Jaded and broken
Longing for hope, but it is no more than a figment
Yet on they soldier
Towards the truth they cannot face
This eve, they settle
A copse of trees provides a shelter from the tempest
But nature's vengeance is only a fraction of the threat
As darkness takes its hold
Their breaths in unison slow
The solemn respite overcomes
But there are others who awaken
They hunger for extinction of all things
What once was human
Has been replaced with the most basic, feral instinct
A lust for bloodshed
Pleasured by the pain of others
As they encircle
Their sharpened grins reflect the sparsest of lights
Salivating as they descend upon the sacrificial lambs
Awakened by the sound
Of flesh removed from bone
The screams of terror
Drowned out by the howls of rage
The few who attempt defense
Are already overcome
Before a fist is raised, they know
Their pursuits are futile
A single victim seeks to run
Into the dark he struggles forth
The prey evades the hunter
His wounds will heal his mind will rot
With visions of the ceremony
The hunters fall
Into a dreamless slumber
A crimson mist
Settles on the profane grounds
They slink away, as daylight fights for dominance
Their lust never satiated, only suppressed until the next repast