Binary Stars: Collaborative Contest Round 2, Theme: EQUINOX, entry by @Carlschrijft and @kerlund74

Collaboration contest, round 2

This is our second entry in this contest, we made one of three winning entries in the last contest round. Here is our entry for round 2:

The offering

It was already getting colder. It won’t be too long, Sheila knew, that the rituals would begin.
As soon as the stones were half dark caused by the coming time of the demon of the dark, the virgins would be prepared for the offerings.

Sheila sat nearby the water. She saw the empty fields where birds use to roam in the time of the god of light. The time that the flowers grow, the birds fly, the fruits are plenty and sweet.
Every year the periods of the god of light ended. It was a continues fight. When they didn’t have the stones and the knowledge they have now, they didn’t know when the period started and the time was called, the leaving of the feather god. As soon as the birds started to fly away, they knew the time arrived. That they felt the coming of the demon of the dark.

They are much wiser now. They know that the time can be predicted by the stones. The light on the stones is bigger and longer in the time of the god of light. In earlier times the offerings started sooner, and the amount of sacrificed virgings was bigger. She felt good about the wisdom of her people. They now knew they could enter the water and fish for a long period without the risk of being caught by the demon of the dark. The stones would be visible for a longer time and less fisherman lost their lives in sailing into the rocks during the dark times.

She had no fear. She was proud that she was chosen to be sacrificed. Her family already was. She would bring a great sacrifice in favour of her people and the community she lived in. Her part was of big importance, and she would be remembered during the dark period that was about to come.
The offerings, where the biggest achievement for a virgin, and she hoped that she would get a turn. For she was seventh on the list. And when the light on the stones turned before she was sacrificed, she would be spared. Just the thought of the possibility made her sad.
In dreams she walked the path of stone towards the water and let herself fall into the cold water to be absorbed into the empire of the demon under the waterline. One every month, let’s hope it will be a long dark period this time…

Short story written by @Carlschrijft
Photos by @kerlund74

This is a collaboration entry in the contest Binary Stars Contest