“Now remember, you must kill him!” Pa shouted when I touched the doorknob, “he’s a danger to the village. You cannot have mercy on a demon, Neveah.”

With tears in my eyes, I walked out the door following Halim and Drina into the feast where he would eventually arrive.

When the stars peeked out, I began to sway my hips slowly as the wind played around my almost bare body. My hands curved in the air as if they were thirsty snakes. The sound of the small coins clashing together in my outfit brought the attention of the villagers; mesmerized by the way my body curved as I called them towards me, they came.

Darting my eyes through each and every man in the crowd I brought the red veil to my face. A young man dressed in black slithered his way through the crowd without leaving my gaze. His lips curved up into a breathtaking smile once he reached me. Unconsciously I danced down to my knees still dancing.

In a flash, I landed in the cold damp ground deep in the woods.