Role

Chapter 1

Dahliana was in the garden, pulling weeds, and trimming back the growing
plants. She lived on the small homestead with her extended family. They were,
all of them happy. Her parents, her brother and she lived in a small cottage
next to her grandparents more robust home. On the other side her uncle, aunt,
and cousins. All of them living together, in harmony raising what they needed
and living well.

Dahliana was taught by her grandmother the arts of poultices and healing, as
all her female cousins were. A small herb garden growing next to her
grandmothers home provided most of what they needed to sustain themselves in
healing and sickness. Her family was at peace.

Her young cousins scampered around the small homestead. Their joyous laughter
almost contagious. Suddenly though, a hush fell over the farm. A dark
portal, light around its edges seeming to fall in on itself opened before her
grandparents home. Out stepped a tall, gaunt figure, and behind him several
shambling bodies. After they all cleared the portal, the true horror began.
Creatures, dark as night funneled out of the portal running out into the
farm. Then the silence was broken, screams of children and women filled the
air.

The men ran out of the field behind the homes with just their tools in hand.
They did not last long. The creatures fell to the scythes, but there were
just too many.

Dahliana watched in horror as her grandfather, father, and older cousins fell
to the creatures. The last to come out of the fields was her brother.
Instead of engaging the creatures he ran straight for the robed figure.

"Ahhhh yesss... You will do. Grzzzz" came the words as the figure pointed at
Dahlianas brother, who mid-stride fell to the ground unconscious.

Dahliana screamed then, a small sickle in her hand she charged the man trying
to get in between it and her brother.

"No, I have what I need... You... DIE!" same the words as he pointed at her.
Her heart stopped at that moment and she fell to the ground.

"Gather the boy, feed on the rest. We depart." said the figure making a
gesture and opening another portal. The scene was horrific, bodies of men,
women, and children in various states of consumption left to rot. Nothing
would grow here for a long time. Nothing.