As the grandfather clock in the entry of the guesthouse chimed 3am Elinor was finished. The chamber next to where Drew was again unconscious (But this time due to natural sleep) had been prepared.

The circles had been etched into the floor, the incantations to open the sacrifice had been said. The knife was ready.

Unlike the first sacrifice this one would require more blood, hence the knife, something she had discovered in one of the old rooms of the cellar. It had been there since the time of the clinic.

Dressing in a clean dress she was ready, entering the first chamber she uncuffed drew from the wall then tied his hands together before waking him and then dragging him into the second chamber. The air in this second chamber was thicker, almost solidifying and heavy with the odour of rot. The spirits were here, no matter what Drew did now he was forfeit.

She untied his wrists, he tried to push her away but his strength was all but gone. When she hit him across the face it resounded with a slap.

"Why are you doing this? Who are you?" Drews voice was now full of fear.

"Remember the poor girl you left in this place? A girl who wanted nothing more than to fit in? You abandoned me here and I have paid the price. Now Drew its your turn. Its a shame, you were pretty good sexually, but the spirits are hungry and its time they fed."

With that she pushed him into the centre of the circles, once inside the circles invisible hands dragged him to the floor and held him in place. Elinor knelt at the edge of the circles and placed her hand round the handle of the knife. In the shine of the blade she saw Drews panicked face.




Moments later the sacrifice was complete, blood stained the blade and her hands. Drew was nothing more now than bones disintegrating into the tiles to become just another stain in the foundations of Calstone House.

Six years before the next sacrifice, all was tranquil for the moment....