The Hunter:Chapter 1

                            Introduction 

   

IN THIS WORLD THERE ARE MANY UNEXPLAINED OCCURENCES.SOME DIVINE AND SOME BIZZARE.MANY SUCH OCCURENCES ARE EXPLAINED WITH THE  HELP OF SCIENCE YET SOME STILL REMAIN OUT THERE , ENSHROUDED IN A THICK FOG OF DOUBT AND MYSTERY.

SOME ARE YET TO BE  UNRAVELLED AND SOME ARE BETTER LEFT HIDDEN.

FOR THEY ARE SO BIZZARE AND SO FULL OF DESPAIR AND GRIEF THAT THEY WERE AND STILL ARE LEFT IN THE DEEP FOG OF UNKNOWINGNESS.

YET I'VE COME ACROSS SOME TALES THAT WERE SO FULL OF EMOTIONS THAT IT WOULD BE  CRIMINAL TO NOT MENTION THEM.

           AND SO HERE WE ARE BEGINNING OUR FIRST TALE FROM A SMALL                              TOWN OF VELENWOOD. A TOWN EAST O7F RUSSIA SITUATED IIN THE DENSE FORESTS. 

        

                             Chapter 1

            In the dark and dense forests of Russia , rested a small village near the river        Nadhezda. This small village had many secrets to hide. This village was named Velenwood.The citizens were all amiable and friendly, making an honest day's work by trading and mining around the forest's various mineral deposits. The kids were all well behaved and the village was more advanced than its relative villages. The village had a shaman-a woman named Shahadi dealing with the ancient spirits of the four elements and was responsible for the naming ceremony of the village. The village had a nursery which was attended by female matriarchs and was the place where parentless children were taken care of. Velenwood seemed like a friendly and hospitable place to live a life and raise a family. But that all changed six months after. A terrible curse plagued the beautiful woods and soon turned it into a nightmare.

             It began near the banks of the river Nadhezda. The village huntsman, Tom ventured near the river to catch some deer for venison for their feast in autumn. Near the banks he felt cold. a chilling and unfamiliar dread creeping over him. It was a feeling he could put in words. As if an ethereal being just placed its cold and dry hands on his bare shoulder. He made out a faint whisper in the air, rustling amongst the dry cheddar trees. It was a dry yet familiar voice to him. "Eloise? is that you?" he said aloud fully knowing it wasn't. The voice replied "Yes, my love! Tis me!". Tom face lit up with glee! He hadn't seen his wife in four months! Tom dropped his bow and quiver in the river and rushed to the voice. The mud enveloping his weapons deep within the river. He rushed towards the voice deeper into the forest. He could only hear her sweet voice and tender caress of her arms around him. The voice led him to a cave. That's when Tom realized, even though he studied the ins and outs of this forest, he didn't know where this cave was. Almost as if this cave wasn't on the map at all! "My my, Grandpappy must have been gullible it seems!" 

         

             He could hear the cawing of carrion crows. An awful smell came from the cave.

Just then heard a ruffling in the woods. A dark figure was moving amongst the dense thicket of bushes and shrubs. His heart skipped a beat when he realized the growl it made. He was cocksure it was the growl of a very hungry and a very angry bear.The bear jumped from the woods. Yet it dared not come close to Tom. As if it were scared of the cave. It gave a growl and ran away. Tom caught his breath and looked up to the cave and saw the carcass of a child hanging above the cave on a pike! He was held aback yet he was soon calmed by the same familiar voice of his beloved. "You are...almost.. there" her voice seemed to break. He felt himself losing control over his hands and legs and proceeded to enter the cave. As he entered deeper he could feel a chill creeping down his spine. He no longer felt that warm embrace from within that he felt at the river bank. 

    

            The sight that met him inside was enough to drive a person mad. He realized why Eloise was missing for months now. He wanted to scream but he felt a barrier within his throat stripping him of his ability to yell or shout for help. He saw the decapitated head of his wife. Yet a dark and tall monster was holding her head.

Tom made out the figure in the dark cave. It had sticks for body and long claws. Almost as big as a sword and what was most disturbing was its face which resembled a rotting skull of a moose.

  

     Tom bolted out of the cave as fast as he could! The creature let out a screeching howl which was so loud that Tom's ears began to bleed! He heard the cawing of crows and just when he thought it couldn't get any worse he heard the growls of a pack of wolves! What's happening! He ran out  through the paths yet as far as he ran deep into the woods he somehow ended up back at the cave! "Heaven's sake i've ventured these woods since i was a kid! how am i running in circles!". He heard the creatures growl and he let out a loud scream! So loud that the forests echoed with his scream. The village elder heard his scream and dispatched a unit to find him. Tom fell to the ground and got stuck in a thicket."Stay away from me monster!" he screamed!

The beast stopped. Tom could hear his beloved's voice for the final time. "Sinners....must...be.....punished!"

 

              

AND SO ENDS OUR TALE.......OR SO IT MAY SEEM.FOR BE WARNED READERS.

A STORY NEVER ENDS WITH A CONCLUSION.