[color=f49ac2][h2][center]Aaranya Singh[/center][/h2][/color]

The first thought that came to Aaranya, stirring in the first light of dawn, was [i]Why is this hard? Am I sleeping on the floor? ...Oh well.[/i] The rejected Sacrifice shifted to a more comfortable position and drifted off for a few more seconds. Then her mocha-hued eyes flew open in shock.

[i][h3]I'm supposed to be dead!! Why am I alive? Is the Creature running late? Did it decide I'm not good enough?  Is this real? Am I real? What will happen to Warlington?! WHAT DID I DO WRONG!?[/h3][/i]

Aaranya dug her nails in and clutched the earth as if she would fall right off into space if she didn't hold tight enough. She cycled through the wheel of questions in her head for who knows how long. After a while, another thought emerged. [i]Kabir.[/i] He would know what to do, or at least take a good crack at it.

The woman slowly pushed herself to a sitting position, stopping there for a minute to avoid dizziness. She was still quite thirsty and hungry -- odd complaints for a supposedly dead person, she mused. Then Aaranya noticed something on the ground next to her that she didn't recognize. It looked like a bone-white necklace with patterns of skulls and roses. Lovely and ominous.

Aaranya hesitated, then reached out to grasp the object. She drew her hand back and let out a startled yelp - hot! Burning to touch!

But... why would it be?

Aaranya observed closely the grass beneath the mysterious pendant. There was no wilting or browning. No heat waves wafted off the object into the crisp morning air. The evidence suggested it was likely not hot for real. But she held her palm an inch away and felt radiating warmth. There was no going around it - Aaranya must treat it as scorching for the purposes of handling it.

She tentatively touched the silver cord and found it tolerable. A soothing warm, in fact, like a hot shower. Aaranya wrapped the pendant up in its cord and placed it inside her purse for the time being. She could further explore it later, if it didn't burn a hole through her bag.

With that, the young woman stood and walked back to town. She took a winding way around, keeping to side streets and lightly wooded areas. Her dawn-pink silken sari could give her away, make her recognized among the ordinary people feebly striving to live an exceptionally ordinary day. But it was early still for most to leave their homes, so that was in her favor. Aaranya flowed silently as a ghost, praying she would face no townspeople before she reached home... or ever again, if the gods were feeling generous.