Awakening

Morning had turned to day, day to evening and evening to night. With each passing moment Islana knew more and more today would likely be her last on earth.

She prayed to whomever might listen for anything to make her impending doom more bearable.

It was then the men came, instinctively the young woman tried to fight them, but it was pointless and eventually she had no choice but to settle before she hurt herself.

All the touching was making her skin crawl, the redhead didn't know what was worse, the touching or the people thanking her for her sacrifice. Her head looked up, her green eyes etching the faces into her brain. The faces of her murders, faces she would take to her death.

Then began the chanting. It was how these things went, it was close, her eyes filled with tears and her soul with fear as her small body was pushed up and onto the rock.

Islana had never felt fear like this, her mind went blank with it and she couldn't think beyond the fear. There was something else. Somewhere in her fear, an overwhelming feeling of power growing inside of her.

Come to me, help me.

A thought sent to the animals, not something the woman had tried before. She had always just seen the animals and they had come to her. But to call them was something else.

A hoot could suddenly be heard, in the breaks of the chants. Islana opened her eyes for only a moment when an owl suddenly came from the sky. Claws out, running straight into the Preacher, attacking him.