Dousing the Fire — By Alyson Tait
Just after sunset, Delilah lit a silver candle and prayed, "Today the earth grows colder, and the wind blows faster. Fires dwindle smaller, and rain falls harder. Gods above, please help the light of the sun find its way back home."
She'd spent the day drinking and eating with friends. Now, however, a howling wind slapped against the windows, interrupting her Yuletide celebration. The candle flickered in response, and Delilah fidgeted.
A nagging voice whispered, 'the ritual is wrong.'
To quiet her doubts, she adjusted sprigs of holly and put a pinecone in its box — only to return it to the altar. She set a gold saucer onto a gold-rimmed dinner plate. The long night ahead made her uneasy. Legends battled in her mind like gods and demons.
Had she prayed to the right side?
A crack of thunder startled Delilah, her elbow bumping the altar -- causing the candle to wobble in its stand.
"Oh, for Odin's sake," she cursed.
Lightning answered, and her feeble flame flickered before darkness engulfed the room, electricity dying with the fire.
She screamed when the next strike revealed a set of horns and glistening eyes.
A final flash of white-hot light and her athame floated above her altar. Searing pain in both eyes followed the image, plunging her into permanent darkness.
"Your gods are dead, and your sun will never shine again," the creature spoke between waves of thunder. "Happy winter solstice, witch."
Its saliva landed on Delilah's face like rain.
AUTHOR’S BIO
Alyson lives in Maryland where she got married, had her daughter, and began her writing journey. She has appeared in Altered Reality Magazine and (mac)ro(mic). You can find her on twitter @rudexvirus1
