A dark fairy tale about traps, lures and falling for shadows.
When you see an eldritch dark horror made of shadows by the side of an old cursed trail that no one dares to go, you expect it to be less charming as it tries to trick you with deceitful...
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Art by James Fenner (@JMFenner91 on Twitter)
They were going too fast.
The wagon jolted and jumped like a raging bull as it sped through the old Redwood trail's uncertain terrain.
I had been rolling at the back of the wagon like a limp sack of potatoes, trying to swerve away from all the boxes and crates filled to the brim with what seemed to be stolen goods from my village.
For the past few months, we've been hearing about a gang of thugs that were going around neighboring towns stealing and wreaking havoc as they passed through. It was only a matter of time before they paid a visit to our village.
And as predicted, it didn't take long for them to show up. Even though it was something we had been expecting for a while now – myself included – I wasn't counting on them ambushing me at the back alley close to Wee John's tavern, to force me to join in their criminal ventures.
It hadn't been exactly the sort of invitation you could refuse, I quickly realized, as they forced me to join them with the tip of their knife pressed against my throat.
Now, here I was, tied up in the back of their wagon, trying to hold on for dear life as I jolted against piles of crates and boxes helplessly.
From inside the covered wagon, I could hear the boastful laughter of men coming from the rider's seat outside, and the whip cracking through the air, urging the horses to go even faster than they were already going. This speed was ill-advised on this trail, but I wasn't going to tell any of them that.
At this rate, we were bound to hit a rock soon and break a wheel, and I was planning on trying to escape if that ever happened. They didn't know the area as I did, I could easily lose them if I ran and hid somewhere in the high vegetation near the forest's border.
As far as I could gather, the bandits had planned to take the old Redwood trail, this way they could reach Chalkbarrel faster than the rangers, who would surely pursue them on the new, and much longer, route. By taking the old trail, they were going to have more than enough time to get to Chalkbarrel and quickly disperse, each of them going their separate ways with their part of the stolen goods before anyone could catch them.
I was brought along to be their guide for tonight and to guarantee them safe passage on the cursed trail. They had heard about Sweeny Buckle's grim fate at the tavern and how I was the only one in the area who could make it through the trail unscathed. After hearing that, kidnapping me seemed the best idea for a swift and safe escape, they had decided.
They were not going to make it to the end of this trail though, not with the reckless riding they were doing. Their wagon was too big, too heavy, and going too fast. They wouldn't be able to avoid all the rocks scattered everywhere down the trail, not going like this.
