I had pleaded for my parents to do something, anything, as the men gripped my arm firmly and led me away.

"Mum!" I had turned back to scream at her as she cried into my father's arms.

Why weren't they doing anything? Why were they letting these strange men lead me away and for what?

"Nabo, what's going on?" I had turned to my old friend who had been avoiding my gaze.

I had tried to force myself out of their grip with no success. Now, as we approached the shrine and my pleads fell on deaf ears, that same feeling of helplessness began to resurface.

With each step I was forced to take, I drew closer to the building without a door. This time, it wasn't empty. There were others, three more dressed as peculiarly as Nabo.

I realized today was the start of the celebrations. Those before me were meant to be vessels for other gods. At a glance, I immediately recognized the blue-faced god. A girl that looked around my age had had her face painted blue and presumably, her hair cut off to represent Yimo, the Dreamweaver. She wore a silk dress that I'd seen Yimo depicted in as a child.

In her hand, she held a mask that had its eyes closed which caused me to wonder how she would see through it.

A boy wearing nothing but a loincloth had his entire body covered in charcoal and carried Amoji's mask. Amoji known as the lord of shadow was said to give visions of secrets in the dim light and the dark. The boy was deathly thin and looked almost skeletal very similar to how Amoji had been portrayed. His mask was made of black wood.

The last boy embodied N'daka, the hunter. He was said to have been a human who achieved godhood. Even as a child, I had thought his was the most ridiculous story of the bunch. His mask was shaped like a buffalo and adorned with bird feathers.

The three of them ceased their conversation and turned to look at the chief priest, Nabo and I as we walked in. I realized that these people meant for me to join them. I looked past them and saw Ikuba's mask hanging on the wall waiting for me.

I instinctively took a step back.

This time, it was Nabo that stopped me from retreating. How had I gotten myself into this? What could I say to get myself out of it?

"Please" I offered the chief priest. No response. I had to fight. I had just started preparing to force my way out when another girl walked in. Her face was marred by deep, angry burns that stretched from her forehead down to her chin, as though a great fire had licked her entire face.

An ointment had been applied to soothe her skin but the damage was clear, blisters and peeling flesh covered a majority of her face.

She walked up to me angrily, breathing heavily like a mad woman.

The chief priest said something in the language I never learned causing her to grunt in frustration but say nothing. Her eyes burned with anger and rage, causing me to tremble slightly. It had been a day of constant confrontation and aggression and I just wanted it to end.

Two women walked in behind her and led her away, the whole time, her eyes remained glued to mine. Threatening. I was already exhausted and the day had only just begun.

No sooner had she left did the sound of drums permeate the air. The ominous sound seemed to be originating from quite a distance away but I couldn't shake the feeling that it had something to do with me. I looked around the room and found my confirmation. The three other vessels seemed to be preparing themselves.

I turned to Nabo and found him breathing deeply with his eyes closed. The priest said something else and the three vessels steeled themselves and put the masks on their head. It was like a switch flipped with the way they began laughing immediately. The plain masks in their hands now seemed so much more expressive on their heads.

One by one they approached me and began studying me closely. They tilted their heads and moved in unnatural patterns, their proximity paired with the ominous drums kept me from breathing.

The chief priest said something else and they all turned to him. Yimo was the first to speak. Her voice was a high-pitched shriek that hurt my ears. Amoji stepped up and even though I got the sense that he was speaking, no sound was heard.

The priest said something else and all three exited the hut. Those outside took one look at them and ran. The celebrations had begun. Celebration was one word but more accurately, it was a hunt.

The dancing came much later in the day. The first half was much more brutal. Equipped with long canes, they would run around the village whipping everyone that they caught. It was supposed to be fun for both us and them. The only ones spared were the drummers.

Of course, anyone who didn't wish to participate could stay home that day but few people did. Our people considered it an honor to play with the gods and believed that participating would bring them a year of goodwill. I had always thought the whole thing ridiculous but here I was, about to be one of them.

I heard the priest say something and after which Nabo obediently walked past me, retrieved Arun's mask, placed it on his head, then roared.

I couldn't believe that sound was coming from my timid friend.

Arun turned his attention to me and closed the gap between us. He scared me the most of all of them and had the air of a brutal warlord who hadn't been there a moment ago.

Before I could react, Arun reached out, grabbed my neck, and began choking me.

"Arun!" I heard the chief priest call out then immediately follow with something I didn't understand. Arun's grip loosened allowing me to breathe. With no more words between them, he left the shrine. The heavy, quickly retreating footsteps told me that Arun was running to join the fun. I pitied those he caught.

The chief priest said something else and those two women from earlier returned, boxes and clothes in hand. I was led to sit on the floor before I could even resist. At that point, I had resigned to my fate and simply allowed them to get to work painting my face. I couldn't tell much of what they were doing but they'd drawn different patterns around my eyes, nose, and chin and had even painted my lips.

At some point, my clothes had come off and the patterns continued down my body, to my fingertips and covering my legs. Still, the drums raged on in the background. I could hear screams and laughter in the distance.

When the painting was done, the clothes were revealed. A wrap that was meant to cover nonexistent breasts and a skirt woven from burnt palm fronds.

The women handed them to me and seemed to expect me to put them on.

"No" was all I managed before I heard Ikuba's voice in my ear.

'Hurry' she'd said. I looked around and confirmed my suspicion that no one else had heard anything.

"Please" I whispered.

Suddenly the paintings on my skin and face began burning causing me to squirm and wince in pain.

"Okay, okay, okay" I repeated, and just like that it stopped. Without warning tears rolled down my cheeks. The helplessness was getting too much to deal with.

'No tears' I heard Ikuba's voice sound playfully all around me, 'You will ruin my face'

Not even my tears were my own to do with as I wished. With no other hope, I did what was required of me. I wore the clothes. I must have looked so ridiculous with the cloth wrapped tightly around my chest and the skirt.

All that was left was her mask. The stuff of my nightmares. I had started to hyperventilate as the chief priest approached me. I wanted to run but I didn't know what Ikuba would do. So I just closed my eyes and just waited for the worst.

Darkness. And then laughter from my lips in a voice I didn't recognize.

There were thoughts of fire and destruction floating in my head. I wanted to burn. I wanted to burn everything.

I could look through the mask and I could see the chief priest watching me but my movements were not my own.

I was excited for the hunt. Or was that even me? Which thoughts were my own? I couldn't figure out where I ended and she began.

"Ikuba" I heard the chief priest call out to me, "Bearer of heat, mother of fire--"

I could understand him.

Of course, I could understand him, the words were my own. I had spoken those words since the beginning of the world.

"We welcome you, o great one"

I hissed and steam left my lips.

"With your light, ignite our sight. Leave your mark on your children"

Oh, I was so excited for the hunt. I walked towards and passed him and into the mortal world.

Outside I found a cane intended for me just like last year. I retrieved and inspected it, a flimsy thing. I would have preferred to burn my victims but this would have to do. I couldn't exactly punish those devoted to me, could I?

Not yet anyway.

I gripped the cane hard and started running. I hummed to myself happily as I wondered who my first victim would be. This was going to be so much fun.

=^..^=

A day of fun is what was promised to us every year in exchange for our favor. They had yet again delivered. I looked down at the cane, worn and broken away on the backs of so many. It brought a smile to my lips.

I reminisced over the way their skin bled and tore at each hit. Arun must be having so much fun.

I wondered where he was. It had been hours and I'd only run into N'daka. We fought and even in this inferior skin, the weakling still didn't stand a chance.

While I was lost in thought, the rhythm of the drums slowed and eventually stopped. I smiled because I knew what was coming next. I screamed so loudly the flying beasts fluttered away in fear. It was time.

The drums started again in a different pattern and I followed them happily to their source.

I followed the drums to the village square and found him. Just the mere sight of him threatened to send me into a frenzy. My body shook from the excitement as I watched him test his mortal's strength against ten men.

He pulled one end of the rope and the mortals pulled another. They didn't stand a chance. And of course, they didn't. He roared as the men fell and I joined him with a scream of my own.

Arun turned his attention to me and began walking. I couldn't help but smile. I too walked over and we met in the middle, pressed our faces together, and held each other. The insects all around us were witnessing the truth of the world, that fire and blood belong together. Where I go, he was sure to follow.

I held him tightly and scorched the skin where my fingers met his back. I wanted to fuck him right there and then but there would be time for that. Now it was time to dance and so we did. We danced until night came. We danced alongside the mortals that we had hunted. We danced until our bodies neared death and only at that point did I allow the priests to lead my mortal away.

There was no need to be greedy. Arun and I would have more time together.

=^..^=

"David! David!"

Where was I? It was dark, or were my eyes just closed? I forced them open and even that was a chore. I felt weak and exhausted.

I saw my mother, and then some priests, and my memories returned to me.

"Leave me alone" I muttered before closing my eyes once more. There was a lot of pain there. Physical pain sure but that was the lesser of two evils. I felt well and truly betrayed.

"You need to wake up" I heard my old friend's voice.

"What do you want, Nabo?" My voice sounded different, probably just sore from all the screaming.

"It's important" Nabo replied after which I let out a deep sigh. It was obvious they had no plans of letting me be.

"What" I voiced angrily as I arose. I felt different. So much felt different. For one, I was still wearing the wrap around my chest but now it was filled with my own flesh.

I screamed. My throat didn't feel sore, that was just the voice that left my lips. It was foreign but also familiar.

"What the fuck!" I yelled at no one in particular. "My body. What happened to my body?"

"A miracle. Rejoice" one of the priests said to my parents in that language.

"This isn't a fucking miracle, it's a nightmare" It had taken me some time to realize that I now understood their language perfectly, "What are you waiting for? Fix me"

"I don't think they can" Nabo answered in their place, "The gods do what they do. We only serve"

"Shut it" I turned angrily to him, "What have you assholes done to me?" I brought my hand to my chest and recoiled. Just then, a thought popped into my head. I had to check on the little guy. I scanned my surroundings, it was a room I didn't recognize. A bit dated on the furnishings but I thought there had to be a bathroom.

I pushed myself off the bed and managed only one step before falling into an overwhelming weakness. Nabo moved quickly and caught me. The hardness of his body felt immediately familiar. I remembered how it felt when he held me in his arms and we danced for hours.

I pushed myself off him and onto the floor.

"Everybody out" The sound of my voice annoyed me.

"David--" My mother started.

"Out!" I screamed. "Get out"

For once, they didn't argue and eventually left me to my own company. My mind raced with a thousand different thoughts, none explained how this was possible.

"None of this was supposed to exist," I said to myself as I struggled to get back to my feet.

"This isn't right," I said to myself as my hips swayed as I walked towards the bathroom.

I pushed the door open and stepped through. I was terrified to see what I had become. I managed to navigate my way to the mirror above the sink but I was too afraid to look.

In the lit bathroom, I got a better impression of my body. The breasts for lack of a better word weren't big by normal standards but on me, they felt gargantuan.

My waist, my hips, my legs, my body no longer belonged to me. All of it was accentuated by the palm skirt that I still wore.

I hurried it off my body and breathed a sigh of relief when I saw the tiny bulge in my underwear albeit much smaller than I remember. Still, it gave me hope that I was still me.

Ikuba hadn't stolen everything yet.

I gathered the courage to look up at the mirror and my heart sank when I realized she had stolen my face.

The girl in the mirror had almost cat-like eyes, one of the few features that Ikuba was almost always depicted with. The priestess' paint ran from just underneath her sleek, narrow eyes converging at the middle of her nose and stopping just above her fiery red lips before continuing down her chin, neck, and body.

Her hair had grown far beyond my short buzz and had even begun forming knots in the early stages of dreadlocks.

Ikuba was remaking me in her image. How was this even possible? How--

A knock on the door saved me from the incoming despair. I wanted to yell for whoever it was to go away but couldn't even muster enough energy for that so I remained quiet.

"It's me" Nabo's voice came through, "Can I come in?"

I took another look at myself in the mirror. I knew I needed to find a way to reverse whatever was happening. Maybe Mr. Fanatic out there had some answers.

"Please can we talk?" His voice came through once again.

I clumsily pulled myself out of the bathroom and along the walls to the door.

"I know that--"

I pulled the door open and came face to face with him. My heart skipped a beat as I saw him. Did he look bigger? Or was I just that much smaller?

"What do you want?" I asked letting my irritation show.

I noticed his gaze fall to my chest and recover expertly. Then I watched his gaze fall even farther downwards and then I remembered I had ditched the skirt in the bathroom. Being seen in my underwear wouldn't have normally been an issue but with my new figure, everything felt different.

I closed the door in a great big hurry.

"Ahem, I brought you something to wear," he said from behind the door.

I opened a crack only big enough for Nabo to squeeze the clothes through.

"I'm not wearing this," I said almost immediately. A single dress and a pair of slippers. They hadn't even offered me any variety.

"I'm sorry, that's what I was given"

"Well get me something else" I complained, "Give me one of your clothes"

"I'm wearing all I have" he explained, "we wear what we are given"

"I don't understand, isn't this your house?"

"No," he replied simply.

There was silence between us as I considered the implication. Where the fuck were we?

"Stay there. You have explaining to do" I called to him before turning my attention to the dress.

'It's just clothes' I told myself. No different from any other garment. The pressing matter was that I needed information.

I was dangerously lost in the dark. I needed to know what was happening to me and if anyone could give me some insight, it was the boy on the other side of the door.

=^..^=

"Don't you dare laugh" I called out to him. "Or I swear--"

"I won't" he replied quickly, "I promise"

I took a deep breath and pulled the door open revealing myself. The dress was longer than I had initially thought and came up to my calf. It was free-flowing, modest, and admittedly comfortable.

"See? I'm not laughing" he said with a charming smile.

"Get in here" I pouted.

The first thing he did was pick the wrap off the floor and place it gently on a nearby table.

"Where are we?" I asked as I walked to sit on the bed. Standing was hard.

"The palace" Nabo answered as he took a seat beside me, "We will stay here throughout the festivities"

"Can I leave?"

"Absolutely not" he shook his head, "I don't think you understand our significance. We are responsible for the village's prosperity for the next year. If for some reason we are not able to finish the celebrations, we risk incurring the wrath of the gods"

"I don't care about all that" I dismissed him.

"How can you still say that? Do you still not believe even now?"

"Look at me, how could I not believe? You were right all along"

"Then why aren't you taking this seriously?"

I paused and gathered myself before speaking again. "I hate them", I told him.

There was a brief silence between us before I continued.

"They suck. Ikuba is real and she sucks"

"Don't say that" Nabo reached out and forcefully grabbed my shoulder. It hurt. It fucking hurt so why was he the one wincing.

"What's wrong?" I asked him.

"Nothing, it's just a wound"

"Let me see"

"It's nothing" he brushed me off.

"Where's the wound?" I pressed sternly, "Show me"

Nabo let out an exasperated sigh before revealing that the wound was on his back. It took some effort but eventually, I made my way behind him and raised his shirt to reveal two palm imprints burned into his flesh. It fit my hands perfectly.

It proved my point perfectly.

"Don't you see? Ikuba is a psycho that wants to watch the world burn" I walked around to face him again, "What if that was your face?"

"Whatever she's like, I promise Arun is much worse" Nabo confessed.

"Then how can you defend them?"

He had no words to offer.

"That doesn't matter" I shook my head, "I need my body back. Please tell me there's a way."

"I can't do that" he answered.

"What do you mean you can't?" I asked in a panic "Am I stuck like this?"

"I don't know," he told me.

This time I was the one with no words.

"I don't know" he repeated in a defeated voice.

=^..^=

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Thanks for reading this short story so far. Would love to hear what you think