A jolting thud shattered the eerie stillness behind Shane, causing him to whirl around in alarm his eyes widened in terror, but there was nothing there instead, a trickle of blood streamed down from his eyes, a horrifying sight that sent shivers down his spine.
In the mist of the panic, a bow lay abandoned on the ground, catching Shane's eye. His heart pounded wildly as grunts echoed from the trees ahead.
Suddenly, blood dripped from the branches, compelling Shane to slowly lift his gaze and dread consumed him as he witnessed the tree ensnaring Paulo, draining the life from his friend till only a haunting silence remained.
A bloodcurdling scream tore from Shane's lips as he turned and fled, the image etched in his mind.
Confusion clouded his thoughts. The blood trickling from his eyes ceased, but his mind raced with terror and he couldn't comprehend the horrors he'd witnessed. He dragged the lifeless body towards the village, his anguished cries echoing through the wilderness.
As he reached the village, a sea of astonished faces greeted him. Questions swirled around him, but he stood there, speechless, consumed by shock. Paulo's family rushed forward, tears streaming down their faces in disbelief.
Concerned villagers approached Shane, their expressions filled with empathy. "What really happened?" one of them inquired gently. Shane, still reeling from the trauma, managed to stammer out an explanation.
"Paulo said he wanted to ease himself I waited for him, but when I went to look, I found his lifeless body," Shane recounted, his voice trembling with emotion.
The inquisitive villager pressed further, his voice laced with concern. "Did you witness what attacked him? What could have done this to him?"
Shane's mind flashed back to the horrifying scene with the tree and Paulo, but he shook his head in disbelief. "No," he muttered, his voice barely audible with the turmoil in his mind.
A heavy silence enveloped the gathering, broken only by another villager's grim revelation. "Four people from our village have disappeared or died this year alone."
Examining Paulo's remains, the man continued, "An animal from the mountains wouldn't leave his intestines untouched this wasn't a predator attack; all the blood has been drained." Shock rippled through the crowd at the eerie description.
"Are you suggesting that thing in the forest killed him?" A tense question hung in their minds as the villagers contemplated the unthinkable. "What else but the Imoogi vampire?" Fear choked the murmurs that followed.
Paulo's daughters exchanged glances filled with anger and despair.
"Damn it! Should we abandon our village? What's our course of action now?" Fear and frustration mingled in the villagers' voices, seeking answers in a moment of escalating terror.
A narrow-eyed man pointed an accusing finger. "That cursed boy with no name!" His words ignited fury among the villagers, fixating their blame on me.
The shaman's piercing cry cut through the commotion. "It's here! It has reached our village! It has come for the boy who crossed its path in a previous life!"
Startled and terrified, the villagers turned to the Shaman, seeking answers. "Did Imoogi vampire do this to him?" one trembling villager asked.
"Yes," The Shaman confirmed, her voice grave. "Until Imoogi Vampire finds the boy, it will haunt us, knocking on our doors every night."
Fear swept through the villagers, their unity shattered by the grim prophecy. "We're all going to die!" panic-stricken cries echoed through the crowd, pleading for help.
Infuriated and determined, Shane stood up, picked up a cutlass, his face contorted with rage. "We have to kill that boy!" His declaration shocked and terrified the already panicked villagers.
Without hesitation, Shane stormed out of the gathering, making his way toward the snow-capped mountain where I reside, the villagers' terror echoing behind him.
The furious mob, goaded by Shane's rage, surged forward, fueled by a thirst for vengeance. "Kill him!" the cry reverberated as they charged up the mountain, their fury driving them onward.
Unaware of the impending danger, I roamed the mountainside in search of sustenance. Spotting two grapes on a snow-dusted tree, I reached out to pluck them for a quick meal. But before I could taste them, voices shattered the surrounding tranquility.
"Where is he hiding? That rat should've been dealt with already!" The urgent, angry voices sliced through the serene air. Panic surged within me as I glimpsed a group of men, frantically searching the landscape. Their anger is noticeable.
Realizing the imminent danger, I turned and bolted, heart pounding, as they spotted me and launched into a hot pursuit, their angry shouts urging them on. "Stop right there! Get him!" they clamored, their cries echoing across the snowy expanse.
Racing toward the frozen sea, I leaped onto its icy expanse, the mob hesitating on the shore, wary of the frozen waters. Their cries to draw me closer went unanswered as I struggled to walk on the treacherous ice, keeping my distance from the angry mob.
"Go after him! Get him! He's escaping!" Shane's voice pierced through the chaos, inflaming the mob's determination. As they urged each other to seize me, the frozen sea beneath my feet began to fracture.
The frozen sea cracked ominously beneath my feet, the sound echoing terror through the air. Panic-stricken, I froze in fear, knowing that my time was running out. The ice fractured, and before I could react, I plunged into the freezing water, unable to swim and engulfed in a struggle for survival.
As the frigid waters enveloped me, memories flooded my mind: moments of rejection, accusations, and abandonment. The scornful words of those who deemed me cursed by the Imoogi vampire echoed relentlessly.
The haunting label of being cursed seemed too much for a mere child like me to bear.
Just as I felt the grasp of darkness closing in, a figure swiftly propelled towards me through the icy waters. A glimmer of hope flickered within me at the sight of this unexpected savior.
The person grabbed my hand, I found myself whisked away from the icy depths and into the safety of my cave. I awoke to the warmth of a crackling fire, a lifeline in the biting cold. But in the cave's dim light, I couldn't discern my savior's identity.
A bag-pack caught my eye, reminiscent of one my father carried. Could he have been the one who rescued me? Hope surged within me.
Driven by a desperate longing to find my father, I ventured out of the cave, scanning the surroundings for any sign of him. Instead, I encountered the enigmatic lady I always see in my vision, standing at a distance.
As I contemplated her presence, the air turned tense as the group of menacing men reappeared.
Panic gripped me as they spotted me. "There he is! Get him!" their aggressive cries pierced the air, sending me scurrying back into the safety cave.
But they were relentless, seizing and hauling me out. Tears streamed down my face as I pleaded for mercy, but their determination to protect their families from the perceived threat of the Imoogi vampire had turned to blind rage against me.
"We have to kill him to save our families!" That is their chorus. Shane, his fury unbridled, brandished a knife, his intent unmistakable. Closing my eyes, I braced for the fatal blow, resigned to my fate.
But in that harrowing moment, a sudden embrace enveloped me, shielding me from the impending strike. Startled, I heard the sickening sound of a knife plunging into the flesh, followed by gasps of horror from the mob.
As I cautiously opened my eyes, a stunning sight unfolded before me, it was the enigmatic lady from my vision, sacrificing herself to save me, a complete stranger.
Stunned and bewildered, I gazed upon her, her face etched with pain yet radiating an inexplicable kindness. Despite the surrounding chaos, she looked at me with a serene expression, her selfless act leaving me in awe and confusion.