*Huff*Huff*Huff*
"No no no please, I don't wanna die!" tears rolled down Hao Xuan's face.
Blood was pouring down his arms and what little strength he had left, he used to push himself forward on the only rope left connecting the two landmasses.
He looked down and saw the endless black chasm and it stared back at him in jubilation.
He could see horrific figures dancing in the darkness, although he wasn't sure if that was his own imagination or delusions caused by blood loss or god forbid, real!
The drop was bigger than anything else he had ever come across in his life but he had also crossed the now broken rope bridge thousands of times before and it had never felt this frightening.
Although the chasm was too deep to ever see its bottom, it had never felt this....alive, before.
He turned around and saw his pursuer looking right at him from the cliff side.
Even from that distance he could tell it used to be human at some point, but now all that was left was the twisted monstrosity that had killed his father and was now following him.
Their family lived at the edge of the canyon and used to often cross to the other side to hunt.
He had heard the stories but believed them to be nothing more than fairy tales invented by the old village elders to scare the children into behaving.
Yet right now, those tales had come to life.
The creature had a humanoid head. There were gaping holes where its nose should have been and a swirling darkness in place of its eyes.
Its drooling mouth was more than twice the size of its head and lined with rows of needle-like teeth.
It was down on all fours. Those arms and legs were several times the size of a normal person's and ended in claws long enough to go through a grown man. They looked more like a chicken's feet than anything else.
It's leathery skin and long, falling hair gave it an elderly feeling and also what helped identify the creature for Hao Xuan.
It was quite a famous bedtime story for naughty children.
"Behave yourself or the baba will come and take you!" they said.
He muttered the name under his breath, "Baba Yaga..."
Perhaps it was just his imagination but he could feel a smile slowly creep up on that dreadful face.
It threw its head back and cackled.
This was the first time Hao Xuan had heard it make any noise and now he understood why they called it Baba (old lady).
It sounded like the wailing of an old woman.
Hao Xuan was more than halfway across the last rope but his body froze upon hearing that appalling noise.
He closed his eyes and prayed.
A moment later the wailing stopped, prompting him to open his eyes once again and look back.
The foggy mist moved was blown away by a cold breeze and he could clearly see the other side.
The creature was gone. His eyes flickered back and forth but he couldn't see anything remotely resembling it.
Elated, he turned back around and continued forward. A few minutes later he was close enough to the other side.
"MA!" he called out.
Maybe his mother was still awake. She had to put his younger brothers and sisters to sleep and usually ended up staying awake till quite late in the night.
There was no response but he half expected it. It took him another minute to safely cross to the other side.
He fell to his knees as soon as his feet touched the ground.
An overwhelming feeling of weakness came over him and wanted nothing more than to close his eyes and go to sleep right there on the hard ground but there was no time.
He had to warn his mother and siblings and leave with them this instant.
He ran through the snaking path and in just a few seconds was able to see his house.
The light in his parent's room was still lit. He could see her sitting by the window.
"Ma-" he tried calling out again but froze.
His mother stood up and turned around to peer out of the window.
Hao Xuan's heart stopped. His mother wasn't that tall but that figure was almost touching the roof just by standing up.
It came closer to the window, just enough for Hao Xuan to catch a glimpse of if its smiling, toothy face.
Those swirling masses of darkness stared right into his eyes before a loud wail entered his ears.
"NOO!" he shouted and jumped to his feet.
He was surrounded by trees on all sides, naked and wet. Bo who was sitting a few feet away from him came running over.
"Did you have a nightmare, master?" Bo asked warily.
Hao Xuan's heart was pounding like a drum. There were tears in his eyes and blood on his hands from his own fingers digging into his palms.
"A dream...?" he mumbled weakly.
"Hello? Is anyone there? Do you need help, friend?" a voice came from behind them, waking Hao Xuan from his stupor.
****
Authors Notes:
4-5 chapters week minimum, more if I have time.
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