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The air was sticky and they’d been drinking for hours. It was late into the evening of the going away party for Ron and Jenni. They’d been good friends to Sean when he first arrived, but since then they’d grown distant. In fact, it had been awhile since Sean had hung out with anyone. He’d arrived to a room full of people he didn’t know, already well on their way to getting drunk.
“It’s so great to see you,” Jenni said, offering a hug. “Sean, oh man!”
Ron offered a handshake. “Hey man, good to see you one last time.”
“Thanks for the invite,” Sean replied. “And sorry to see you going.”
The room erupted with laughter. A man had slipped and fell on his ass and he was rolling on the ground hollering away. “I’m goanna grab a cigarette,” Sean said.
“Oh wait!” Jenni grabbed his arm. “Let me introduce you to everyone!” She proceeded to bring him through the rooms of the townhome they rented for the night’s going away party. There was a Jack and a Royal and a Jeremy and a Kim and a Karen and more and Sean soon forgot all those names anyway. He finally go outside for a cigarette, his heart racing and his anxiety peaked.
“Fucking…” he mumbled to himself. “Too many fucking people in that space.”
“I know, right?”
The voice startled him. He peaked over and saw a girl sitting with pink dyed hair. “Can I get one of those?”
“You know Jen and Ron?” Sean asked, offering her a cigarette.
“Sure,” the girl replied. “We met a few times at church.”
“Church?” Sean asked. “I’m incredulous. I didn’t know they were Christians.”
“Oh, it’s not that kind of church.” The girl took a drag on her cigarette and the presumed air of mystery she was attempting to paint annoyed him.
“Okay,” Sean said. “Well, then, what kind of church is it?”
The door to the porch opened and the music blared from inside. Ron came outside with a group of other party goers, all drunk and cheering.
“I’m telling you,” one of the guys was saying. “That girl’s totally into me. I’m going to go for it.”
“Do it!” Ron said. “We all believe in you man. Believe in yourself!” Then, turning to Sean. “We’re going for a swim!” Ron announced. He shouted it again, and the group cheered.
Sean glanced over to the girl, whose name he still didn’t know. She was smiling.
They trekked down the dirt road from the pension then through a dirt path. The ground was rocky, volcanic in some spots in that way typical to Jeju. Drunk, most of them stumbled. They passed by a fish farm, the ponds of which were covered in nets. Then a water treatment plant with rumbling generators inside its deep warehouse.
Then they reached a secret, secluded beach. The pink haired girl stripped down, an obsidian necklace dangling from her neck, glowing in the moonlight. She descended into the water.
“It warm and wonderful!” she said. “Come on.”
The group stripped down, and Sean saw many were wearing the same pendant. He began to strip as well, as the idea of warm ocean waters in such a hot night was intoxicating. He went into the water, swimming till it was deep enough to fully submerge.
When he came back up, he heard screaming.
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“What the hell? Is everybody fine?” Sean yelled. There was no answer.
Then he heard the scream again. It came from the shore. The voice felt distant, probably dissipated by the strong winds, yet it was quite sharp to be missed.
“Ron looks like someone is in trouble.” Then he witnessed the most bizarre sight. All nine of the guys who came for the dip were missing. He went underwater for a few seconds, and all this happened.
“Help me… please… somebody..” the voice was stronger now. Sean mustered some courage to walk towards the voice. He continued till he came across an old wooden house barely big enough to hold two people. The dilapidated structure sent bolts of lightning down his spine. Worst of all, Sean could have sworn that he did not see it when they came here.
Despite all his fear, he could not resist entering the house. He opened the door to be greeted by creeks so loud that the structure could have collapsed just from the vibrations it sent across. Then Sean saw her.
The lady appeared to be in her twenties and had her hands and legs tied to two poles forming an ‘X’. Sean noticed a smile coming to life amidst sweat, grime, tears and an inkling of hope to be free again. “Please, sir, help me.”
“Yes, let me untie you,” Sean got to work. “Who did this to you?”
“The Obsidian brotherhood…”
“The who?”
“I don’t know much,” Sean helped the lady by the waist. “They were just known to me, and one night they said they would take a dip in the ocean. We came here, and they disappeared. I heard screams for help….” The lady stopped mid-way. But Sean’s blood froze hearing the story. It was exactly what happened to him.
He then noticed that the lady was staring. He followed the glance and saw the nine people.
“Darling, where did you go?” The pink-haired girl said.
“It’s them,” the lady from the house warned Sean.
“Cherryl, for you,” the pink haired girl said.
“What’s going on here?” Sean’s words were just a mumble.
“The church, darling. You wanted to see the church. That’s where she was tied up,” Cherryl pointed to the structure.
“Why did you tie me up?” the lady asked.
“You were our sacrifice, Mell. The brotherhood needs sacrifice.”
Sean and Mell were left speechless. They did not know where this was going, but from what they heard, it looked like they might not survive the night.
“What happened to my family? Where are they?”
“Family?” Ron laughed. “It’s a hundred years since we tied you up here. Your family and two generations after them have passed,” the maniac laughter followed, “and now you.”
“Wait, don’t…” Sean moved between Mell and Ron. By then, he got a sandy feel in his palm. He turned and saw Mell turning to ashes and dust. Within seconds the strong wind which brought her voice to Sean carried her mortal dust away. Sean’s jittery body refused to support him anymore. “What is happening here?” He yelled at the top of his voice and fell.
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Sean came back to senses feeling a strong tug around his chest and groin. He groaned back to life only to be submerged in mortal fear once again. Sean was tied up just like Mell. “No… no… this can’t be happening. This is a horrible dream. This…”
“Yeah, that’s the spirit. It’s just a dream, and you won’t notice the days pass by,” Cherryl said.
“What did you do to Mell? What are you doing to me?”
“You already know that, don’t you?” Cherryl said. “You see, we need a sacrifice every hundred years. Mell was the last, and you are the next.”
“Oh, no,” Sean gave into uncontrollable tears. “Ron, I trusted you.”
“And I am giving you a hundred years in the church. Isn’t that great?”
“You b**t**d.”
“Don’t swear. Look at the bright side. Jenny and I are going to spread the brotherhood. We will have more sacrifices like you. You won’t be alone.”
Sean was inconsolable.
“Don’t cry. You don’t like the crowd anyway,” Cherryl said, “and now you will have hundred years of lone time. Aren’t you blessed?”
“Please… please.. let me go.”
“Aww, isn’t he cute!” Cherryl moved her hand over Sean’s hair. "And, by the way, the church will be seen next after hundred years. Enjoy!" With that, the others walked out while Cherryl kissed Sean on his cheek and followed the others.
“Help me… please… somebody..”
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