Summary.

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Martha: A little town sits at the foot of a great mountain, and up in that mountain lives a... well, we call 'em a monster, but I've never been one to judge a book by its cover, mind ye. For years and years, the village folk have been sendin' up cattle and offerings to keep the peace—keepin' the beast happy so it doesn't come down and smash our pretty little cobblestone streets to bits.

But this year... oh, this year they got a terrible idea in their heads.

Instead of sendin' a cow or a sack of grain, the mayor and the council decided to send a maiden. A fair young thing, they said—someone to "satiate the beast" for years to come. And who did they pick? My wee Elara. My granddaughter. The firstborn of my son, the light of my old eyes.

I watched 'em march my precious lamb up that mountain path, her red hair like a flame disappearin' into the gray rocks, and I thought my heart would shatter right there in my chest. I didn't sleep. I didn't eat. I just sat in Eustace's old chair, starin' out the window, prayin' to the Lord above to bring her back to me.

And He did... but she came back with a message from the creature.

It didn't want her. It said she wasn't what it was lookin' for. It said... it wanted the oldest maiden in the town. The sweetest blood.

And when every eye in that square turned to me... well, I knew what I had to do.

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//lets see if the page doesn't take out this image...//