The Green Covenant

Carla opened her eyes at 2 am. She had been struggling to sleep for far too long. Her legs were painful, and she was twitching and tossing under the bedcovers. No one seemed to understand how severe it was. “What is wrong with me?” she often asked herself. She tried to put it out of her mind, but it was always the same scenario when night fell.

Accustomed to the many sleepless nights, she now sat up calmly, almost too calmly. The sound of the rain in the night was soothing. Her husband, Ray, lay beside her in a trance-like sleep that she envied but could never claim. She observed him for a time. Ray was the man she had fallen in love with twenty years prior and would spend the rest of her life with. Yet, there had been a little distance of late. Almost a year ago, he had betrayed her. She had forgiven him, but an underlying resentment lingered.

Carla sat in darkness, smoking a cigarette. She contemplated her situation, Six months ago, she resolved to utilise her nights positively. It wasn't planned; it unfolded without thought. But she wasn’t happy. She braced herself for the night before her, knowing nothing would obstruct her plans this time. She knew she had to be strong.

Climbing out of bed, she put on her favourite green velvet dress, the gothic one. The netted veil obscured her face, and the petticoat rustled softly as she walked. She draped the green cape over her shoulders, then slipped out the front door, leaving the silent house behind and her husband fast asleep, oblivious to her absence.

She knew deep down that it was crazy, this whole double life thing. I mean, she was just an ordinary housewife. She enjoyed being ordinary, genuine, and close to her family, but somehow, she had become so caught up in this situation that she didn’t know how to escape. There seemed to be no way out until now.

On a foggy night, she approached the entrance to the forest as she always had done, through an obscure alleyway on the edge of town. Whispers filled the air and hands brushed against her pulling her through. Suddenly, she was standing at the altar surrounded by a large crowd of women wearing long green Victorian dresses and masks, continuously chanting.

Forest consume

my mind and soul

Green Elixir

do not fear

We worship you

Heed your call

I hear you beckon

I belong to thee

“Whose turn is it?” Cynthia asked.

It’s Carla’s turn to perform the ritual tonight, they all agreed.

So, embracing the hour, Carla walked solemnly towards the altar and stood upon it, facing the crowd. Her voice rang out with a defiance that surprised even her.

'I can’t continue like this. You no longer have power over me. I’m walking away, and none of you can prevent me! I am finished with The Green Covenant!'

Her voice.echoed through the forest, a declaration of her newfound freedom.

With those last words, she descended from the altar and speedily exited the forest. The figures lifted their candles, followed her and began chanting. She felt their presence closing in. In the distance, she heard Cynthia call out, ‘She went that way! We’ll catch her!”

Carla concealed herself, yet the lights drew nearer. She approached the entrance where it overlooked the dark abyss with a steep drop beneath. As they neared, she crept closer to the edge of the darkness. She realised there was no turning back. She leapt and fell into the enormous chasm, twirling and descending wherever movement and emptiness chose to cast her.

This, she understood, was death, the endless and swirling journey. She closed her eyes, awaiting the moment she would hit the ground and sense nothing but the etherial transition into the next dimension. But it was not her destiny. Instead, she had gently landed on the forest floor.

She lay down exhausted and went into, what appeared to be a deep sleep for the first time. She began to dream, she was a beautiful goddess. She sensed something pushing and extending from her limbs towards the earth and she became like a tree with lush emerald leaves. Fluttering butterflies and delicate birds chirped within her flowing hair like a childhood fairytale illustration. Her feet, resembling roots reached deeply into the earth. With relief and gratitude, she reached her arms towards the moon and sang the Covenant’s anthem.

Forest consume

my mind and soul

Green Elixir

do not fear

We worship you

Heed your call

I hear you beckon

I belong to thee

After hours, she finally regained consciousness, only to discover herself buried in mud, with leaves and branches trailing behind her. Each step was a struggle as a clump of tangled twigs, and debris pulled her closer to home. In the distance, she spotted the desolate house. Ray would likely still be sleeping. Maybe she could cuddle up in the warm bedclothes without him noticing. She could finally leave it all behind, and no one would ever find out.

Exhausted and breathing heavily, she pushed open the front door and crawling on her hands and knees, she dragged herself into the hallway. “Ray, I’m home,” she muttered, frail and weary as she curled herself up like an embryo upon the floor.

Ray abruptly awoke to the sound of a loud thud and seeing that Carla wasn’t there, he went to look for her. Just as he was about to descend the stairs, he heard a strange rustling and slowly walked towards the landing. “Carla, are you there?” he asked cautiously.

Suddenly, a gust of wind swung the bedroom door open so that the dark room was visible and beckoning him to enter. Ray stepped forward and then his eyes widened in horror as he struggled to comprehend the scene before him. Carla reached out her tubular, branch-like tentacles, squeezing him in her embrace, pulling him into her vortex that ravaged and consumed him. Echoes of Carla’s laughter mingled with Ray’s pleas for mercy as their desperate cries resonated in the distant abyss of eternity.