The Curse

Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Ember's POV

"Your curse?" She nodded.  I raised an eyebrow, and pushed her further, "Well?  What is it?"

Audrina sighed, and shook her head, "It's hard to explain."

"Explain as best as you can." I said, turning my head around to see if anyone was coming down the corridor.  There was no one.  We're safe.  "And quickly, we don't have much time."

"It took me several months to realize it." Audrina started. "You know how I cower in the corner and cry?  That's it.  My curse somehow changes my vision, and all I can see is all of my greatest fears into one big hallucination.  It never ends."

"That's—“ I paused. “That’s tough.”

“Yet you don’t know what yours is.” She huffed.  “It’s like you weren’t even cursed at all.  Though I know the witch did it to both of us…that little scumbag of a—“I stopped her due to hearing the sound of a knight’s footsteps.

“Be quiet, and walk softly.  We need to get through this hell of a maze and escape this castle.” I whispered, bringing up Audrina to stand up with me.  We started to walk in the opposite direction of the footsteps.

There were so many doors, hall after hall.  There was no ending to this madness.

After dodging so many knights, and castle staff, we finally managed to sneak into the main hallway of the kingdom.  Walking down the large red carpets, covering our faces when we saw someone that might think we’re suspicious.

Our peasant dresses and worn attire could pass us off for stable hands, though I knew the castle knew better.  Even if they are the rivals, they are pretty smart.  I doubt they’d look at us as someone who helps for the king and queen, even the stable boy is much more sanitary than us.

Instead of trying to walk past everyone, we dashed out of the castle immediately. Once we exited the castle, the sun met our eyes and we were blinded for a few seconds.  When our eyes adjusted, we started to run for the trees.  Not just any trees – the ones that belong to the Eternal Forest.  It was not a happy place.

The trees were coming closer.  Every time Audrina and I looked back, we were always afraid that they would be after us.  But they never showed.

“I don’t want to go in there.” Audrina sighed, stopping at the edge.  I groaned, and grabbed her arm, dragging her into the forest.

“We have no choice.  Would you rather go the long way, or the short way?”

“I’d rather go the way that doesn't involve dying.”

“We’ll be fine.” I reassured her.

She scoffed, “You say that now.  See you in Hell.”

I rolled my eyes, “We’re already in Hell.” Technically, my statement was true.  Considering we were in a dark, and magic filled forest, there was no way you could go through it without getting hurt – or at least killed.

As we walked, I could almost feel that someone was after us.  To confirm it, the sounds of marching and clinging of swords were getting loud. 

"They've found us!" Audrina shouted, looking back at the knights who were aimlessly running down the dirt path of the eternal forest, heading in our direction.  We hurried, running as fast as we could through the woods, trying to ignore the darkness that was before our eyes.  It was hard to see.

It hurt to think about what kinds of deaths happened in this place, as there are many each and every day due to the curse that the forest holds.  I've heard stories of menacing, evil witches, and damned humans using their power to rip innocents to shreds.  Other tales mentioned poisonous fog, and hallucinating air.  This place wasn't nearly as safe as the white forest.  It was worse, satanic.