Let Us Prey

Cheston, Kaysee and Jaxon lounged in the dark of night in the woods by the river.

"This fog and damp is making my hair crazy." Kaysee could feel her hair getting limp and sticking to her neck.

"Kaysee, be quiet. Who cares about your hair." Cheston was impatient and jumpy. They had been there since nightfall waiting.

Jaxon watched his two siblings fighting. "Guys, I'm hungry. Can we just not fight already?"

"J we know you're hungry. Everybody's hungry. That's why we're here dum dum." Cheston slugged Jaxon in the arm.

"Quit, Cheston. That hurts. You're bigger than me right now but I'm growing, so remember that!" Jaxon shoved Cheston.

"Guys, shut up. You're too noisy! Gawd! I hate freaking boys!" Kaysee swiped her damp hair off her neck.

"Kaysee, that's a laugh. I know you like Steve from your class so don't even tell that lie." Jaxon rolled his eyes.

Ignoring both her brothers, Kaysee pulled her notebook out of her pocket. Reading her notes aloud by moonlight, "At midnight on the October Blood Full Moon, siblings three must gather near a river bend with foggy waters. In preparation, they must fast for 3 days prior consuming nothing other than water. This is very important to insure the body is free of all essence of animal or vegetable matter in the gut."

"Well all I can say is, my belly is so empty, my farts have no smell."

Cheston laughed. "That's a good one, Jaxon."

"Guys! SHUT! UP! This is serious!" Kaysee had been looking forward to this night.

She continued reading, "At precisely midnight, a small fire should be lit and some bacon and corn fried in a pan. Chant 'Moon of Blood high in sky, This bacon and corn is offered deliciously fried."

"Now what, Kaysee? Do WE eat the bacon and corn?" Cheston's stomach growled loudly.

"Yeah cause it smells really good. Can I have just a tiny bite?" Jaxon was feeling light headed and dizzy from the tantalizing smell.

"Guys, no. You know it isn't for us. It's to lure the Peryton." Kaysee glared red eyed at her brothers.

Jaxon ribbed Cheston. "Her eyes are getting red. Let's not make her mad."

"Tell us again what is a Peryton and why we're after it?" Jaxon asked quietly.

Kaysee growled. "Don't you boys ever listen to me? A Peryton is part bird and part deer. Sort of like a Gryphon that is a lion-bird but it's a deer-bird."

"Ok. So it's a deer-bird monster. What are we supposed to do with it?" Cheston had focused so hard on managing his hunger for the past three days, he couldn't really think straight.

"Hey, I know this part. We need his horns and his heart. We have to eat the heart while it's still warm. The antlers are how we wield his power after we eat the heart, right?" Jaxon was proud of himself.

Kaysee continued glaring her red eyes at the boys. They couldn't remember exactly how Kaysee had become a Witch. They weren't sure if she was born one, or weather their GiGi had made her one. While Kaysee had powers, the two boys had none. Kaysee assured them that eating the heart of the Peryton and taking his antlers would transfer all his powers to whoever did so.

As the bacon and corn sizzled, Kaysee continued with more incantations. This time using words the boys didn't understand. The boys sprinkled an herb powder around in a circle as Kaysee instructed. She handed them a large spoon full of the bacon and corn. "Smear this all over you but don't eat it."

The brothers exchanged looks but did as they were told.

As Kaysee watched her brothers slather themselves with corn and bacon, she began another round of incantations.

Jaxon and Cheston looked at one another and nodded. Catching Kaysee with her back to them, they quickly shoveled handfuls of the bacon and corn into their mouths.

They quietly acknowledged to one another how good it tasted.

"Shhhhh. It's about to happen." Kaysee hissed.

The bushes on the far side of the river rustled. Into the moonlight stepped a magnificent deer with giant antlers and the massive wings of a bird.

"Oh my god!" Jaxon turned to Cheston with his eyes HUGE.

"That is freaking awesome!" Cheston stepped where he could see better.

"Stop moving and talking!" Kaysee.

The Peryton snorted loudly and walked closer to the three children.

"It's coming!" said Jaxon.

Kaysee's eyes glowed redder and redder as the Peryton traipsed forward. Nostrils flaring, it sniffed long and deep. Turning towards the two boys, it let out a growling noise and bared sharp teeth.

"That thing has fangs and is growling!" Jaxon panicked and jumped behind Cheston.

Cheston side stepped and pushed Jaxon away. "Don't get up on me. That thing is looking at you!"

Chanting softly Kaysee watched the Peryton as it advanced from the foggy waters of the river. Suddenly it ran fast and furious towards the boys. In terror, both boys screamed and started to run. "Halt! You cannot move," Kaysee boomed into the night air.

Both boys found their feet stuck to the ground. "Kaysee! What have you done?" Cheston looked at his sister in disbelief.

"She's feeding us to that freaking thing! That's what! Kaysee, you're evil!" Jaxon had tears streaming as he watched the Peryton circling around them, snorting and baring its teeth.

"Jaxon, stab it!" Cheston swiped at the Peryton with his knife.

"Cheston, I can't reach it. He isn't close enough." Jaxon stabbed but with his feet wielded to the ground, he couldn't get his knife anywhere near it.

Snarling at the two boys, the Peryton blew a blast of its putrid breath straight onto them.

"He's not vegetarian! His breath stinks like something rotten. That thing eats meat!" Cheston held his nose with one hand and swiped at the Peryton with the other.

"And we're the meat, Cheston! Kaysee has set us up!" Jaxon glared at his sister.

"But why Kaysee?" Cheston wanted answers from his sister.

Kaysee laughed. "Because once the Peryton eats a pure sacrifice, he is helpless to defend himself. Then I can kill him, eat his heart and take his antlers. I will be the strongest Witch ever!" Kaysee laughed maniacally and watched with anticipation for the Peryton to feast on her brothers.

"What does "pure" sacrifice mean?" Cheston along with Jaxon was still swiping at the Peryton as it circled them blowing its nasty breath on them.

"Cheston, I'm feeling dizzy. I think his breath is putting me to sleep." Jaxon staggered as he swiped again.

"Kaysee! What does "pure" mean?"

"Well, Cheston. Remember when I had us not eat for three days? That was to make you pure and not have any food in your system so you could be a sacrifice for the Peryton. He will eat you any minute now. That corn and bacon all over you was to draw him to you so he knows you are the sacrifice. You boys were so easy to fool." Kaysee laughed again.

"Oh yeah? Well we fooled you then because when you weren't looking, we ate that bacon and corn by the handfuls so our bellies are full - not empty," Cheston scraped some corn and bacon off the front of his shirt and nodded at Jaxon.

"You jerks! That's why he just keeps circling around you and not eating you! I hate you guys! You ruin everything!"

Understanding what his brother was up to, Jaxon also scraped some of the corn and bacon off his shirt. Both boys aiming at their sister, flung the mess and hit Kaysee in the head and chest.

The Peryton pivoted and charged at Kaysee. Knocking her down, he bit her in the shoulder. The pain went all through Kaysee. "Help me! Cheston! Jaxon! Please!"

Both boys' feet were released. Rushing forward, brandishing their knives they stabbed at the Peryton. It shrieked, shaking its head as smoke came from its mouth.

"Why is his mouth smoking?" Cheston leaped at the Peryton and grabbed an antler. Jaxon grabbed the other antler. As they struggled to pull the Peryton off their sister, both antlers broke free. Each boy had one in hand.

The Peryton thrashed and began to smoke all over. As all three children watched, the Peryton disintegrated leaving behind a small object the size of a baseball.

"Cheston, it's his heart! Grab it." Jaxon reached forward and grabbed up the heart. "Wow, it's like its cooked." Jaxon took a bite and passed it to Cheston.

"Tastes like deer meat jerky." Cheston chewed a big bite.

Kaysee sat up. The place on her shoulder was bleeding.

Jaxon walked over and tapped her shoulder with the antler in his hand, "Heal!" The wound on Kaysee's shoulder was instantly back to normal.

Cheston stepped forward, tapping Kaysee on the head with his antler, "Never a lie will you ever tell again. And you will never betray your brothers either."

Both boys together, "It is done."

For the rest of her days Kaysee was a good Witch and a faithful and kind sister to her brothers. With the power of the Peryton heart and antlers, Cheston and Jaxon became powerful Witches like their sister.

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This is a young adult story written for the enjoyment of my three grandchildren.