Marie and I stepped forward, into the harsh, warm glow that lit up the clearing. The chanting suddenly stopped.

“Halt,” one of the figures shouted. “Why dost thou disturbst this placeth?”

“What’s going on?” I asked.

“We mean no harm,” Marie said, stepping further forward.

“Enough,” the same figure yelled. “Seizeth these intruderst!”

Two of the others jumped forward, moving quick as jaguars. Before we could react, they had grabbed us around the shoulders. Their hands felt like iron jaws clamped around me. Mare and I were scrambling like mad to break free, but as if we were feathers, they picked us up off the ground and carried us towards the chasm.

“Anotherst sacrifieth,” the main figure shouted.

The others chanted along with him. “Anotherst sacrificeth. Anotherst sacrificeth.”

I could hear Marie pleading for them to put her down. I was doing my best to wriggle free, but seemingly had no chance to get lose. Suddenly, noticing that we were now being dangle above this bottomless hole in the ground, fear took over. My body went limp. My mind went blank.

“Givest thou hole anotherst sacrificeth!” the main figure yelled.

The figures holding us up now let us go, and we dropped into the glow.

I could see Marie falling beside me, but as we fell deeper into the pit, the light became too bright to see through. I had to close my eyes.

I felt myself drifting away, away from this glowing chasm and towards a familiar place. The sounds of friendly bickering floated to my ears.