?Sofia
?
Fifty-five miles south
of Santo Cristo Mexico
?
The late evening sky was blistered by the rhythmic
streaks of lightning and the hollow thunder of distant storms.? Sofia
lounged by the pool watching the display with interest.
?
¡°It¡¯s that time,¡± She said to those who attended
her. ¡°Fredo thankyou for providing the girl.¡±
?
The man named Fredo tilted his head. ¡°It is as
it should be,¡± he said in broken spanish.
?
Sofia stood and walked to the rear of the pool
area where a small brick walkway led off into the desert.? She wore her
crystal-beaded dress that cut just below her left hip. The dark blue low cut
gown accentuated her cleavage. On one leg a sheath held a dagger with an ornate
grip.?
?
She led the procession out into the open desert.
Some of those who followed carried torches.?
One hundred feet out they came to a shallow
ground that ran in a circle fifty-feet wide. Within the circle a stone pillar
stood erect and solitary. A young naked female was strapped to the stone. When
she saw Sofia she let out a low whimper.
?
Sofia crossed the short distance flowing down
the course and over to the monolith.?
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¡°Hush child,¡± she said. She offered a wafer from
a pocket. The girl shook her head but the Witch took hold of her jaw with one
hand and forced the wafer into her mouth.?
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Sofia began to chant in a strange language. Then
she slowed the pace and repeated in spanish ¡°Tierra, earth take this gift. Give
what you have taken in return.¡±
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Soft blue lights shaped like flower petals began
to dance from her fingertips. They floated in the air then began to collapse
onto the naked form of the girl.?
?
The girl seemed to change. Her fear had turned
to a soft murmur of pleasure. Her body moved to some silent music bound as she
was.?
?
Sofia knelt in front of the girl and took up
some desert sand with her hands then held them aloft and quoted the strange
words over and over.?
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¡°This gift we give freely,¡± Sofia continued in
spanish. ¡°Take and I shall gorge on your power.¡±
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The ground beneath their feet shook
gently.?
?
Sofia drew her dagger in a swift movement and
sliced open the girl from sternum to bladder.?
?
A soft murmur arose from those who attended. The
girl seemed unaware still moving her head from side to side as her blood
dripped heartily into the stone at her feet.?
?
The ground shook again and a low humming sound
grew from all around.
?
Sofia began to glow in a white sheath of light.
Her words grew disjointed and profane.?
?
Beads of light started to shimmer and circle
around her body, they twinkled and sparkled like Christmas lights.
?
She spread her arms out wide and the lights
danced away in a hypnotic dance picking up speed and flying off into the
heavens.?
?
Sofia looked up at her retainer's, eyes bright
silver. Then she turned to the monolith and the disfigured body. Hands held
wide she brought them together with a loud crackle. Silver flame shot out from
her hands and engulfed the body. The body behind the flame melted and bled into
the ground like molten glass.
?
When the last glow faded Sofia turned and walked
purposefully back to her hacienda.
?
(Antonio)
Antonio
was not fond of death that he didn¡¯t create and he was not always in a hurry to
do so.? He had seen this ceremony a few
times, it never ceased to fascinate him.?
She was a goddess to them and they sacrificed to her willingly.? He missed having that kind of powers but
family was far more important.? Besides
some had a tendency to frown upon missing family members, then having them show
up to feed on others members of the family.? So he didn¡¯t devour them as his sire might
have, so he determined so much as take a little here and there from his small
herd.? He would love to devour something
a bit more substantial but nonetheless he would keep focused on the tasks at
hand.
The
ceremony didn¡¯t last long, but the repercussions were felt deeply amongst those
there.? It wouldn¡¯t last and they would continue
to bring her sacrifices till someone rebelled.?
He smirked.? ¡®They hadn¡¯t done it
in this long.? Some were satisfied to
remain, he couldn¡¯t blame them honestly.?
The price for rebellion was hefty between Diego and himself passing
judgment, he would be loathe to rebel also.
Once she was done she headed back home, he followed from his perch on the roof
tops.
<Diego,
Sofia>?
