Prologue

Prologue 

The grandfather clock strikes midnight as the door of the family mansion slams open, revealing mother nature’s rainy wrath. The body of a lethargic, bloody, broken girl is limped in the arms of a hooded man. He holds her with no passion, barely holding on tight enough to not drop her. A woman, who was once reading an ancient book by the fire, drops her book and stands upright. As she lays eyes on the girl, she rushes to the mans side. 

“Put her here!” She points to a large, bare wooden table. The man stumbles forward and drops her. He takes a few steps back, looking unconcerned. 

“How’d she do?” He rasps. 

“Well, look and you’ll see.” Says the woman. She grabs metal bowls and cloths from nearby cabinets. 

“Not bad.”

“Not bad? She’s bleeding through her clothes and can’t open her eyes!” The woman touches the girl, trying to mend some of her open wounds with her palms. With very little success, some start to heal, but only to reopen and spew blood freely. 

The girl opens her eyes slightly, giving a small moan from her petite, pale lips. Around her, the table where she was urgently laid on is soaking with her blood. You can hear it dripping to the beat of a metronome.

“You think that this ritual was a success?” Says the woman. She pulls up her sleeves, looking only at the dying girl, refusing to look the hooded man in the eyes. 

“She is my daughter, and if I think she was ready for the coming-of-age ritual....” he begins to speak. 

“Bullshit...” the woman whispers and she wipes blood from the girls brow. “Most are much older when they go through this. She has barely found her full power. She....”

“She’s fine. That is all I want to hear of it.” The hooded man turns to the door, opening it to let the rain downpour and wicked wind enter the woman’s family mansion. “And if she dies tonight, then what a waste of time she was.” 

The door slams and the thunder fills the room.