RITUAL OF DELIVERANCE

CHAPTER 11.

Ritual Of Deliverance.

The dim light from the kitchen further intensified the fear in us. We were so scared because we had obviously heard a strange noise from the entrance of the kitchen area.

What could that be?

I sat at the dining table in fear, as I tried to figure out what might've gone wrong.

On the other hand, my mum and dad stood at the extreme end of the parlor, as they kept sighing in frustration, while my two younger siblings, Eli and Bram, sat on the couch, while exchanging glances at each other.

"We can't allow this to happen. "We can't just let it go," my dad's voice finally broke the long silence. “Rory, you've brought shame and calamity and curses upon us as a result of this rejection. Something must be done about it.”

“Something?” I asked with unbelievable anger. What did he mean by that?

"So, you're obviously going to punish me for a crime that I didn't even commit. Thane was the one who rejected me, and as such, I shouldn't be forced to pay for his crime.

Immediately, Mum moved towards her with a warm smile. “My loving Rory, this matter is beyond you and Thane. Right now, our standing in the pack is at great risk, and we have to act fast."

“Act fast? " How?” I asked, with visible frustration building up in my voice. “So, you're trying to tell me that you're going to force me into a weird ritual, just because Thane rejected me... Is that it?

“It's not an option. " I'm not even suggesting it to you,” my mum replied, but this time, with a firm tone.

“That is the only way to cleanse you from your sins. The Ritual of Purity and deliverance will help restore your freedom and dignity in the eyes of the pack and community as a whole.

The mention of the Ritual of Deliverance brought back old memories for me. 

Last spring, my cousin, Maren, was forced to go through it, and it wasn't even close to funny.

It wasn't just the ritual that was bad, but the public display, in the eyes of the world, made her feel very ashamed.

“So, your own definition of deliverance, is me bathing in deep rivers which are filled with sacred perfumes and animal blood, right?” I asked her with disgust in my voice. “Well, that's not deliverance, but ridicule!"

Suddenly, dad stepped forward with the look of concern on his face.

“You have to listen to us, my dear. You're not the only one who's hurt about the whole thing. Your siblings have not even been going out with their friends anymore, because of what is being said about you."

At that instant, Alyssa shifted in her seat, like one who was uncomfortable. “Rory, what you're doing isn't fair. " You also have to think about us, and the effects that your decisions are having on our lives.” She spoke with so much tenderness, that my heart became broken, the more. 

As she spoke, I could see and hear the fear in her eyes and voice. She was obviously scared of being betrayed and ostracized.

At that point, I couldn't bear it anymore. It was as if they were drowning me in what they actually wanted, not minding how I felt about it.

 “So, what about what I want? " What about my own feelings?” I asked in exhaustion, as I was already getting mentally tired of everything. "I didn't plan or ask for any of these things to happen in my life.

Immediately, my mum knelt down while holding my shoulder.

"My sweetheart, at this moment, it's not about you, but it's about tradition. It's about you being cleansed from the shackles of rejection. If you must have a normal life after now, then you must listen to us, and obey tradition."

“Tradition?” I cried out in anger with a trembling voice. “You call this tradition? This is sheer wickedness, as I am being punished for the decision of someone else. If anyone had to go through any ritual, then it must be Thane."

“You're not far from the truth, my dear,” my dad began with a soft tone, as he looked at me.

“However, you must also understand that the consequences are many. In our culture, you definitely have to pay for your sins. Unfortunately, if you don't, it'll also affect the people around you."

As they looked at each other, the anger inside me continued to intensify. “What about my choices? What about my feelings and sanity as a creature? I am not a robot that can be paraded around. I just can't bring myself to do it, because..."

“Enough!” Mum's loud voice echoed throughout the entire room, as I tried to process what I had just witnessed. “Rory, it isn't just about you. It's about all of us.

I stared at her with a sharp gaze. At this moment, tears were beginning to build up in my eyes. “What if I refuse? What if I just ran away from all this nightmare? What will happen? Huh?"

Immediately, something flickered out of dad's eyes, and his expression turned mean. “Then, you'll be making a choice that you'd reject for the rest of your life. You'll be seen as a disgrace and an outcast, and you'd also spoil a lot of things for us."

Suddenly, the air became too hot for me. “Sorry, I can't do that. I won't be party to it,” I said with a shaky voice.

Indeed, it was too much for me.

“Rory, please! Don't do this, please!" My mum desperately pleaded, as she tried to beg me. “Before you make that terrible decision, think about your future, our family, and our standing in the Pack. We can’t afford to lose our respect and dignity.”

As I opened my mouth to speak, I realized that the words weren't there. 

I was left standing outside like a stranger, left alone to bear the heavy burden of tradition.

 With a sorrowful heart, I immediately turned to work out, as I was already fed up with everything that had been happening.

Immediately I got inside, I collapsed on my bed. Now, I had to fall back to my ocean of thoughts. Why didn't they want to understand my own side? Why?

As I glanced through my window, I could see the moonlight. Looking further, I could also see the beautiful trees that surrounded our environment.

Nature indeed looked peaceful. When will my own life ever experience that?

From inside my abode, I could see members of the pack, in groups, discussing me, my future, and about the rejection.

Indeed, I felt very angry.

I felt a surge of frustration again. To even think that they were talking about my life, and I wasn't even permitted to say anything. Phew!

As I sat there in bitterness, a sudden sensation engulfed my soul. At that moment, I realized that something was lurking around me.

I gently went over to the window, to check if I'd see what or who it was. To my dismay, it was Kaiden. He sat under the tree, while his bright blue eyes pierced directly into my soul.

He looked like he was thinking about something. For almost twenty seconds, we locked our gaze on each other.

“What do you want from me, Kaiden?" I asked with a whisper. I was already tired of all the drama that was going on in my life.

Immediately, he took a step forward, towards my direction, and I gasped in shock and uncertainty.

Did he know about the meeting?

Did he hear what they were discussing?

What did he want to tell me?

I watched as he took another step towards my direction, like he had something urgent to say to me.

“Rory!” His firm voice called out to me, and I felt shivers run down my spine.

I hesitated for some seconds.

Should I open the window?

Is there any need for that?

Should I ask him about what he was up to? 

Honestly, the tension in the atmosphere was something else. I really needed to get answers to all my questions.

As I slowly made my way to the window to open it, I slowly prayed in my mind that it wouldn't be a bad decision. 

“What do you want from me?” I called out to him in a shaky, yet firm voice.

Kaiden immediately looked at me, with a look of intensity and urgency in his eyes. “Rory, I need to talk to you about something very important. I need to tell you."

Immediately he said that, the beatings of my heart intensified by three. I was so consumed by curiosity and inquisitiveness.

"Something important? " What is that?" I asked.

He paused for a second, and glanced around to be sure that no one was hearing him.

"Well, it's about Thane, and what really transpired between the two of you that day. There's more to that incident."

At this point, curiosity had already taken over all the parts of my body. " I really wanted to hear what happened. “What do you mean by that? What information do you have?”

Immediately, Kaiden looked at me with a firm gaze. “We need to meet in a more private place than this. I can't explain everything to you here.”

As he spoke, I had to battle between the urge of resisting, and knowing what truly happened. I really wanted to own my life like before.

Well, Kaiden, has given me another reason to be hopeful. Somehow, I had hoped that everything would be alright.

“I… I can’t just leave this house,” I said in panic, as I looked at my closed door. “What if my parents find out that I left?”

“Rory, please, trust me. There's no time, and this matter is more complex than you think. So, trust me,” he begged me with a low tone.

At that moment, I didn't care about anything else, aside from getting a solution to all my problems. I was ready to take the risk. Yes, I was ready!

“Alright!" I whispered with a determined resolve. "I'll meet you there.”

Immediately, Kaiden nodded, and I looked into his eyes.

“Let's meet tonight, around the old abandoned oak tree, after midnight."

Without any other word, he turned his back, as he vanished into the darkness, leaving me to fall back into my thoughts.

As I closed my window, I anticipated the worst. I had really stressed so hard, and I was willing to take this chance for retribution.

As I laid down on my bed, I slowly waited for midnight to come.

This was my last chance to retribution.