WITCHDOM

CHAPTER 4.

WITCHDOM

4.

****NOMAQHIBELO****

I walked for what felt like hours, my bare feet aching from the cold, rough ground. The hills seemed to stretch on forever, and I stumbled and slipped more than once. But I kept going, driven by a morbid curiosity about the white light and the evil river.

As I finally reached the riverbank, I saw that the light was shining down on a figure huddled on the ground. At first, I thought it was a statue or a trick of the light, but as I drew closer, I saw it move. It grunted and coughed, and I froze, my heart racing with fear.

As I took a step closer, I realized that the figure was a man, not a woman. His face was twisted in discomfort, and his lips were gagged with a strange, cloth-like material. His hands were tied to his legs with a thick rope, and he looked like he was in immense pain.

He grunted louder as I approached him, his eyes fixed on me with a mixture of fear and pleading. I could see the desperation in his eyes, and it made my heart race with anxiety.

The moon was incredibly bright, illuminating every detail of the man's appearance. He was tall and gaunt, his clothes torn and worn out. His shirt was ripped, revealing a chest covered in bruises and scratches. His pants were soggy and clinging to his legs, and I could see that he was shivering with cold.

As I looked closer, I saw that his feet were bare, just like mine. They were dirty and scratched, and I could see that he had been walking for a long time. I wondered where he had come from, and what had happened to him.

The man's eyes locked onto mine, and I felt a jolt of electricity run through my body. He was trying to communicate with me, but the gag in his mouth prevented him from speaking. I knew I had to help him, but I was scared. What if he was dangerous? What if he was a threat to me?

I steeled myself and reached out to the man, grasping the black gag that was tied around his mouth. It was surprisingly strong, but I pulled with all my might, trying to yank it out. The man's eyes widened in pain as I pulled, and he let out a loud scream as the gag finally came free.

As the gag was removed, I saw that it had left deep marks on his cheeks and lips, making that area of his face look pale and almost white. The man's mouth was bleeding, and he was gasping for air, but he looked up at me with pleading eyes and said,

Man: ''Please help me! Help me please''

His voice was hoarse and rough, but it was filled with desperation. I could see the fear and pain in his eyes, and I knew I had to act fast. I looked around us, trying to see if there was anyone else nearby, but we were alone by the river.

''What's going on?' I asked him, trying to keep my voice calm. ''Who did this to you?''

The man's eyes were wide with fear as he spoke, his voice shaking with emotion.The man coughed, wincing in pain, and said,

Man:"I don't know...I was running away...my brothers helped me escape...we were on the move for ,

hours...then...the driver gave me food...I think it was drugged, i slept off...I woke up...tied up...and they threw me here...into the water...I thought I died..."

I listened in horror as he recounted his story, my mind racing with questions. Who were his brothers? Why had they helped him escape, only to betray him like this? And who were the people who had tied him up and thrown him into the river? I didn't understand the story fully but I can see the pain in his eyes as he said it all.

I saw the tears welling up in his eyes, and I knew I had to do something. I looked around us again, trying to see if there was anything I could use to cut his ropes, but there was nothing. I would have to use my bare hands to untie him.

As I struggled to remove the ropes that bound him, I couldn't help but notice that he didn't look like anyone I had ever seen before. He was lighter-skinned than anyone from our village, and his features were strikingly different. His eyes were a deep shade of blue, and his hair was a messy brown mop. He was handsome, despite the bruises and scratches on his face.

His clothes, although torn and tattered, looked like nothing I had ever seen before. They were made of a strange material, and the design was unlike anything I had ever seen in our town. All of our wizards don't dress like this. I've seen most wizards, he's different.

I couldn't help but ask, ''Where are you from?'' as I finally managed to remove the last of the ropes.

He looked up at me, his deep, hoarse voice sending shivers down my spine.

Man:''Durban,'' he replied, ''the Zululand kingdom.''

I nodded, trying to process everything. Who was this stranger? And why was he here?

I don't even know any other town apart from Netherlands. It's all in the globe calendar. It's all we know here. Maybe he is a mystic being from the evil river. The thought of that made me withdraw from him. I moved back as he stood up and asked the weirdest question.

Man:"Where can I get the next available flight to Durban?"

"What's that?"

Man:"Take me to the airport. Or the park. I need to return to Durban immediately."

He's confusing me the more. I don't know any Dooban nor do I know what's airport or whatever he just said.

I think he noticed my confusion...

Man:"where's this place?"

"Netherlands... there's no Dooban anywhere here."

I was still trying to explain more to him when he slumped and I don't know... maybe died?

Then I saw the blood... he's bleeding profusely. I checked his vitals and he's...