CHEW!

Written by Matthew R. Wright

Read by [Your Name Here]

All was NOT calm at Burshall Farm, Somerset. More frustration, really. 

Marabelle – longstanding leader of the Burshall Bovine Belief – gave a long and exhausted sigh at the recently discovered body of Herschel; their farmer. Contorted – Twisted – Bent. His hideous form a byproduct of the Belief, of what they did one autumnal night, long ago.

They formed a hexagonal mud-circle around the remains of dear Herschel. 

Symbolic – Traditional – Cultural – Purposeful.

“What now?” questioned Dottie, the least amongst the cattle; tense and full of fears. “What we always do. Bring him back,” replied Marabelle “For it is the way.”

“Remember: Chew, Moo, Chew, ftaghu.”

Silence spread across the Burshall fields.

Each cow lowered their heads in-unison and took a bite of the earth; of grass and dirt. Six points dug into the hexagon that surround the ex-farmer. The Six points – a solemn meaning.

“Moooooooooooooooo,” chanted the Belief, the floor beneath vibrating with the low, guttural, droning pitch.

 “Chew.” 

Every member chewed HARD into their flesh, mixing blood and dirt and spit. Dottie glanced at the hexagon as their eyes glimmered with an anicent golden hue; she could not help but ask…

“What about the fabric? With each use, we bring IT closer into our plane. Haven’t we threatened our existence enough for this…man? She had NOT been told her place.

“This IS our way, Dottie. Fabric or not, Herschel must return. Now SPIT!” The mixture dropped from their mouths and onto the hexagonal points which now formed the shape of the Red Seal nessacary for the ritual to begin proper.

The skies screeched in-pain.

“Blood given, ftaghu, for a life taken, ph’nglui. We offer ourselves to the unsilent skies above and pray you protect our keeper on his path to provide us with our earthly pleasures.”

With that another extended “Moooooo,” Marabelle and the others watched as Dottie collapsed dead and Herschal’s twisted form retook its natural shape; unbroken, remade; given new life from old blood.

Herschal awoke and stared confused at his herd. 

They stared, silent, at the mud-soaked Somerset farmer.