Page 1 of A Curse So Vile
1
BRENNA
Ishould start back,Brenna thought, but she knew she hadn’t the luxury, for that would surely guarantee her death.
Trudging through the blood-red swamp water as she had been for the better part of the day, she wondered if she was close to the witch’s shack. They often dwelt in dark, dank areas, and this particular occultist held true to custom more than most, inhabiting a place so rancid with decaying vegetation and putrid flesh, it made Brenna’s stomach twist.
The sky was still gray, as it always was during the daytime in this portion of the Dusklands, but darkness was creeping ever closer, bringing with it terrors the likes Brenna would rather not meet.
Mosquitos hovered, but none dared approach. It was one benefit of having Denithian blood: mosquitos and parasites didn’t have a taste for it. She was also immune to most poisons and many ailments that came with age.
Unfortunately, the benefits did not extend to curses.
A raven screeched a throaty caw, calling out her trespass, but she persisted nonetheless, determined to put an end to the folly that had plagued her for so long.
There is no end to this. No way out. Pushing forward will only tangle my senses.
But just as she was about to head back, a pinprick of light flickered in the distance, the only beacon of hope she’s had since entering the dastardly Bloodmoor Swamp.
She knew it was foolish to get her hopes up, and that leaving would be safer than continuing, for now. But she was no quitter, and there was too much at stake for her to give up.
The trees shielded her from the wind, but with brisk season approaching, her hair stood on end. Trudging through knee-deep swamp water only made it worse. If she had taken Icaries with her, he would have surely warmed her, but he was not suited for the swamp, so she left him back at the Den.
Snakes watched her from the trees and gnarled roots, surely wondering who could survive this far into the wetlands. If she hadn’t been in such a hurry, she would have skinned and roasted one, as she was near starving.
But a full belly would have to wait.
The pinprick grew into a glow, and now Brenna could see the outline of a small shack between a thicket of trees.
Sweet victory.
She exhaled in relief, hoping her plight would soon be over. She passed an alligator on a small patch of land without fear, as they were beginning their cycle of brumation and had no desire of being forced back into the water if things didn’t go their way.
It’s only a little further. I just have to keep going.
The sound of frogs slapping against the wet earth reminded her of lustful sex, something she knew quite a bit about. It had been a good while since she had last known the intimacy of flesh, and she hoped to remedy that soon, when she was finally done with her mission.
The shack sat slanted on a floating dock; it was a wonder it stood at all. A small boat was tied to a pier, its wood broken and warped.
She scrunched her nose.How could anyone live like this?
After arriving at the pier, she climbed a rickety ladder onto the solid surface. The wood beneath her wobbled, almost casting her off.
No wonder it was so hard to find her. Whenever she feels the need to hide, she can move her whole damn house.
She approached the shack on tippy toes, taking great care to be quiet. Because she was from the Dusklands, she could see well in the dark, but her eyes sometimes needed to adjust when there was glowing light against darkness. She squinted, and things slowly came to focus, but when they did, she was horrified by what she saw.
Standing directly in front of her was an alligator, twice as large as any she’d ever seen.
It stared at her through slitted eyes, daring her to step forward.
He doesn’t want a struggle. Not this time of year.
“Oh! Excuse me, Sir Toothy,” Brenna whispered, stepping lightly around him. “I’ll be out of your way soon enough.”
As she approached the window, she held her breath because the last thing she wanted was to be spotted before she was ready.
Please let this curse be over with. Haven’t I suffered enough?