I do...

I stepped forward, walking with Jacob through the circle of robed men while he held my hand.While my lack of robes gave me away to this robed group, I still felt even more like I stood out like a sore thumb. I looked around nervously at them, but no one looked at me as I walked by. Only Father Sam stood up there, robed, smiling at me.

"Father Sam will now draw the inscription for your joining after you lay on the table. Everything will be fine." Jacob said softly to me as he stopped at the end of the procession and ushered me towards the stone table next to Father Sam.

Father Sam smiled at me warmly, his grin light warmly by the torches around the stone table he stood next to.

"Come, lay here, " he said, his hand ushering me to the table.

I took another deep breath as I walked over, swinging myself onto the stone table. I felt like I had just sat at a doctors office table, ready for my examination, except this was much colder, outside, and I had thirty doctors in front of me.

"Lay down," Father Sam said softly, smiling at me, his eyes dark under his robes.

I took another breath and rested my head down on the cold slab. The stone table offered me no comfort, no warmth. It felt cold in the night air, even with several fires nearby lighting up the circle. The sun was setting, and the sky was light pink as it rode away into the night. I shivered as I looked over at Father Sam, who started muttering as he sloshed a metal bucket around.

His hand flinched from the bucket and splashed my chest with a red substance. Something I could only think of was blood. It felt hot and moist on my skin.

"Ereh Emoc Lived Ehs. Uoy Nommus Ew." Father Sam started to chant as his fingers began to draw with blood on my chest.