The Sacrifice at Ridge Mount

The Sacrifice at Ridge Mount


Intro:



When the haze of the morning light first appeared over the lampshade in my sparsely furnished room, its amber brilliance burned my face like fire. I rolled over to shield my eyes from the effects of the previous night but knew I would eventually have to face it. As the sun peels back the dark, cloudy veil of the night, it has a way of rejuvenating memory and making things crystal clear.



In my small estate, as far as I could remember, last evening had been another sorted tale of deviation and promiscuousness, not unlike many others that had been repeated time and time again in this mountain retreat that was so far away from civilization and societies barriers.



The place had more than one paradox; the first was that it was just far enough away from the city to claim being in the peaceful countryside yet it was not close enough to civilization that one would feel completely safe. I guess that is why the parties started. In a way they began to keep me pacified until I could find a loophole that I could crawl through in my contractual agreements of the will and unload this lonely fortress for cash.



I had received this house from an inheritance. A distant uncle had left it to me along with 5,00 acres or "hectors" as stated in the will. His last wish was that it was to be kept in the family, so by virtue of my deceased parents, here I was, master of all that I surveyed.



My eyes scanned the room to search for the usual left over friends or acquaintances that, like me, are hung over and not yet ready to safely take the long mountain road ride back to the city. Climbing to my feet, I stagger down the hallway to the kitchen.



The other paradox of this place was that the land was large enough to house a few armies in bivouacs but the house was not large enough for a live-in maid, not that I could afford one on my income. As I crack two eggs and watch them start to sizzle in the pan, I fantasize in my aching head about breakfast in bed.



Finding a chair I sit and try to enjoy what I have clumsily prepared. Looking down at my watch I could see that it was 7:05 Saturday. As I begin to sip the concoction I generously call coffee, my freshly focusing eyes gaze around the kitchen and through the open door into the living room.



My eyes start to focus into the still murky morning light.



There she was by the fireplace. It looked like a small child curled into a ball by the fire and the dim light of the slowly dieing embers bathed her.



As I stared deeper into the early morning light, the figure seemed to change form, growing larger now as if expanding, this while I rushed to offer assistance and all the while she was shivering uncontrollably.



When I reached the fireside in the living room, I found that it was a young woman not a child. Checking her for injuries I placed her on the sofa and went to retrieve a blanket to cover her. When I returned she had recovered a bit and was sitting up and conscious.



"Where are you from? Are you in pain?" I asked. She said nothing to me but I could tell by her smile that she was grateful for my help.



I placed more wood on the fire and told her I was going for help but when I did she grabbed my arm sobbing as if she was afraid of me leaving her alone. As I attempted to pull away from her clutch, it grew stronger and stronger. The grip she had was strangely tight and her hands were icy cold. The foul stench of death permeated the air. I felt as though I was being lifted up and then down towards her.



Pulling me ever closer I could see deep into her eyes as she stared at me silently. Her eyes seemed to change into something not quite human and as I looked deeper and deeper, I started to lose myself in their hypnotic spell. I felt that I was being pulled, ever so slowly into hell. I could hear a voice in the room calling out as if from a cave " Remove this pain from me and give me peace" the voice thundered through the house.



I tried to get free but I could not move. I was caught fast by her frozen hands. I struggled for a long time and then at some point I blacked out.



When I came to, I was back in my bed and watching the sunlight dance across my lampshade. I sat for a moment in sublime peace and suddenly remembered. I ran into the living room but there was no one there. I looked into the other rooms but could not find a soul.



When I was sure that there was no one in the house, I sat down again in the kitchen and pondered back into the living room where the specter had appeared.



"This had happened" I found myself saying, "This did happen", I caught myself saying out loud. I vowed then and there to find the answers to what occurred that night but little did I know it would also uncover a lot about myself that I may not have wanted to know.



A strange calm came to me as I now looked down at my watch, it was now Friday 7:15 the day before.



Next week: A Window to the Past



Other Short Stories by



Robert Lee Alford Jr.



The Man Wolf






The Harvesting






A Chance Meeting