Witch Doctor Sacrifice

Witch Doctor Sacrifice 5

For more please go to www.crushedcrown.com

Chapter 5

Gravity

"What...you not talking to me?"

Mason's voice circled around me. We were on another one of Bah's long-winded tasks. This time we were meditating. Everyone had taken a corner of the class room. On the upper right hand side were the Atwoods. They were focusing with their eyes closed and pacing back and forth. They had been in the same state for almost an hour now. Rio was at the window staring outside of it. It was clear that he had given up on whatever he was supposed to be doing. Then there was Brandon who looked like he had all but fallen asleep between two chairs.

I was in the back of the classroom where Mason had walked up to me.

"I'm just trying to meditate," I told him.

"You didn't sit next with us at lunch yesterday."

"I don't really feel like being in the lunchroom lately. I've been getting weird vibes."

"Like what?"

Like everyone hated us. It had been a week since my dinner with Bah and the Royal coven and I still felt uneasy. The look in Eli's eyes and his declaration that we had to be stopped was enough to put me on edge a little bit.

I shook my head, "What is this?"

"What is what?"

"Why do you care if I talk to you or not?" I asked.

He laughed somewhat amused by me, "I don't care."

"Of course you don't."

I sat down on the floor squatting in the position that the Atwoods were in. I sat Indian style one leg over another. Truth was I knew I didn't have the discipline to sit in this position for long but I felt like if I pretended to be dedicated then Mason would get the clue and leave me alone.

"What do you mean by that?"

"You don't care about anything or anyone," I stated shaking my head, "You are hard ass right? I mean I'm not hating on it. If it works for you that's great. But maybe one day you could have a friendship...hell maybe even one day you and your own family act like you aren't strangers."

I hadn't meant it in a disrespectful way. I was just giving my opinion of him. When I saw Rio turn from the window and heard a very long silence from Mason it seemed like I may have passed the line.

"What did you just say?" Mason asked.

"I'm just saying that you and Rio barely talk. I just feel like its because you are so closed off to everyone. Rio seems friendly but you seem like an ass..."

"You grow some balls?"

That's where this was coming from. I was the one who didn't speak up for myself or anything like that. He was just surprised that I was coming at him like that. Rio seemed surprised as well.

"No. I'm still a punk," I replied shrugging my shoulders, "But it's hard to think you and Rio are related. He nice and you are..."

He edged me on with his eyes even before his mouth, "I'm what?"

"Nevermind."

"No go ahead. What am I tough guy? You got some balls why don't you spit out."

"That's enough you two," Rio said trying to break it up.

"I want to hear what this weak sonofab***h has to say," Mason urged me on taking a step closer to me, "He has a lot of mouth I want to see what he is going to say."

At this point Brandon woke up from his slumber and the Atwoods opened their eyes and stared back across the room.

I should have stopped at that point but I remembered how embarrassed I felt when Mason had shot me down in that courtyard. It had been a week and it was growing tension. We hadn't spoken at all. I had all this on my mind to say to him.

It slipped out, "You going to hit me?"

"No I ain't going to hit you. Don't be scared. Say what you have to say," Mason stated.

"Enough!" Rio continued.

I shook my head, "I'll drop it."

"Weak sonofab***h," Mason smirked, "You're a disgrace to this coven."

"And you're the son that your parents probably regret," I retorted.

The words spilled from my mouth. They were so much more personal than I had meant to go. I didn't know what happened at that point but there was something else in Mason's eyes. Then there was something that he said. I could have sworn he said something about a little black girl. At first it looked like shock and then his pupils seemed to get wider. I wondered if it was something I said but then I realized they were getting supernaturally wide and dark but they didn't get to black. His eyes were bloodshot red.

The veins in his eyes were dyed with blood.

And as he looked at me I could feel a pain shoot through me. I could feel my eyes watering and so much energy being SUCKED out of my body! I wanted to scream but I didn't even have the energy.

The pain suffocated me!

I fell to the floor and lost control of my body. It felt like I was having some sort of seizure but I was fully aware of it the entire time. A tremor went through me. I could feel my tongue lock up in my mouth! Tears fell from my eyes but I couldn't blink. My body wouldn't stop shaking on the ground. I could feel my neck and knees stiffen.

"What are you doing to him?"

There was a short chaos that ensued. There was a lot of screaming and a short panic. I wasn't sure who was screaming at who. I was disoriented. I didn't know who the voice was at that moment who asked that question. I didn't really care. All I knew was after the scream the pain started to ease up.

When it stopped and I was fully aware of what was going on I was propped up by Angelica Atwood of all people. I was on her lap. On the other side of the room was Mason with Rio, Victor and Brandon blocking his way to me. The only person who didn't seem up in arms was Melody. She hadn't left her position from the front of the room. She barely seemed to come out of her meditaiton.

"Are you ok?" Angelica asked me.

A few of the others looked at me wondering the same thing.

"I'm fine."

"Holy s***t," Mason said, "Micko I did NOT mean to do that."

He was starting towards me at that point but I could feel myself backing up into a corner pushing away from Angelica and all the others. I had clamored past desks in a panic to get away from him!

I found myself huddled and pathetic trying to hide from him. I saw the way the others looked at me. There was this sense of pity at the moment. I looked weak. Hell I didn't care. I was weak.

"Stay away!" Rio said to his brother, "Don't you think you've done enough to the kid?"

All of a sudden I was a kid. I didn't care what they considered me. I just wanted to be safe. I had never lost control of my body. The tremors were still felt in my limbs. I was breathing heavy. I had the fear of God in me at that moment.

I huddled pulling all of my limbs to myself. It was as though I was trying to reclaim my body. I hugged myself in attempt to reclaim myself. I couldn't explain the sentiment besides being totally and utterly fearful.

"I'm not going to hurt him," Mason stated.

"Stay back," Rio said.

"Get the f***k out of my way boy," Mason told his brother in a tone almost as though he didn't know him, "I just want to make sure that he is ok."

"You have to get through us first," Victor stated.

It didn't really hit me at that moment that all of them were standing up for me. I was just afraid at that moment.

"You all got tough huh?" Mason said.

"What you going to attack us like you did Micko?" Rio asked.

Mason stared across the room. His eyes locked with mine. What if he hadn't stopped? Could I have lost my life? Could I have lost my mind? I wasn't sure what he was doing to me but I knew it was the scariest thing that had ever happened to me.

Mason seemed to calm down for some reason, "I just want to see if he is ok...it was an accident."

"We'll look after him," Angelica stated.

"It's probably best you just leave for now. If Bah asks I'll tell him you got sick or something again," Rio started.

Rio seemed to have no fear of Mason at this moment. Hasn't he seen what Mason had in his eyes. There was something powerful there. There was something dark and strange in his eyes.

Mason hesistated and for a moment I thought he was going to actually attack Rio or the others. He didn't though. He gave them harsh looks before actually walking outside of the room. He almost took the doors off the hinges when he slammed it behind him.

I could feel an immediate ease when he was gone.

The others surrounded me.

"He's hot," Rio told me checking my forehead. Victor had left and somehow returned with some ice. I wasn't sure where he had gotten it from but I was happy when he came back. It was Angelica who put the ice on my forehead. The others surrounded me.

"Your brother is crazy," Victor stated.

It was rare for the Atwoods to have a conversation with everyone else. It was crazy that it had to take for one of us to attack our own for some sort of unity to form but that unity even if just for a temporary time seemed to be here.

"I can't apologize enough," Rio said, "He's always been sensitive when it comes to our parents choosing me over him."

"That's not a reason to attack someone," Angelica added.

"You're right," Rio explained, "He's out of control. I'll be the first person to tell people."

"What did he do?"

The last words had come from across the room. It was from Melody. She was still sitting where she was before but her interest was just like everyone else. She wanted to know what happened.

There was a pause. I definitely didn't know what had happened.

I tried to explain it though, "There was blood in his eyes and when he stared at me it felt like he was destroying my limbs from the inside."

"He's done this before," Rio stated.

"Here?"

"No...before here," Rio continued turning around and looking down at the ground as though thinking, "Mason used to have an imaginary friend growing up. At least we all thought his friend was imaginary. Only his friend would do horrible things. One day a bully came at him. He called his friend."

"What happened?"

"Same thing that happened today. Mason's eyes went red and the boy looked like he was having a fit. Two minutes later the boy was dead..."

I found myself in a medical room in the tower. I was taken there by Angelica and Victor of all people. They volunteered to walk me there because they knew where it was. It seemed like Angelica was a diabetic so she came to visit the medical center several times before.

As we waited in the waiting room for someone to come out and see me we got strange stares from people walking by. Maybe it was our red outfits that drew attention. Maybe it was the fact that Victor and I had bare chests and even the girl uniform was hardly there. I would have liked to think that was the fact but I knew it was really the reason behind the red. We were blood users.

"I didn't expect to see you here."

I turned to see Corey standing there. He had come out of the room we were waiting at.

"I just was, um, well, I had an accident," I lied and smiled, "I was hoping to see a medic."

"You're in luck. I work with the medic. I can help you."

"You?"

"Is that so hard to believe?"

"You are a member of the royal coven and you work as a medic..." I say thinking, "Just seems like a busy schedule."

"Don't worry I will always make time to fit you in. I promise."

Was he flirting? I smiled. Corey was handsome and had a humility about him.

"Victor and Angelica. You guys can leave. Thanks for brining me here."

They looked at one another and looked at Corey.

"Are you sure?"

They seemed hesitant. I wasn't sure where the hesitation was coming from off the bat but I knew it existed.

"Yes but I want to honestly say thank you. You guys being here for me with this...I really really appreciate it."

I wanted to make it sound honest. I wanted to let them know that I appreciated it because I felt like that was important. By their reaction to my appreciation I could tell it meant a lot to them as well.

I walked into the room with Corey. The room lit up with beds. There were several other people in the room as well. It was a well lit room and seemed more modern than other places in the tower but that wasn't saying much. The room had a small hospital like feel to it. I turned seeing sick people all around me. The people who walked around treating them didn't seem like doctors though. They seemed like regular people. Corey led me to one of the empty beds and I sat up on it.

He didn't have a chart or a white gown like a doctor. He had his same black robes and one of those branch looking sticks that the Castors carried with them everywhere they went.

"So what is that thing? A wand?"

"That's exactly what this is," he said laughing holding it up, "You interested in switching over?"

I smiled back at him, "Not if your wands look like that. It looks like you broke a piece of wood off a tree in someone's backyard."

He smiled, "Our magic is natural magic so our wand is just a conductor of nature. Branches are used to gather nutrients for trees. We use it in a similar way."

"So you guys are the Harry Potters of the magic world."

"You came to criticize my lifestyle or you want to get healed," he said smiling as he said it just so much that I knew he was teasing me.

He had a teasing tone all throughout and he stood extra close to me. He was such a clean cut person. I couldn't see not one scratch of misplaced hair on him. His black robe looked like he'd pressed it with an iron a million times. His teeth were so white it looked like he'd never eaten anything in his life. I almost wanted to pinch him to see if he was real.

"I had an accident," I told him shaking my head, "My friends just wanted me to get checked up make sure that I wasn't falling apart."

He put his hand on my cheek and waited for a second before looking deep into my eyes. He seemed to see something there.

"An accident? What accident makes your eyes bloodshot red?"

I had no idea that my eyes had turned red.

"The bad kind."

"You gonna tell me what really happened now?" Corey asked.

"I got into a little disagreement with a friend and he did something to me."

"Blood magic."

"What?"

"He used blood magic on you," Corey said, "Take off all your clothes and lay down."

"Like naked..."

"I'm joking I just wanted to see if you would do it."

I rolled my eyes at his corniness and laid down on the bed. I watched as he waved his branch looking thing over my body tapping it on me. At first I thought some sort of spark of light would come out of the branch or something extraordinary but nothing like that happened. It was literally a branch that he waved over me and started chanting something in another language. I didn't understand the language.

It took a minute but when he was done I didn't feel weak any longer.

"What did you do?" I asked getting up.

"Blood magic is unnatural. It sucked out the nutrients from your body. I just put them back in using Castor magic or Natural magic as we like to call it."

"Earlier you asked me if I'd be interested in making the switch. Is that possible?"

He shook his head, "No."

"I see..."

I wasn't sure what made me ask the question. It was just curiosity really.

"But it is possible to choose not to learn blood magic at all," he told me, "You can just wait until this is over. Someone is going to find a way out of the fog whether you learn it or not."

"Why wouldn't I want to learn it?"

"Blood magic isn't safe. The sacrifices they require are immoral and against nature. The magic that I follow is all about nature and the keeping the balance of things. Blood magic tears down the fabric of nature. It's just..."

"Evil, huh?"

"Well yeah..."

I got up off the bed.

"Thanks a lot. Unfortunately I don't think I have the convenience to not learn anything. If it is up to your brother we will be stopped. Blood magic may be able to protect me."

He shook his head.

I could tell Corey didn't agree with it.

"Would you sell your soul for it?"

"What?"

"That is the ultimate form of blood magic. The black door. You sell your soul for ultimate power. My brother believes someone in your coven is going to do that."

Corey was slowly getting on my nerves with this conversation. He kept pushing. He wouldn't drop it. I started walking away at that moment.

"Thanks for your help Corey I'm leaving. Thanks for the advice too but I'm sure no one in my coven is going to sell their soul."

"Just like no one in your coven would attack you right? Until the members of your own coven use blood magic against you that is..."

I didn't turn around but he had a point and it scared me a little. He had a serious point. There was something dangerous about blood magic and I had seen evidence of that. Was this sort of practice something that I wanted to pursue. I kept thinking about the black gate and how terrified Eli looked when he was describing it.

"You know you could sleep with Brandon and me right?" Rio stated.

It was later that day and about time to get in for the night. I had spent the time in the lounge area on our floor bonding with the others. The lounge area was the only common room where we could all come and talk. I wasn't sure if it was open to others because no one else came in. Usually it was just Brandon and Rio in there laying across the two separate couches and talking about girls and things that straight guys talked about when they got bored. Most of the time it was getting to know Angelica and Victor but Melody was there as well too. She didn't say much. She stayed to herself acting like she was above interacting with us but unlike usual she didn't stop the other Atwoods from interacting with us.

"I'm not scared to sleep in the same room as Mason," I said shaking my head.

"I would be," Angelica said.

"If you need anything we are right down the hall," Victor added in.

"We should have reported him to Bah," Rio added.

I was surprised that he was so willing to sell his brother out. The others seemed to start agreeing with him too. It was weird that the fact that there was this all of a sudden dislike for Mason we were being brought back together.

"It's not worth it," I explained, "I may have been overreacting."

"Bulls***t..."

The words came from Melody. Every time she spoke everyone turned to listen.

My eyes widened, "Excuse me?"

"You weren't overreacting. You were terrified. You should admit it. We all saw the look in your eyes and how defeated you were. He completely conquered you. He's probably the most powerful of all of us....we should be learning from him."

"You and Brandon are the best at the lessons," Victor stated.

Melody shook her head, "That doesn't mean anything you idiot. We all know he isn't even trying while the rest of us are putting everything we can into this. We are killing flocks of birds to create one piece of fruit while he is disabling people with a stare."

Brandon nodded, "I can agree on that. I've sensed it from him for a while. He barely tries."

"Let me tell you all something right now," Rio started, "As his brother I can tell you that Mason is nothing special. The type of things he can do I don't want to be able to do it."

"Are you so sure?" Melody asked.

"Of course."

"I'll tell you one thing. The Atwoods will be studying him and we will surpass him. The rest of you can worry about pointless things like his personality."

She stormed out of the room as though she had been offended over something that we had said. Angelica and Victor got up and I knew they probably felt like she would catch a fit if they stayed in here talking to us much after she left.

"Good night," Angelica said.

She leaned in and gave me a hug before running off with Victor. I looked after them. I liked Victor and Angelica a lot. They had a calm and gentle demeanor to them. Their cousin however was something else. She seemed so rough around the edges.

"What's with Melody and this Atwood pride thing?"

Brandon nodded, "That has to do with the history of our coven. My parents told me some history about them. It was very limited but there was a reason for that. The Atwoods never did anything. They always had the weakest members. They interbred hoping to make their line stronger but it didn't do much either. I'm guessing Melody is trying to regain whatever sense of self-identity that family has left."

"It seems really important to her."

"She runs Victor and Angelica like some sort of concentration camp," Rio added.

I nodded in agreement, "Maybe she has a point though."

"About my brother?"

"Yes. Maybe we should try and learn from him."

"Bah is here. We can learn from him. That's enough for me," Brandon said.

Rio nodded, "I agree completely."

I left the room later that night feeling the resentment towards Mason was still the overall sentiment. When I got to the room I just kind of hoped that he was asleep.

The door opened slowly and I noticed that he wasn't. He had been on his knees when I came into the room. At first I thought he was doing some sacrificial ritual but then I recognized the formation in which he clasped his hands together with his eyes shut. He was praying. There was no doubt about it. It was a strange thing to see him praying here. I had never taken him for the religious one but then again I had never asked. He was rough and rude. When he was done he crossed himself and kissed his hand. Our eyes connected.

We didn't say anything for a moment. There was a tension there. I couldn't tell if he was upset or if he thought I was upset.

"Do you need the light?" I asked.

"You can turn it off if you want..." he replied.

It was awkward as hell between us. I went over to the light and turned it off. I climbed into the bed feeling the awkwardness cutting through me like a cleaver. I could still hear him bouncing the ball and managing to catch it in the darkness.

It was almost as though he wanted me to ask him to stop or something. I felt like I didn't even want to give Mason the pleasure of speaking to him again.

So I didn't.

After a few minutes he stopped tossing the ball. The silence was so quiet after that moments that I couldn't even pretend I was sleeping. I could hear him swallow hard and then part his lips about to say something but there was still silence. It wasn't until another minute or so that something came out of his mouth.

"You feeling better?"

' "Yes."

"Ok good. I didn't mean what happened earlier."

"Yes."

"I think it's important that you knew that."

"Thanks."

"I'll never hurt you again. I promise. You didn't deserve that and I told you I had your back. When I promise someone I got their back I don't go back on that."

I nodded. I didn't know how to take the apology. I didn't think Mason knew what he was doing when he attacked me. I was honestly sure a part of him was lost at that moment. I didn't know if that was a good thing or a bad thing. Did the lack of intention make me feel safer or not?

I laid back down on the bed.

In the darkness I heard him say something else.

It came out to me as, "You don't have to believe me now. I'll show you..."

I didn't reply. I just turned over and went to sleep. This night he was handling me with kiddy gloves. It was the softest I'd ever heard Mason talk to me. The promises and the apologies actually made me feel better. It comforted me more than I wanted it to.

In the darkness as I turned away from him I could almost feel him watching my back waiting for me to say something. I didn't say anything though. I let him hang on his actions from earlier and a sinister smile spread across my face before I fell asleep.

For more please go to www.crushedcrown.com