Warning: Some creepy things are going to go on in the chapter!

Enjoy!

////////////////////////////////////////////

Waking up wasn't a very pleasant thing. Especially when my head met metal.

   I shot up and rubbed the offending part on my forehead, cursing under my breathe. That's when realizing that I was moving. It took me awhile to figure out that I was being carried in a metal cage.

   My head turned to see who was carrying it. It was an awkward angle but soon could make out the form of a large man. Hey! He had my bag!

   "Uh, what's going on?" I asked the man.

   "Oh, don't you worry about that," The man said happily, "It will only be a while till the ceremony and you will be the blessed gift of honor."

   Well that doesn't sound disturbing at all. Note sarcasm.

"Well, I don't feel like being the gift of honor. So if you would just put me down and give me the bag back, and open the cage then I'll be on my merry way," I said, wishing he would do just that.

"The gift must be delivered to the mighty Lord. He deserves the gift of honor to get rid of the witches through a blood oath of solitude," he said, grinning madly. I could hear the craziness in his voice and judging by the weapons on his belt, this will not end well at all.

I need to get out of here.

I began looking through my pockets and found a pin. Perfect. Now I just need to find the lock. The only problem was, there was no lock. How did he get me in here? Does he have some sort of power to control metal?

   I huffed. Great.

   A foul stench began to fill my nose. Was it smoke? No, it didn't smell like smoke but at the same time it did. I could see smoke rising from the trees and yelling coming from the same direction.

   I was scared and have a sinking feeling that something wasn't right at all. Something was terribly wrong. It sent chills and gave me a feeling to claw out of the cage and run. I could hear whispering coming from different directions and wings of crows flapping above. They were waiting for something. A meal and I had a feeling...that I'm the main course.

The man below me started to laugh maniacally like he knew what I was thinking. I gulped and shook as we were getting closer and deeper in the woods.

The crows began to squawk like welcoming me to my own demise. Whispers became louder and sounding more of chants with some giggling.

   Soon, I could make out a light ahead with shadowy figures dancing around it.

   My heart raced and tried looking away and think of a plan to escape. Yet, looking at the trees didn't help at all.

   On the row of trees, each one had a burn't head nailed to the bark. Each one was charade black with eyes either popping or falling out of the eye sockets. The teeth and burned gums showed smiling, some had tongues sticking out.

   No hair laid upon their heads and dried blood stained different places on the faces. Some had bones sticking out from underneath or just badly burned to see it through the burned flesh.

   It brought a nauseous feeling to my stomach that I almost threw up. That could be me next. It wasn't right. Sick. Outright horrific. I couldn't believe it when seeing it at first.

   Was that a child's head? I thought when passing another. My eyes couldn't seem to tear away from the horrible sight. I didn't think I would end up in such a twisted way.

   I was so scared to the point that tears began to fall down my face. My body shivered as a cold feeling settled in my stomach and heat rose into my head. Cold sweat slid down my face as my eyes frantically averted hopelessly around for some kind of escape. To get away from this madness. All hope was lost when finding escape irrelevant.

   We made it to the place.

   People danced and laughed around the fire. Music played with a weird beat. Some were drinking with a wild look in their eyes when we passed. Thirsty and hungry for anything that they could get their hands on. Most of them crawled with a wicked smiles on their faces. Black soot stained their skin and their messy hair was sticking up all over.

   It was all crazy. The eyes that stared at me with excitement and hunger. The man that carried me finally set the cage down on the ground in front of a different man.

   He had a painted face, a loincloth was the only thing he had wore with different markings all over his body.

   "Silence!" He yelled and all of the music, talking, laughing, and dancing came to an immediate halt.

   "Leader, I bring you the gift of honor," the man that carried me said bowing. The 'Leader' stood up and walked over then stood in front of the cage looking at me with cold stone eyes. He knelt down and his hand shot into the cage, cupping my chin. He experimentally turned my head in both directions.

   I wanted to so badly move away and get his hand off of my face.

   He hummed in thought then before knowing what was going to happen, a sharp pain shot into my stomach. My eyes slowly averted down to see a knife plunged into my abdomen. He stabbed me! Blood leaked out from the wound slowly making the feeling to vomit grow. I wanted to scream in agony and cry for help but all that came out was a squeak of pain.

All to fast, the knife was taken out and left me screaming, holding the bleeding wound. My teeth clenched and tears burned my eyes. It may sound pathetic but I didn't care because I wanted to go home. I wanted my family back. I want my curse to be lifted. I want it all to end here and now. I'm sick and tired of playing life's games of survival and just give up. Was that so hard to ask for?

   I wanted to so desperately place my hand on my stomach and heal the wound but couldn't let the others see. Just couldn't let them know.

The Leader didn't seemed fazed at all and examined the blood on his knife. What shocked me the most was he also smelled and licked the metallic liquid. What disturbed me most was his satisfied smile. He looked to the others and shouted out in joy.

"My brethren and sisters, we have finally found our gift of honor!"

Everyone cheered with a wild look in their eyes and danced to rejoice in the horrible moment.

All I wanted to do was cry. All I thought about was nothing but death. This was the end. I wanted the cold feeling to just go away.

No tears fell. My mind went blank. It felt wrong and unsettling. Was it shock or finally giving in? This place, the woods, had a devious sensation that made you lose hope. Maybe that's the wood's power, to make you lose hope and sanity.

I know that I lost some of both.

"The gift of honor shall praise us and make sacrifices to the fakers, liars, pretenders, deceivers! The witches!" Leader shouted. Everyone cheered in agreement.

I looked down at the wound to see blood still pouring. If it's not fixed soon, I'll either died from infection or blood loss.

"Our debt will be paid with the sacrifices of the liars, tonight! We shall be free from this wrenched curse that the witches gave us and the gift of honor will be remembered as our savior!"

That last thing I heard was cheering from the crowd before passing out.

////////////////////////////////////////////

Stay tuned and adios!!!😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁