The Cursed Guardian

Chapter 4

Edited ◉‿◉

~ Auryn ~

I press hard on my right arm to put pressure on my wound. Blood is continuesly flowing down to my fingers. One of the cloaked smoke creatures managed to grabbed me. I automatically crouch down but its bone hand cut my arm.

It hurts so bad and the flesh near the wound is turning into purple. I can feel my right arm going numb. I search for my handkerchief in my pocket with my healthy arm. I try to dress it as my mouth pull the other side of the handkerchief and my left hand pull the other end. I wipe the sweat forming in my forehead when hear the leaves being crashed by footsteps.

I slightly squint over the large rock where I am hiding. I am not yet ready for another race of running. I feel so weak with the wound and it is now making me aswoon. Damn, this creatures! Aren't they tired of chasing me? Are they even resting? Cause I really need a big break with this crap chase!

A man carrying a pile of woods came into view, he's holding an axe in his right hand. A human! If he is here in amongst the woods, there might be a village nearby. I can ask for help! With that positive thought, I walked out of my hiding place despite my swirling vision.

"Help," I voiced out, the man turned to me. "I need help"

I blink twice to regain my vision. Things are really going blurred and I twitch as a pang of pain crawls on my wounded arm. The swelling reach my elbow.

"Are you okay?" He comes to my direction and he noticed my arm. "What happened to you?"

"Some strangers are after me and they cut my arm. I was able to escape but I don't how long I can hide from them." I said half truth, I blink twice. "And I'm having double vision."

"Can you still walk?" He asked after looking around.

"I think I still can." I breathe hard.

"Come, our village is near this area. You can rest there and we can take care of that wound before it totally become infected."

He drop what's in his hands and search for a stick before handling it to me. I take it and we started walking. I silently follow him. I try my best to stay conscious. Now that help is right in front of me I can't give up now. I just hope those creatures won't appear now.

After minutes of walking, a small village comes to view. And my whole body becoming limp and before we entirely made it to the village I fall down as my vision becomes black.

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A murmuring wakes me from my unconsciousness. Light hit hard my eyes. I try to move and felt a pain in my right. I glance over my wound, it was cleanly dressed with gauze. I force myself to get up but a hand halted me.

"You can't move, yet." An aged woman told me. She's smiling warmly to me while she push me down and secure the blanket on my chest. "You've been sleeping since yesterday. Your wound is severe but it is okay. For now."

"Thank you for helping me." I wander my eyes around me before resting my eyes back to her. "Where am I and can I know your name?"

"Oh, I forgot the introduction." She giggled. She is kind I can feel that. She is like my grandma. "I'm Rheena, my son saw you in the forest yesterday while gathering some woods. You collapsed at the entrance of the village. By the way," she look serious now while averting her eyes in my wound. "My son, Rino, told me you were chased by strangers and got wounded. There is a bit of poison in your wound."

Poison? That's explains the swelling! And that means that those creatures are made of smoke and poison.

"No strange creatures lurking around here?"

Wait. What if they find me here? What will happen to this village? Will they end up like my family?

No!

I can't definitely put them in danger. I shall leave now before they find me here. I can't risk their life for helping me. It will be too grievous if they got involve with me. Without thinking twice I get up and put on my shoes.

"You can't leave now. You still needs rest." She tried to stop me.

"No I need to go now, for your own safety." I held her hand. "Thank you for the help. I really appreciate it. This is the only thing I can do to replace your kindness. To keep you and your village out of my doom."

"But you can't go on with your current condition. Your wound still needs to heal and the poison is not totally taken out of your body." She tried to reason out but I stand firm on my decision.

"No. I shall go now. Trust me, this is for your own safety." I gently hug her and thank her again before I take my step out of her hut.

"Eat." I turned to her again. "At least you eat first before you leave. Your body needs nourishment to keep you healthy while running away."

I hesitate for a moment. It's true I need some spoonful of food. I haven't been eating since my family's death and I've been running for my life for two days. If you are chased by those creatures, I'm sure you will forget about your hunger. Then the man who helped me appeared in the entrance of the door carrying a pale of water.

"You're awake!" He entered and put the pale of water on the wooden sink before he came near to us. "I have already alerted the villagers about your situation. If they see anyone who will come and ask about you, they will keep their mouth shut."

" Thank you but I need to go now."

"You're safe here. We have hunters in this village. And your body needs rest."

"That is what I'm telling her but she is persistent on leaving." Rheena said to his son.

"We cannot let you." Opposed her son. "I can assure you, you're safe here."

"You don't understand." I sigh, I really need to go before they find me here. Yes, there are hunters here like what he said but I doubt it that hunters can have any luck with those creatures. "The strangers who are after me are barbarous. They are inhumane. They mercilessly killed my whole family. I don't want to drag your village to my misfortune."

At the mention of my family, tears swell my eyes again. Life must really hate me. It took all my family and left me in distress and misery. I am all alone with a threat in my life!

"Then the more we should help you-"

Shouting outside stops him from his words. We rush out to see the horrific scene creating the tumult outside. The villagers run widely with tormented face. We try to ask them what is happening but they seem to hear nothing and continue dashing in their path.

A woman with a babe in her arms falls down as she trip on her feet. The crowd have no care about her situation. They run over her while she's crying for her babe. I rush to her and quickly saved her baby. Rheena helped her to stand while Rino shoved the people. One of the hunters carrying a gun approaches us.

"Hurry!" He said while inserting a fully loaded magazine on his gun "Find a safe place to hide. We are under attack by Shallows."

Rino held her mother while the hunter aid the woman and the baby in my arms. We run after the crowds. He said Shallows are attacking this village. I tilted my head to the hunter to ask my question.

"You said Shallows, what are they?"

"They are smoke bogeymen. They don't have faces but have a skeletal hands." He answered while we are still running.

It's those creatures! They already Found me and wrecking havoc in this village.

We reach a stable at the end of village. The hunter removed some hay scattered on the floor and it reveals a secret door. Rheena entered first then she helped the woman on the stairs. I gave her the babe. And shakes my head.

"You need to hide down there with them."
Rino said and the hunter look at with confused.

"They are after me."

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Thank you for reading until this chapter. Love lots!!!!

Love, Jean Martine