The Final Offering

By Luka Zic

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It was finally the day. Another person would be offered to the king in exchange for his loyalty and service to the town. He, after all, was the one who created the village and gave everything he had to it. He built it from the ground up. He constructed the walls for protection against the outside world. It was the very least they could do…
Sasha glanced nervously in Joshua’s direction. She knew what was coming. She was the one who was probably going to be sacrificed. She was the one who revolted against the king and didn’t think the sacrifices were okay.
“ANNOUNCING,” The loudspeaker announced as Sasha and Joshua walked into the town square. “THE ONE BEING SACRIFICED…” 
Sasha gripped Joshua’s hand, terrified of the fact that she was probably the one to die.
“...JOSHUA BAKER!” The speaker said. 
As they said that, two men in black, hooded cloaks seized Joshua, tied him up, and put him in a bag. Then, he was hurled out of the gates that separated the town from the outside world.

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Joshua panicked. He vigorously shook, trying to get loose from the rope and out of the bag. It was no use.
Well, at least I’ll go out for the greater good… Joshua thought, I’m helping the town and the king. I should be happy…right?
Suddenly, Joshua felt the bag being torn open.
“Josh!” Sasha exclaimed as she helped him up and untied the ropes on his arms. “I’m so glad you ain’t dead!”
“Me too…” Joshua said.
“Wow, you sound so enthusiastic,” Sasha said sarcastically.
“It’s just…where do we go now?”
“The only place we can go,” Sasha said. “The castle.”
“There is no way I’m–”
“You owe me a favor, alright,” Sasha said as she ran into the woods. “Anyway, you’ve always wanted to see the king, haven’t you?”
Joshua couldn’t argue with that. He ran into the dark woods, not knowing

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Joshua panicked. He vigorously shook, trying to get loose from the rope and out of the bag. It was no use.
Well, at least I’ll go out for the greater good… Joshua thought, I’m helping the town and the king. I should be happy…right?
Suddenly, Joshua felt the bag being torn open.
“Josh!” Sasha exclaimed as she helped him up and untied the ropes on his arms. “I’m so glad you ain’t dead!”
“Me too…” Joshua said.
“Wow, you sound so enthusiastic,” Sasha said sarcastically.
“It’s just…where do we go now?”
“The only place we can go,” Sasha said. “The castle.”
“There is no way I’m–”
“You owe me a favor, alright,” Sasha said as she ran into the woods. “Anyway, you’ve always wanted to see the king, haven’t you?”
Joshua couldn’t argue with that. He ran into the dark woods, not knowing

what he was getting into.
“Slow down!” Josh said as Sasha rocketed forward into the woods. “We gotta be careful! These are the haunted woods…”
“Oh, so scary!” Sasha said sarcastically. “Those are just tales to scare us so we stay in the village forever.

There’s no such thing as haunted.”
Sasha slowed down anyway so Josh could catch up. They walked through the woods until they heard a deep growl.
“What was that?” Josh said, pulling off a branch from a tree behind him and holding it, ready to fight.
“It was probably noth–” Sasha began.
“You’re going to pay for that!” Something behind Joshua yelled. Josh turned around to see the tree behind him looking back at him. It suddenly sprouted legs and lifted itself off the ground.
“How would you like it if I took your arm?” The tree yelled at Josh. 
Josh looked at the branch in his hand, realizing that it was the tree’s arm.
“Run!” Sasha said as the tree lunged toward Josh. 
Josh leaped out of the way and sprinted past it along with Sasha.
“There’s no way we could outrun this thing!” Josh said.

“That’s not my plan.” Sasha said. 
She climbed up the tree in front of her and as it came to life, she jumped onto the tree that was chasing them.
“I can’t do that!” Josh said, looking up at Sasha.
“You’re gonna have to…” Sasha said. “Ready? One my count…three…two…”
“No, on my count!” Josh said. “Three…Two…One…One half…One and one quar—”
“Now!” Sasha yelled as the tree behind Josh tripped and fell to the ground. Josh jumped onto it. It lifted itself up and Josh held on tight. Josh got ready to jump onto the tree Sasha was standing on. She held her arms out, ready to catch him.
Josh leaped onto the tree and somehow managed to stick the landing.
“Now all we have to do is jump from one tree to the next,” Sasha said. “These trees we’re on right now can’t see us if we’re above them.”
They leaped from tree to tree until they eventually made their way out of the forest. Right in front of them stood the castle.

Guards stood at the front of it, guarding the entrance.
“You ready?” Sasha asked.
“No…” Josh said truthfully.
“Doesn’t matter,” Sasha said as she walked up to the guards standing in front of the castle. Josh followed behind her.
“What brings you here?” One of the guards asked intimidatingly.
“We’re here to talk with the king,” Josh lied straight to their faces, which took a lot of courage for him to do.
“He’s busy,” The other guard said.
“Too bad,” Sasha said. “I guess we must try a different approach.”
Sasha suddenly punched one of the guards in the face.
“Go!” Sasha said as the other guard pushed her to the ground.
Josh didn’t want to leave her behind, but he knew that he had to. He slipped through the door and locked it from the inside, not letting the guards come back in to fight him.

“Finally, another sacrifice,” Someone said behind Josh. “Why don’t you have your hands and feet tied? Didn’t they do that last time?”
Josh turned around to see the king sitting on his throne right in front of him. He sat on a throne of gold and had all sorts of riches surrounding him.