CHAPTER 14: THE BEGINNING

PRESENT

The path back home is familiar, and I know it will be hard. Membe told me to turn around and follow the stars. With everything that has changed and disappeared, I am still surprised that the stars remained. My mother told me that stars are the spirits of children waiting to be conceived, I cannot help but wonder if I was ever a star or just something spat out of the underworld like a curse or a deadly affliction, it seems more fitting than the idea of me being a star. I stare at the stars silently urging them to stay as stars and not be born because this world has nothing but sadness to offer them, I urge them to wait a little longer if they insist that they must be born, until I can find a way to fix everything my presence on this plane has caused.

Before I can go home, well go back to my mother's town; I cannot call that place home, my home is here in the forest where all other misfits and evils are allowed to lurk around and roam free. This is where I belong. Home is where the heart is, and my heart was with my mother. The forest swallowed her, and I am forever chained to it.

But before I can step foot there, there are a couple of things Membe requires.

FLASHBACK

"We will need a couple of items as well as you doing certain things in order to ensure you remain undetected."

"What about giving me a charm or something to ensure the success of this mission instead of this scavenger hunt?"

"This scavenger hunt, as you put it, is essential for the success of your mission. Get me everything and I will be able to make you invincible. If you can remain invincible, then you will be able to succeed. But be warned, some of the things I require are not for the faint of heart. I will leave you with the list and to think about it, once you have made up your mind you know how to summon me." He disappeared in his usual cloud of smoke, leaving behind a sheet of paper.

PRESENT

The same sheet of paper which is currently burning a hole in my sac, I have gone over the list so many times that each word and curve of each letter has been burnt into my brain. Just four things and that would seem easy enough but with my luck, I am not even surprised at what is required of me for this to work.

Steal the soul of the innocent

Collect the blood of the old

Snatch the dreams of a youth

Take the sight of a bride

This is no longer me just killing demons and overzealous sheep in order to stay safe.

"How long will it take to get all these things on the list?"

"Well, that was fast," he says once the smoke disappears, "And to answer your question; it is all dependent on you and how fast you can check things off your list"

"If I spend too much time thinking about it, then I will not want to go through with it," I say whilst squeezing the heads of my daggers to ease the heaviness in my chest.

"Hmm okay, but I am going to need something before you go"

"But you already gave me a list?" I say with annoyance lacing my words.

"No, that list is for you; I want a little something just for me" Something flashes in his eyes, and it is gone as fast as it came, but it stayed long enough to put me on edge.

"What do you want?" I say with my arms crossed.

"I want a finger," he says. I take a step forward in his direction and I can hear the low hum of his magic. The coward places a protective circle around himself.

"You are hiding behind circles now? Are you that scared of little me?"

"Call it my new safety measures. I will be taking a finger now."

"Why a finger?" I ask warily.

"I doubt you would want to give me some of your blood so, a finger, it is."

"I like having all ten of my fingers."

"For someone willing to hurt people for her gain, you would think something as insignificant as a finger would require less back forth." The circle begins to hum a bit louder, "I am not here to argue or negotiate with you, you need me, but I do not need you. As you gather the items needed, also savor the feeling of having all ten fingers." He disappears once more in the usual cloud of smoke. Something about Membe has changed, or is this just him when he is in business mode? Either way, it is making me uncomfortable. The spot where he previously stood is now being occupied by an assortment of objects; two small gourds with bits of wood at the mouth which act like corks, and two equally small boxes. I am guessing these are supposed to be the vessels for the items on the list. Even if there was any doubt about it, the markings on them and the fact they appeared after he disappeared is enough to convince me. After packing up the objects and placing them in my sac, I pause to stare at my fingers, trying to figure out which one I would not mind losing. I cannot believe that I am actually considering this, but all rational thoughts were thrown out of the window when I decided to go back to my mother's town. Even if I manage to gather all the items, no other person would help me without being suspicious or asking for something to buy their silence. They might even request for something more important than just a finger, Membe and I both know this. Plus, the fewer people that know about me or my mission, the better for me. In as much as I am wary of this new version of Membe, he is the only one that can help and whom I can remotely trust.

Now that I think about it, a life without one of my little fingers would not be so bad.