Elliotte

Chapter Four

A splash of water droplets washed over Ernice as she flung the under garment and hung it in the laundry line to dry. The sun high up in the bright clouds, ready to dry the fresh laundry.

"There's just so much to do" she muttered as she lifted the empty basket and readied for a return journey to the brook.

She began to cover the distance when she sensed first the dread, the panic and the fear.

She glanced up and hastened towards the approaching panicking lot.

"Is the overlord back already?"

She hastened to wards them and dropped the basket, hands akimbo. Waiting for the woman rushing forth towards her.

"For what just cause have you set yerself up in a fierce frenzy up fer na, Abigail?" The need to cease rousing unneeded panic has been drilled into all and sundry. So much was at stake to let loose under such temporary and mundane emotions.

If it were for no good, she thought,...

Abigail had the good sense to compose herself and give a good response. But her words and her demonstrations trembled with sheer panic and barely constrained fear. ""Tis the curse," she said and Ernice fought the urge to tear her mouth. They knew not to speak such words around here. "The tree. The tree," she went on pointing behind her. ""Tis bleeding. Tis bleeding, I say." Her eyes widened and her parlor pale from fright. ""Tis the curse come again. 'Tis-"

Ernice grabbed the frightened woman and shook her till her head danced back and forth on her neck. All the courage and all the compulsion she needed to pass on, lit her eyes up. "What is this ye are doing? We spoke about this. We agreed on this matter. No matter, the amount of fear we feel and no matter how many times that - that tree bleeds, we won't ever lose hope. We won't ever lose our composure. We'll keep the faith."She shook her once again.

"Did ye forget so soon?"

Abigail shook her head morosely.

"Good." Happy message was passed across, Ernice dropped her hands and looked around for her basket, then grabbed it. Slowly, shewalked away.

She wasn't past the fear and panic herself.

However, if the tree had began bleeding once again, then it could only mean..

Did it mean...?

Her steps ground to a sudden halt. "Oh nay."

The horse neighed loudly and it's muscles bunched beneath gleaming flesh as it moves in panic.

The stench of fresh blood filled the air, alongside that of death. Dark death.

There was nothing pure and Godly about the night and the horse knew that. It's dark piercing eyes eyes the creature crouched before it, face half buried in what was now the corpse of another. Too revolting to behold, the stallion struggled to look away, be away from the scene of horror and abnormality.

Blood dropped in crimson rivulets to the earth and spread it horrid tale

The whispers of a curse renewed filled the night air to a frenzy and the horse neighed louder.