Chapter Fourteen
She wasn’t breathing—not
properly at least. The air would enter her windpipe but form a lump
in her lungs that would slowly spread only seconds later. Another
lump of air burned in her lungs before supplying her clenched body
with oxygen. Her stomach was stiff and her limbs were numb.
When more air entered through
her slightly open mouth, it didn’t enter her lungs; rather it
lodged in her throat where it constricted her muscles.
Maya opened her eyes and
started to cough and fresh air entered her lungs. She could breathe
again, but only barely.
Rolling over to her side, with
her head raised, she was attacked by another bout of coughing that
hurt her throat and chest.
Between coughs, she took in
big gulps of air and felt her muscles relax and invigorate.
A hand patted her on her back
and Maya stiffened. She looked down and saw the hem of a white
chiffon dress. She turned to see the old woman look down upon her
with concern.
Maya let out a small scream
and dragged herself away. The old woman didn’t seem perturbed by
her reaction, instead she turned away and picked up her wide comb.
Gathering her hair with one hand, she started to comb with the other
while singing softly again.
In the moonlight, her tendrils
looked like silver threads and Maya found herself being mesmerized by
her long hair. It took her several seconds to register that the old
woman had used her silver long hair to strangle her. And her face had
turned...
In a stupor, she stared at the
old woman whose face looked kind in the soft light of the moon.
“You tried to kill me.”
The words had left her mouth before she could stop herself.
The woman’s hand paused as
she combed her hair and so did her humming. She had heard her, yet
when she resumed combing her hair, Maya realized the woman was
ignoring her.
She pushed herself away from
her, watching for any change in expression. The old woman had begun
singing again, her voice so soft and comforting, as if she were
singing a lullaby to a child.
Maya’s eyelids grew heavier
and she fought hard to not be drawn back in. A voice was awakening in
her mind, telling her about going back to the old woman and fall
asleep in her lap. She would never have her mother’s love, but she
could have this—a dreamless night’s sleep free from all her
troubles. The voice egged her on, telling her to stop thinking of
ever escaping these woods.
“Don’t go,” The wind
whispered in her ear.
“No,” Maya told herself
and then again, firmly.
This was all a mirage of lies,
a trick to hold her back.
She forced herself to remember
how grotesque the old woman’s face had become and how she had tried
to strangle her with her silvery hair.
Her limbs gathered up all her
energy and made her stand up. She had to run as fast as she could,
but something was still holding her back.
The old woman seemed not to
have noticed her predicament or her movements since she had veiled
the side of her face with her own hair.
Maya stepped back as
soft-footed as she could manage. She cursed her heels and wished she
had worn something more practical like sneakers. Raising one leg, she
used her hands to unstrap her heels. Her fingers deftly unbuckled and
pulled off the shoe and she repeated this with the other..
With her heels in her hands,
she gazed at the woman who remained oblivious of her movements and
her plans to escape.
She took another step back,
wincing as the soles of her feet scraped against a thorn. Taking a
deep breath, she whirled and began running when she heard a voice.
“Don’t leave me.” The
voice was familiar and Maya immediately stopped in her tracks.
She looked at the old woman
and saw her with despair in her eyes.
“Please don’t leave me
here alone.”
The old woman
begged.
Maya blinked at the old woman
whose voice was now that of her mother’s. For a fleeting second her
face had morphed into her mother’s as well.
She raised up her hand,
beckoning her and Maya could do nothing but stare with utter
disbelief.
“You’re not my mother,”
She managed
through numb lips. The energy had been zapped out of her limbs again
and she was standing only because she was incapable of any other
movement.
“No, but I can give you a
mother’s love,”
The old woman
said sadly. “I used to have children, two of them. A son and a
daughter. I loved them so much.”
“Wh-what happened to them?”
Maya asked.
“They wanted to leave me.”
Her tone had changed though it still sounded like her mother’s
voice. She turned so that she was now standing face to face with her.
“So I killed
them.”
Maya felt a cold shiver run
down her chest to her stomach. The woman’s eyes were no longer
kind. It had darkened into a well of madness and a wide grin appeared
on her face.
Maya gasped and stepped back,
but still couldn’t make herself escape this place.
The old woman raised one
pointed finger up at the sky. “Until I don’t bring their souls
back with me. they won’t let me in.”
“Who won’t let you in?”
“They.” The old woman
tilted her head, her silver hair swaying as the cold breeze of the
night brushed against them.
“But I can’t find them.”
The old woman put both hands on her head and then straightened when
her eyes fixed on her.
“You’re
here.”
“I’m not your daughter,”
Maya replied, finding her voice.
The old woman appeared
dejected. “I know. But then how do I leave this place?”
The old woman waved her hand
around their surroundings. “I don’t want to be here any longer.”
“Please don’t kill me!”
Maya sobbed. “Please...”
The old woman gave a kind
smile. She stepped closer and put one of her taloned hand on her
head, smoothing he hair.
“It’s not you. I thought
you were. It’s one of your friends.”
“What?” Maya asked,
rattled by her words. She wanted to pull away but was afraid she may
anger the mad woman.
“One of your friends will
die tonight,” She continued, speaking to her as if she were
soothing a crying child.
“It’s not
you.”
“Who’s going to die, and
how do you know? Please don’t kill them!” Maya rambled.
The old woman turned away, her
silver hair swayed in the gentle breeze.
“Someone will die tonight.
.”
Maya saw the woman stretch out
her arm. “It’s a message rushing through my veins. One of them
will meet their demise tonight.”
“I have to find my friends,”
Maya said, more to herself.
The old woman stiffened. “I
can feel it now. They are close.”
“What? Who?” Maya wanted
to grab the woman and shake her until she revealed more, but the
image of being strangled by silver hair returned and she paused.
“The one who’s going to
die,” The old woman said, her voice devoid of emotion. She dropped
her shoulders and bent her legs. When she turned with her clawed
hands before her, Maya was reminded of a wild animal getting ready to
charge and pounce on its victim.
The old woman’s face morphed
into a demon’s. Her purplish skin looked wrinkled and stretched,
while her eyes had turned into a fiery red glow. She opened her mouth
and saw pointed needles instead of teeth.
Maya fell on the ground at the
sight of such a demonic person. He heart turned cold and she held her
breath when the creature before her opened her mouth.
Maya uttered a shrill scream
and found herself being swept back by an invisible force. She struck
a tree and hit her back on a rock, but was too frightened to feel the
pain or the wetness of blood pouring down her back.
Her eyes searched for the
demonic creature and found her walking with hoofed feet towards a
grove.
“Don’t kill...” Maya
tried to say, but the creature didn’t hear her.
With the last of her strength,
Maya opened her mouth and screamed.
“Run! She’s coming after
you! She’ll kill you!”
The demonic creature turned
its head to look at her and then gave a low hoarse chuckle before
going in search of its victim.
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