Dragomir - The Swamp of Maledictus | Wattys2024

Don't Get Lost

A storm above the swamp. Lightning is cutting through the night sky. Behind the broken clouds, the full moon shone its light unto the ground; a smile was forming along the moon's craters, slowly turning like a whirlpool. The distant crowing of ravens resounded. A stench lay in the air. Avery stood knee deep in the swamp, awaking of her dream. She stared to the ground, her eyes opening wide, and in her ears, her heart ringing. Avery fell forward, fighting to come free. The ravens sat above her—so many, so many. They were stretching their wings, screaming, whilst in the distance, through the shadows of the dark trees, a faint glimmer of light appeared, one, so high up, as high as the tree crowns—a tower it was. There was a mighty bell, and in front of it stood a person, a figure, a shadow. Avery fought with all her haste to come and leave the swamp's rotting water, yet it took her ever deeper down, never letting its grip of her. The swamp reached her stomach. She grabbed hold of a tree branch and held on to it. A sound of a bell rung, so distant—the death knell. Avery sank until her neck. She felt the pressure of it press against her chest, and at last, it sucked her down into the depths, pulling her on her legs. Darkness. She had no air. She desired to breathe. It pressed in her throat. She tried to take a breath. She tried and tried. She was drowning. She was dying.

Avery took a deep breath, instantly sitting upright. Sweat was dropping down her face. She looked around her, attempting to catch her breath, which seemed to have fled her entirely, her mind still confused. The memories of the dreams as alive as a real occurrence. Avery touched her neck, felt the pressure still on her skin and throat, yet felt it waning at last, while her eyes were blinded by the faint yet strong shimmer of the morning sun, gleaming through the tree crowns. Its light but struck her face and warmed her cheeks—letting the warmth wander through her body, which had felt so hot yet cold alike.

Avery at last awoke and laid her hand above her eyes, blinking many times while feeling her heart grow slower in speed. She gave one long exhale until staring over to the swamp, where the bird songs and the frog's croaking resounded already this early.

Avery was leaning against a tree—a tarp as protection from the wet soil underneath her. She looked up to see the campfire of last night, not all too far off. Avery saw some soldiers already awake, walking, in whispers, talking. It might've been the guards of the last nightly watch.

Seeing no sense in sitting here no longer, she crawled her way back to her feet, giving her limbs a long stretch, yawning, and giving herself some soft pats against her cheeks. Yet she couldn't help but still felt the slight and eerie feeling of drowning in her chest. Turning her head to the swamp once again, she whispered to herself, »This swamp gives no rest. Neither in day nor night. «

With an ache in every joint, she slowly walked over to the now barely smoking campfire, where in its last embers Akers had buried his aluminium cup—brewing coffee. He looked up and welcomed her with a nod.

Avery dropped to a log, rubbing the sleepiness from her eyes. On the other side of the campfire, she noticed Noe, his notebook on his knees, while he was slowly—truly slowly—munching on a dry bread. His eyes lay in the distance, all the time on the village. Following his gaze, she noticed the white smoke leaving some of the houses of Helen. She assumed that they were preparing some breakfast.

Avery spotted Redcliff and Leighton, walking towards their small campfire.

»Morning to the last of us, I see. «, Leighton said, nodding towards Avery. »Eat and drink some coffee or tea. Whatever gives you strength. «, he said to her.

»Have you gotten any news?«, Akers asked Leighton. Marlow sat down next to Avery. He gave a bow and said, »As of now, I can tell, they're going through their last plan. The exact mix of words we've heard won't make sense to you, but I'm believing strongly that we won't wait for long until entering the swamp. The way they talked, I'd say, the plan seemed already very solid. «