Elliotte

Chapter Si of

The journey has been a short one. Froth with anxiety and frantic hope.

And now that she was here, she needed to find out - everything there was to find out.

She watched and quietly waited as the Diviner tossed the cowries and studied them, a slight scowl etched on her face.

Ernice could barely sit tight. "Wh-what does it say? There must be something, some plan, anything to avert the grace ill that befell us. You can't just leave us be. Elliotte -"

The Diviner raised her marked hand and cut her mid tirade. "'Tis the same," the Diviner continued in grave tones. "The prophecy remains unchanged and the evil upon us grows in magnitude."

Fear emblazoned in her heart. "" don't think she's ready for this," Ernice saying. "She's just a child."

Empty eye sockets turned to stare at her, doubling the fear emblazoned within her. "Do you question the gods then?" she demanded.

"Wuldna dream of it," Ernice said, rushing to withdraw her utterance without meaning it or wanting to. She was pressed beyond measure.

"She is plagued by nightmares. She never has a good night sleep. She carries the burden of the world upon her shoulders and how old is she? Barely three and ten."

"She's ripe."

"She's a babe" Ernice argued.

"Would ya take this mantle upon yer then?"

Ernice paused for effect. Self analyzing. Then her shoulders fell. "Nay" she whispered. "But –"

"There are no buts, Ernice. The gods have spoken and chosen after careful articulation the Diviner said. "Or would you have no answer to yer ferverent prayer?"

"But the child -. The nightmares, the bleeding tree -. Yer must do somtin."

"He returns."

"And she would do all within her might to win his good graces" Ernice charged on. "And I know it would amount to naught. She knows. Yet she tries."

The Diviner looked away.

"You see her pain and torment." Ernice went on. "A poultice. A herb. An incantation. Anything. Reduce the torment. Even I can't bear it and l'm not the target, what more of her." Hands clasped together, "Please, I plead, I urge - whatever yer want - grant her peace.!"

The Diviner turned back at the woman before her and stared without a word at her.

Under the cover of the night, just at that precise moment when the veil of separation of the living and the dead was slightly lifted, a creature emerged from the Costswold Brook and wandered.

As it did, life was extinguished from all it walked past. The eerie song of death on the swift wings of the cool night breeze filtrated the earth and reached its far ends.

The evil thrived.

Leaving behind a score of mutilated corpses for dawn to expose and hearts to pound ferociously with untamed fear. For that's what it thrived upon - fear.