Writing

Next The Hunter's Lament

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"Damn it!!! I cannot believe it..." said Stellan, hanging upside down from an old tree. His senses had not fully returned, and his arms were numb, caused by a lesion in his head. However, he began to focus and could see that he was hanging upside down, from his left leg and the pain was becoming excruciating, now that he had regained consciousness.

“I cannot believe I got caught in my own trap”, he laughed hard at this unprecedented situation in which he had found himself.

He attempted to lift himself and liberate his leg from his own toothed metallic trap, which had bitten into his leg. The other end of it was tied to a branch, but it was all futile. The arms were still numb and all he could do was to wait.

"For how long can I wait? Is time going to favour me?" wondered and baffled by the unpredictable turn of events.

"This is a first for me, and who knows if fate will allow me to learn from it. However, I must cut the tie at all costs if I am to slaughter that damn beast," he cried while attempting to encourage himself.

"Eh, Drogus, what do you think of all this?" he turned and spoke to his horse. But to his amazement there were no traces of his horse and the only thing he could see was the saddle and the guitar.

“Always can rely on you Drogus. I will dedicate my next tune to your valorous spirit.” laughed mockingly while suppressing his pain.

“If all ends well, I will ask double payment from those villagers” contemplated with himself while the clouds dispersed and the moonlight brough illumination to the area.

As Stellan hangs upside down, his mind raced with conflicting emotions. Despite his outward bravado, doubts gnaw at the edges of his consciousness. Was he truly prepared for the dangers lurking in the Forest of Madness? Did he possess the strength and skill to overcome the malevolent forces that threaten to consume him? As the pain in his leg intensified, so too did his uncertainty, a nagging voice of fear whispering in the depths of his mind. Yet beneath it all, a stubborn determination flickered like a flame in the darkness, driving him to push forward despite the odds stacked against him.

He could see better his surroundings and noticed that the fog and darkness had covered the forest and trees were like islands in that dark – grey sea. In the distance he could see some flames and voices from afar came to him and this rekindled his spirit and hope. The torches were only a few hundred meters away, and there was a big line of them walking in the foggy forest.

“Hey anyone, can you hear me!!! Come and help me and I shall share the bounty with you” hoped to attract their attention.

No response came from the voices and he attempted to focus and localize them. To his amazement, suddenly the voices were all over and seemed having their rhythm and life. Suddenly they became distorted and inhuman.

“Well, no wonder this is called the Forest of Madness. I am hunting a beast that nobody has truly seen in a forest that plays with your mind and I am hanging upside down. Talk about cold humour spiced with lunacy” shook his head in disbelief.

The words of the tormented villagers came to him.

"Do not treat it lightly, Stellan the hunter. This forest plays a cruel game with your mind and soul. And it is the perfect dominion for the beast or demon that rules it," worried spoke Albert, chief of the village.

Stellan finished his beer, then grabbed a mug of water, poured it over his golden hair, and spread it through his trimmed red beard. Excitement, curiosity, and ambition took hold as a light blasted from his green eyes.