The woman understood that I was hungry.

"It's dinner time kids!", she said. Everyone came to the dining table & sat at their respective places.

I didn't know where to sit as there where only 4 chairs perfect for the family. I took the food, so did the others.

"I'll sit on the couch!", I said.

"We're so sorry! We are not used to guests! If you want you can come & sit at my place!", the man requested.

"I don't want to trouble you more! It's fine I'll adjust.", I replied.

I sat on the couch eating the delicious food the woman made. It was amazing. She was definitely a pro at cooking.

"The food's lit!", I complimented.

"Thankyou so much!", she replied.

Everyone finished their dinner & came back to the couch. I thought to play with the little boy who was playing with some figurines.

"Hey what are you playing?", I asked.

"This game is called Death Call", he replied.

"It sounds interesting! How do you play with it?",

"Do you see that old man with a black robe?",he asked.

"Oh! The one with his hands pointing at something?", I asked him.

"Yes! He is the main person of the Death Ritual. He conducts it!", he explained.

"Its interesting!", just as I said that I felt nostalgic for a moment. BLACK ROBE, HANDS POINTING, OLD MAN! The man who was following me! That creepy person! People like him walking for a ritual! It was all the same! I felt my heartbeat getting louder. At this pace I felt I would get an attack. This boy was playing a game where the characters were real!

Next to that old man was a girl with orange curly hair. Her face showing fear & shock. She had blue eyes & was right in front of that man. I observed something that shook me for the rest of my life. A chain that had the body of a deer with white spots as a pendant. I looked at mine which was the same. That girl was none other than me!

I went back after seeing that. The boy looked confused. The boy showed the figurine of that old man. His black eyes still showing fear. I looked at them even if I didn't wanted to. I felt my spines chilling. My fear increasing with each second. I felt something weird. I blacked out but as I was slowly opening my eyes, I saw that old man again. He pointed his fingers at me & said something which was slow & silent.

I blacked out again but this time it happened fast. I opened my eyes & saw blood all over my hands. There was blood all around. On the walls & floor. I saw the floor. It was carrying 4 lifeless bodies who were drowned in their own blood. Next to me was a huge knife covered with their blood & pain.

I realized that I had killed the entire family by myself.