The Witch Woman's Prophecy

1 | Bandits Attack |

The open doorway in front of me gaped like a mouth waiting to swallow me whole and I gasped at the agony that erupted in my head as I ran towards it. The shouted threats of the bandits chasing me grew closer. I had no choice — there was nowhere else to hide. They wouldn't expect the pain the building caused and, when it struck them, hopefully they wouldn't even approach this cursed place, let alone look inside for me.

Smooth metal walls gleamed dim silver in the moonlight, and the pain in my head grew as I forced myself inside. The chill blackness swallowed me and I sank down to the floor cradling my throbbing head in my arms. I concentrated on muffling my jagged breathing. If the bandits heard me they would drag me out and find some inventive ways of torturing me for making them chase me.

Then they would kill me.

'In here! I've found him!' The shout was clear and excited and I knew I'd made a terrible mistake; the bandit was feeling none of the agony that was ripping my skull apart.

I bit my lip to stifle a groan then fumbled at my belt for the knife I always carried, hoping the bandit outside wouldn't hear my furtive movements. I would do my best to stop at least one of them before they killed me.

My aim was good, I had perfected it by throwing my knife at the stump by the goat shed. I'd done it so often the stump was reduced to splinters, but I had never thrown from a crouching position in a dark building while hiding from bandits before.

The doorway was a white rectangle, lit by the moonlight which slanted in through it. The silhouette of a bandit walked into the rectangle.

My knife whirled through the air, catching glints of moonlight on its blade before the handle struck the edge of the doorway beside him and clattered to the floor. I was furious with myself; I was unable to move and now I had no weapon. The hiding place I'd chosen was a trap that was filling my head with pain.

'Dondre, he's over here! I've got him penned up. Trapped like a bird in a cage.' He paused. 'Little boy! We've got your ma. She's squealing away! You should hear her! I think she's enjoying herself more than she has for many a year.'

My stomach tightened and I wanted to hurt him or to at least stop the foul things he was saying. I felt on the floor for something to throw and found a solid lump of metal, cold and slick under my fingers. I picked it up, ignoring the stomach-churning sense of revulsion it gave me.

'She needs a proper man to see her right. Perhaps when we've all had a go you might get a turn as well—'

Whatever he was going to say next was lost. I threw the metal object at him with all my strength. This time my aim was true. It thudded into him and an enormous burst of flames and noise smashed me back against the wall and blasted my skin.

It was a breath or two before I could even think. My ears rang from the noise and I was unable to see anything except the afterimage of the flames. I reached up to touch the back of my head where it had smashed against the wall. There was a lump there and stickiness on my fingers. A strange smell fouled the air and left the taste of metal and smoke in my mouth.

The bandits on the farm would be drawn here by the noise and flames and they wouldn't hesitate to kill me. I hoped that Dondre, the other bandit, had been frightened and run away instead of lurking outside. I had to seize my chance and escape. I crawled out, recoiled and almost vomited when I put my hand into something warm and sticky on the ground. I tried to clean it off by rubbing my hand in the dirt, but I could already feel it drying and hardening on my fingers.

My family might still be alive. I should go back to save them, but I was deaf and almost blind. The bandits would kill me as soon as they saw me, even if I could find my way back to the cottage in my current state. I hated myself for the position I had put myself in. All I could do now was find another hiding place and cower there, trembling and useless while every member of my family was killed.

I fumbled my way through the woods until I felt thorns scraping my face, then dropped to the ground and crawled beneath them. The thorns clawed into my back, as though they were punishing me for my desertion of my family, but I pushed through until I could go no further.

My mind was filled with images of things the bandits might be doing to my family even as I cowered helplessly in the woods and I felt sick to my stomach. Tears streamed from my stinging eyes and I sobbed until I fell into an exhausted sleep.

***

Do you think Thamet is brave or a coward?

What will Thamet find when he wakes up?

I hope you like the image of Thamet. It is as close as I could find to how I imagine him, although he probably wouldn't have so much of a beard. It was the wild, curly hair that made me choose this guy.

Any feedback good or bad is truly appreciated, I am trying to make this the best story I can. Please let me know if you find anything confusing or if you think I've left anything out.

And finally, if you liked it, please vote so that I know!

Anni X