Shadow In The Woods

22- Resurrection of the Righteous

🥀Ayla's POV🥀

I tried every possible thing to get my arm out of the chain. It was a bloody and bruised mess by now. The fact that I found it absolutely impossible to summon even the slightest blade of grass, complicated matters a great deal. It was the strangest feeling. I could sense the plants, taste their growth and smell their soil. They were calling me and I could hear them clearly. These gloves just prevented me from answering. Like I was mute and immobile as my loved ones looked for me. The ability to feel safe and in complete control being so close, yet completely out of reach.

At one point I had considered chewing off my own hand to escape this cursed chain.

I had settled for numbly staring at the ceiling for hours until a restless sleep overtook me. It seemed the less painful option. And I quite enjoyed having both my hands.

I didn't have one particular nightmare with a semblance of a storyline. Rather short snippets of the poor decisions that had led me to this point kept flashing in front of my eyes.

"Oh no, have we offended the farm whore ?" John said, his voice dripping with sarcasm as he grapped me by my hair.

Perhaps if I hadn't reacted in anger but simply kept my head lowered things could look so different now. What would have happened if I'd picked up the wheat and accepted his insufferable arrogance with a meek smile? If I had been a whimpering, weak mess, would I be happy now?

The tree's limbs slowly fell down while creaking mournfully. Birds startled and flew from the tree branches in a flash of noise and wings. The leaves turned black and dropped to the soil. Where the leaves landed, the grass instantly turned the same shade of lifeless black.

I let out a rage filled cry as I continued spreading the death.

I had acted against nature itself. Turning against that which has only ever cared for me. Perhaps I deserved everything that had happened. I deserved to experience the deaths of those I held dear. Nature was taking its revenge with every tear I cried over Nikolas, Tanja and Mikhail. Had I become something accursed on that day? Would I soon be crying similar tears for Liam?

"Come with me."

She stared pulling me deeper into the fountain, the water had now swallowed my entire forearm.

The evening I had first killed another human being flashed before my eyes. What would my life look like if I had gone with the Rusalka? Could she have answered some of the questions that had plagued me all my life?

In my dream, I could feel her tugging at my wrist. She was really being quiet hard-handed.

I opened my eyes to discover who was truly to blame for nearly snapping off my wrist. A shadow was leaning over me as I slept. His breathing was short and shallow. He had both his hands on my wrist, encircled around the metal cuff. I could tell by the broad outline of the person's shoulders, that it was a man.

"What are you doing?" I angrily asked in a scratchy, sleepy voice.

The shadow ignored me and continued its rough tugging of my wrist.

"For saint's sake, Alexander!" I shouted in frustration, trying to pull my arm away. His tight grip and the short play on the chain didn't really allow for much movement.

Suddenly a cold, clammy hand slapped over my mouth, effectively muffling my shouts. His hand smelt of cut metal and tasted slightly acidic. I felt a cold chill run down my spine.

This was not Alexander.

I stared to panic and tried to pry his hand off my mouth while aimlessly kicking into the air with my legs.