Circle of Life

Flickering fluorescent lights hanging down from the ceiling are burning holes into my eyelids, forcing me to open them. I start rubbing my eyes fiercely, gaining back my vision and finding myself on a patterned tile flooring. The freezing air is chilling my lungs and forcing me awake.

I’m rubbing my arms fiercely for some heat and friction as I sit up to check my surroundings. I must’ve passed out after waiting for my washing to end at my local laundromat. It’s opened 24 hours a day seven days a week and the nights have always been rather quiet and uneventful. I’m not seeing or hearing anyone else, besides one of the machines across from me, humming in a steady rhythm as it tumbles.

The last thing I recall is putting my freshly washed laundry in the drying machine which must have been finished by now. I steady myself and stand up from the ground, grab my laundry bag and walk towards the machine. My clothing is smelling of floral laundry detergent, smooth and toasty in my hands as I start shoving them in the bag. Just as I’ve nearly finished, another machine starts picking up speed as it must be near the end of its cycle. Another one on the far side starts humming as just beginning the washing.

My eyes are darting nervously from side to side as more machines chime in, growling with pained croaks until chaos has taken over the room. But whether I’m seeing hallucinations or not, I need to get out of here. Now.

As my feet start guiding me towards the exit, everything goes silent as nothing ever happened in the first place. If it wasn’t for the overhead lamps still lighting up the place, I would’ve thought the power had simply gone off. Just as my hand reaches for the door I notice something glistening on the floor from the corner of my eye. Crouching down to have a closer look the smell of metallic tang infiltrates my nostrils. These are evidently bloodstains scattered across the floor.

I’m trying to make sense of it as I start to notice silhouettes in the unwrapping chaos- some barely visible footprints, smudges like something being dragged across the floor; fewer palm prints sprinkled over the walls going in different directions, most of them leading to the staff room ahead. The door itself is shut and seems to be undisturbed.

I should leave while I still can and call the police on the way home. Better safe than sorry.

Shuffling back towards the exit I grab the door handle to push it down.

It’s not budging the slightest. I’m yanking it back and forth with brute force with no success.

What the..

Now I’m really starting to panic, feeling my composure crumbling before my eyes.

Thump.

Cold sweat starts gliding down my back and I’m holding my breath.

Where the hell did that noise even come from? Sounded like concrete blocks hitting the ground from a height.

It’s probably nothing.

I’m covering my profile to see outside, scanning all directions while my lashes are fluttering rapidly against the glass. The street is looking abandoned and eerie. Not a single soul in sight, only sources of light coming from streetlamps and the LED- board of a local motel on the horizon.

Thump.

It’s definitely coming from inside, from the direction of the storage room since the layout is open-planned and I haven’t seen anyone besides me.

Fuck this, I ain’t dying here today.

Finding my phone in the trousers pockets I dial 911, which I should’ve already done long ago.

Tapping my foot against the floor I wait for the answer that never comes. I’m only hearing rapid beeps and it won’t even start ringing. The call fails and I fight the urge to smash it against the ground.

What am I supposed to do now?

I don’t even have anything to defend myself with if worse comes to worst, and not sure if I’m even capable of . The only time I recall being physical, was slapping Hugo after he wouldn’t take no for an answer.

Racing thoughts sending my brain to an overload, heart threatening to explode from the combination adrenaline and crippling anxiety- I’m still not ready to give up yet. Taking a rickety wooden chair from the corner I throw it with all my might against the door, but it’s no use- the glass must be tempered by the looks of it.

My hands are trembling as I’m wiping the tears falling down my face when the door behind me creaks open slowly.

Oh god.

Someone is definitely there.

As long as I’m still in the building, I’m not gonna be safe. There’s nowhere to hide.

I’m slowly glancing over to the staff room- the door is ajar, but I'm not hearing anything besides my own rapid breathing and blood coursing through my veins. I’m ready to dismiss it to my brain playing tricks on me when a deep voice starts whispering in my ear, every word dragged out and sounding otherworldly:

Come,

Come here,

We have been waiting for you.

It’s been so long..

It’s as if I have been pulled into a trance- my body starts moving involuntarily towards the storage room. Panic starts to settle down, worries disappearing with every step; and I feel weightless, forgetting what brought the anxious feeling upon in the first place.

My feet are gliding towards to the door and my hand rests on the handle, pulling the door fully open. The walls around me are covered in thick velvety coating like someone has exploded all over it. Sneakers are getting soiled and sticking to the floor now that I’m standing on a soft and squishy makeshift carpet beneath me.

Having no control over my movements my paralyzed body feels at ease. I can feel all of my senses getting tingly and goosebumps starting to cover my body as I’m barely able to contain all the excitement overflowing me.

My eyelids feel heavy and the world is closing in on me. Wind’s howling all around me, refreshing breath of air entering my nostrils. The ground beneath me is soft and tender, like standing on a fluffy pillow covered with nothing but moss.

Blinking my eyes open I find myself in a deep forest, a slender figure the size of a skyscraper towering over me.

I’m not afraid of him.

Instead of a face he has an enormous deer skull with antlers nearly touching the clouds. The rest of his nearly translucent body blends in with the surrounding haunted forest, coiling branches and leaves sprouting from different directions. Dark shadows are expanding on the horizon and gliding down the forest in our direction.

My hands are cupped in front of me in wait. The creature bends down before me and places a wet and spongy object in my palms. I’m bringing my arms closer to my face, inhaling the sweet metallic aroma oozing out of it, droplets dripping to the ground from between my fingers, seeping through the dirt beneath.

The heart in my palms starts beating in a steady rhythm and I’m overwhelmed by a ravenous hunger like I’ve been starving all my life.

I’m surrounded by dozens of identical creatures, each and every one of them placing a glistening heart around me in a circle and stepping away into the shadows in silence.

The hunger overtakes all my senses and I start devouring, blood squirting from the delicious heart as I take bites, nearly inhaling the whole thing in one go.

My body is shivering from delight and pleasure as I lick my fingers clean one by one and I feel the hunger intensifying.

Rhythmic chants are coming from around, calling for me in unison:

12 Hearts For The Full Cycle,

Spirit And Matter In A Dance So Slow,

Yearning To Be United As One.

Accept Our Sacrifices,

We Serve You Forevermore.

The Goddess Shall Rise Again,

From The Ground Beneath,

Seeped With Our Blood.

I lose all of my consciousness by the time I reach for the last heart in the circle around me, replenishing my hunger at last.

I can finally breathe.

The enchanted forest has been brought to life again after decades of abandonment.

Medeina rises upon the shadows, her loyal spirits bowing down beneath and dedicated to serve her for eternity.

She and the forest are one and the same, separated and united through sacrifice.

Such is the circle of life.