It was dusk in a quiet and quaint little town somewhere in a hilly region, and I was sitting in a gazebo that was in a garden that surrounded a Victorian-era house that was being used as a bed and breakfast. Fireflies were gracing the garden with their enchanting luminosity, making the exotic plants seemingly glow. There was a little campfire in the center of the gazebo, and there were faces unfamiliar to me seated around it. They were discussing a rumor about three sisters who lived in the woods outside of town.
Listening intently to the conversation, the general consensus was that the three sisters were believed to be witches who were guilty of grotesque crimes against humanity. It wasn't clear what the crimes actually were, since none of them seemed certain of any details, or had even met them. They all agreed that the sisters were witches who were ugly monsters who deserved punishment.
Gossip and rumors were of no use or interest to me. My curiosity got the better of me, and I wanted to see the sisters for myself. So, I set off in pursuit of the truth. It was a clear night, and a full moon was out. For some unexplained reason, I felt compelled to follow it.
I came to the edge of town, where I could see a grove of trees beyond a large grassy meadow that on an incline. Following the moon, I began trudging through the meadow, and as I did so, the moon turned red and grew much larger on the horizon.
When I came to the edge of the grove, everything was lit with a reddish hue from the moon. Peering into the trees, I could see the ground was crimson with the grotesque contortions of dead animal and human bodies. Blood had been spilled, and it was everywhere.
Unphased and persistent in my mission to meet the sisters, I proceeded to enter the grove.
After a few paces in, the first sister appeared to me. She was a gorgeous blonde with blue eyes, pale white skin, and dressed all in black. We locked eyes, and it was evident that her soul was tired and in pain. She was no monster, and she was of pure intent. I felt worthy, chosen, seen and safe.
For a moment, we gazed into each others' souls. Then, I noticed how poofy and fluffy her hair was, and I was overcome with a desire to pet it. I reached out to stroke it, and the moment my hand touched it, everything went black and I passed out.
~~~~~~~~~~~
I woke up laying face down on the ground, surrounded by jumbles of bloody bones. The first sister was nowhere to be seen, so I got up and continued my journey deeper into the crimson grove.
As I briskly walked, I could see shadowy figures peering at me from the darkness. I knew I was being watched, but that wouldn't stop me from meeting all three sisters.
Then, the second sister appeared to me. She was a beautiful young brunette woman with deep brown eyes, dressed all in black. She had an enchanting, fantastically mystical aura about her. We locked eyes, and I beheld her youthful, playful innocence. She was no monster, and I felt rejuvenated being in her presence.
Suddenly, she flung her arms around me, embracing me tightly. She whispered something in my ear. I couldn't make out what she said, but it felt like a warning. Yet again, everything went black, and I passed out.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Upon awakening, I found that the second sister had vanished, and I quickly became aware of the growing shadowy threats that were closing in on me. Hastily, I got up and moved through the grove in search of the third sister.
After a few moments of frantic searching, the third sister appeared to me. Similar in appearance to the first sister, she was dressed all in black. Thinking she may have been a twin of the first sister, we locked eyes and we gazed at each other for a moment.
Becoming captivated by her enticing blue eyes, I was thrown into a trance. We fondled each other with heated passion, arousing a deep desire for soul-penetrating intimacy. She was no monster, and I felt a captivating excitement with her.
We both collapsed to the ground, and she threw herself on top of me. She pressed her boobs against my face, smothering it. Everything went black, and I passed out.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Jolted awake, I was dizzy from the shadowy figures circling me like vultures ready to feast upon a fresh carcass. The third sister had also disappeared, but now that I had met all three, I knew what they were like. Although satisfied with this, I still had unanswered questions. I needed to find them.
Quickening my pace, I came to a shallow pit deep in the grove. There, I found the three sisters standing around a cauldron, with the brunette in between the two blondes. They were now dressed in pure white silk gowns, standing barefoot in blood that oozed from the ground.
The ribs of humans and beasts were being boiled in the cauldron, and the sinister shadowy figures had encircled the pit, watching our every move. The sisters each took a rib from the cauldron, began eating them, and beckoned for me to come do the same. I did so, and as soon as I had a rib in my mouth, everything went white, and I was shown a vision...
~~~~~~~~~~~
The three sisters were in a courtroom being questioned and ridiculed for having unconventional beliefs and living a non-conforming lifestyle. Believed by the masses that they were a threat, the sisters were found guilty of merely existing, and condemned to death by exile.
An angry, hateful mob led the sisters to the grove, which was once a paradise thriving with diverse wildlife. There, the sisters cursed the mob, which morphed into shadowy figures, trapping them there for eternity. Multiple times, the sisters attempted to escape the grove, but each time they did so, the mob's shadow intensified, confining them to the grove.
As time flew by, the grove decayed and any living being - beast or human - that set foot within the grove was massacred and devoured by the mob's shadow, their bodies contributing to the grotesqueries of the grove.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Once the vision had ended, my understanding became less clouded. The sisters were not monsters. They were not the problem. They had been misunderstood and became trapped here by the hatred and judgement of others. However, I still didn't understand something.
Why hadn't I been destroyed and devoured by the shadows? What kept the hatred at bay?
The sisters answered and said that I was a seeker of truth, and those that pursue truth and understanding are worthy of being spared the grotesqueries of the grove.
They each pulled me close, placed my hand on their exposed chests, revealing that their hearts were open to mine.
Then, I smiled.
And then I woke up. THE END...?