wrath of gods

The Transformation

"Hello Father." I said as I walked into the old wooden house.

"Braden my boy! It's so good to see you." My father hugged me as I dropped my bags by the door.

I am in my twenty third year, and have been away from home for five years. I was studying in the Great Hemming College. A college far outside of town for people to study the world. I went to study the Nightmares, as ever since I was thirteen I have had an odd fascination with them, I never understood why. But I learned very little, as Nightmares haunt that area as well, and little is known about them. "It's about time you came back to help us out, I'm getting old." Father said as he grabbed a walking stick by the door.

"Yes sir. Let me put my bags up and I'll head to the river to pull up the nets for you." I said as I placed my hand on my fathers shoulder.

"Oh my boy, how I have missed you." Father said with a smile. His face has aged terribly. A gray beard and gray long hair make him look older than he really is. He had on a black leather flat brimmed farmers hat. It was old and worn.

"I missed you too father." I said as I picked up my bags and proceeded to my room upstairs. Once in my old room, I placed down my bags and changed into my fishing gear. A set of black boots, grey tightly woven pants, a white button down shirt, and a leather cloak.

I exited my room and saw the door in the hallway right across from my door. It was shut and locked. I never understood why. But every time I stand near the door, I become anxious and scared.

I quickly dismissed the thought and headed out to the river via horse back. It was early morning. Probably around ten o'clock when I reached the first net in the river. I pulled it up to find an unusually small amount of fish. Without a second thought I collected them and headed down to the other nets. And almost all of them had very little to no fish. But once I checked every net trap, I took all the fish into town.

Once in town I took the fish to the local market keeper.

"Oh Braden! It's so good to see you again!" The little old market keeper said to me as she hugged me and kissed my cheek.

"Nice to see you again Mrs. Market." I said as I placed all the fish into an ice barrel.

"Everyone around here has missed you dearly, you're the first person to venture out of Village and go to the Hemming College! Oh how your parents must be proud!" Mrs. Market was filled with glee. The Market family was close to our family, as they had a daughter my age I played with often while I was young. "Oh Roseal will be so happy to hear you're back!" Roseal was that childhood friend.

"Is she around ma'am?" I asked as I finished storing the fish for her.

"Yes sir, she's sweeping out back." She pointed with her old brittle hand to the back door of the market store. I then proceeded in that direction only to hear, "She's really missed you! We all have." Shouted to me from behind as I entered the back room.

The back room was filled with boxes of goods and foods. It was dark, lit only by a single window letting in natural sunlight. As Roseal swept the floor I could see the dust fly into the air and slowly rain back down to the ground.

"Oh my god! Braden! Oh my god!" Roseal dropped the broom she was sweeping with and hugged me tight.

"Hello love." I said as I kissed her forehead. She began to cry. Me and Roseal have been romantically involved since we were both in our sixteenth year, and it looks like it's going to stay that way for a long time.

"It's been to long Braden." Her words sounded broken as she gasped for air I between each words. She was crying fairly hard.

"I had mother read me your letters every time they came through..." She said, still in tears. She then looked up at me. Roseal was taken by a Nightmare when she was eleven. And even though the Nightmare was removed successfully, there was some collateral damage. Her brain could no long harness the power to read or write. No matter how many times someone tried to reteach her, her brain could not do it.