Bewitcher

5

Sometimes, I think life is just a dream, and we are all just playing parts. When we wake up, we will laugh over the stupid things we did. I just don't feel connected to the world.
I look up at the night sky and see a black blanket with holes, the light shining through the them. The moon is a big dinner plate. I'm lying on the soft grass, still warm from the days scorching sun, and my head is on a mossy tree root. I never knew life could get so beautiful here, at such a torturous place. I never knew that I'd be able to feel such undisturbed peace, here of all places...

"Rosa, where on earth are you?"

Ok, I was wrong. Undisturbed peace doesn't exist here.

Reluctantly, I push myself up and come face to face with a fuming Zahvahnah.
"What?" I ask.
"Where have you been? I've been looking for you for the past half hour! We agreed on 9 at the back door, and where do I finally find you? In the clearing on the other side of the blooming compound!"
"Well sorreeeeee! Not my fault you don't know the right places to look for me in this stupid place!" I bite back.
"Oh, sorry that I don't know the compound as well as you, missy. Not that I've been here for my whole life!" Sarcasm drips off her words like water off a gutter.
She gives me a look, and if looks could kill, I would be dead before you could say sausage. Then she turns, signals for me to follow and marches off into the woods, into the deepening dark.

Fifteen minutes later, I'm covered in mud for the second time today. It's dark and the temperature has finally decided to drop, and I'm squinting by the light of a torch to see a hand drawn map. Supposedly, I'm in a clearing at the moment, but I don't really think so, considering my head is almost brushing the branches of the trees above me.

I sigh. What am I doing with my life?!
I continue walking through the trees, even though the map says I'm supposed to be in a river at the moment. Oh well. I suppose if I keep walking around, I'll find Zahvahnah eventually, right?

Another half hour later, I'm up to my waist in a sloppy wet substance, and sinking fast. I scream so loud my throat is sore, and still no one comes. I'm up to my shoulders now, and still screaming at the top of my lungs.
And then out of the clearing comes Richie. Smirking. And all I want to do is slap him, but that's not really gonna help me get out of this sinking mess, now is it? So I abandon every last shred of my dignity and plead
"Can you help get me out of here?"
Richie laughs, and then grabs my arms and says "three, two, one..."
And then he practically yanks my arms out of their sockets. I hear the most disgusting squelching sucking noise, and suddenly I can move my legs again. Although I have lost a shoe.
I'm about to say thanks, but then I realise who it is, and I think better of it. Richie says
"Do you want help finding Zahvahnah?"
I'm about to decline, but then I realise that I'm very unlikely to find her before morning if I'm on my own. So I look away and mumble "yes please"
So Richie starts walking away into the forest, and I slowly follow, dragging my feet. Dragging my feet, and forgetting that I'm in a forest with loose branches and roots on the ground. We barely go twenty steps before I trip, scream and fall to the ground. I clutch my foot and ankle, the pain is pure agony. I'm still screaming and rolling on the ground.
Zahvahnah comes running. My first thought when I see her is well, I almost made it to her, right? My second thought is well are you going to help me or not?! Both she and Richie kneel down and prise my hands away from my ankle. I'm expecting them to laugh and tell me that I'm being silly, but instead they both suck in their breath when they see my foot. That does nothing to help calm my nerves.
Zahvahnah pulls out a mini first aid kit from her rucksack. First she gets some painkillers out and hands them to me. I swallow them in one, desperate for relief. Then she grabs a bandage and carefully wraps up my foot and ankle. By now, I'm exhausted. It must be at least 11 o'clock and I've been doing WAY too much physical activity today. So I barely notice as Richie takes my body and Zahvahnah gently picks up my legs. I'm fading out, sounds are getting muffled and my sight is getting dark. Slowly I slip into a deep sleep. The last thing I hear is Richie saying "we need to get her back to the house..."

I wake up to...not a cosy bed. I wake to a hard stone floor. I'm a bit confused, but then I remember the bandage Zahvahnah gave me and I think this must be the hospital room. I keep my eyes closed and keep my breathing even, trying to fall back into my happy slumber. But instead, I feel a soft hand on my face, brushing my hair out of my eyes. It strokes my cheeks with its cool fingers. I slowly become aware of a slight tickling on my left foot, and I figure it is Zahvahnah or someone tending to my ankle. Then I hear a voice. I recognise it from somewhere, but my mind is still hazy from the drugs she gave me. It is a male voice, and he says
"Isn't she beautiful? She just looks so calm and happy in her sleep. I've loved her since the day I set eyes on her."
Zahvahnah chuckles, and then someone starts to stroke me again. I'm in bliss. A man just said he loved me, and now he is stroking me! I can feel his breath on my face...
"Careful, Richie" warns Zahvahnah. And just like that, my happiness is shattered into a million pieces. RICHIE!!!??? HE is the one who loves me?! No way. Absolutely not will I have my face stroked by him. No, no, no!!! I snap my head up, and roll over, pushing my self to my feet. I have to get out of here. Forgetting my ankle, I stand up to run, but I quickly fall down again, gasping in pain. But I have to go. So I start crawling away, out of this room, away from Zahvahnah who is calling me back, and away from Richie. I crawl until my hands and knees are numb, and still I keep going down the endless white corridors, past endless white doors. Finally, when I have no energy left, I sit down and cry. And cry and cry and cry.

I have no idea how long I sit here, but eventually, Zahvahnah comes and sits down beside me. I almost say "go away" but I bite my tongue and look at her face. And I do a double take. She looks just like a girl, like she honestly wants to talk to me, and not tell me off like my instructor. So I lean against her.
Out of nowhere she pulls an ice pack and puts it on my swollen ankle. I smile at her. She doesn't say anything, and I'm glad. I feel like I've found a friend in this barren compound, with its white walls and strong smell of disinfectant.

After a while, Zahvahnah says to me
"I have good news and bad news."
"Bad news second."
"Ok. Good news: we've had to cut your training outside short because of your fractured ankle. So no more mud for a while"
I almost cheer out loud.
"And the bad news is, now it's time for the second part of training. And I'm not sure how much you'll like this one either." She says. Then Zahvahnah gets up, turns and walks away, leaving me to contemplate her words.

Oh yes, another update. Cue the party! Don't get excited about the length though, I'm sorry to say that won't happen every time. I just got a little carried away...
So, first, just so you know, this is absolutely NOT going to turn into a mushy kind of love story between Rosa and Richie. There might be the occasional fleeting bit of romance like this part, but nothing serious at all.
And second, I have a competition for you! :)
I need a new name for a character in the next part. So basically, you have to answer the questions below. I'll pick the best answers, and first place gives me a name they want, girl or boy. Second place gets a shoutout!
So here are the questions... (Comment next to them or at the end with the numbers.)
1) if you had a pet dog, any breed, what would you name it? (Be creative, so preferably not something like 'Spotty')
2) be funny in 1 line
3) make up an alien and describe him/her
4) tell me a joke
5) think of a ship name for Richie and Rosa (I know they are not a couple but I don't have anyone else to ship, so...😊)

Have fun, hope you enjoyed the chapter! You have at least 5 days to enter btw.