Anxious

The sky is gone. Dark, voluminous clouds cover every cranny of space between the stars, casting a virtually non-existent shadow on the village below. People of the village have taken shelter within their homes, using the little amount of candles given. Their windows and doors are barricaded with heavy wood and newspapers. The small church remains populous in the center, also barricaded inside and out. Rosaries and candles are scattered along the pews while villagers sit close to the raised altar, bibles in hand. The priest holds a candle near his bible, softly muttering prayers to the group around him. There are whispers in the shadows. High pitched and childlike, the voices drift through the mist and towards the village.

A girl sits in the outskirts of the forest, alone. Her bare body trembles in the cold, a leather necklace hitting her chest with every breath. Her dark eyes squint together. The voices begin to drift from the village and towards the forest. Mist trickles into the area, slowly suffocating the air. She whimpers, pulling on the chains with more force. Blood seeps from her wrists and neck, slowly dripping to the forest ground. Tears fall down her face as she strains her neck forward, the metal collar around her cutting the soft skin. She cries harder as her head falls back, her eyes staring at the light above her.

The lights begin to flicker. Her heart begins to pound harder. The voices intensify. Laughter and whispers grow higher in pitch as the girl squirms from the sound. She sobs, her heart racing faster as pressure is felt along her inner thighs and stomach. The lights flicker faster. She gasps, her hands clutching at the little grass underneath her. Blood slowly trickles down her legs as she squirmed again, the large amount of pressure between her legs becoming unbearable. Her heart beats faster as the pressure continues to pound into her. She cries out. The lights spark and extinguish. The voices dissipate. Blood pours onto the grass and dirt. The girl sobs. Her heart slows and comes to a desired stop. The clouds slowly fade away while the sun begins to peek over the hills.

The church doors are forced open as villagers slowly walk into the open. Women quickly walk to the forest as the men begin to rebuild. Children collect sticks and old wood along village paths, throwing them into a pile in the center of town. A woman unlocks the chains and places the girl on a woven stretcher. The others take formation and carry her into town. The villagers watch as the girl is thrown onto a pile. The priest steps forward, a bible in his hand and a match in the other. With a quick prayer, he throws the match and steps back. The villagers pray in silence as a young girl is dragged to the center by her father. She cries. A leather necklace hangs from her neck.