arrows, and bag. I picked them up. The ground was covered with blood and feathers. You could read the entire struggle, but there was no sign of the werewolf, Maria or Bruno. I began to worry about my friends. I hoped they were alive. Should I have stayed to help them?
I spent the next few hours shouting out their names and walking around the forest. There was no sign of them. I cursed myself. I cursed my selfishness in trying to escape from this place because it had led to the death of two friends who were trying to protect me. I felt like a coward, running away from the fight. I should have stayed.
I washed myself in the pond and then rested my back against a tree and began to cry. Bruno was probably dead because he had tried to protect me. I hadn’t helped him because I was a coward. And Maria, my other rescuer, was gone too and she was the only one who could get me back to my parents. I soon realized that there was no use crying and I would have to find my way to my parents by myself. For a moment I even thought about going back to the Ogres, as it was safe there and most probably the werewolf was still tracking me.
After getting back to my feet, hunger gripped my stomach. So I prowled the forest looking for animals to hunt with my bow and arrows. I tried my hand at hunting some small birds, but my aim wasn’t very good that day. Then I spotted a ruba, which is a grey-coloured, medium-sized deer with pointed ears and tiny blue eyes. On seeing me, it didn’t run away. It didn’t feel threatened and kept munching on the grass. I got out my bow and pulled out an arrow and took my time taking a careful aim. I struck it straight in the heart. The ruba died instantly and fell to the ground. I looked for a good place to start a fire. I began to drag the ruba there, but it was too heavy. So I cut out a shoulder and carried it to the fire to roast. It was a big piece and the slow, small fire made cooking it difficult and time consuming. I couldn’t wait to eat it. I was starving, and my mouth was watering.
After cooking it for an hour, the meat was ready at last. It was so delicious! I took a couple of bites and swallowed the meat. Then I heard a rustle nearby. I knew what was happening. Some animal was feeding on my hard-earned kill. Like a savage beast, I was ready to protect it. I pulled out my knife and a burning log from the fire. I went to confront this lazy scavenger.
I slowly approached the bushes, making sure not to make any sound. I peered ahead. It was Bruno! He was feeding on my ruba. He was alive! I dropped the lit log and the knife and rushed towards him and gave his black muscular body a big hug. He didn’t mind me. He just kept feeding. I was so happy that tears of happiness flowed out of my eyes. I could feel and see some of the wounds he had suffered during the fight. Poor Bruno. Then, all of a sudden, an object came out of nowhere and landed right beside us. I turned in surprise, stumbled and landed on my back. Then I saw what it was. It was Maria she was alive too! She started tearing pieces of meat off the ruba and gulping them down. I got up and gave her a hug, too.
“What happened to you guys? Where have you been? I have been looking all over for you.” I cried.
Maria didn’t give me an answer. Both she and Bruno looked really tired and hungry, maybe hungrier than me, so I let them eat. I gave them some space and I went back to my cooked ruba shoulder and munched on it. Then I sat and stared at the burning fire. Suddenly my face got wet. Bruno was licking it with his big tongue! Maria flew down and landed beside me. I was happy to have them both back. Since Maria was here again, the journey to my parents was still on.
“What happened?” I asked Maria again.
“After you left us, it was easier for me and Bruno as we were able to concentrate on the fight and not worry about you. At first, the werewolf was doing really well. It was getting the better of both of us, which is why we have all these wounds.” She showed me some of them.
She went on. “It looked like the werewolf was about to destroy us. It was using its claws and teeth ferociously. Then it knocked me away and went for Bruno. It flung him at a tree. Bruno crashed into it and was hurt. He lay there, looking defeated, and then he did it!”
“What did he do?” I asked.
“Bruno breathed out a fire which was as big, bright and hot as the sun! This burnt the werewolf. It was scared and that made Bruno more confident. He kept blowing fire after fire. The werewolf started running for his life and Bruno chased him. I followed them. The werewolf wasn’t going to attack us anymore, but I think Bruno wanted to destroy him completely. He kept...”
Suddenly we heard someone roaring “Matt!”
Maria stopped her story and asked, “Who’s that?”
“That’s Karen. She’s found us,” I answered sadly.
“Then we must hurry,” cried Maria. “Follow me.”
I picked up my belongings and went after Maria. Bruno came too.
Maria was flying fast and Bruno and I ran to catch up with her. We could hear Karen behind us. She was shouting things like, “I know you’re there, Matt. Come back if you want to live,” and “I’m going to catch you soon. I order you to return.”
I wasn’t planning on doing that. I was determined to escape from the Karen’s clutches. I wasn’t going back to Marshside. I was never going to be a slave again! I wanted to see my parents and I wanted to be free.
At first her voice was getting louder and louder. I was sure she was about to find us, but then we upped our pace and her voice got fainter. Soon we didn’t hear her anymore. I thought we’d lost her but suddenly a huge stone smashed onto my head and I fell down.
I woke up feeling all drowsy. I couldn’t see properly for a moment. Maria was shouting at me, “Are you all right?”
And I could hear screams and barks behind me. I looked back and I saw Bruno and Karen fighting with each other.
“We must go and help Bruno,” I told Maria.
“No, we must run,” she answered. She grabbed my arm with her talons and pulled me. We took a few steps forward. I shouted back to Bruno, “Come. Come with us.” He didn’t listen to me. He continued fighting. He seemed to enjoy it.
We ran for about ten minutes and came to this point where, ahead of us, the forest completely changed. The trees, the plants, the animals and the insects looked different. It all looked so magical somehow. But I wasn’t ready to go enter into it. I knew what this place was. It was the witch’s territory, the Land of the Cursed; the land Karen had told me not to go into.
I just stood there staring at it.
“Come on, come on, quickly,” begged Maria. She had already flown into the Land of the Cursed.
“I’m not going in there. The witch will get me,” I answered.
“Please. We can worry about the witch later. Karen can’t and never will enter this area. If you’ll only come in, you will be safe from her clutches forever.”
I took one step forward.
She went on. “Come on, Matt. I’m a vulture, I can fly and see everything. I will find a safe way through this part of the forest. I won’t let the witch find us.”
I looked at her for a minute and I stepped into the Land of the Cursed.
The Land of the Cursed
I was really terrified, going into this cursed world, but I was relieved to get away from Karen. I would never have to be her slave again. All that separated me from total freedom was the witch. I was heavily dependent on Maria to help me. She was my only hope.
I was new to this place. It was so beautiful. The trees looked gorgeous. They were scarlet, lavender, magenta and many other wonderful fluorescent colours. There was glitter in their leaves that made them shine. Even the insects looked adorable. Everything was so unique. It was like being in a magical world.
None of the birds and animals were like the regular ones in a normal forest. Their colours blended in well with the surrounding forest. These birds and animals glittered, too. It was a breathtaking sight. Maria and I looked strange and out of place in this cursed forest.
We had gone a little way into this part of the forest when Bruno joined us. I petted him on the head and thanked him. I gave him a kiss on his forehead
and he licked my face. We heard Karen roaring from behind, “Maybe you’ve escaped from me, but the witch will get you!”
We continued our journey through the witch’s forest. Soon I was thirsty and I told Maria.
“Don’t worry, I know a place where we can have a drink and also get some food,” she said.
We came up to a tree, which had hundreds of yellow flowers with orange rims hanging from it. They looked like cups. Maria flew up to one of the flowers and began drinking from it. After taking a sip she looked at me.
“Go ahead and drink as much as you want.”
So I did. I took one of the flowers in my hands and began to drink the sweet liquid in it. Once it touched my lips, I couldn’t stop myself from drinking. It was the sweetest drink I had ever had, and it never finished. I was able to drink as much as I wanted to. I looked at Bruno. He was staring at me. He was thirsty too, so I gave him a drink from a flower. He seemed to enjoy it.
Next Maria took us to a tree which had food hanging from it. First I fed Bruno and then I began to feast too. There was a wide selection of tasty treats on this tree, all cooked and ready to eat. It was the most delicious food I ever ate.
Lastly we found a tree where puddings, pies, cakes and toffees were hanging. I helped myself. I hadn’t had such a good meal in years and I was so happy!
We walked some more but soon Bruno was ready