For visually challenged writers, the image shows a hooded figure in the darkness, silhouetted against flames that echo its shape. The figure holds something in its hand that may, perhaps, be a wand…
Balefire
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As Rachel slept she felt a warmth seeping through her body. She felt safe on the back of this huge stage as he galloped through the enforced winter.
After a while Rachel felt another heat, direct heat coming from a fire. She opened her eyes and found herself stand in a clearing, the stag was gone, she was alone.
Her senses came to life, there was a huge fire within the clearing, made from bales of hay, the type humans made when the harvested their fields. Rachel sniffed the air, she could not smell the scent of Werewolf, those she was in search of. Unsure of what scent she was picking up she moved down wind of the smoke from the fire. As she moved she felt the swish of clothing around her body, and cold wet from the snow on feet? How, had she morphed in her sleep? Irrigation filled her body her human form was of no use to her here in this weather.
Down wind now she began to recognise the scent that filled her nostrils. It was Vampire.
Pulling her cape close round her and covering her head she looked back to the fire. There she saw hoards of Vampires for as far as the eye could see, they were baying for blood. Looking up she saw humans impaled on poles around the fire, the were all alive, some screaming for mercy but most of them silent in fear, shock and pain.
In the foreground she saw a body pinned spread eagle on the ground, naked in this cruel bitter winter. As she looked a this figure in the fire light she was struck by an horrific realisation. It was Mathew.
Rachel tried to run to him but she was rooted to the spot unable to move. Transfixed all she could do was watch as a hooded figure in the darkness, silhouetted against flames approached her Mathew. It looked like the figure was carrying a wand …. But it was not. No it was a spear tipped with silver. In horror Rachel watched as the younger vampires ran forward and bit and ripped at Mathew’s beautiful body. He wailed in agony, this broke Rachel’s heart but she could not move.
For what seemed like hours the cursed souls ripped and bit and feed on the body of the Vampire that she loved.
Then the figure in front of the fire raised his spear and shouted, “Enough” slowly they approached Mathew’s body. He raised the spear and brought the it down to where Mathew’s heart would be. Once the spear was in a line of golden light escaped from what was left of Mathew’s body. The light shot upwards full of black specks, an unearthly scream escape the body just as it turned to ash and it was blown away by a sudden wind.
“Traitor ” shouted the figure, traitor, traitor chanted the Vampire hoards.
Filled with pain and grief Rachel fell to the ground, she had witnessed the death of her lover, her hope, her future.
Hours later she came too, on the back of the stag.
What had happened, had it happen, had it been a dream .
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To be continued.
If you wish to read Lisa’s and Rachel’s story up to this point you can find it here.
This is part of Sue Vincent’s Thursday Photo prompt. #writephoto.
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