They’re judging who will survive.

All of them only see us as the naive new initiates. They stand around the cavern with the pagan alter in the centre. Each hood up, stating we’re too insignificant to learn their faces nor names. Too short lived.

There are four others around me. A white, chalk pentagon on the floor connecting us. It soon licks of flames when the first drops of blood hit it.

Only...

I never wanted to know.

Now I must.

Maybe I never should have pretended. Pretended to be nice and friendly. Now they all think I’m ‘on their side’. It’s almost humorous.

If only what they shared wasn’t so problematic. Maybe then I could keep pretending. Keep being ‘perfect’.

Too bad.

Now it was my decision. There were only really two viable choices. Although I’m sure I could get creative with...

Some people have a monster under the bed. Skeletons in the closet. This of course opposed guardian angels and helpful spirits.

I had a guardian monster.

When I was a child I ran into the woods near our old house. I would all the time to play in the creek. That’s where I promised my parents to go.

But the little butterfly landed on my nose and I took it as a sign that it was vital to follow it.

...

I was falling. Why was I falling?

Right.

“Apologies, my sage.” the figure said in a distorted voice. Even his shoulders refused to move in a show of breathing. Without a face, he might have been a statue. And yet the next moment, the bridge railing gave way.

The water was cold and forced me to gasp. But none entered my lungs as the thin fabric of water opened up into a free fall.

My autumn co...

It was supposed to be a trick: harmless.

Now he lies there with his glazed eyes pinning the blame on me with a pin.

The old, leather-bound book still clenched in his hand. His fingers were still warm as I pried that damn book away. His hand now lay there, just like the rest of him.

A strange ruin was barely visible on his cheek. But I knew it would grow more apparent. I needed to hide him. ‘Six...