So. It's been decided.

Sunshine's gonna go to the forest with Victoria, at night, and do the ritual. She's trying to trust her, and trust that it will all go well for once in her life. Victoria hasn't let her down so far, so maybe this is the right thing to do.

She's weighed the pros and cons. She's spent nights staring at the ceiling, wondering if she should truly do this sacrifice.

Well. Fake sacrifice.

But she wants to. She needs to.

Uncle Tommy doesn't need to know, for now. Sunshine's leaving him a note to tell him where she's going. And, uh, a note for her mom.

It's kind of sappy.

"I know you got lost in the middle there a little bit, but when you find your way back, you'll find me."

It's enough of a goodbye if she really does die.

Which.

Hopefully she, like, won't. It would be hard to post videos otherwise.

God, she's doing it.

Here goes nothing.
　　　
　　　
　　　
Sunshine meets up with Victoria in the middle of the forest. The clearing is swathed by swaying bushes and patches of daisies crunch beneath her shoes. She setting sun dapples the sky in blue and yellow, long navy fingers dripping over the horizon. She sets the camera up and squints, ignoring Victoria's raking behind her.

The weight of the situation really sinks in. She's doing this. She's doing this, and she's going to save her mother, if it's the last damn thing she does.

That's worth something, at least, right?

As far as Sunshine can tell, the plan is to start the ceremony when it gets dark, and when the demon comes out and tries to — y'know, attack her — Victoria will banish it, back to.. somewhere. She's not sure. Doesn't really care.

As long as it's gone for good.

She knows she's taking a leap of faith here, and she still isn't sure why Victoria is so intent on helping her, but she supposes it's a good thing? Without her, Sunshine would be... well, she probably would have messed things up worse with the Ouija Board. And other various things.

But, Victoria will know what to do. Right? Yeah, definitely.

Sunshine breathes out and thinks back to the beginning of everything, back to when she and her mother had first moved in, back to when her only worry was the floating unicorn.. now it's all behind her. Now she's here.

Wherever that is.

The sun eventually dips below the treeline and an inky black shadow blankets the world. The rain begins to pour right about now, much to Sunshine's dismay. It ruffles her hair and gets in her eyes, and she tramples around the damp clearing in hopes of finding Victoria.

Who seems to have wandered off. That's great.

Sunshine moves in front of the camera, carefully placing an umbrella over it. She jumps when Victoria appears from the side of the foliage, dress soaked in water.

"Wish me good luck."

She turns when Victoria orders her to kneel down, a white bag in hand. Sunshine's uncertain gaze flickers from side to side before she grudgingly complies, legs buckling beneath her. Mud soaks her jeans but she hardly cares at this point.

She's scared.

"We must begin immediately." Victoria shoves the bag over her head and Sunshine loses her breath. "This is very important!"

Her hands instinctively fly up to rip the bag off until she realizes this is part of the ceremony. She gulps and shakes as a cold wind passes by, causing goosebumps to shiver down her arms.

Maybe it's not just the wind.

"I need you to be still," Victoria continues, words drowned out by the rain. "And do not remove this bag until somebody removes it for you, okay?" Her voice cracks and wavers as she slowly stands behind Sunshine, droplets trickling down her face.

"Wait, who's gonna remove it?!"

"I cannot tell you who, that is unpredictable! You have to trust me, okay?" Victoria touches her shoulder.

Sunshine begins to cry. "I'm — I'm not —"

"I'm the only one that can keep you safe!" Victoria trembles and stumbles off to the side, sucking in through her teeth. "I need you to recite those words for me."

"NOW?"

"Now!"

Sunshine's voice wavers between the lightning cracking high above, flashes of white dancing over the forest. "I kneel before you with the gift of my soul. Keep my family safe from your evil ways. Take me now but keep my family safe.."

Victoria picks up a rusted, curled knife and looks around the clearing, heart pounding in her chest.

"..for all the rest of their days," Sunshine finishes under the white cloth, hesitating. "Can I get up?"

"No!" she snaps back.

Then, a dark shape shuffles in from the side. Victoria grips the blade tightly, knuckles turning white. The demon almost looks red in the pale moonlight, back hunched and neck elongated to show sharp teeth. It's Sunshine's mother, but, but it isn't.

Her face is pale, and her eyes sink back into her head, bringing out the black circles around. Sharp claws stick out from her fingers and fangs glisten as lightning crackles overhead.

The demon makes a move toward Sunshine but Victoria rushes forward, waving the blade. She begins to speak, holy words wavering but eventually reaching the ears of the demon. It screams and hisses, turning and running back into the darkness.

"Is — is it gone?" Sunshine whimpers, head bowed and eyes screwed shut.

"No." Victoria sprinkles salt around the grass. "But it will be back."

The shape unexpectedly leaps from the shadows and hurls itself at Victoria. She gasps and cries out when the demon's claws shred her skin. Blood pools from her arm and she loses the blade somewhere in the mess, then her throat becomes sticky and stings with itching pain. She realizes the demon has cut her throat.

She staggers back over to Sunshine and ignores the girl's frantic questioning. Victoria chokes and holds her neck, tears dribbling down her cheeks. Her screams slowly fade away and Sunshine begins to hyperventilate. "Victoria?!"

No answer. Just pouring rain.

Sunshine stays silent for another agonizingly long fifty seconds, sobbing into the cloth and blubbering out apologies. She'll never be able to tell Uncle Tommy goodbye, or share last words with her mother. She's going to die. She doesn't want to die. Please, please, if there is a God, don't let her become a victim of the cult, too.

The bag is suddenly ripped off of her head without warning. She gagges and gasps for air, hands fumbling when she's shoved to the ground. Sunshine freezes when she hears a familiar yet terrifying voice. It cuts through her mind like a dull blade and she nearly screams at the sight.

"Your spirit is too strong," the man spits, eyes narrowed through the haze. Sunshine thinks back to the abandoned house in the middle of the woods, about the man that had chased her, and who — who she'd hit with the car, and — and —

Who might be her father.

"The demon cannot take you," he continues, voice hard and heavy. "You are safe!"

"Who are you?!" she yells, rising to her feet.

"It doesn't matter who I am!" he growls, whipping around to glare at her. "You're a Luiseach. We have no power over you. Do not try to contact your father."

"My father?!" Her heart leaps. This — this man knows who he is?

(And thank God this man isn't her dad.)

"No good will come of it. None!" The man turns and leaves Sunshine confused and terrified.

Then, she remembers.

"Victoria?" Her voice rings through the empty forest, sobs wrenching from her throat. "Victoria!" She'd heard screams and spluttering, and now her friend is gone, and nothing is making any sense. "Victoria!"

Her voice goes raw from screaming and she loses hope. Victoria is gone. Everyone is gone. She's alone. She's alone.

Then — then a voice. And her head snaps up, eyes widening, and she nearly runs toward the dark shape for comfort. "MOM!"

"Where are you?!"

"Mom!" She sobs out of fear and joy when Uncle Tommy and her mother come into view, holding her hands and asking if she's alright. She can't answer, no words will come out of her mouth, so she just cries.

"Are you hurt?" Her mother holds her face and Uncle Tommy looks frantic. "No, look at me. Please, are you alright?" Sunshine can't answer and Kat holds her daughter, crying along with Tommy. "You're okay. You're okay. Alright?"

"Let's get her back to the car," Uncle Tommy says, and Kat nods. The three stumble out of the clearing, tears fresh and hearts torn open.

Only the rusty blade remains behind.

that was fun