Mortars and Poundings

(GRAPHIC CONTENT WARNING)

Nothing would have prepared Ed for what he did see next in the strange place he found himself in.

If there had been something like that, then he wouldn't have bothered forcing himself to follow the boys when they left the dressing room. He would have stayed back or yet still found his way back home if he had known this was what he was signing himself up for.

A man had come up the stage talking and from his words, Ed had been able to grasp that this was a devilish gathering. The second time of the month and an important one because of the appearance of the full moon.

"It is also the time for the newest soldiers of Hades to be selected" he had added and this had caught Ed's attention.

No wonder there were an uncomfortable number of young boys who came to the location, just like he had seen earlier, and they all had been dressed in the same uniform, just like he was. But he had worn his out ignorance of what it meant.

"The chosen members will become affluent. They will have whatever they want because there will be provisions of it always. That is the grace the King of Hades always promises. And the King never lies!!"

The crowd erupted into a loud and thunderous shouting in agreement of what he had said.

Ed leaned back. He couldn't grasp what was happening nor why the people shouted that way. It was so loud, so piercing. Were they not concerned about the noise pollution they were creating?

"Wealth, riches, women, food, cars, houses, an abundance of everything . These are gifts the King promises a who would find a place for him in their souls. Whoever comes to him seeking him will find him an whoever is ready to do his bidding,will have all that he has promised"

The boys by his side joined in the screaming after the last sentence. It had captured Ed's attention again. The mere thought of having an abundance of everything was settling to him but he was still confused as to what the speaker really meant by his words.

In the next minutes that came, Ed heard chilling screams from the crowd and when he turned from all the noise that had taken his attention before, he saw that the five pregnant women who had been laid down in the floor of the podium had given birth.

That seemed natural to him but unsettling as he couldn't understand why they had to do so on stage. That wasn't a hospital. Why hadn't they gone to one when they knew that they would be delivered off of their babies?

"What's going on?" Ed whispered to one of the boys sitting next to him, hoping that h would answer.

"It's the ritual of the new moon," the boy replied as his eyes gleamed with excitement. "The King of Hades demands new life in exchange for his blessings."

Ed's confusion deepened. What kind of ritual was this? And what did the King of Hades have to do with it? Whoever that was.

As he watched, the women finished giving birth and the babies were taken from them. Ed's heart skipped a beat as he saw the babies being placed in a large mortar that were lying in wait by the side of the podium.

"What are they doing?" Ed asked again, his voice shaking slightly this time around.

The boy grinned. "The babies will be used to make the sacred drink. It's a great honor to be chosen for this ritual."

Ed felt a wave of horror wash over him. What kind of twisted ritual was this? And how could these people justify harming innocent people?

As Ed watched in horror as the mortar was being pounded with increasing intensity. The cries of the babies grew louder and Ed's mind struggled to comprehend the scene unfolding before him. He didn't even want to believe it was happening. .

Beads of sweat formed at his forehead and he cleaned it uncontrollably, but still, they kept forming.

The speaker still on the stage raised his hand and the pounding stopped. The sudden silence was deafening. Ed's heart was racing and his breath came in short gasps.What had he just seen? None of the mothers even protested against their children being taken from them. They stood and watched while still standing at the podium as what happened did.

The speaker's voice boomed through the silence, "The time of sacrifice has come! The King of Hades demands it!"

The crowd erupted into a frenzy of cheers and chants, their voices echoing off the walls. Ed felt like he was trapped in a nightmare in which he was unable to wake up from.

Where had he landed himself in his attempt to find out what he had seen in Lorraine Blai's home?

Suddenly the mortar was lifted and Ed saw that the ba"" " had been transformed into a dark paste which was then mixed with the blood that had been collected from the women while they were still in labor.

It was then completely a liquid and was poured into cups which was passed to the five women firstly.

The crowd began to chant, "Drink! Drink! Drink!"

Ed's stomach churned as he realized what was happening. The liquid was being poured into more cups and the crowd was eagerly awaiting their turn to drink.

The speaker's voice echoed through the hall once more, "Drink, and you shall be granted the power of the King of Hades!"

Ed knew he had to get out of there, but his feet felt rooted to the spot. He was paralyzed with fear, unable to move or speak. He scanned the hall for a sight of Lorraine amidst the darkness. Perhaps the illumination form the lighted black candles would help him find her in tbe darkness.

She was the only one that could save him now by leading him out and showing him the way for him to turn home. He has made a mistake coming, clearly, he shouldn't have. He shouldn't have even gotten curious about her in the first place. He should have just recalled his place and stayed there for as long as he knew without having a fling for her.

"Drink!! Drunk!!! Drunk! Drunk!" The shouts were getting closer to where he was and when he looked up, he realized bag it was the people sitting in front of them that it came from.

He became apprehensive and turned towards his left hand side. The cup was almost getting closer to him. What the?

The noise became increasingly more loud as each person that drank joined the others to continue chanting the scream.

Ed watched in stunned horror as he boy by his side drank from the cup without even flinching. He watched the blood stains by the side of his mouth instead of collecting the cup that was being handed over to him.

Were they truly expecting him to drink that? Even if he were the poorest man on earth and one who had no hopes of where is help would come from, were they expecting him to commit such a grievous crime against his fellow human?

And then, everything went black.