The uninvited

The congregation had arrived at the old tired looking church, it was a an old poorly kept building with ominous spires reaching upwards looming and creepy.

It was a christening being held at night strangely and but apparently this happened every harvest moon.

Through the years a young woman when she reached her eighteenth birthday would be christened, most moved away after this to maybe start a career away from the village or marry a local, why they left for whatever reason was unclear to Lydia.

Since attending the church with her family Lydia had realised that their closed circle of family and friends in this beautiful if somewhat saturnine part of the Highlands of Scotland was not a place many different people came through or even visited.

Lydia was nervous about the ceremony being unsure of how it would proceed, there were rumours around the youngsters of the village that it was to stave away evil spirits that would appear over the harvest moon..

Her parents were at her side as she was walked through the main isle of church, all the congregation had their heads bowed and their hands clasped together in a desperate, almost pleading praise as if begging the spirits to prahaps guard this child.

There were clerks at the back and side of the church, the massive oak doors creaked and boomed through the church as they were shut then a heavy oak beam pulled down to further secure them.

Outside the church there had been a group of elderly men, white haired one with a white beard covering most of his face, all were bearded some more than others, Lydia had noticed them as she approached the church with her family.

Around the village they were known to be desperates, no fixed abode usually begging for food and money, most people kept their distance as to avoid a connection, there had been in the past moments of violence when they were asked not to lanquish around the church grounds.

As Lydia approached the the priest at the alter he crossed himself and sprayed holy water over herself and her parents.

They were then asked to take a seat in the pews and Lydia kneeled head bowed at the alter.

The noises started as soon as the priest started to recite his prayer, barely discernable at first then the scratching and clawing echoed through the church.

Lydia turned her head whilst at her kneeling position to see the congregation even more intense in payer, reaching to the sky and desperately screaming to match the now growing intensity of the clawing and thumping on the great Oak doors..

Bending down towards her the priest took her head in his hands and continued his prayer, he too became louder and more intense.

" You are hurting me, she shouted".

It felt like he was crushing her head , he seemed to have lost all control and the pain in her head was getting unbearable.

She suddenly couldn't take anymore the fear and panic had escalated in to a frenzy.

With a sudden realisation that she was in danger from either the congregation or the clawing and now howling, Lydia escaped the grasp of the priest and ran to seek refuge from them both.

There was a staircase through a doorway behind the pews, running and pushing through the now hysterical congregation falling on the pews , stumbled towards the stairs and started to climb the narrow winding stairs.

She found herself in a room and shut the door behind her, there didn't seem to be anyone following her and there was blood dripping down her leg from her fall.

As the quiet of the room was a relief from all the chaos, for a moment at least it was a more stable environment.

Why, she thought had there not been anyone to follow her, to comfort or protect her from what was outside.

What was outside, she saw a small barely noticeable crack in the brickwork so she carefully peered out of the crack and saw what was walking around the graveyard two,of what she thought were large dogs pacing around.

The church had now become a crescendo of screaming although there was no more noise from outside, had whatever was trying to enter left, prahaps the threat was from within.

As she sat on the cold floor of the room her hands pressing against her head there was a tap on the door and then a scratching similar to the outside door.

Her heart beating Lydia crawled into the darkest corner of the room.

The muffled voices outside the door, became clear as her father's voice was beconing her to come out as all was safe and need not have any fear now.

Lydia removed the wooden bar across the door and fell onto her father clawing at his jacket.

"What has happened where were you?". She sobbed,"why did you not follow me and comfort me?".

"That is now not for me to care for you it's out of my hands and you are free take on the life you wish to lead".

The ceremony had finished and as they walked down the staircase to the hall.

All the congregation were scattered against the walls, the floor, blood covered every bit of floor as she tried to make her way out of church, limbs were flayed decapitated heads broken bones faces still had fear upon them.

Lydia hid her head in her father's chest.

" I don't understand!!". She cried.

" It's Harvest moon this is the wedding dinner and your husband has fed and he waits for you outside".

"What husband I don't understand I don't want this!!".

"The legend is the Harvest moon gives us light to gather our crops, and we give a sacrifice to the worshipers of the moon to carry on their lineage".

As Lydia rode atop of the beast to an unsure and terrifying future .

The Harvest moon shone in the evening sky where the stars faded and her worst fears would grow.