The morning sun shone brightly in the sky, and the forest birds were hosting a musical contest. My whole being was covered in perspiration as I dragged my weary body to the newly discovered water source.
I've been roaming this strange forest for over five hours looking for a way out of this hellhole.
I stared dazedly at my reflection in the water. A strange lady with a few cuts on her face and a dozen bruises on her exposed skin stared back at me.
The figure in the water looked like someone who had just survived a bomb blast. I smiled, and the lady smiled back at me, her disheveled hair danced freely in the wind.
I remembered what happened the night before, and water escaped my eyes.
Who could have thought that a fragile lady like me would kill a man, talk less of taking four lives. Though they weren't good people, they were humans after all.
I didn't know if there were any casualties from the earthquake I caused last night. If people died in the explosion, that's another addition to my kill list.
I could only pray for my homeowner to survive the disaster.
Was it worth it?
If I hadn't gone to the party uninvited, none of this would have happened. I am now in the middle of nowhere, when I'm supposed to be researching for my final year project.
My life was ruined, all because of a plate of rice.
I took off my dirty clothes, jumped into the river, and washed myself clean. I washed my clothes in the flowing river and spread it on a broken log of wood. It didn't take long before the giant heat bulb in the sky licked them clean.
I walked for two more hours until I finally got to a dirt road.
What happened to the asphalt roads we see in the city? Is this some kind of village road?
There was no house or settlement in sight. I could only see bushes and large trees on both sides of the road.
As I was walking down the dirt road, I heard rumbling sounds coming from behind, followed by an animal sound that sounded like a horse's neigh.
I quickly rushed into the forest and hid behind a large tree.
A small carriage that was being pulled by a horse was speeding on the dirt road. The carriage stopped exactly where I was standing a minute ago.
A young lady got down from the coach and started sniffing the air like a dog.
I couldn't see her face clearly due to the black cloak she was wearing. But I know she's young, judging by her voice.
"I smelt it, there's someone here!" She exclaimed.
"Hey, little one. I'm not here to scare you or anything. But the place you're staying is dangerous. The bloody traders might be here anytime soon…" the woman said, but never stopped sniffing around.
Suddenly, she looked at the spot where I was hiding and smiled, "come out little girl, I meant you no harm."
I stood still instead, and tried to lower my breathing as much as possible, but the lady looked as me and laughed; " come."
She beckoned.
It was as if her voice is the ultimate truth. I threw away my reasoning and walked out of my hiding place half-mindedly.
There's something wrong with her voice. A strange voice in my head was compelling me to heed her command, as I walked up to her against my wish.
"Sorry for using my bewitching technique on you. You wouldn't have come out if I hadn't done that ." The strange lady apologised, and pulled down her cloak's hood for me to see her clearly.
"Hi, I'm hilda." She stretched out her hand for a handshake.
But my mind had travelled elsewhere as I stared blankly at her.
This young lady should be the most beautiful woman I've ever seen, after my mother.
I would rate her as the third most beautiful woman in the whole world, after yours truly.
Her azure hair cascaded down her shoulders while she stared deeply at me in curiosity.
The blue-eyed beauty smiled, revealing rows of pearly whites behind her thin lips.
Judging by the shape of her cloak, this woman was blessed with an hourglass figure.
"Hello!" she waved at my face, jolting me back to 'life'.
"I'm Diana…" I shook her hand.
"You're new here right? You can follow me back home if you don't mind," She said.
I entered her little carriage, and she sped off into the distance.
The carriage smells of rotten food, fresh leaves, and one particular strange smell I couldn't recognize.
"Oh! That pungent odour should be from the mandrake roots, and the sack on your right is full of deer antlers and the big bottle by your left is acacia essence… just bear with it till we reach our destination, haha!" I guess Hilda saw me covering my nose due to the pungent smell in the carriage.
It didn't take long before we reached her place.
It was a small village filled with beautiful women like her and there was not a single man in sight.
When we got to her house, we met a middle-aged woman, steering a green liquid in a small bowl.
Upon seeing me, the woman sprung up to her feet and rushed up to me.
"The… the prophecy is true!" She exclaimed.
I woman inspected my body, her blue eyes scanned every inch of my body as if I were some alien.
She left the green 'soup' she was preparing on the table, then scooped out pieces of palm nuts from a small pouch she was wearing on her waist.
She spit into it and asked me to do the same, before jiggling the nuts in her Palm. Then she threw them on the table.
"Not good! She must not stay here! We must get rid of her! She's a bad omen!" The woman shouted as if she was possessed by an evil Spirit.
"I'm sorry little Priestess, it's for your own good…" Hilda said, then she snapped her fingers. Her smiling face was the last thing I saw before I passed out.
My life story felt like a tragic story written by a sadistic author.
You should at least allow me some breathing space before writing about the next tragedy.
The costume party is a bait I should have never taken.
…
Well, I woke up tightly bound by some thick ropes. Hilda smiled apologetically at me before packing up her bags.
The house was almost empty as it seemed like they were relocating.
"Release me now, witch!" I shouted, but the little witch placed a gag on my mouth and sealed it.
"I'm very sorry your Highness, I'm doing this to preserve the lives of the remaining members of my coven and to also save your life in the process, " the middle-aged woman said.
"Wait, what! You're a witch!" I shouted, but all that came out of my mouth was muffled grunts.
"All residents of this village are the last of the witches. And that is why we must preserve our lineage… you'd never understand our pains." The middle-aged woman continued.
"I can smell them from afar, they'll soon be here." Hilda said, urging her mother to pack quickly.
"We must send her away in this instance! Gather the others, we're opening a portal for her to escape! The blood suckers must not meet her here!"
Within a minute, about 30 witches had already surrounded me.
They drew some strange symbols on the ground with a mixture of animal blood and some other liquid.
I was carried into the drawn circle. Then the witches formed a circle around me. They were chanting magic spells while doing strange hand signs.
What the hell? At least untie me before sending me to God knows where.
I tried reminding them, but they ignored my muffled grunts and continued casting their spells.
A few seconds later, the symbols on the ground lit up, a bright light flashed, and I found myself lying beside an abandoned truck by the roadside.
Merely seeing the asphalt road brought tears of joy to my eyes; I'm finally home.
But wait! How the hell am I going to get home being tied up like this?
Spoon you Hilda! Spoon your whole coven!