Infused with Darkness

Chapter 2

Hey there! Just want to warn you this chapter might have a dark theme like suicide. But as you might guess, I won't kill my main character in the second chapter, so you'll just have to find out what happens in the next chapter! Nyeheheh~

Also, I'll try to make every chapter at least 1500 words, though this one easily tops that with 2k! And if the narrative goes everywhere and nowhere to silly details, it's the mind of Zuwha that thinks of all those silly things ;)

Thanks for reading!

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'I'll find youuu!~' Eshau said creepily, looking around everywhere.

It was a few days after the witch burning. The ashes had been gathered and then thrown into the Afreiton, the river that feeds the lands. Next to Zuwha's village the river was ten to fifteen metres wide, but it was deep and ice-cold as it came from the mountains. Because of that, the water was crystal clear as well, so it was good for fishing. In winter the river would freeze over so Zuwha and the other kids could slide on the ice. But winter was yet to come, as it was the season of the colored leaves now.

Zuwha stayed still, barely even breathing. He had hidden himself in a pile of leaves so his brother wouldn't find him. A little mouse scuttled up to him and climbed onto his hand. Zuwha cautiously petted it, making sure he didn't make too much sound or movement in case Eshau noticed it.

It often happened that animals were around him. Birds would fly to a branch closer to Zuwha when he was picking berries so he could feed them by hand. If he was playing hide and seek a hedgehog or mouse would always show up. Zuwha didn't mind the animals' presence, he really liked it even. He was never alone that way.

Wolves howled in the distance, the beautiful sound filling the air.

'Zu? Maybe we should leave...' Eshau said but Zuwha didn't believe him. His brother was probably howling himself to lure his little brother out of hiding. Zuwha stayed right where he was, petting the mouse. He wasn't going to fall for his brother's tricks this time. He was also a tinge annoyed by the fact that Eshau used that nickname again, since he hadn't done that in years.

Eshau walked over to just a few steps away from Zuwha, close enough for him to see his brother's worried expression. More howls reverberated through the forest, closer this time. And it wasn't Eshau making the sounds.

'Zuwha, we need to get out of here. I'm not kidding. They're getting close,' his brother said with a serious and worried tone. Zuwha got up from his pile of leaves, shaking all the leaves and dirt off of him. The mouse ran away, disappearing into a small hole. Eshau looked at his younger brother and said, 'Let's head home, alright?'

'Yeah,' Zuwha replied, glad that Eshau didn't take the opportunity to call himself the winner of the game. Together they made their way back to the village. A few people screamed when they got close, pointing at them, their faces pale and their mouths agape. Zuwha was confused for a moment as to why they were looking at him and his brother like that. Then Zuwha realized they were pointing behind them.

He turned around and saw a pack of nine wolves running towards him and his brother, growling and snarling. Eshau immediately grabbed Zuwha and ran away with him. But in a few steps, Zuwha's foot plunged into a small hole and sent him flying through space. He broke his imminent fall with his arms, grimacing as hot pain exploded through his wrists - and a howl burst from his lips at the sight of his twisted ankle, lying at an awkward angle behind him. The wolves closed in on Zuwha. He heard Eshau and women from the village calling from a few metres away, but it was too late.

He looked the wolves in the eyes. He wanted to run away, but his limbs didn't move. The wolves just kept coming closer and closer, surrounding him. Zuwha realized that the hunters were all gone to hunt, leaving no-one to protect the village. He was done for. He also noticed that the wolves looked starved, their bones almost poking through their skin. Not that it mattered, he didn't want to be wolf food, no matter how starved the animals were. He didn't want to die.