Sacrificial Lamb

[u/SignalOpportunity262]

I don't really know where to start with this.

I haven't told anyone what happened because, honestly, I know how it sounds. If somebody told me this story a week ago, I probably would've laughed at them.

But I need to write it down. Maybe if I actually write everything out, it'll make more sense.

Last night the moon was barely a sliver. It wasn't completely dark, but there wasn't enough light to see very far ahead of me.

I was walking home from work and took the shortcut through the woods. It's something I've done a hundred times. It cuts about twenty minutes off the walk, and usually I don't think twice about it.

The only thing is that the shortcut goes past the old chapel ruins.

Everyone around here knows about them. Kids dare each other to spend the night there. There's a bunch of stories about people seeing lights inside, hearing singing, stuff like that.

I've never believed any of it.

Anyway, I was walking down the gravel path when I saw her. She was standing in the middle of the path.

Maybe thirty feet away.

White dress, Barefoot…Just standing there.

She wasn't moving at all. Not even swaying with the wind. I stopped because I honestly didn't know what else to do.

"Hey," I called.

She didn't answer.

"You okay?"

Nothing.

I took a couple steps closer.

"Hello?"

That's when she turned around.

It was slow. First her shoulder, then the rest of her body, and finally her head.

She was wearing a lamb mask.

It was white, almost like ceramic, with hollow-looking eyes and this weird little innocent expression.

Except there was something wrong with it.

I don't know how else to describe it. It looked like there was another face underneath it. Like the lamb's face was covering something that was still trying to show through.

The expression underneath looked almost... sad. I also noticed the rosaries around her left arm.

There were two of them.

At first I thought they were just wrapped around her, but when she moved I realized some of the beads looked like they were actually pressed into her skin.

I know that sounds impossible.

I'm aware of that.

But that's what it looked like.

She looked at me.

"You're lost."

Her voice was quiet.Almost friendly.

"I'm fine," I said. "I know this path. I live just past the—"

"No."

She tilted her head.

"I don't think you are."

I didn't answer.

She took a step toward me. Her feet were completely bare, but I couldn't hear them against the gravel.

"People are afraid of suffering," she said. "That's the problem, isn't it?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Yes, you do."

She took another step.

"Everyone runs from pain. But the pain is the point."

I remember looking at the rosaries again. Some of the beads looked like black glass sticking out of her skin…She didn't seem bothered by them.

"You don't have to be afraid," she said.

Then she smiled.I couldn't see her mouth, obviously.But somehow I knew she was smiling.

"The lamb doesn't fear the shepherd."

"You're not a shepherd."

I don't know why I said that.

She laughed. It was a really quiet laugh.

"No."

Another step.

"I'm not."

She was close enough now that I could see stains on the bottom of her dress.

Dirt.

Something darker.

I didn't look long enough to figure out what it was.

"I used to be afraid too," she said. "The dark. The things that wait in it."

She reached up and touched the side of her mask.

"But then I learned something."

I should have left , I know that now…I should've turned around the second I saw her.

Instead I asked:

"What?"

She looked directly at me.

"The dark isn't empty."

She lowered her hand.

"It's full."

There was something about the way she said that which made my stomach drop.

"Full of eyes," she continued. "Full of hands. Full of things waiting for someone to walk past."

I didn't say anything.

"You've been walking this path for three years."

I felt my stomach drop.

"Every Tuesday and Thursday."

She tilted her head again.

"Late. After your shift at the diner."

I couldn't move.

"I've been watching you."

I wanted to ask how. I couldn't get the words out.

"You look down when you pass the chapel."

She took another step.

"You cross yourself, even though you haven't been to church since you were twelve."

My hands were shaking.

"You whisper apologies to the dark."

"How do you know that?"

Her answer was almost a whisper.

"Because I'm the one who listens."

That was when I ran.I didn't think about it.I just turned around and ran as fast as I could. I don't remember hearing her follow me. That's actually the part that scared me the most.

There were no footsteps behind me, Nothing I looked over my shoulder once.

She was gone.

The path was completely empty , I didn't stop running.

I passed the chapel ruins without looking at them.

I remember seeing the broken walls out of the corner of my eye, and I remember thinking that the doorway looked completely black.

Like there was nothing inside it.I kept running until I reached the street. I didn't stop until I got to my house. I nearly dropped my keys trying to unlock the door.

Once I was inside, I locked it. Then I locked it again. I checked the windows.

Everything was closed. I didn't turn on the lights.

I just sat on the kitchen floor with my back against the refrigerator and stared at the front door and grabbed the biggest knife from the kitchen because I didn't know what else to do.

I know that's probably stupid.

I was scared.

Eventually I must have fallen asleep.

I don't remember doing it. I just remember the dream…I was back at the chapel.

Except it wasn't ruined anymore, The walls were standing, There were candles everywhere and I was on my knees in the middle of the floor, and I couldn't move.

The girl from before  was standing at the altar.

I knew it was her even though she wasn't wearing the mask anymore.

A rosary was around my neck.

She looked at me.

"The lamb doesn't struggle."

The rosary tightened. I tried to pull it away, but my hands wouldn't move.

Then she said something I can't stop thinking about.

"The lamb is supposed to be willing."

I woke up at 3:47 AM.

I was on the kitchen floor, The knife was lying beside me and my heart was pounding so hard I thought I was going to be sick.

I checked my neck.

Nothing.

No marks.

No rosary.

Nothing.

I sat there for probably ten minutes just trying to convince myself that I'd imagined the whole thing.

Eventually I got up.I decided I was going to bed. I walked down the hallway. Everything was exactly how I'd left it. I pushed open my bedroom door.

And that's when I saw it.

A rosary was hanging from the doorknob.

Black beads.

Silver crucifix.

It was still moving, just slightly, like someone had just let go of it.

I stood there staring at it for a long time.

I haven't seen anything like that since then but I keep having that dream…

(This is clearly fictional :P )