Every night.

At exactly 3:00 am, I would sometimes be jolted awake, by the sound of creaking floorboards, as my parents left their room. From my bedroom window, I’d always see them, leave the house, and walk into the nearby forest wearing strange black cloaks, and holding lamps.

I’d given up on asking them, why they leave the house so late and go to the forest. Whenever I asked, they’d play dumb, and pretend that they didn’t know what I was talking about, that I was just imagining things.

But this isn’t just a product of my imagination, I know what I see most nights.

One night, curiosity got the better of me, I decided to take matters into my own hands, if they aren’t going tell me what they’re up to at night, I’ll figure it for myself. I stayed up until 3:00, binge watching Netflix films, on my headphones.

When the time reached 3:00, I switched of my phone, and went over to my window, and moved my blinds slightly. I saw my parents, wearing black cloaks holding lanterns, leaving the house. It would be easy to follow them, as it was snowing, and I could follow their footprints. To my horror. My mother glanced over her shoulder, and looked up at me, with a solemn look on her face. I panicked, and closed my blinds.

I waited for a couple of minutes, and looked outside, and my parents were gone, leaving a trail that lead into the woods. I didn’t bother getting dressed, and left my pyjamas on. I grabbed my phone, to be used as a torch, and as I crept downstairs, I grabbed the warmest coat that I have, and my boots.

I opened my front door, and a ghast of cold air, rushed into my face, making me shiver. Despite it being the early morning, the sky was still quite dark, and the full moon, still rose in the sky. I looked down and followed the foot trails, of my parents, and into the dark woods they lead me. I put on the torch, for my phone, and held it down, and made sure I followed the trails carefully.

The trees loomed all around me, and their branches we’re all twisted. At the daylight, the forest was peaceful, and quite nice to have a stroll through, but at night, It was scary. I felt vulnerable, like something was watching my every move. Overthinking I thought about, what if some wild animal was to come, and pounce on me, and no one would hear my piercing screams in the forest.

For what seemed like forever.

The foot trails, came to a stop, in front of what looked like a church. I shined my phone light onto it, and admired the beauty, and intricate design of the church, it had pointed roofs, and looked like any other church. So this is where my parents went to every night, to some church thing. I didn’t know my parents were religious, I never saw them pray, or anything.

I walked up the steps, to the large red wooden front door. Worst thing, was that it was closed. I tried to open the door, but it wouldn’t budge open. So sighing, I turned to walk away, at least I found out what they went to at night. I stood dead in my tracks. When I heard the sound of the door slowly creaking open, and I felt a presence, behind me.

‘Hello there’ a very deep mans voice called, I turned around frantically, to see a slender and tall man, clad in the same black cloak that my parents wore. ‘What is this place?’ I asked, fidgeting with my fingers. ‘Come inside, and you shall find out’ the man said, beckoning me to go inside the church.

I don’t know why the fuck, I even obeyed the strange man, but my legs moved to walk inside, it felt like I wasn’t even controlling them. Inside was a long dark corridor, and had doors on either side. I followed the man, behind him, quietly. He stopped at a door at the end of the corridor, and turned to face me. ‘How did you find this place’ He asked. I looked down at the floor, and fidgeted my fingers once again. ‘M-my parents leave the house and go into the woods, every night. So I decided to follow them’

‘ what’s your name and surename’ He asked. ‘Mary Odom’ I replied, feeling nervous, it felt like I was being interrogated or something. ‘Oh your one of The Odom’s children. We were supposed to be seeing you next week’ he said, and then smiled and put his hands together. ‘Good that you came early instead’ This man was fucking weird. For what I know, I grew up as an only child, so this was confusing to me. And also, my parents were going to bring me here next week, but for what reason?

‘I’m an only child’ I said, eyebrows raised confused. ‘Well you weren’t at some point. You had a brother and a sister, Daniel and Sarah, and they both came here a very long time ago’ he said, still with that grin on his face. I didn’t trust this man one bit, and felt like I should turn and run, but I stayed rooted to the spot. Still curious I asked him, ‘What happened to them?’

‘You’ll understand soon enough’ he said, and then pushed open the large wooden door. Inside was a large dimly lit praying room, with many benches, and a platform, that had a wooden altar, and paintings of some weird goat creature with horns and weird pentagrams, hung up on the walls. There was also statues of grotesque creatures, similar to a gargoyle, their faces sneering.

There was around twenty people on the benches, all clad in black cloaks, and their faces turned to face me, I recognised to of them as being my parents. ‘Mum, dad!’ I yelled out, mouth quavering in fear. They just stared at me, with cold looks on their faces. ‘What is this place!? What’s going on!?’

‘This place, is we’re your going to die. Just like your siblings’ he then pointed to the altar which was in the distance. ‘You’ll be sacrificed atop that altar" he then grabbed my arm, and I kicked and screamed for my parents, whilst he dragged me up to the altar. ‘Like I said, It’s a good thing, that you came early. Your parents were going to bring you here, next week, because they wanted you to live a little longer’

He chained me to the altar, and I closed my eyes, today was the day that I was going to die.

‘It’s required that every member, gives up their child, who’s under the age of 16, every twelve years for a sacrifice and to show their loyalty and commitment to this community’ he said, slowly. ‘Tonight’s sacrifice shall begin’

As well as fear, hatred began to fill up my veins, and I couldn't believe that my parents whom I loved with all my being, would betray me in such a way. I couldn't believe they killed of my other two siblings for this silly cult, and deprived me, of having the joy of having siblings.

The cult leader raised the jagged blade to my chest, and I closed my eyes shut, letting the feeling of betrayal consume my every being. My eyes snapped open, when I heard high-pitched screams, and the sound of people being ripped apart. The cult leader was looking to his side, mouth agape, with fear in his eyes. "T-this child's the chosen one!"

With that, he unchained me, and I rolled of the altar hitting the stony floor with a thud. I looked around, and dead bodies, including those of my parents littered the floor, all mangled. "W-what the fuck?" I muttered. "You" the priest said. I turned to face him, and he had a smile on his face. "You are the anti christ. With your rage, you let loose your powers, and killed everyone in this room. We did these sacrifices to find out who was the anti christ, and it was you all along!"

"You are the key to the new dawn, a new era!" The cult leader said, and he placed a hand on my shoulder. "Come with me, and you shall destroy the world, with your godlike powers. The Morningstar would then be able to turn earth into hell, and reign for eternity, my followers will be granted the gift of immortality for their part in this!" I screamed, and ran, tumbling over the many dead bodies that littered the ground. I took a quick glance back, and saw that instead of being human, the cult leader, had morphed into a humanoid goat like creature, he looked just like that painting of the goat demon."You can't run from your fate!"

I ran out of that church, and ran, and ran, through the dark forest, with tears streaming down my face. I evantually found my way to my house, and locked the door, and then broke down in tears. Right now. As I type this, I'm in my bedroom, and from my outside window, I could see that blasted goat demon staring up at me. He isn't alone. Beside him, levitating slightly above the ground, is some angel creature. It has large, feathery coal black wings, and blonde hair. Surrounding the otherworldly creature, is some black mist.

I wish I never followed my parents.