Dragomir - The Swamp of Maledictus | Wattys2024

The Haunt of the Bell

An odd stench lay in the air, filled by what one may call rotting flesh. It grew so very strong, every breath was torture. The stench was burning Avery's nose and eyes, making her more lightheaded than ever. The trees around them grew denser, more massive, and older of age. Many pieces of fallen wood lay across the swamp, which had grown in depths and widths alike. Often times it was only the fallen trees that allowed the lost yet searching soldiers to continue soldiering on over the wide stretching ponds of the stinking, oddly coloured waters without setting foot into them.

Many a frog and toad sat alongside the logs the patriots climbed over, while on the ponds—on the big leaves—many more of these curious animals watched them passing by. It was there and then that Avery's eyes lay often times on the sky above, there, where she managed to see sometimes the skies above. The sun had first been orange, yet had already begun to turn red.

The night was starting to fall.

Avery so desired to climb on one of these trees, high up into their canopies, and fly away like the birds above them, in search of fresh air. She could almost taste the fresh wind on her cheeks, filling her lungs. Almost.

She let her gaze fall yet again towards the darkness that surrounded them—the moss hanging between the thin and thick trees alike, hiding the distance from sight entirely. Avery pulled the collar of her shirt, the one that kept on being so tight against her neck.

The nature was pressing unto her soul, whether the sounds, the trees, the water from below, the vegetation, or the air itself. It was as if it held her in a tight grip, never letting her go. She knew well enough that she wouldn't even be able to run. Every step she'd take off the safety from these logs might be the last she'd take. Avery wasn't even sure if her teammates would notice her falling into this stinking water, for tired did they all seem and in thoughts alike.

All of them were tense, she knew. Questions lay in their heads, she thought, whilst herself she tried to push away, what she knew about the legend of Maledictus. She didn't want to believe. She wanted to believe that it had been her head playing tricks on her—if the others had only not heard the ringing of the bell alike.

The bell itself wasn't even the most shocking part of this story, but rather the uncertainty of how the ringer knew the men had died.

Avery felt a shudder wander through her body, almost making her feel cold. She shook her head, the inside of her lips biting and looking up to Akers, who walked in front of her.

Suddenly, Akers stopped. She almost crashed against him in this suddenness. Instantly she removed her cap from her wet hair, leaning towards Akers, asking, »What is it?«

»I'm not sure. «, Hugh answered.

»I think I heard something.«, Redcliff said, silently and being the cause of this sudden stop. He was looking back at all of them. »It came from over there. «, he said, pointing in a direction.

Avery followed his pointing—disgust grew in her. He was showing in the direction of the swamp, where not a single bit of any wood or dry land was to be seen.

»We can't walk through that muck.«, Akers hissed.

»It is clearer. It looks like simple, standing water. «, was all that Leighton said. He was the first one to step into it. Avery looked around Akers to the front, where Marlow walked inside the pool all casual. The water reached half of his shin. Leighton simply smiled at them, yet, halfway disgusted, even though he was hiding it well. He waved at Redcliff, »Come on. Duty awaits us, does it not? «

Redcliff followed Marlow's example and jumped into the massive yet shallow pool. Akers gave a snort, shaking his head yet saying no more and climbing carefully into it. Avery waited and watched the men now slowly walking in the water, towards a dark spot in the swamp—if it were possible, to grow darker.