Ozul | Curse of the Dhampir King

The dusty Toyota quietly cruised to a stop before the sign: "Welcome to WoodBurd."

Its three passengers alighted, dusting their ripped jeans and stretching their arms, obviously taking time to regain their bones. The truck had been cramped for the three of them and their luggage while the driver...

What an uncaring jerk he had been, squeezing them all together for as much as three hundred dollars on a four-hour trip with a lack of air conditioner. But no use now.

We are here, and we ought to have the best camping trip of our lives, Ada Walter thought, smiling.

She nudged her friends, and they turned from their contemplation of the lush woods back to the car and started grabbing their things out of the vehicle; the bulky camping gear was a struggle, but they did it without complaining, knowing better than to expect or even ask for help from the driver.

The driver looked at the three girls who had just alighted from his truck. Stroking his rough, brownish beard, he muttered eagerly, "Y'all be careful out here, ya hear? This place gives me chills."

Ada and Ginger thanked the driver for the ride while Lucian spoke proudly about how he would protect the two women in case of danger. When the driver grinned a little and looked around, undoubtedly, he took off down the dirt road that paved the entry into WoodBurd.

But maybe he was right. This place was creepy. The sign she had seen earlier looked rusted and covered in something she hoped wasn't blood. The crickets cried in song as the giant crows above them circled around.

"Don't worry about him, guys. Hunters camp out here all the time. As long as we stay in the clearing, we'll be fine," Lucian said. Ada turned and saw her two friends standing Akimbo, watching her with the barest hint of mischief on their faces. Lucian stood a bit taller than all of them, but what Ginger didn't make up for in height, she had in beauty. She, Ada, was the one who got straight A's and was voted Class President every year. But now it was time for college, and her parents had been calm but insistent when they had whispered to her over breakfast two weeks ago,

"We love you, Ada. We are proud of you and all you have achieved right from the start, but you must understand that you can't go to college...yet. There's this school we've been hoping to send you to, but it's more like a private institution for...Um...special people like you..."

She hadn't waited to hear the rest. She wanted to go to regular college like her friends! She wanted to be close to everyone she loved! She didn't want to be protected! She had begged and coaxed and cussed until her dad yelled at her.

Usually, her parents backed down at this point, content to allow her at least try, but no, they were not backing down this time; in the face of that realization, she had slipped into screaming that they were trying to ruin her life and that her parents were controlling. Juvenile action, really, but she had been frustrated about them ruining her best-laid plans for her life. The severity of the situation had not hit her until her father had shouted her down.

That was strange. Her dad never yelled. Ever. But he had, and she had no choice but to cower in fear.

It had rained heavily that day, causing a flood that wiped out the next block and killed three people. She had been shaken by everything, so her dad had mellowed and allowed her to go on a camping trip with her two best friends, leaving for their various colleges in a week. So here they were. In WoodBurds. Alone.

"This will be fun, won't it?" Ginger asked the ever-skeptic one. She was clutching her makeup kit and their sleeping bags, but on closer look, she was white-knuckled with apprehension.

"Sure. No parents, no nosy neighbors, no others except us, and best of all, some FREEDOM before we are locked in rooms!" Ada rolled her eyes at her own sarcasm.

Lucian let out a tiny whoop of delight that echoed in the forest's silence. When the sound came back, it sounded distorted and more profound, like someone else was laughing. Only Ada seemed to notice, so she shrugged it off and shouldered a camping bag, leading the way to their spot.

The moment they crossed the threshold of the forest gates, A crow perched itself on a stump near them. Its eyes glowed a bloody red. Only Ada seemed to notice, so it was best ignored...

"You know what's better than hot chocolate-" he spoke proudly, raising his mug. "And marshmallows?" He paused, eyeing the girls across from him as they sat around the already made fire pit.

"What's that?" Ginger asked shortly after.

"Spooky tales! The horror of the night!" Lucian replied eagerly. "I know one that is true about these woods." Ada and Ginger glanced at each other and back at him. Lucian always took pride in gossiping around town and finding out information involving strange events. That's precisely why he's studying to be a reporter.

Woodburds stretched thirty miles in the Northern lands of Wisconnet. It was no secret about the mysterious rumors of the disappearance of people that were said to have been last seen wandering around the grounds.

"So a family of four was hiking in the forest during a night like this," he began. "Father, daughter, and two sons. Instead of taking the main road, they thought cutting through the woods would be quicker, and they were right, according to their GPS. As they walked further into the darkness, the daughter complained about hearing noises in the bushes. Her father told her it was only an animal moving about. Ignoring and continuing their journey, they made it to the edge of the forests, where the trees and tall grass stopped, and the roads and the city ahead of them they could see. Before they went any further, the Father looked around at his children and noticed his daughter wasn't with them so him and the boys went searching for her and calling her name. So the dad filed a missing reporting and an investigation took place but the only evidence was a backpack and a doll the girl carried. So two week after.... the case was closed, and the girl was pronounced dead even though they never saw her body. "

"Wait a minute!" Ginger waved her hand like a silly person. "That family actually lived in our town?"

"Yeah." Lucian nodded. "You can look it up right now. Type "missing case of Macy Prim' into Google."

Ginger removed her phone from her pocket and typed on the screen. Moments later, her mouth grew wide. "Holy hell! It's true! It says eight-year-old Macy Prim went missing while on a family hike through WoodBurd. Items, such as; the backpack she wore and a doll, were found, but her body still remains a mystery to this day. She was pronounced dead February 26th, 2019, seventeen days after the police report took place."

A shiver ran through Ada's body. She wasn't afraid of scary stories, but an incident like that actually happened somewhere she currently resided creeped her out a bit. "Well, that's unfortunate," she commented, adding her input.

"Anyone who can top that story, I'll give ya twenty bucks because mine comes with facts." Ada rolled her eyes, and Ginger started jumping like a kid getting a treat.

"Oh! I got one! Not completely true, but there has been evidence of it found, but no one knows for sure. It all started-"

~

A crow flew in the midnight sky, ignoring all other distractions. When it saw the creature flying past, it ducked and took a detour. Its mission must continue. It knew it would be recognized instantly, regardless of the form, shape, or color it took. It didn't stop until it saw the towering building hidden behind the gnarled, twisted trees. The trees looked dead, but it knew they weren't, instead having a penchant for snaring unsuspecting visitors and making them disappear. Forever. It soared for a while and cawed, announcing its return. A small window opened, and a pale hand beckoned. It spun for a time, like a fighter jet dodging a heat missile, then flew straight through the window. It slowed its descent and landed right in the arms of the beckoner. Hidden in shadows, the figure caressed its feathered head, establishing a conversation of the mind:

[beckoner] How did it go...

[crow] Everything went well. I saw a group on my way passing by."

[beckoner] Group?

[crow] Yes. A group of teenagers camping out in that clearing.

[beckoner] Curse them! ...

[crow] No need to fear. I encountered the Master on my way back...

[beckoner] By the gods! Did he see you?...

[crow] No. I ducked. Will he let them live?

[beckoner] Depends. Is he hunting tonight? The humans can't stay away from the woods after knowing the stories. I don't understand them.

[crow] Master sits at a bench. I don't think he knows they are here... please sister, I'm hurting. Bring me back.

[beckoner] Yes, yes. You have done well. Now it is time... you can only keep this form for a short time. But very soon you shall...

The darkness was chased away by the flashes of red light that revealed nothing...yet. Then there was a groan, more human than animal, which subsided into a slight whine, then stopped. Bending down, the figure with the pale hands picked up another creature and stroked its head gently, still looking out the window. It watched as the sun kissed the top of the gnarled trees like a scared lover, then sank behind the horizon, fading softly.