The years 1900
In a far little corner of the world existed a town called Invizu. It was a small town submerged in traditional laws and governed by a Deity so ancient and fearful the whole town rushed to do its bidding without making a fuss. Even when the Deity asked for blood sacrifices, the town folks didn't blink and jumped to do their best in that regard. They offered up their best and most healthy animals for the Deity. In exchange, the Deity called Zulu took care of their needs and granted them his grace, protection, and bounties, and everyone was happy.
One day, on the night of the blood moon, everything changed. The Deity appeared to the townsfolk demanding more blood if they still wanted to receive his favors, only this time, he wanted blood that carried more essence. He wanted the human blood of healthy virile persons. The townsfolk shocked to hear this rejected his request, refusing to turn on each other or kill their loved ones to keep the Deity happy. This made Zulu furious and sent him on a killing spree in his dragon form. Zulu wanted them to feel his wrath. He wanted the townsfolk to know what happens when he's crossed or insulted. He wanted to teach them a valuable lesson they would soon not forget. So Zulu killed all the town folks first borne children, leaving everyone so devastated and rooted in pain and fear so deep it could fill an ocean.
After a period of mourning, the town folks came to a consensus and decided to call a truce with the Deity Zulu. They decided to make Zulu an offer that didn't involve sacrificing the people of Invizu, instead innocent strangers from other towns would be lured in and offered up to Zulu as sacrificial lambs. Zulu accepted and a deal was sealed that changed the fate of the town Invizu, and turned them into monsters that took the lives of unsuspecting innocent victims.
Year 2024- Current Day Idaho.
She smiled up at her boyfriend when he leaned in for a kiss, accepting a tender kiss from him, her heart tingling with love for him. She remembered the day she met him, he had been one of the popular boys in school, so big with life and way out of her reach. She had only been an orphan who had nothing but the drive to succeed and change the downtrodden destiny fate handed her. She was from the gutters, born to a prostitute mother and an alcoholic father. Both had abandoned her when they died due to an addiction more important than her. They hadn't cleaned up their acts and had brought her into a world filled with filth, hatred, and abuse. She had fought hard, and pulled her weight, even when all she wanted to do was cave in, to leave the baggage behind and clean herself up as best as she could. The journey hadn't been easy, had been filled with pain and sorrows, disappointments and heartaches, and excruciating efforts and sleepless nights that led her to her current position of being a student with a scholarship in the most prestigious school. So she hadn't been prepared for love when it came knocking. She hadn't expected her first crush ever to reciprocate her feelings back. She hadn't expected Ian to see her and pursue her, turning her innocent feelings into a mind-blowing love story.
Finally, she was getting what she deserved. Life was finally smiling down at her. She was happy.
"So are you ready for a journey of a lifetime? Are you ready to travel with me, and spend the summer with me?"
"I'm more than ready," she smiled gleefully at him. "In fact, my bags are packed already."
"That's good to know. We leave at the break of dawn."
"Yes, my love," she couldn't stop smiling. She seemed to be doing that a lot lately.
The Break of Dawn
They took a flight to a destination unknown to her. A destination Ian said was a secret and a surprise she would love. He promised her as he smiled at her. But she hadn't expected his smile to be hiding a sinister trap, or his words to represent hidden daggers that would later be pointed at her. If only she had known sooner of his wicked plans. If only someone had warned her sooner of the perils of falling in love with the wrong person, with a demon in disguise, then she could have avoided a danger bigger than anything she ever faced before.
After several hours in the air, they finally alighted at a private airport and she was guided into the confinement of a sleek car that reeked of wealth and elegance. She always knew Ian was from money, but she had no freaking idea how affluence he was. She could feel the power and wealth oozing from him. He seemed like a different person now that they had landed. He was more relaxed and seemed confident, she couldn't say she disliked the look on him. She doubted she would ever detest anything about him.
"Are you okay?"
"Yes, I'm Ian. I can't believe I'm here with you in your hometown. Finally, I will see where you hailed from, and meet your family."
"Are you excited about it?"
"Very."
"You should be. Only a few are chosen and given the privilege to see my town."
"What do you mean?" she asked confused.
"You will see, soon. For now, enjoy the ride."
She smiled at him and did as she was told, loving the lush greenish scenery of the landscape that surrounded them from both sides. His home was beautiful it seemed, the air fresh and pure, the forestry beautiful. She was sure she would love her stay here.
Suddenly, Ian sprayed something into her visuals, and she started to feel lightheaded as her head started to spin. She couldn't even hold a thought and had no idea what he was doing or why he did it. "W...what...did you do..." her voice trailed off as her eyes flitted close and she lost the battle to unconsciousness.
"Argh..." she groaned softly at the pain pounding her temple. What happened? Why was her head hammering as if a flock of woodpeckers were building their home up there? She felt disoriented as she tried to open her eyes with much effort because her lids seemed lazy and was refusing to heed her silent command. She gasped when darkness penetrated by the moonlight greeted her sight. What in the loving name of God was this? What the hell was going on here? She tried to move but hit a metallic wall that had her groaning more in pain laced with discomfort. Was she trapped or something? She was locked up in a damn cage?
"Shh, you're going to wake the guards up, and I won't be able to help you anymore." A quiet desperate voice hissed at her from the shadows. Why couldn't she see her companion well? It felt as if she was under the influence of something foggy. And what did she mean by that? Was she in trouble? She couldn't make sense of anything. She started to groan but stopped when the voice warned again with urgency. "You need to be quiet, Morgan. I can't help you if they find out "
"What do you mean? What's going on here? Why do I feel drugged?"
"Because you were drugged."
"W...what?"
"Don't you recall how you got here?"
"No," she started to nod otherwise and thought better of it. She wasn't in any position to be shaking things up in her head.
"It figured. You're still under the influence of the drugs used on you. You need to listen to me carefully. I don't have much time. Your boyfriend Ian brought you to this town to be used as a sacrificial lamb to the Deity that protects this town–"
"W...what?!" she blurted alarmed, intense fear piercing through her confusion. "What are you saying–"
"Please, do not interrupt me. I'm only doing this because you once saved me from a deadly situation. You saved my life when someone tried to rob and stab me with a knife. You fought the thief and got back my possession. You had no idea how your selfless act touched me. For a stranger, you were willing to risk your safety. I couldn't do anything in the past to thank you, and you didn't give me a chance to, you seemed in a hurry. But I remembered your face and vowed to repay the favor someday. That someday is now. When I saw your face in the crowd of victims, I couldn't allow Ian to succeed in his evil deed against you. You're too good to end up a feast for the town folks and the deity they worship."
"Please, slow down. You ain't making any sense."
"Try and keep up. I can't explain everything now for I don't have much time. But you need to be prepared for what's ahead. Get this into your head, Ian betrayed you and mustn't be trusted. Come morning, you will understand what I mean. I have drawn a map to help you get out of the fix you've embedded yourself in. You will be hunted soon, and the only way to survive is to find the tunnel and escape through it. Use the map I shoved in your pocket to get out. Feed your stamina with the chocolate I tucked in your brazier so as not to draw attention. When you become thirsty, find the tree I marked on the map, you will find a satchel bottle of water made with ram skin and a dagger, though I don't know if it's sufficient enough to protect you against the danger ahead. But I wish you the best and pray you survive and escape. Now, I have to go–"
"Wait! What happens if I fail?"
"That's not an option, because if that happens, your blood is drained from your body by Zulu in his beast form, and your flesh is feasted upon by the town folks. In any case, you will disappear from existence. So make sure you escape. I'm rooting for you." Morgan felt, more than saw the lady slip back into the shadows she appeared from. Her heart was heavy with a sense of doom dipped in panic, and she wondered what the hell she had gotten herself into because of love. She had been blinded by love and her desire to escape the slums. Now she would have to escape a life-threatening danger. If she gets out alive, she will make sure to hunt and murder Ian to prevent him from repeating his wicked deeds and betraying love. He was a scum that deserved to die.
Her eyes flew wide open in shock, the remnants of sleep fleeing her eyes, as her body hit the hard ground with a painful thud. She had been dropped in the middle of the forest like she was a sack of potatoes, inconsequential and useless. She jolted to her feet as a series of screams hit her ears. So the hunt had started, and she was in the middle of it, thanks to her evil-ex-soon-to-be-dead-by-her-hands. She took out the map and tried to picture where she was by the looks of her surroundings. Everything looked the same, and finding the tunnel was not going to be easy. But she couldn't complain, it was better than nothing. She froze, her thoughts stalling as a deep thunderous growl hit her ears.
What was that sound? It was getting closer and she needed to move. She started to sprint through the woods, ignoring the screams that suddenly turned into muffled sounds of surprise that quickly escalated into screams of torture. She didn't have to see it to know they were being picked out one by one and drained by an invincible blood-sucking monster. These people were evil. So evil. How could they do this to innocent people? She ran with a pounding heart, her feet burning with every frantic step, her breath puffing out with exertion mingled with exhaustion. But she couldn't stop, not when her life hung in the balance. She ran with no sense of direction until she hit something that gave her pause. It was a teenage girl who looked so scared. So even kids weren't spared. How wicked could they be?
"Hey, are you okay? Don't be scared, everything will be fine. I will get us out of here."
"Really?"
"Yes. How did you get here?"
"I was kidnapped from the mall."
"I see. Come on, we need to move now."
"Do you know where we're going? That thing is hunting us."
"I know. I'm looking for a tunnel. I was given a map but I don't know how to read it."
"Let me see." She handed the girl the map and watched silently as she read it, the worry lines on the girl's face blooming into a smile. "I know where it is. I had no idea it was a tunnel when I came across it. It's hidden behind some shrubs. Come on, I will take you there."
"Okay, great," she allowed the girl to lead as they moved through the woods, keeping to the shadows and using the thick foliage to camouflage their presence to avoid being detected and captured by the monster. They ran with urgency, not even stopping to catch their breath, both knowing the importance of time at that moment.
Finally, they reached the elusive mouth of the tunnel and slipped in before the flapping wings they could hear some paces behind caught up to them. The journey back after that was pregnant with difficulty as exhaustion and dehydration hit them so hard, but they couldn't give up. It was a small price to pay for freedom and better than being drained dry. They reached the end of the tunnel and appeared in a gated community that seemed safer as the people of the community rushed forward to save two haggard ladies at the end of their existence. Their rescuers were friendly and helpful. They nursed them back to health and booked a ticket back home for them, no questions asked. It felt as if they knew what they had endured. She was glad they didn't hassle them with questions. She wasn't ready to talk about her ordeal yet and was still thinking up a befitting response for her wicked ex. She would have her pound of flesh no matter what.
A few months later
She hid in a dark corner of the room, just waiting for her prey to walk in. This time around she was the one doing the hunting. She held her breath as the door opened and closed and the room flooded with light that revealed her presence to her prey.
"Miss me?" She asked, pointing her silent revolver at his chest, and relishing the shocked look on his face. "What did you think? You will try to kill me and I will do nothing."
"H...how are you here?"
"You mean, how did I escape the monstrous death trap you set for me? You underestimated me, Ian. Coming from the gutters ain't my weakness but my strength. I have seen a lot of sh*t you can only dream of and survived it. So I wasn't going to let an evil bastard like you send all my efforts down the drain. I wasn't about to let you have the last say. It ends now," she shut him straight in the head and vacated the premises without a backward glance. Good riddance to garbage like him.
One down, more to go. She would find his hometown and unmask the evil taking place there.
That was a promise.
