Her heart pounded furiously in her chest. The time she'd been waiting for was finally here. Winter solstice was a night of power or so she had read. She had researched this, she knew what to do. The only thing now was to make sure she didn't chicken out at the most crucial moment. She knew she was probably batshit crazy to even try this but at this point what did she have to lose? She walked briskly across the meadow towards the spot she had picked out in a clearing near a small stream. She'd set out most of what she was going to need earlier in the day while the sun was still out. Now all she carried with her were some matches, a very sharp hunting knife she'd bought for just this occasion because it had a beautiful deer-bone handle. It was a cold clear night and her breath puffed out in little clouds as she marched across the field.

She sat cross-legged breathing slowly, in through her nose and out through her mouth, trying to relax before she began. She had arrived early for just this purpose. She lifted her head and gazed at the stars twinkling brightly in the heavens. As she started to relax she mentally ran through her list of ingredients and carefully recited the words in her head. It would be time to begin soon and then there would be no backing out. She checked her watch, two minutes to midnight, it was time. She took a deep breath and struck a match, the little fire flickered to life. She had two minutes fifty-nine seconds to do this, it made her nervous. Her hands shook as she began adding things to the fire and started the prayers.

"Oh winds of the North hear my prayers. Oh sun of the East hear my prayers. Oh waters of the south hear my prayers. Oh moon of the West hear my prayers." She spoke with a certainty she didn't feel. "Hear me Gods of the Earth, for I am a child of light." She continued beseeching any and all Gods to hear and come to attend her ceremony. With all the Gods called in attendance, it was time to begin the final incantation and make the sacrifice. "Burn me up in the Blessed Fire, Grant me Gods my heart's desire, Take my blood, flesh and bone, accept this offering." She lifted the small cutting board to her lap and rested her hand on it curling her fingers ever so slightly. She took the knife and quickly, before she could change her mind, cut off the tip of her pinky on her left hand at the first knuckle joint and added it to the fire. She held her bleeding appendage over the flames adding her blood.

The clock ticked to twelve o' one as she finished her ceremony. The pain was much worse than she had expected and she nearly threw up. Breathing in deeply and swallowing rapidly she was able to keep the contents of her stomach in. Next she took a small kitchen knife out of the fire and pressed the red-hot blade to the tip of her mutilated finger cauterizing the wound. She hoped it was enough, that it would work, she had risked everything and given much for just the chance that this might work. Several minutes and nothing happened she began gathering her things disheartened, it hadn't worked. As she reached to pick up the pitcher of water to put out the fire, she bumped her newly damaged finger and sent white-hot pain searing up her hand and along her arm. Her eyes rolled up in her head and the world went white.

She floated in the darkness warm and safe, she felt nothing. She knew she existed in another world somewhere where there was pain and fear but here she felt only blissful silence. Then there was searing agony as she moved in her sleep and she came bolt up right breathing heavy gently cradling her injured hand. Nothing of her surroundings intruded, all she knew was pain. Then a voice began to break through, it was angry and insistent, she tried to listen but all she could hear was the pounding of her own heart and the blood thundering through her veins.

As the pain subsided she was more capable of focusing on that angry voice but the words weren't making any sense. She turned her head towards it and her eyes went wide with shocked recognition. Joy filled her entire being, it had worked she was here, she had made it, the sacrifice was enough. The smile that split her face exuded sheer happiness on a level he'd never seen. "Hello Dean, I've waited a long time and went through a lot of trouble to get here. I'm glad to finally meet you."