Page 26 of Always Eros
We all gasp, even Kirk.
“We had to,” James says. “Scott…” He looks at his friend, who exhales slowly.
“I was caught communing with the occult,” Scott says. “Tarot cards. I’ve been teaching myself divination for years in secret. But someone from our room followed me into the woods and saw me. I was reported, but that same day, I had a vision of what would happen to us when we went to the Vessel. I wanted proof, and James came to help me.”
James wraps his hand around Scott’s. “We’re in love.”
The two sisters are awestruck, their mouths agape and eyes wide as they listen.
“Anything Scott was doing, I was doing too,” James continues. “We snuck into the Devotion chapel in the back where they keep the documents.”
We’re all aware of the documents. The detailed accounting of our lives and behaviors, held over us to control our behavior.
“In the middle of digging through them, the Supreme Being entered, along with several disciples,” James says.
“My word,” Kirk whispers. “How brave.”
“And stupid,” Scott says. “But I did learn the source of the vision. We’ve all been taught about the death ritual and the holy vat.”
We all nod.
“But what we weren’t told is that there are three groups. Those that are most worthy enter the inner sanctum where their duties are to manage the Vessel and the others. The second group cares for the boy children, and the third group are the deviants.”
“Deviants?” Kirk says. “I don’t even know about this.”
“It’s super secret,” James says, “but there’s a list of those who enter the Vessel and are deemed unworthy of any task. They are taken to a secret place called the Pasture.”
Scott flips his notebook open. “I drew a sketch based on how it was described.” He passes it to Kirk first, who goes pale when he sees it. “The death ritual begins, but slowly. Your blood is draining a little at a time, just enough to keep you on the edge of life, until the Supreme Being decides you have either been made worthy again, or there is no hope for you.”
“Oh my stars,” Kirk says, clearly shaken.
When the notebook makes it to me, I see an image of men tied to pillars with buckets beneath them, blood dripping from their wrists, some of them clearly dead, with slashed throats.
“The blood is not part of the holy vat,” Scott continues. “It’s for the Supreme Being’s offerings to the blood king.”
“What makes you unworthy?” I ask, still staring at the sketch. “Do you know?”
“So many things,” James answers. “Everything from unholy touching to lying to laziness.”
A shaky breath rattles in my chest. “It was so easy to be accused of those things.”
Scott nods. “Yeah. We decided they wanted to find people unworthy. It happens to the women too. They don’t tell anyone that until you’re thirty and already there.”
“What happened when you were found?” one of the sisters asks, finally speaking.
Both men clam up at that point, their expressions turning sour. Scott’s eyes fill with tears as he shakes his head.
“It’s okay if you can’t tell us yet,” Kirk says softly. “But it can be helpful to your healing if you can.”
James lifts Scott’s hand, holding it to his chest. “We were, um, beaten by the disciples. Not just beaten. They tortured us until we confessed our weaknesses, admitted we were not worthy, and accepted our fate.”
“What fate?” I ask.
“The Pasture,” James answers while Scott shakes with silent sobs. “Or we could commit to a year-long penance to restore our worthiness, but that included separation from each other and…” James and Scott exchange glances, and Scott seems to crumble even more.
Kirk is on his feet, crossing the space to where the men sit. He kneels, whispering something that they both nod their heads to.
James looks up at us, clearing his throat. “Participation in a blood ritual which would require us to harm others and consume their blood.”