Day 32 is here. I’ve decided to change the structure of my post titles for these, because the date doesn’t really tell us much about the story! I’m giving each 500 words a title of sorts from now on. 🙂
Cassie finds herself in the perilous situation of being a sacrifice to the Golden Moon. Fortunately, the Golden Moon has other ideas and comes himself to rescue her…
Cassie groaned as she came to her senses. She blinked several times, trying to adjust her eyes to the bright light that was shining directly on her face. She turned her head to the side, wincing as it throbbed painfully. Unease began to seep through her as she realised that she couldn’t move her hands. They were fastened at her sides by what felt like straps of some kind. Her legs were similarly bound.
Keeping her head turned from the bright light source above her, she surveyed the dark room. It was difficult to make anything out beyond the circle of light that surrounded her. Her unease turned into a growing panic. She’d been bound to a slab of smooth stone that had dark reddish-brown stains on it. Her stomach roiled at the thought of what those stains could be. She tried very hard not to think about it.
“It is almost time, brothers.” The deep male voice startled her. From beyond the circle of light, a tall figure in deep red robes stepped forward. His head was covered by a red hood with intricate gold patterns. Something glinted in his hands and Cassie let out a small cry of fear.
A dagger. They were going to kill her. Sacrifice, she corrected herself. They are going to sacrifice me!
She looked away from the dagger and up at the light source, knowing now what it would be. The moon’s silver light shone down from a hole carved in the stone of the cave roof. At this time of the year, the moon looked huge. Quarter of it was already turning a golden colour. Within a minute or two, the whole moon would be gold, a spectacle that was amazing to watch, when you weren’t tied down as a sacrifice.
She knew who these men were now. This was the Brotherhood of the Golden Moon.
Chanting filled the damp cave. A few candles were lit and placed around the room. She could see the rest of the Brotherhood now, all of them wearing the red and gold robes with their hoods up.
She tugged at the straps that bound her to the stone slab. It was futile and she knew it, but terror often didn’t listen to reason.
“Please,” she begged. “Why do you keep doing these sacrifices?” Why me?
The chanting only grew louder. The man with the dagger stepped up to the stone slab. A tear rolled down Cassie’s cheek. She lay her head back onto the cold stone and stared up at the moon that was almost completely golden now.
A shadow flickered across the light of the moon. The brother with the dagger noticed it too and looked up. He shrugged and continued muttering his chant.
Please. Someone help me. She gazed at the golden moon. Please, don’t let them sacrifice me!
The brother raised the dagger high, letting the moonlight dance along the golden handle. The chanting grew to a crescendo.
The moon went dark.
Gasps flew about the room. There was the sound of large wings beating and a gust of wind blew out the candles.
The moonlight streamed back into the room a second later. It took Cassie a moment to realise that someone else was now standing by the stone she was secured to. Her eyes widened.
Great wings spread out from his back, showing a wing-span of at least five metres across. They were feathered and glowed golden with their own soft light. He wasn’t wearing any shirt, and it was very obvious that he worked out. His silver hair had a slight golden tinge to it from the light of the moon and the light from his wings.
Is he an angel?! Cassie wondered in shock.
The sound of the dagger clanging to the stone floor broke the silence. The heads of the brothers all bowed. Some even fell to the floor and out-right grovelled.
“Was my last message not explicit enough?” The angel’s voice was soft and deep. There was also a dangerous edge to it and his eyes were hard as they focused on the brother who had held the dagger.
“Oh, Great Moon!” the brother exclaimed. “We thought you would appreciate a token of our faithfulness to you.”
The angel’s eyes narrowed. “My message said there were to be no more sacrifices. What part of that message did you not understand?”
“B-but it’s a tradition!”
“Traditions can be broken, especially when it comes to saving human lives.” His voice was harsh, but his eyes became gentle when he turned to her. “Sit up, Cassie.” He spoke softly to her.
Cassie did as he said, startled to find that her bonds had disappeared. He took a step closer to her and placed a warm hand on her face. His thumb brushed away a tear that must have lingered on her cheek. His silver eyes gazed into hers.
“I heard you call.” He spoke so quietly she could barely hear him. “I heard you cry for help. I’m so sorry they frightened you.”
Without quite knowing how it happened, she was cradled in his arms, snuggled against his powerful chest. She could feel the rumble of his voice as he spoke to the gathered brotherhood.
“Hear my words now – there will never be another sacrifice. You will never again use the worship of the Golden Moon to sacrifice human lives. My wrath will be great if I learn you have once again disobeyed my orders.”
Cassie clutched him tightly as he took off with a great leap and a beat of his massive wings. She could hardly believe it. She was alive.
And she’d been rescued by an angel.
So, this one is slightly longer than the usual 500-600 words. Okay, so it’s practically 1,000 words but I couldn’t help myself… 😉 What did you think of it?
Is this one of your favourite 500-word-story-starters? Click the heart to like it and it may become a fully-fledged story! –> 1