**Chapter 1**
Anna watched as her family turned their backs to her, the last of the village to do so, and walked away. The pain in her father’s eyes was something she could never forget. It was as if he was about to lose something, but it wasn’t really his loss – it was hers. She watched as they walked away, waiting to see if anyone would turn back to look at her. Not a soul made that mistake, and it was better that way. She could feel the tears coming. That was the mistake of looking back: seeing the full emotion of the girl as she let the walls come down and faced her fate.
The red glow of the torchlight dimmed as it entered the fog that she hadn’t noticed in the distance. The whole line of bodies just faded into nothing, taking their firelight with them. The pale light of the moon shone down; the only light now. It was bright enough to make her long, white dress glow in the night. The white was tradition, but it was callously ironic to offer the young girls in the color of innocence. Lifting a hand to wipe the tears that ran down her cheeks broke the silence as the chains which bound her atop the hay bales rattled. She’d promised herself that she wouldn’t provide the satisfaction of crying when the time came.
Anna was thankful for the warmth in the early September breeze. She could only imagine the bitterness that being offered in December might bring. No one ever spoke of the details past this point. Once the girls were left alone, the rest remained off limits. The one time she’d asked about it, her mother slapped the back of her hand and told her to never even think about it, let alone speak of it, ever again. That was the first and last reminder she needed. Her hand still stung at the memory.
Gathering herself with a deep breath and returning her hand beside her on the makeshift hay bed, she wondered if it was already out there. Was it watching her right now? The isolation and uncertainty gnawed at her sanity. She wondered whether it was possible for the fear alone to break her before the time came for the sacrifice. Would a lesser mental state make it better, or worse? Who could know?
Her head turned slowly as her eyes surveyed the fog that rose all around her. She looked for movement in the mist, for a sign of anyone or anything that might be out there. Anna was beyond praying that this was a joke. Her father would never have gone through with such a prank, and he was nowhere near the actor required to sell the sadness that had been written all across his face before he left her. Thinking of her father did not help her resolve.
The young girl longed to have him come running back to save her. She willed him to return and hold her, to defend her against the evil that was coming. It was a desperate and silent plea, but as she poured it out to God in her heart, a quick movement caught her attention from the corner of her eye.
Her head snapped to the left and she squinted, staring into the fog. The hair on her neck was standing and she couldn’t decide whether seeing whatever was coming would be worse than the terrifying anticipation of knowing that ‘it’, whatever it was exactly, might jump out for her at any moment. Her mind was playing tricks on her as the fog seemed to swirl and dance into shapes and faces all around her. The fear inside her seemed to amplify all of her senses. She could smell the wet dew already forming in the grass and hear the crickets chirping and an owl hooting in the trees. The thumping of her own heart seemed to reverberate through her entire chest as the breeze pulled at the thin white dress which tried unsuccessfully to tickle her as it danced across her skin.
Looking in the same direction that she’d seen the shadowy movement a moment earlier, she gasped and jumped when she heard a loud scratch come from behind her. She could only turn her body halfway before the chains restrained her, but she was able to look back over her shoulder. She saw nothing. The mist just inside the tree line masked whatever had made the noise. It had sounded like something scratching at a tree trunk. She peered intently through the mist, desperately searching for the source of the sound, even as another part of her begged her to shut her eyes so she would never have to see it.
Another noise, like footsteps running right behind her, made her jump again, and she felt something brush along her back. It was so sudden and quick, that by the time she turned there was nothing there. *Was the fog closer now than it had been?* It seemed to be silently creeping toward her from all sides, only a few paces from her now, much further inside the clearing than it had been before. She no longer knew where to look. The movement had gone off toward her right, but it had moved so fast and not come from the direction she’d been expecting. Perhaps there were more monsters than she’d imagined. Or, perhaps this beast was just that fast.
Looking around her, Anna had the feeling of being watched; she could feel it in her bones. She just wished that she had some idea where the eyes that she knew were upon her were hiding. As pure panic began to overtake her, she started scanning her surroundings as quickly as she could in order to cover more ground.
All at once, the crickets went silent in all directions. The owl above her gave one final call in the night before dropping from its perch and swooping down just a few feet above her head, plucking a mouse from the ground and then vanishing into the fog without another sound. As strange as it was to think, it was almost as if that owl had been rescuing the rodent from whatever was lurking in the dark.
With no sound at all to mask them, Anna could now hear footsteps all around her. At first, they seemed to be coming from a consistent direction beyond the fog, but then, they went silent and picked up on the opposite side of her. There must have been more than one. No one had ever told her that! So many more questions raced through her mind at this new revelation. Would she be offered to all of them or just one? How much more pain would there be if more of them wanted her? Would it take longer? That was the most traumatizing thought: a more prolonged sacrifice.
As the footsteps continued to multiply and run around her at the same time, scratching sounds returned from multiple directions. Then, a new sound cut through all the rest and froze her entire body from head to toe.
“OOOOOOOOOWWWWWWOOOOOOOOOOOO!” came the blood curdling, animalistic howl from right in front of her.
It was as if the sound pressed in against her chest with an enormous weight causing her breathing to become labored and shallow. Anna’s eyes were fixed forward and she caught a glimpse of something in the fog. All she could make out at first was a vague triangular shape moving ever so slowly toward her. As it grew nearer, the shape became more defined and two pointy ears appeared atop what was now clearly the head of the beast.
At the moment she realized what it was she was looking at, two deep red eyes opened, thin and slanted downward in what looked like anger. She closed her eyes in panic and a small squeak passed her lips before she covered her mouth, afraid to even breathe. The footsteps had stopped and she just sat there with her eyes closed tight in the silence of the night.
The breeze picked up for a moment, catching the bottom of her dress and blowing it carelessly over her legs. She could hear the thin, white fabric rustling in the wind as goosebumps prickled across her freshly exposed skin. She felt the breeze stop, and her dress settle softly across her lap, but she could still hear a rush of air. She was confused for a moment, but then an unexpected warmth on her neck told her that it was no longer the breeze she could hear, but it’s breath.
The red eyes were still seared in her mind even as her own eyes were closed tightly to the reality around her. She could only imagine those eyes now hovering right in front of her with the beast’s face fully illuminated, fangs bare, and hunger apparent. It was time for it to meet its needs. An offering only came once per season in the month of the solstice under the light of the full moon. It had to find all its satisfaction in this one sitting and she was bound here to offer just that – satisfaction.
Shuddering at the steady breath on her neck, a new sensation made her jump again, but she did all she could to contain her movement, as though the stillness would somehow save her. What she felt was a very small, hard point pressing into her back just below her left shoulder. It was not stabbing, but she knew that it could with the slightest increase of pressure. It was a claw. Another joined it right next to the first and they both started to run down her flesh, pressing into her and undoubtedly marking her soft, pale skin. She felt as they caught the very top of her dress, but they did not pull the material down her body. They started to tear right through the fabric with ease. The claws must’ve had razor sharp edges which only made the control against her own body more impressive and terrifying.
Anna sat, paralyzed, her hands still over her face, her elbows pressed tightly to her own breasts, as the claws moved slowly – so slowly – slitting the material down her back from her shoulder to her hip. She clung to the front of her dress as she felt it opening behind her. Another shudder shook her fragile body, but this one was unlike those which had come before. It was deeper.
A tension in her abdomen and warmth between her legs startled her. How could her fear and the presence and contact of this beast do this to her? Feeling her cheeks flush and her heart begin racing even faster, she was sure this would only sweeten the sacrificial taking that the beast was preparing her for as it removed her one and only layer of clothing.
Anna felt the claws change direction. Now they curved inward, from her hip to the center of her back, so low that they grazed the top of her softly rounded cheeks. They stopped there for a moment; everything seemed to stop. There was no sound. Anna couldn’t breathe. All she could think about was the razor sharp claw poised against the virgin skin that led down between her cheeks. She wondered what it was going to do. In one sudden, swift motion, the claws raked down, shredding the rest of her dress like a sharp knife through parchment.
A scream caught in her throat as she braced for whatever was coming next, but one moment passed, and then another. Nothing happened. In fact, even the breath of the beast seemed to have vanished. She was not so naïve as to hope that it was actually over. The beast must still be lurking somewhere and her anxiety only increased at not knowing where it had gone.
When she couldn’t take it anymore, she steeled herself, took a very deep breath, and forced her eyes open. There was nothing there. She couldn’t bring herself to turn, but at least there was nothing in front of her. No eyes, and no creature. She could see the torn corners of her dress hanging around her forearms on either side of her, the only visual proof of what she’d experienced.
Tears were forming from the terror that gripped her when a puff of steam floated right past her face. It came from the right side, along with the sound of a deep and throaty breath. It was not cold and her breath wasn’t visible, but somehow this creature’s was. The heat of the breath hit her on the right side of her neck. She heard footsteps begin to move around her and she closed her eyes just as the slightest hint of movement entered her peripheral vision. Had it seen her open eyes?
The breath remained close, moving around her body. Anna could feel it on her collarbone, and then it was hovering right in front of her, moving from her face to her chest, the heat running down between her breasts and making her shiver in her fear.
The same feeling of its claw on her body made her jump again and squeal into her hands. She’d not been able to contain it this time. It was pressing right into her throat, a single, sudden movement away from her certain death. Unlike when it had touched her back, now, the creature left just a single claw against her as it started to slowly trace a line down the front of her body. Its breathing became heavier when it reached the fabric of her dress again and cut through it right between her heaving breasts as she did her best to keep breathing silently.
She felt more of the hot, sticky breath reaching her bare flesh as the material pulled apart, but her arms still kept most of her nakedness hidden from the monster. No man had ever seen her naked body, and now this beast, this vile creature from hell, would expose her like this for its own lustful amusement before it took her. There would be nothing left of the innocent girl when it was done with her. That was what this beast needed. It needed to feast on innocence. What it left behind was nothing like what it started with.
The claw continued past her breasts, down between her ribs, around her naval, and down into the crease inside of her left hip. It moved so much slower along this part of her body, seeming to savor the closeness to her womanhood as it neared within an inch of her untouched sex.
She felt the claw turn slightly as it began moving down the very inside of her thigh. It pulled away where her legs came together and moved off of her flesh completely, grabbing just the taught fabric between them. It continued to tear slowly another few inches and then it just stopped again. She guessed that there was at least another foot of material at the bottom, but rather than tearing, it was instead lifting the fabric higher off her legs.
The suddenness of its next movement made Anna scream again, before she even knew what it had done. With the material pulled up some, it tore the rest of the way through the front of her dress in a single and startlingly quick motion. A loud tearing sound ripped through the otherwise silent clearing. She could feel the material bunched up on either leg and knew that she was far more exposed than was proper. She felt incredible shame. But it was only going to get worse. She felt the claws brush her stomach as it grabbed the material on either side and then pulled hard, tearing the rest of the back right underneath her and pulling both halves out from behind her arms. She was now naked.
Then, something very strange happened. Beyond the sound of her racing heart and ragged breath, she heard a voice. Did the creature speak?
“Anna…” the whisper-quiet call came.
How did it know her name?
“Anna…” the voice returned just a little louder, but somehow right in front of her.
It was as if the fog had closed in and was muddling the voice somehow.
“Anna!” The voice was much louder now. Despite the fact that she wanted nothing more than to squeeze her eyes shut, staying blind to whatever was in front of her, Anna’s eyes instinctively flew open. She was instantly afraid of the face she knew would be right there before her, but it was not the face she expected. Her father’s face was looking back at her – down at her from above her bed.
“Anna, my dear – what on earth were you dreaming?” he asked with a very concerned expression.
“Nothing father,” the young girl replied, wiping sweat from her forehead and taking a deep breath. Reality came flooding back as her comfortable, familiar room and the kind face of her father came into focus. It had all been a nightmare, likely spurred by the offering selection coming that evening at the town banquet.
Fear was not unfounded, but the certainty of her fears being realized had at least not yet come to pass. This would be her second to last offering banquet before she turned nineteen and was free to pursue the life she already felt ready to live.
“You were screaming quite loud…” her father pressed. “Are you sure you’re alright? I know you’re stressed again about the banquet.”
Anna let out a yawn, still shaking the feeling of the creature as the phantom sensations left behind from its claws irritated her skin.
“Yes, father,” she replied, “it’s just stress concerning tonight. Nothing to do for it so I will give it no more thought. Is breakfast ready?”
“Yes,” her father answered. “I have a plate ready for you. I’ll give you a minute to clean up.”
He gave her a kiss on the forehead despite her sweatiness, and left her room, closing the door behind him. Anna pulled the covers down and stretched the neck of her shirt to look down between her breasts, still somehow convinced that there would be a single red line running the length of her torso, but there was not. Her pale flesh was untouched and her visual confirmation seemed to ease the tension from the vivid dream.
She removed her sleeping gown and dressed for the day before joining her father in the kitchen. He was sitting patiently at the table with a plate of eggs in front of him and a plate ready for her opposite his seat. She hoped he’d not been waiting too long. She didn’t want him to suffer through cold food on her account, but there was still some steam rising from the dish when she sat, letting her know he’d woken her right away. Her father was the kindest, gentlest, most loving man in the village. Since her mother had died two years prior, he’d taken on a very difficult role as a single parent. He worked hard all day, and still provided more time and attention for her than many parents managed with both of them still present.
Charles Whitman folded his hands around his daughter’s over the table and said a prayer before they ate.
“Blessed Lord and Savior, we beseech thee to watch over my dear Anna today and carry her safely through another offering. In your infinite wisdom you have allowed this testing and judgment to come upon our village, but you know our hearts and see that my Anna loves you dearly and wishes to serve you faithfully. Please spare her in your grace and mercy, looking past our failures and covering us all in your undeserved forgiveness. I pray for a miraculous end to our village’s trials, that no father would need to leave his daughter this moon, and that we would be spared this testing just as you spared us from the consequences of our sinful ways. We thank thee for the bounty thy hand hath provided this glorious day and humbly ask that it be blessed to our bodies for the glory of your kingdom. We pray these things in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, amen.”
Anna loved the lingering old tongue that remained in the prayers of her father. He opened and closed the same way every time and many of the village elders had a very similar style in their prayers, despite the priest being less traditional and formal in his own practices.
Every seasonal offering selection day had been the same since Anna turned eighteen. Her father went to great lengths to make sure that she had a good breakfast, an easy day, and that he told her how much he loved her every chance he had. Sure enough, he began to tell her how cherished she was as they ate together that morning. She appreciated his efforts, but they only served to continually remind her of the danger that loomed over her all day. It would have been highly preferable to just go about a normal day as though nothing at all was out of the ordinary, but she didn’t have the heart to say anything. Only two more seasons and this would all be behind her!
The one true blessing that this day brought was a day free from working. Regardless of whether a family had a daughter in the offering pool, no one was permitted to work or demand services this day. It was a day for family. Anna felt guilty now for the many years she secretly looked forward to it as a child. Back then, she had only seen it as a day when she could sleep in and enjoy time with her parents. When she hadn’t been the one in danger, it had been easy to ignore the seriousness of the event. She knew, of course, that it was very normal for young children to think that way. Even today, she held no ill-will toward the children who’d run and play in the streets, while she prayed for salvation from her potential fate.
When breakfast was over she collected the dishes, but her father refused to let her clean them.
“Not today,” he said, scooting her away from the sink. “We can wash those tomorrow! We have no need of them the rest of the day with the banquet this afternoon.”
The banquet began just two hours past noon and lasted until well after dark. The selection was one of the last things to take place and there was always much disagreement amongst the townsfolk as to whether this was the kindest approach. The intent was to let everyone enjoy the food and activities before the sorrow for the chosen girl ruined the mood, but many felt that the looming selection was worse and prevented any of the girls the ability to relax, only dragging out their anxiety.
Anna knew that the truth was that neither option made any difference. Whether it was the fear of selection, or the broken heart for the ill-fated girl who was chosen, there was nothing that was going to make the night enjoyable. Even the delicious eggs her father had made her sat heavy on her stomach this morning as all the day’s emotions twisted her insides into knots. She excused herself to go for a walk and clear her mind in the fresh air. Looking to the sky as she left her home, Anna made a note of how little the sun had left to move before it was time to prepare.
‘Two more… Only two more selections and I’m free,’ she told herself.
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Source: reddit.com/r/Erotica/comments/dmy5qn/halloween_horrorthriller_erotica_steamy_twisted