260

JASMINE

I sat outside with my mum, listening to the instructions she gave. The moon hung high in the sky, casting shadows over the earth. My eyes danced from the shadows of the ancient oak trees that surrounded our home to my mum's face.

A shiver ran down my spine as I thought about what I was about to do.

I listened carefully as my mum rolled out the various activities that were involved in the ritual I was about to perform. She explained the demands of the ritual in detail, causing a chill to wash over me.

“It would require you to sacrifice a part of yourself, Jasmine. You would have to push aside your desires and feelings. You would be face to face with the gods.”

Her words made the ritual seem scary and I wondered if I was really ready.

I asked her questions about the dos and don’ts of the ritual. She rolled out another long list, including that I could not carry out the ritual in anger or any form of grudge.

After she had explained. She took me to the sacred room and asked me to