Warning: more creepy!!

Enjoy!

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   My head pounded like a drum. A stabbing pain stung my abdomen. The cold crawled on my exposed skin.

Where was I? What happened?

A noise came from my left with a slow rhythmic beat. Was it drumming?

My eyes fluttered open to see darkness until focusing on the surroundings. I sat up and looked around at the scene.

Three huge drums were played in a slow and low beat next to the cage I'm in. In the middle of the area were three huge stakes sticking out of the ground with rocks forming a circle around them.

I glanced down at my wound to see it fully healed but I still was weak from losing all that blood.

People gathered around and whispered in their wild way of excitement.

Suddenly, the drums came to a halt and the crowd grew silent.

My cage was lifted off of the ground and taken over to Leader, who stood in front of the rocks. The cage was set down in front of Leader as he stood looking around at his people.

"Brothers and sisters! Please join me in this ceremony to purify the ways of the wicked and get rid of their helpers!" He shouted.

Screams of fear came from the right as two guys and a girl are dragged with their hands tied behind them. All I could do was watch as they were raised to the highest point of the stakes.

One of the guys were first. His arms were wrapped around the stake, hands behind it. When they thought a guy was right where he needed to be, they...they...they took two big knifes and...

I quickly averted my eyes, closing them and plugged my ears before hearing muffled screams of pain. My hands were trembling and stomach churned with a feeling of vomit rising.

This was not right. This all had to be some kind of messed up dream. It can't be real. Yet, it was horrifyingly true.

   The cold crept and it made me open my eyes to see him in the crowd. The shadow figure staring straight at me with delight. I clenched my hands on the bars and teeth together.

   "Yes, let out your angry on these savages. Make them pay for hurting innocent civilians."

   My head throbbed in pain and a groan escaped my lips. The cold consumed me and desired it, wanting the power and take revenge for the poor innocent people.

   "No! Don't do it!"

   "Fight it, Ezra. Fight the darkness!"

   I calmed down at the reassurance of the good voices in my head. They were here and didn't leave me on my own. They never left even when I couldn't hear them but felt their presence. I felt safe again and the shadow disappeared...for now. 'Safe' was a bit of an exaggeration since I'm still apart of this crazy ceremony.

Question was: how on earth am I getting out of this one?

"Let the ceremony begin when the gift of honor lights our way to a purified freedom!" Leader shouted and people cheered.

A loud creak came from above. My eyes were drawn up to see the guy that caught me with a wicked smile spread across his lips, some teeth were missing. His hair was long and messy. His face was covered with dirt and soot making wild eyes pop out more than a chameleon's.

The metal cage was bent open enough for him to reach in.

The Hunter grabbed the back of my shirt and lifted me out of the cage. He set me down in front of Leader, who sometime was given a torch lit on fire.

Leader extended the torch to me and spoke. "Burn the deceivers to their fiery graves and set us free from the witch's curse."

"What's the witches curse?" I asked, curiously with fear still prickling at my skin. It was also another way to keep them distracted long enough to think of an escape route.

Leader squinted his eyes down on me like a towering bear ready to attack its cowering prey.

"The witches curse is what made the asteroid come to Earth and make us monsters so the witches could blend in with us. They are the evil that torments you poor boy and have been chosen to save us. It's your destiny to save all of man-kind by burning the witch's helpers." He said, pointing to the three people on the stakes.

This guy was nuts!

"How do you know they are the witch's helpers?" I retorted.

"They were lured into the forest to help their master control us," Leader answered, frustrated.

"Now burn the evil!" He commanded, handing me the torch.

"But I came in here too. Doesn't that make me burn too?" I asked. That was the stupidest thing I've ever said in my life. I wanted to take it all back but it was to late.

"You passed the purification test unlike those monsters. Your blood is pure. I was chosen to find the gift of honor to bring justice to the evil that dwells in these trees," he said then shouted, "Now burn them and free us all!"

Leader shoved me over to the rocks as my shaky hands clenched the torch. I didn't want to do it. Burning innocent people to death because of some messed up story this guy told them was flat-out insane. I could tell by the look in their eyes that it was more than a witch's curse.

It was a cook out and these people on the stacks were on the bloody menu.

"Burn them!" The crowd cheered repeatedly. I looked up at the three terrified faces. The guys were trying to be brave but failing miserably and the woman was sobbing her eyes out. Blood poured down their arms and onto the stake. I shook my head. This was wrong. This was wrong. This was wrong!

"No!" I yelled, throwing the torch. To my mistake, I threw it in the wrong direction. The giant fire pit went up in flames and the air pushed me back, falling onto the ground.

My ears went deaf but still could hear the screams of pain and happiness all around. I stayed on the ground and stared at the night sky, thinking.

What have I done?

My body shook and breathing hitched with that same question spinning in my head. I was frozen on the ground as figures ran past me.

I wanted to die here and now.

From all the stress that my mind consumed, the world instantly turned dark.

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