Cursed Forest: Sightless

That Neighbor Himself

The story ended before they decided to show up. She made Cross go fix us lunch.He made chicken sandwiches. I wondered if any of the others were good cooks or did they make Cross do it all because they suck?

"You look like you're daydreaming." Medusa said with her mouth full. I hadn't thought her as the one to not chew her food first. I though, swallowed my food before I spoke. "What's it about? Dracula?"

"Yes and no." I answered. "I have been thinking about many things. Like my and Clarice's families.They haven't even bothered to look for us."

"They don't even know your fates." She agreed. "Though something tells me it's better that they don't know hers."

"They'll blame me for it." I said sadly. "They always blame me if something goes wrong. They think I can't do anything and they hate me, even though I don't do anything."

"I've had some problems kind of like that. Twisted on a corner though." Medusa said softly. "They fear me. They don't bother to try to get to know me. They try to kill me and I accidently kill them instead. Of course your parents expect such from you and I- and those four- hate it."

"They thought I was a message from the divine." I said, "A Punishment. Well no....I can't say they. My Mom doesn't expect anything from me. He...my Father, is the one who thinks I'm a punishment. He's the one who expects that of me."

"I understand that." Medusa huffs. "Because I am a punishment from the divine.Every one in here's been punished or...in some, were born that way to punish others."

"Was Dracula born cursed?" I asked

"No, His name used to be Vladimir." Medusa replied. "He was born human. He and his Vampire subordinates. I think he killed one to many people and paid the price."

"Is his Vampirism part of his curse?" I asked.

"Of course. Ra' Leonma cursed him."

"Does he have four um...helpers...like you?" I continued to question.

"Yes, we all do." Medusa answered without much pause. "From our own race or something close to it. They are chosen by the forest I think. They are not bothered at all by our curses. Unaffected by them. They must promise to keep what's in, in, and what's out, out."

"Is that why I can't leave?" I asked.

"Maybe? I don't know if you can leave or not." Medusa answered. "But I don't really want to risk them getting hurt. What if they lead you out and they get killed for helping by your village?"

I then, thinking about it, had a question. I wondered if it was polite to ask my question or if i should hold back. I had already asked many questions, so maybe I should chill for a bit or did it make it ok to ask another since i had asked so many already?

"Can you unhinge your jaw?" I asked quickly.

"That's a weird question." Cross said from his spot at the table.

"Of course we can." Bellene replied to my question. I heard a dull smack. I assumed Bellene smacked Cross across the back of his head.

"Our biology is mixed between that of a Snake's and a Man's." Patra explained. "In our human bodies we don't have our intestines or some of those different organs are in our lower half, we have an enlarged stomach located where humans intestines are."

"Our hearts are in the same place as in a human's body. Our lungs are larger, and so is our heart for obvious reasons." Medusa added.

"You answered questions I didn't even know to ask." I said, It was a bit much input for me. So much to think about. I wondered what their face would feel like with their jaws unhinged. Where their throats a little baggy?

"So if you're part snake...what breed are you?" I asked.I thought of the fellow I met who was traveling through our territory. He had just barely entered and was just planning on moving through but was stopped and brought to our main 'village'. Our tribe has three sub villages. He had a large snake he told me was a python.

"I myself am a boa." Medusa said. "Though these little ones here are of all breeds."

"Rhea and I are Vipers." Bellene said. I wanted to feel their unhinged jaws. I also couldn't help but wonder if they had fangs. This was answered when Bellene added "and we do have fangs."

"I'm a Rat snake." Patra added in.

"I'm an Anaconda." Cross yawned. I noted two sounds coming down the hallway. One the scraping of scales on wood, and the other the sounds of footsteps. The person, whom I assumed to be Dracula, sounded like he was pretty confident, that is if you went by the sound of his footsteps anyway.

"Medusa! Long time no see!" A deep voice echoed around the room along with the door he snapped open. Rhea entered quietly compared to his entrance.

"Dracula, please take a seat." Medusa sighed. I noted Bellene moved from her seat to make room for him. Well she moved from her seat and that's what I assumed she was doing that for. Dracula did in fact take that seat.

"I wanted to meet this new fellow." Dracula said. His voice was aggravatingly smooth. There was a creek from the table. "What is your name?"

"Tracy." I answered. He took my hand from where it rested on the table. He raised it, and shook it. I could tell from just that that he was no tribe's man. He must have come from Erviskh.

"I've come to make friends, with your new friend."