THE CURSED FORESTS OF TAMASKAVILLE

Chapter V - A Promise to Keep

" Run Tara Run! " Mason yelled while shoving her back.

The demon kept charging towards them. The lake's water engulfing them till their knees making it very difficult for them to get away swiftly. Gradually they were in the deep, covered till their chest trying to make it to the solitary rock, right at the heart of the lake. They abruptly stopped and turned back when they heard an ear shattering cry.

Mason and Tara saw something that looked like a dreaded nightmare. The demon had slipped and fell into the water. It was a horrifying sight when the water was burning the demon's skin. The flames were the same radiolucent green. It got even more horrifying when the skin that was burning, slowly started revealing another being inside it. It was a human body. The demon kept on shrieking in agonising pain and torture that would make any soul melt to its very knees.

The traumatic cries slowly pitched down and sounded more like a weeping woman. Mason and Tara were frozen to every single nerve in their body. The demon that now seemed like a woman whose body has been immersed in burning green flames, gazed towards Mason and Tara with eyes calling out for help. The demon started imploring for liberty from its sorrow. Tara was developing the urge to go help it out but Mason was holding her back. It was scuffling with the flames and struggling out of control and eventually pulled itself out and disappeared into the forest.

Tara and Mason, drenched in water and fear, stood there for moments even after there was no sight of the demon. Mason was the one to break the silence.

"Let's move" he said in a shallow tone. Looking towards the rock he continued "I think it is better to stay within the water till the night passes". It was pretty uneven but both of them were not in a state to give it much of a thought. Mason was not strong enough to climb onto it. His weak body was weighing down further after soaking in water. Tara, like a lifeless body, got onto the rock and pulled Mason onto it.

Tara's silence continued for a while, then with sinking fear she asked

"Will we both eventually become like her?"

Mason could not answer it right away.

He swallowed his fears and said "No, I don't think so."

"Somehow dad!" she took a pause and looked at Mason. "You just make me feel everything is gonna be alright."

Mason tried to smile but submerged in fear for Tara's life, he couldn't.

Tara continued "Not just now dad, you've always been there for me in all the chapters of my life. Happy and sad, tough or easy, you were always there. You remember, when mom passed away I was able to forget it in no time and move on. It was not because I was at an age where I can't make any reason with the tragedy but it was because I knew, I still had YOU."

Mason was trying very hard to hide his tears. Tara went on speaking " Sorry dad, I was so much of a trouble to you. I should still figure out, how to love unconditionally, like you do."

"Tell me dad, how to love someone without hurting them."

Mason smiled at Tara's innocence and said "If I knew that, I wouldn't have hurt you either. There is nothing called unconditional love. Love itself means that it is unconditional. It is the joy of giving something in spite of knowing you wouldn't get it back. It is the delight of making sacrifices for a person, even though they don't expect it from you. And, love never comes without hurt. Everybody has a potential to hurt you, and they will, love just gives you strength to bare it happily and sometimes that pain tastes sweet too."

Tara slided towards Mason and rested her head over his shoulder, cleared her drenched throat and said "Dad, let's get out of here. I want to see the world alongside you."