Slowly I started to make my way back to my room. My head was starting to feel dizzy from all the foul smells around and hearing all that just made it worse. I just kept thinking how important this ritual was now to my dad, to Sakura and even myself. I didn’t want to have to leave the town. I didn’t want to be the person these heretics went after when they craved blood. I made up my mind that I would do the ritual and stop overthinking things but I would be speaking to Sakura after the ritual.

“Mio.”

I stopped as my voice that spoke my name seemed to echo through the crawl space. My heart began to pound loudly in my ears as I knew that voice. It was the voice that spoke in the bathhouse. I looked at the tiny light shining from the exit and knew it must be right outside there. I had to make it back to my room and I had to get away from whatever it was. I didn't believe in trolls or mandrakes and from what I heard they don't even know what it really is and I was not going to stick around to find out!

“Mio.”

Again it’s voice echoed. I was glued to the exit light as I inched backward to my room. My heart skipped a beat as the light became obscured by a figure standing there.

“Are you playing hide and seek with me?”

Its voice was childish and haunting. It sounded like multiple voices talking at the same time.

“I like games.”

I could see whatever it was going onto its hands and knees.

“Oh! My God!” I thought “It’s going to crawl down here.”

“I have something for you.”

“No!” I shouted.

“Oh, don’t be like that. It’s a PRESENT!”

I’ve never seen something move that fasts before. The sounds of skin scraping against the concrete as it moved at lightning speed. It howled ever so softly and fear surged through my body. It was not a mandrake. Mandrakes are scary but this was horrifying. This was a demon and demon that was sent to me. I closed my eyes tightly knowing I couldn’t get away. The last image before I closed my eyes was that of its horrid fingers reaching out for me.

Silence. My heart was the only noise to be heard. It was racing. Pounding louder and louder in my ears. I slowly opened my eyes to see an empty crawl space before me and nothing there. I wanted to sink into the ground and hide forever but I was left alone. It hadn’t bothered me. I began to move back as fast as I could.

“Mio.”

I looked up and found myself falling onto my back petrified. An eye was staring at me through the crack! Through a larger split in the flooring, a single eye was watching me from above. A deep gray color with veins pultruding from the center. It was the most horrific scene I had ever witnessed in my life. I opened my mouth to scream.

“Don’t.” It said, “they’ll find your secret place.”

My mouth was still open but it was right. If they knew about this place they would seal it up and make sure I could never use it again.

“I bet this place might come in hand. One day.” It spoke like it knew something “now I have something. Yes. Something for you.” The eye moved away and a piece of paper was slipped through and drifted down onto my open mouth “A present. Yes. Something I was asked to give you. Yes.” Its eye was back at the split “so pretty you are. Just like your mother you are.”

“My....mom?”

“Like mother. Like daughter you are. Same hair. Same eyes. So pretty.” I could hear footsteps coming from all ends of the house. It blinked. The eyelids slid slowly from the sides as it did so. “Go. I must now. Maidens don’t like fae so much.”

“But how do you know my mom.”

It looked down at my robe “dirty. You’re dirty. You’ll need to bathe again.”

“How do you know my mom?” I asked again. It's eye drifted back to meet my gaze “how do you? Please? Is she dead? Is this why you can deliver this?” Oh, God. I was now sounding like I believed this thing was a Mandrake – I was becoming just as crazy as the town.

“Dead?” It laughed. “No. Alive? No. In between. Yes. I think. I only know what I know and that is little.” It blinked once more “letter I give and now I go. It won’t be the last time I see you. Or you see me.” A single voice spoke now “stay out, yes she most from the forest. Five go but one must stay. Such is the fae way.” And with that, it was gone.

The door above slammed open “are you here?” It was Inoue’s voice “Mandrake please return to the forest.”

No response.

“It’s gone. Ma’am.”

“Thank you, Inoue.” Sakura walked into the room “Why was it just in this room?”

“I have no idea.” From the split I could see Inoue bowing her head “but it is gone. It must have done what it came for.”

“Inoue. Mio!” Sakura shouted, “go get here!”

I moved out from under the bed as fast as I could. The first lock was just being undone and she still had one more to go. I tossed the robe off to the side and put on the still damp robe and crawled into bed acting like I was still unable to move. The second lock was undone and the door opened so quick I thought Sakura was going to destroy the thing.

“Mio-chan?” She was trying to hide the worry in her voice “are you alright?”

I looked at her “b... better.”

“Ina ma’am.” Inoue said softly “she was...’as’al ‘asyila.”

“’Iinah bikhayr shukraan lika.” Sakura nodded at her “go ahead and continue setting up please.”

“As you wish.”

Sakura looked at me “are you alright? I know you can move just fine.”

“How do-“

She pointed to the dirt covered robe “I’m head of this house. I know about your secret room.”

“And you didn’t say anything to my dad?” I sat up in bed “you don’t want to close it off?”

“It’s your secret. Not mine.” She smiled “I am your friend, not just a maiden. She rubbed my head “you might want to clean up a bit. You smell a little. This time.” She nodded in the direction of my bathroom “use yours.”

I nodded “are you mad?”

“I knew you would use the crawl space.” Sakura laughed “you’re a smart girl. But where did you go?”

She must have thought I used the space to crawl out of the house instead of listening to the conversation they had. “Ugh...”

“As long as you didn’t go into those woods.” She rolled her eyes “I can imagine the panic you would have given everyone if you came from the woods before the ritual; They would have gone crazy!”

I smiled as she laughed “I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

For listening in on a private conversation? For thinking, she was a part of this crazy faith? “For getting dirty.”

“Ah! It’s life. But you do need to get ready. The ritual is going to start in about fifteen. So go wash up and put on your gown. And be ready to be locked in a room for a long time.”

I laughed and nodded.

“Now did anything strange happen to you while you were under the house?” Sakura asked, “Did you see anything funny?”

She was asking about the creature that had given me the letter I had in the pocket of my robe. I shrugged “like what?”

“I’m going to take that as a no.” She stood up and smiled “I’ll be back in ten. So be ready.”

“Promise.”

Sakura left me to my thoughts and this letter. I slowly rose to my feet. I wanted to feel safe and I wanted to feel as though Sakura and I were friends. But something felt weird. Really weird. I knew that I heard them talking and what they were talking about was strange but something in the way Sakura just spoke to me felt like a warning. Everything she said seemed light-hearted and joking but the stress he put on the locked part made me uncomfortable. Walking to the bathroom I took out the letter. It was covered in dirt and what I hoped was just dried red clay on it. I slowly unfolded the paper afraid of what I was going to see. With one deep breath I looked down:

They’ve heard you. They are watching you very closely. Don’t do anything foolish again.

Five have gone before you and one stayed behind. Such is the rule of the fae.

You’re down to one last card. Don’t play it just yet.