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FicStory

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PERSON_PROFILE

Girls aged 16 to 19 were chained up in the forest to stop them from running away.
Running from what? Wild animals! One girl was sacrificed. Want to know what happens next? You’ll have to read the story.
*****
The week of the blood moon was finally here. No matter how hard I tried to avoid it, it just kept coming back.

I couldn't understand why everyone was so fascinated by this cruel and barbaric ritual. Who could actually celebrate something called 'the ritual to the beast'?

I was nineteen, just the right age to be part of the ritual.

There's no real proof of what happens to the girl who disappears, which completely blows my mind. How can someone just vanish off the face of the earth like that?

Who even knows what this beast is or what he wants? These girls might as well be preparing to meet their end.

Every 20 years, the beast takes one girl. The girls have to wear all white and are chained in the forest so they can't escape. Then the beast shows up, picks his chosen one, and vanishes with her. No trace left behind. The other girls, however, are found the next day right where they were left, with no memory of the night before.

I know I won't be chosen because I despise this ritual with every fiber of my being, so there’s no way this beast will take me. But I still hate being part of this tradition.

Plus, I could get hypothermia from sitting out all night in the middle of the forest, with no blanket, no heater, just me in that stupid white dress.

My family really pushed me into this ritual. My dad was hesitant, but my mom convinced him it was for the best. Even my little sister was excited about it, though luckily for her, she’s only fifteen.

Unlike the other girls in this town, I want to explore the world, move out of this creepy place, and go to college. I want to graduate with a medical degree and help those who can’t afford the medical care that others take for granted. Most importantly, I want to live, not die in some stupid ritual.

My sister Laura is also sick; she has muscular dystrophy. It means that over time, her muscles will weaken, and eventually, she won’t be able to walk.

One reason I don’t want to leave is that I want to be here for her. I want to go to medical school and fight to find a cure or a way to help her walk when her legs finally give out.

I have a life to live. I even have a boyfriend, Alexis, who hates this insane ritual as much as I do. That’s one of the main reasons I like him so much. But he’s also funny and charming. He’s impossible not to love.

He and I both don't want me to be part of this ritual, but my mom and the whole village are forcing all eligible girls to attend. It’s not like we have a choice.

It’s going to be a long week, but hopefully, I'll make it through.
Lately, time’s just been flying by and honestly, it feels like my days are literally numbered. For the past couple of days, my mom has had me running around shopping for everything from makeup to underwear. Seriously, mom, I doubt the beast cares about my undies.

I’ve been so swamped that I’ve barely had time for my boyfriend, Alexis.

Alexis and I have known each other since we were kids—it’s a small town, everyone knows everyone. He’s been my best friend forever, and we’ve shared everything. We started dating when we hit high school. Initially, it was all romance and excitement, but now in our senior year, it feels like the spark’s just not there anymore.

I finally convinced my mom to give me a break from all the shopping and grooming. Alexis and I had planned a date today, and I was really looking forward to seeing him and just escaping all this stress for a bit.

Alexis’s family is one of the few around here that actually hunts the beast. And when I say hunt, I mean they’re all in—guns, crossbows, arrows, and super sharp daggers. Alexis even tried to teach me how to shoot once, since his dad’s been training him since he was a kid.

His family believes the beast was sent by the devil to snatch women from our community, so they think it needs to be dealt with. His granddad had a close call with it forty years ago, which led him and a bunch of other hardcore hunters deep into the forest. Weirdly, they never came back, and their bodies were found at the forest’s edge weeks later. Hearing Alexis tell that story definitely didn’t help my fears. That’s why Alexis and I both really hate the beast and the whole ritual thing.

When I pulled up at Alexis’s place today, I saw him coming out of his garage with his favorite toy, the crossbow.

“Flora!” he called out as I got out of the car.

“Alexis! Oh my gosh, I’ve missed you so much. You have no idea what I’ve been through with my mom,” I said as I rushed into his arms.

“I’m so sorry, pumpkin. I know how much you hate this, just as much as I do. But I promise you, you won’t get taken. And if you do, I’ll do what I do best—I’ll hunt down that godforsaken creature,” he said, smiling down at me.

Our spark might be dimming, but man, he still knew how to talk.

“Come on, I want to show you something,” he said, taking my hand—his free one, not the one holding the crossbow—and pulling me toward the forest.

“Alexis, where are we going?” I asked. It wasn’t like him to take me into the forest, even just to the edge.

“Just come on,” he urged, pulling me along, and I followed, albeit a bit reluctantly.

After about ten minutes of walking, we stopped. There were duffel bags on the ground where we stood.

“Alexis, what are these?” I asked cautiously.
"These are our tools, guns and arrows to train you. Flora, I love you, and I can’t risk losing you."
"Oh, so you’re going to pull the love card? Alexis, I’m not going to get taken, seriously." I couldn’t believe he actually thought I’d get taken.
"But you said yourself that you hate the beast. I’m not saying you’re going to be chosen, but we can’t know for sure. Still, you have to attend this ritual," he said, almost like he wanted me to be part of it.
"Why? Do you want me to get taken?" I asked, confused.
"Of course not, Flora, but you have to be there for the ritual... please don’t fight it." He opened his bag and pulled out a few guns.
"Why am I such a key part of this if I might not even be the one chosen?" I asked as he handed me a gun.
"Flora, every girl your age is going to be there, and the beast will only show up if everyone’s present. Once they are, I’ll be one step closer to figuring out what the beast really is. Together, we can bring it down once and for all. This chance only comes around every twenty years." He sounded desperate.
"So you’re dragging me into this mess because of your obsession with the beast? You’ve got to be joking, Alexis!"
"I’m trying, okay? I’m going to give you more training in case something happens. I swear I’ll come find you if needed, but you also need to know how to protect yourself," he said, gently touching my face.
"Stop it!" I snapped, stepping back. "You’re basically selling me off to the devil just to feed your obsession. Alexis, the beast isn’t real. Yeah, I have to go to this ritual, but hearing you say this? That was a punch to the gut." I stepped further away, but he kept moving toward me.
"And what makes you think you can even catch this beast now?" I challenged.
"We finally have the tech for it. Please, try to understand. The only thing I want more than the beast is your safety," he said, getting closer.
"Safety, my foot! And what kind of technology is going to help you catch this thing?" I demanded.
"Technology, Flora, has given us something called a tracking device." He pulled a tiny chip from his pocket and showed it to me. "This chip will help us take the beast down for good," he said with a smirk.
"How? You’re going to sew it into my dress? Alexis, you’re delusional. What if it kills me or my dress gets wet or something?" I pointed out all the flaws with this plan. But what he said next didn’t even need me to explain why it was ridiculous.
"Sew it into your dress?" he laughed. "No, Flora. We’re going to implant the chip into your hand," he said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"Implant what now?! You’ve gotta be kidding, right?" I asked, but he just shook his head 'no'. "Alexis, this is going way too damn far. You can't just put a chip in me! I’m not your lab rat. And I’m definitely not helping you hunt down that beast," I said, backing away as he came at me with the chip and a knife he’d pulled from his belt.

"Alexis, what are you doing?" I asked as he kept walking towards me.

"Flora, please, we can do this the hard way or the easy way."

With that, I bolted.

I ran as fast as my legs could carry me. I was good at track, but Alexis was almost a champ. I could hear him running behind me, but I pushed myself to go faster.

"Flora, wait! Flora, you don't know where you’re going!" he shouted, but I kept running, clueless about where I was headed.

I didn’t know the woods at all, but Alexis knew them like the back of his hand, and I had never been here, so I had no idea if I was running towards his house or deeper into the forest.

I started to slow down when I couldn’t hear Alexis’s footsteps or voice anymore, but I kept moving. I couldn’t believe he actually wanted me to be part of this, all for his own motives, but what shocked me more was the chip. He actually wanted to implant that piece of plastic in my hand.

I kept walking, and the tears kept flowing, neither stopping.

I walked for what felt like hours. Soon enough, the mosquitoes started really bugging me since I was wearing jean shorts. But what worried me more was that the stars were shining brightly in the sky now, and I had no clue where I was going. I had left my purse, which included my phone, in my car, and now I had no way to contact anyone.

What had started as me running away from a psychotic boyfriend had now turned into me being totally lost in the middle of the forest—a forest that was hundreds of acres large and filled with dense trees.

I tried to use the stars to guide me, but since I didn’t know how, I gave up after staring at the sky for about a half hour. It was quite beautiful, really—the thousands of stars dancing around the moon was a spectacular sight, especially since the stars aren’t nearly as visible with all the artificial lights in town.

After walking for about another hour, my feet just gave out beneath me. I found a dry patch on the ground and sat down, leaning against a tree.

I was exhausted, and my eyes started drooping as sleep began to take over.

My eyes were almost closed when suddenly there was a rustling in the trees a few feet away from me. My adrenaline kicked into full gear. My eyes snapped open, and I jumped to my feet instantly.

I could hear the crunching of leaves as something approached, and I prayed to God it wasn’t the psychotic Alexis. Who knew what he would do if he found me.

I’d rather it be the Beast than Alexis, honestly. At least it might kill me quickly, but Alexis could just torture me and implant that stupid chip.

The thing got closer and closer. My heart sank to my stomach. My hands got clammy, and I started to sweat coldly, something that happens when I’m really scared.

What if it was the beast?

What would it do?

FicStory

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