I’ve worked at Kingston abattoir for about three years now. It’s not the most glamorous job in the world but it pays well, and the work hours are flexible, so it suits me just fine. I had always got on well with everyone who works there, although many don’t stay long and there are only a few of us who have been there for more than a year.

         It was a Friday night and I had planned to go out with some friends but as I was on my way out, I realised I couldn’t find my wallet. I spent a while combing the house before I realised, I must have left it at work. I don’t live far from work and it wouldn’t take me long to run in and get it. I knew at that time of night the place would be empty. Andy the manager would have locked the main entrance a long time ago, but the back door had a keypad entry. Most of the staff knew that Andy hadn’t got around to changing the combination from 1234 since the lock had been installed a year back. He’s a pretty laid-back kind of guy, with a bad memory and a very trusting disposition so there’s a lot of things in that place that don’t get done unless they are urgent. Still, it suits us, many of the staff use that door when we are a few minutes late, so we don’t have to go past the office.

         The abattoir is at the very end of a quiet cul-de-sac. There are only three houses on the road and one of them is Andy’s. He doesn’t spend a lot of time there as he has a bigger family home, in a nicer neighbourhood where he lives with his wife and two kids, but the house was sold as part of the abattoir, so they keep it mostly for extra storage.

         As I got to the end of the road I looked across to Andy’s house and noticed a lot of cars outside. I thought it seemed a little strange but otherwise I was just hoping Andy didn’t catch me sneaking into the building when I shouldn’t be there. I wasn’t planning on being there long. I just had to run inside to my locker, grab my wallet and leave. Two minutes tops. Things rarely go as planned though, do they?

         I walked around to the back of the building and punched in the code for the door lock. A faint click and the door opened. I wondered for a moment if there could be an alarm that he sets on a night. I couldn’t hear anything, and I knew that even if Andy did find me in there, he probably wouldn’t mind too much if I explained why I was there. I had almost reached the staffroom when I suddenly realised that the lights were already on and shining bright. My pace slowed as I contemplated why they would’ve been left on, when I heard the faint sound of voices coming from inside the room. What the hell was someone doing there at that time. Andy always locked up at 6:00 and it was now nearly 9:30. I paused for a moment outside the door, to see if I recognised the voices. I couldn’t tell what they were saying but I could make out one male voice and one female. I moved in closer to the door, my head angled to listen in to their conversation. They seemed excited about something. The voices got louder, and a sudden panic hit me as the door handle rattled. I jumped back and tried to squeeze myself into the doorway of the next room. It was a terrible attempt to hide but as they left the room, turning down the corridor in the opposite direction to me, they were unaware to my presence. When I realised they hadn’t spotted me, I took a step out to get a look at who they were. I didn’t recognise them. It was hard to tell what they looked like from the back of their heads through. The thing that struck me the most was what they were wearing. They both had on long black cloaks, with large hoods. It was so strange, but I didn’t really care what they were doing, I just wanted to get my wallet and get out of there. I walked back over to the staffroom door and listened in again. Everything was quiet, so I slowly opened the door and stuck my head inside. The room was empty. Seeing my opportunity, I ran inside and over to my locker. There was my wallet, sat on an old pile of newspapers that had been in there for a year and partially covered by a bag of crisps I hadn’t got around to eating. I picked up my wallet and went to leave the room. I had got what I came for and all I had to do now was walk back down the corridor and out. As I crossed the room, I started to notice the bags and jackets around the dining table, lunch boxes with sandwiches inside and mugs of half-drunk tea and coffee sat on the table still steaming away. I wanted to know what was going on. The place looked like it did during the day with a full shift of people. As I stepped outside the room the dilemma took hold. Turn left and leave quietly without anyone even knowing I was there or turn right and try to get a look at what was going on. Curiosity got the better of me.

I cautiously made my way down to the other end of the corridor to see where they went. They had turned off into the main processing area, where the meat is prepared after slaughter. There is a small clean room dividing the two areas where we keep all the protective clothing. I sneaked in, to get a peek through the glass window, giving me a clear view into the processing room. The whole time, trying to make sense of why people were there so late. I thought Andy might have been throwing some kind of fancy-dress party, but why in an abattoir? I could have understood the location choice if it was around Halloween, but it was the beginning of May, so it made no sense. As I approached the double doors, I could hear more voices. I peeked through the small window at the top of the doors, hoping I wouldn’t be spotted.

         The processing room is full of metal tables, used when cutting up the meat. They usually lay in two neat rows down the centre, but I could clearly see that the room had been cleared. The tables and equipment had been pushed to the edges, all except one table that had been left explicitly placed in the centre. Stood around it were at least eight people all wearing the same black cloaks up over their heads making it hard to see their faces. At that distance I couldn’t recognise any of them and wondered if it was a satanic cult that had broken in. Whoever they were and whatever they were doing, I had seen enough and wasn’t going to stick around to see what was going to happen next. I figured I would give Andy a call and let him know I saw lights on in the building and leave him to go and investigate or call the police. I quickly but quietly slid back through into the hall leading to my exit. As I rounded the corner, I was going so quickly I almost fell to the floor when I ran full force into a person stood in my path. It was Lance and next to him stood David, who both also worked at the abattoir. There was a moment of silence as we shared awkward, confused looks with each other, until David finally confronted me.

         ‘James! I wasn’t expecting to see you hear. Did Andy invite you?’

         I wasn’t sure what to say but saw this as my opportunity to find out what was going on.

         ‘Yeh, he invited me to come but didn’t really explain exactly what to expect,’ I explained, hoping to be vague enough that they wouldn’t realise I had absolutely no idea what was happening.

         Lance and David shared a look of apprehension before turning their attention back to me. I always got on well with them both at work. I would even consider David a close friend. We could have a laugh together at work and had met up outside of work on a few occasions. I wasn’t used to such an awkward and tense interaction.

         ‘Well you can’t go in like that and I will leave it up to Andy to explain,’ David said as he placed a hand on my back and guided me back down the corridor to the staff room.

         As Lance and David hunted around, talking about finding me a spare cloak, I thought about making a run for the door. Part of me really wanted to get out of there as fast as I could, yet there I stood, waiting patiently, unable or unwilling to move.

         They dressed me in a black cloak to match before leading me back towards the processing room where all the others were waiting around in idle conversation. As we walked into the room, I quickly pulled the hood up high over my head to mask my face the best I could. I knew I would be in trouble if Andy saw me. This was no average gathering of like-minded people. There was a sinister tone to this affair and whatever this was, I was now a part of it.

         I tried to get a look at the others, without being seen myself. I couldn’t make out anyone I knew except Andy, who I didn’t see but could recognise his voice as he conversed with a small group of people off to one side.

         I began to notice everyone paying more and more attention to the large metal clock hanging on the wall. The closer it got to 10:00 the more the tension in the group increased and by 9:55 everyone was clearly agitated or excited about something imminent. I was soon going to find out exactly what they were getting so worked up about.

         The room went quiet as the clock ticked to 10.00. Everyone walked over to the steel table left in the centre of the room, surrounding it in an oval shape. Andy was stood almost directly across from me. I had to keep my head down, so he didn’t recognise me. Next to him was an older man who had a large white cross on the front of his cloak. He pulled out a small book from his pocket and clutched it to his chest as he looked around at everyone. I could only assume he was a priest or some variation of religious figure, but why would a priest be there. I never took Andy or the others to be the religious type.

         ‘Today we must join for the annual ceremony of Delane and perform our service to humanity. We must relive ourselves of our tendency of undue concern to deliver the sacrifice demanded, to protect and preserve our peaceful existence. Please take a moment of reflection for the sacrifice we must provide,’ The priest commanded eloquently.

         I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Sacrifice. What sacrifice? What had I got myself into? As I stared at the priest, trying to make sense of what he was talking about my gaze shifted across to where Andy was standing. He was looking right at me now, with a scowl on his face. I froze in fear waiting for a reaction, but he didn’t say a word. He just kept staring at me, his eyes piercing through my soul.  

         I could feel my heart beating through my chest, getting faster and faster. That’s when a large metal door behind the priest loudly slid open and the crowd parted to make a passage for whoever or whatever was about to step out. I had never noticed the door their before and soon realised, that was because it was normally hidden with a rack of equipment. What was Andy hiding? The sound of arguing voices began to emanate from the dim passage that had been hidden beyond the metal door. Then the terrorised scream of a man. I wasn’t prepared for what was about to happen.

Out of the dark passage came three men, two wearing black cloaks, dragging an extremely malnourished scruffy looking man between them. They brought him over to the table still kicking and screaming. Then with the help of Andy and one other haggard looking female, who I didn’t recognise, they used a tattered old rope to tie his legs down and his hands above his head. Then a scuffed brown leather strap was placed across his chest and another over his knees. At this point the poor man had stopped screaming and was now pleading for his life with tears streaming down his face. He was wearing a pair of oversized dirty trousers, one sock and nothing else. He was covered in bruises from head to toe and had an unidentifiable symbol, weeping with blood calved into his forehead. My first thought was that he was off the streets. Was this some kind of neighbourhood cleansing? Whatever it was, I didn’t want to have any part of it but unless I wanted to end up on a table next to him, I would have to keep my mouth shut and go along with whatever was about to happen. I glanced back over to Andy with tears welling up in my eyes. I didn’t know why the man was there, but nobody deserves this. Andy looked back at me, still without a word spoken and gave the slightest shake of the head with a look of concerned frustration. I knew what he was thinking. I was a part of this now, with no way out.

         The priest opened his book and began to read a verse from a premarked page. For a moment the room fell quiet as everyone lowered their heads and the only sound to be heard, was the demoralised whimper of a broken man. The priest approached the table once more.

         ‘Please accept this man’s soul, as we sacrifice his body to the realm of Delane, for our protection from the evil that resides in the underworld. Keep him and protect him. In the name of the father and son and of the holy spirit, Amen.’

         The priest’s words were soft as he gestured with his hands over the man’s weak shivering body, before stepping aside and letting Andy approach the table. He didn’t look at the man in front of him, instead he had his gaze fixed on me as he pulled a large glinting knife from under his cloak. I stood up strong. I wanted him to know I wasn’t scared and was accepting the moment, as he plunged the knife down in to the man’s chest.

         ‘In sacrifice to Delane,’ Andy said, in a quiet breathy voice as he twisted the knife up, stealing the life of the helpless man.

         I was in complete shock and felt sick to my stomach but had to keep it together.

         Everyone in the room turned into a pack of vultures, grabbing at the man, tugging at the ropes and unbuckling the straps. Between them they pulled the man off the table and dragged his limp body over to the passage he had been brought out from. They were all so focused on taking the man away I thought for a moment I might have a chance to sneak out of there, when I felt a hand firmly grasp my shoulder. I turned to see Andy looking back at me. He didn’t look angry anymore, instead I saw a look of shame and pity.

         ‘You need to see why we do this,’ He said, as he gently pushed me in the direction of the others.

         I followed the group into the dimly lit passage and down a sloping corridor that seemed to go on forever.

         ‘What is this,’ I asked, quietly enough that the others wouldn’t hear me.

         ‘You’ll see. I’ll explain everything. You just need to know it’s all necessary.’ Andy replied in a sombre tone.

         Eventually we reached the end of the corridor, where we were confronted by two extremely large ornate wooden doors. I couldn’t believe this had been here the whole time. The doors opened to a huge cavernous void of rock with a cracked and broken dusty green tiled floor. The moment we were all inside, the doors were quickly shut behind us. There we stood in the centre of this hidden cave, stalactites hanging from the ceiling and drips of water echoing in the background. I was anxious and felt so venerable, trapped in a situation I was powerless to control. The air was damp and cold, only escalating the tense atmosphere amongst the group.

         Directly in front of us was a secondary cave like entrance, with an unnaturally made arch surround. Unusually angled stones marked with symbols reminiscent of the one carved into the dead man’s head, who’s pale limp body was now laid on the ground in front of the secondary cave entrance. The group dropped to their knees facing the opening where the body was placed. Again, Andy placed a hand on my shoulder and pulled me down towards the ground. I dropped to my knees and bowed my head to imitate the others, and then waited. I didn’t know what I was waiting for and had no idea what to expect, but there I waited in utter fright, my nerves taking over my entire body. After what seemed like an eternity a slight white glow started to emanate from the passage entrance, slowly getting brighter and brighter. I glanced around at the others who all looked extremely nervous, their heads held low, some shaking in fear. This only made me more petrified to see what was about to come through the passage.

 I raised my head slightly and could see the silhouettes of three dark shapes appear in the caves white glow. Then a faint clicking sound followed by a dull rumble that seemed to make the air surrounding us vibrate, as though pulses of energy were being shot out across the room. The rumble intensified until the ground beneath us began to vibrate, sending shockwaves through my entire body. The atmosphere was heavy and tense but once again, curiosity got the better of me. I lifted my head to get a better look. Stood before us were three creatures hunched over the body of the man I had just witnessed being murdered by my boss, who before today I wouldn’t have thought could hurt a fly. These things were a grey, green colour and almost wet looking. Their bodies were almost human like in appearance, except for their clawed hands and feet. Their heads looked more like something of a cockroach, with long antenna like appendage’s that they were using to caress the dead mans dishevelled body. Each of them had four mustard yellow eyes, two smaller ones on the side of their faces and two large oval eyes in front. The leathery skin around their faces stretched around a large protruding lower jaw and jagged stained teeth. I didn’t know where to start in trying to work out what these things were or where they came from. They were monsters. I was waiting for the moment they were going to rip the flesh off the poor man’s body but instead they continued with their intricate inspection. I didn’t want to see what was going to happen next or attract their attention. I lowered my head and waited with intense anxiety for them to return to their hidden world. My knees were hurting from kneeling on the cold stone floor and I was experiencing the most fear I had ever felt in my life. Just as it seemed like I would be stuck their forever, there was a deafening shriek and they darted off back into the light, taking the dead man with them.

         The light faded away and everyone stood up in elation. The look of relief displayed on everyone’s faces as they cheered and hugged each other. Well, everyone except me, who was just confused.

The group made their way back out of the cave, through the wooden doors and back along the corridor to the main building. It had been one hell of a night and now I just wanted answers, no matter the consequences. I walked over to Andy, to approach him myself directly. He had hung back from the group and was probably as eager to talk to me as I was to him. For a moment we just looked at each other unsure what to say.

‘What…’ I said, being the best I could muster.

‘I know, I said I would explain, and I will. Let’s get a brew and I will tell you all about it,’ Andy said in reply, seeming like his normal self again.

I just watched him kill somebody and now I’m sitting down with him for a cup of tea. Although after what I had just witnessed, I doubt anything will seem strange again.

We sat down in a quiet corner of the staff room, away from the others and sipped our tea while Andy explained the whole event.

‘Well I don’t know why you are here and suppose it doesn’t really matter now. You have found yourself part of this and you need to know what’s going on and why we do what we do. This abattoir has been passed down through my family from generation to generation, although its main purpose is not meat production. Nearly 500 years ago, a cave was discovered. Inside that cave they found a portal to an alternate universe. During the initial investigation they unknowingly opened the portal allowing the creatures you just saw, through to our world. Nobody has managed to fully translate their language but there are similarities to ancient Samarian, giving us some understanding of their kind. In the beginning they wound come through and share their knowledge of science and technology with us until they began to demand human subjects to study. Unsurprisingly there was an initial reluctance. We refused to hand over anybody for their studies, but then they came through in mass. It was a massacre. They killed thousands of people but only took eight people back through with them. This was all covered up by the government of course. So, nobody questioned it. From that day on, it was decided to give a sacrifice on the first of May every year, to keep them happy until someone could figure out how to close the portal. I’m not even sure if anyone is even trying to find a solution anymore. You need to understand that this isn’t something any of us want to be part of. We all just found our selves involved for various reasons, just like you are now. This is something that must be done to keep the rest of the world safe and oblivious to the threat that could wipe out humanity overnight if we don’t keep the creatures satisfied. I know this is hard to take in, but you need to understand that like it or not you are part of this and there are consequences if you try to cause problems.’

The look on Andy’s face told me all I needed to know. He had never sounded so authoritative.

‘I understand, it’s just so surreal. I’ve lived my life thinking the world was a certain way and suddenly everything I’ve believed my whole life has been turned upside down.’ I replied, still dazed and confused about what I had witnessed.

It was more than just the creatures that concerned me and Andy could see it written all over my face.

‘Who was he?’ I asked mournfully.

‘His name was Antony. He became homeless a few years ago after loosing his job. I know this is the hardest thing to hear, but he was a good guy. We have no control over the people sent for the sacrifice. Some government group sends them to us. They’re chosen because they’re people who won’t be missed. Anyone without family ties or a strong social circle. They don’t want this getting out.’ Andy replied.

‘How can you do that to someone, when you know they’re a good person,’ I frustratingly asked him, knowing it was unlikely he could give me an answer that would comfort my conscience.

‘It has to be done and it’s not something I take lightly. None of us want to do this. That’s why we have a priest, so we can at least cleanse their soul before we offer them up to the demons. I know they don’t deserve it, no one does but we have to sacrifice the few to save the many.’

I knew what he was saying made sense but wasn’t sure if I could ever really accept it. Andy never expressed what the consequences were and I didn’t want to find out. It surprised me when I was allowed to leave after everything I had seen, but who would believe something like that. I was there and I’m not sure if I even believe it really happened. I’m expecting my next work shift will be awkward to say the least. It’s something I will have to get used to. I’m a part of this now and there’s a new meat on the chopping block.