‘We’re going to use your body to conserve the energy that we collect from your fellow human beings,’ said Tgthiem. ‘Huh? W-what do you mean?’ Asked Mischia, confused.
‘Your body, being originally yours, is capable of holding the energy which you all transfer to each other,’ said Ywoth.
‘I still don’t understand,’ said Mischia.
‘Then we’ll just have to show you...’
‘I’m here,’ communicated Esjekshb.
Both men stood abruptly and ran to the room where they had left the dead body. Mischia followed, and when she arrived, Ywoth was cradling the head of a previously dead corpse in his arms, the eyes were open and staring at her, the body was breathing effortlessly, and it was alive.
Mischia screamed.
Tgthiem took her arm and led her back to the kitchen, since she hadn’t stopped screaming, he slapped her, and left without a word.
She fell silent.
Mischia’s previous fear returned, with a vengeance, quickly replacing the feeling of calm and acceptance. Panic rose up inside of her once again, and she felt like screaming and running away. When Ywoth walked into the room, she froze.
‘She has arrived,’ He said, excitedly.
‘W-who?’ She asked cautiously, a sob catching in her throat.
‘Esjekshb. She will need to rest and heal first, then you can meet her.’
Mischia didn’t want to meet the occupant of a dead body, resurrected.
‘Meanwhile, we must prepare you, come with me,’ he said, waving her to follow him.
Slowly, she followed, wondering if her sanity could actually take any of this: dead cats, disappearing acts, resurrections. Mischia started to miss her father, who had always been there to fight away bad things when she was a little girl, where was he now?
They went back into the ritual room, where the candles had burned out and the money had been removed. Tgthiem was busily tidying it all up, and Mischia instinctively began to help, only because doing something helped her take her mind off the panic threatening to consume her.
When the room was tidy, Tgthiem and Ywoth started preparing for another ritual. Mischia wondered what it would be this time, but decided not to ask, surely she would find out soon anyway.
A salt circle was sprinkled on the floor, and multicoloured candles placed just inside of it, leaving a gap to enter and exit from.
‘Take off your clothes,’ instructed Ywoth.
‘E-excuse me?’ She asked, confused.
‘Take off your clothes, become naked.’
‘Why?’ Mischia could sense his impatience.
She didn’t want to experience his wrath, but didn’t want to lose what little dignity she had, by stripping, either. Ywoth took the decision out of her hands by forcing her clothes off. Mischia tried to fight, but he was stronger than her, plus, he seemed to be somehow restricting her movements.
All she could do was watch him strip her naked.
‘Go into the circle,’ he mentally communicated.
When she didn’t move, he grabbed her arm and pushed her into the circle.
Tgthiem closed the gap, and began to light the candles.
Mischia felt humiliated, and conscious of every move she made.
When all the candles had been lit, an overpowering bubble of energy surrounded her and took control. Tgthiem and Ywoth started chanting in their foreign tongue, while she prayed.
It was the only thing she could do.
‘We are preparing your body for the conservation of our energy,’ said Ywoth.
His arms were out stretched as energy left him and made its way to the circle around Mischia.
As she continued to pray.