[WP] You and your wife are in a religious cult that randomly sacrifices one member every full moon for supposed boons. Tonight, your wife is chosen.

The Family of Aya sacrificed my wife tonight.

Riya, first wife of our beloved master, came to our room only an hour ago with the Sacred Writ. Upon it was inscribed Sarah's name and the appointed time of the sacrifice, and many words and markings which would have meant nothing to me even if I could have read them through my unbidden tears.

She could have begged and pleaded, but she held up her head when chosen and said only, "So shall it be."

Her few belongings would be sacrificed with her. We gathered them into a bag, then walked out of our little yurt and into the Gathering Place.

The Family was waiting there. All 28 members, excepting only our beloved master, stood together and sang the Song of Sacrifice.

Then Sarah turned and walked to the path, and the rest of us followed as one.

A few minutes later we reached the place, there by the great road between the Cities. We stood in reverent silence, until the moment of the Sacrifice arrived.

And there it was, the Great Beast, the Devourer, the Taker of the Devoted. It was there to take my Sarah.

"Goodbye, my love," I said tearfully, and handed her the bag.

She smiled as she accepted it and kissed me, then turned and stepped into the yawning mouth of the Beast.

Within the throat of that great, stinking dragon, I heard the Beast's servant as he took the Sacred Writ from her hand.

"All the way to Seattle? Okay miss, pick a seat and settle in--and thanks for going Greyhound."

/r/WritingPrompts Thread