A Deal is a Deal

by Crystal L. Kirkham

Tonight, they celebrated her granddaughter’s sixteenth birthday. An adult by the standards of the ancients. Now, the river spirit demanded its sacrifice for the deal that Marie had made.

“Annalise?” Marie’s voice cracked with emotion. “Can you fetch some water?”

“Of course.”

Marie watched her leave before calling to her granddaughter. “Let’s go inside.”

Neither of them needed to hear the screams. Her granddaughter may be an adult, but Marie would watch over her and her daughters after her. She’d protect them all until they came of age and their mother had to be sacrificed so Marie could live on.

Crystal L. Kirkham

Crystal L. Kirkham resides in rural Alberta. She’s an avid outdoors person, unrepentant coffee addict, part-time foodie, servant to a feline, and companion canines. She’s a multi-genre speculative fiction writer who believes in following the story where it takes her.  

Find out more on her and her work at www.crystallkirkham.com