Monday Finish the Story with host Barbara W. Beacham

The Sacrifice © JLeahy  

They followed the buffaloes and their babies along the trail heading into the woods. At trail end Aka ran forward and sliced the youngest calf and wrenched out its heart.

The calf gave a horrifying shrill and fell back; the rest dashed for the woods.

Blood spurted in a red fountain, saturating the soft green bushes, ground and his shirt.

“Look! Look Ahwen, it’s still beating”, he said mesmerized by the throbbing organ in his bloody hand.

I staggered back against the old rain tree. I stared at the convulsing calf beside his leg.

“Why did you do that, why?” I shouted.

I AM a warrior,” he said.

“A warrior ONLY kills for food.”

“We can take this calf to eat.”

“It’s not ours, it belongs to the sanctuary”, I looked at the cluster of houses at the head of the trail. Soon, someone will know.

“Let’s leave!” I ordered.

(150 words)