In fact, their blood was still cooling upon her skin when she finally found the old pond at the back edge of the estate. Lazy curls and ribbons of red fell off and sank into the depths of the swirling water as she submerged herself and sought out some form of inner peace. The sacrifices had brought her a modicum of happiness when they’d breathed their last, calm washing over her as the sun arched off to pass beneath the horizon, hazy orange and deep red being the only light left to illuminate the wilderness.