Hehe

" Aaaaah"

I screamed hard but opened my eyes to see nothing absolutely nothing.

I tried blinking my eyes but still saw nothing; then the realization dawned to me I WAS BLIND; I wasn't saying this as an exaggeration I was physically blind.

" How?, How?. " I said panicking to the fact that I was blind and a monstrous BEING was still lurking around.

Scared to my wits I started move my arms forward hoping to touch something solid for support. I unknowingly walked into a water that seemed to burn but in a very mild way.

" Who are you." I heard a very meek voice, the voice sounded like some of the poison glazed with sugar incantations Amon had once said.

" Turn around and run." I heard a voice but not the type of voice I'd hear with my ears this voice was with in like it was in my head.

" RUN!!" the voice said hurriedly. Not knowing what to do I followed the voice and ran; I kept on running on a wet damp ground then suddenly slipped and fell into a hole. I tried climbing out but the dirt turned into water.

I felt the water which burned mildly envelop the hole. Panicking I was about to shout for help when I heard the voice again.

" Don't, keep silent or they will hear." At this point I couldn't care less of the instruction Amon had given me.

I screamed at the top of my lungs " HELP, HELP, PLEASE, HELP." at this point the water had already gotten to my knee and burning severely. I tried and tried to climb out of the hole, but hole's dirt kept on turning to the acid burning water.

The water was now at my chin and I was gasping for air even when I wasn't underwater yet, Tears rolled down my cheeks as I thought

" I can not die like this, not now, not yet I still need to avenge my family and make the people who caused them pain to suffer." I cry out loud as the water fully enveloped the hole.

I trash around trying to find balance, the burning sensation of the water kicked in making me give a muffled scream in pain. I tried gasping for air and accidentally swallow the water which followed by an excruciating pain.

As the water had fully enveloped the hole I realized the water wasn't burning my skin it was burning me from the inside. Suddenly the burning kicked in again but this time with a force that seem make me weigh more stopping me from resurfacing.

" Aaaaaaaaaaaah." I screamed as I opened my blind eyes out of impulse which only made the pain more unimaginable.

" Stretch out your arms let me pull you out." I heard a muffled voice. With out much deliberations I tried swimming to the surface but could only go halfway. Then I felt a soft, slender hand garb my arm in an attempt to pull me out I kicked hard against the water to give me a boost and was finally able to get out of the hole.

With the slender hand still holding me, I coughed out the water multiple time each time feeling like I was coughing out acid.

" Are you alright " the same meek voice said as it's slender arm turned into a rough, spiky scales. Feeling this right under my skin I felt fear grip me hard.

" What's the problem? scared? " The meek voice abruptly turned into a spine chilling ominous shrill.

The monster grabs me in a choke hold as I try hard to free myself. I struggled and struggled but all it led to was more horrifying pain.

" Ugh hmmph " I grunt as I felt my body turn numb and became heavy. I dropped on the floor not feeling my body at all then I felt the scaly hand on my forehead and in an instant, I had a feeling that seemed similar to millions of needles going out of my body with force.

Warm liquid trickled down my skin in so many places.

I felt so weak as I wondered " How am I not dead. " I felt more needle like things force their way out of my body as I blacked out.

I opened my eyes and was shocked that I could see, not very well but I could see I was so happy and also bewilddered on how I was in a swamp until I remembered.

" Where was the monster? " I thought inwardly, to scared to even breath as I combed through the swamp in search of the monster I had no idea, how it looked. I looked down to see petrified looking face making me to jump in fear tripping over a vine and falling. I scrambled backwards absolutely terrified.

I stayed still for a minute but the thing didn't seem to move I scanned through the body in the dim light of the night sky pand saw scales making me realise this was the monster. But what bothered me is what made the monster look so horrible it looked like its soul was socked out of its body.

I stood up relieved but still scared of the other being that did such a thing to the monster

" Could it still be lurking around here" I ask my self as shiver ran down my spine.

Not wanting to encounter another being that was trying to kill me, I ran. I ran like my life depended on it of which it actually did.

" Keep going forward. " the voice spoke again making me stop on my tracks abruptly.

" Forward. " the spoke again

I walked Forward then slipped hitting my butt hard trying to get up I slipped again but this time I fell face flat.

" Trust the voice Amon said. " I said sacarstically.

" Hehe. " I heard a giggle. I scanned the darkness filled swamp looking for what or who made that sound.

" Hold on. " I thought aloud.

" Through out I've been in this swamp it has been dark, are the nights here that long? " I asked myself wondering what was going on here.

* Splatter * I heard multiple splashes behind me.

I turned slowly already frustrated cause I just escaped from one monster and now another being might be planning my death.

" What in the gods is wrong with you monsters, can't I just rest for a while you're really frustrating me. Go find another person kill. NOW SCRAM!!! " I shouted at the figures that stood before me. wondering where I got the courage.

Coming to the fact that multiple figures stood before me meaning a more horrifying death I strated running as i thought aloud " Just great, I should have ran at first but I was shouting at the monsters."

" Hehe. " I heard another giggle from behind as splashes followed.

" Stop, we're not monsters. " I heard a males voice.

" We're also here for the qualifications. " I heard another males voice.

I was about to stop when I remembered a story my Mother told me of monsters which take the forms and the voices of the people they've killed, With that though I picked up the pace not seeing a big tree which I crashed into loosing my cousiouness again.

Feeling warm rays of light hit me and hearing people's moving around and whispering

" Will she be alright? " a female's voice asked in concern.

" She will be alright don't worry too much. " The man's voice which I recalled from earlier, said in a light tone as he touched my forehead flipping his hand backwards and forwards continously.

" Why do you guys even care, We should have killed her when we had the chance. "

" Killed her ? First of all for all we know she might be being used. " A calm voice said.

" Why would they want to kill me ? What did I do. " I thought inwardly.

" Deirdre, you really are funny. Apart from her being used it's like you were not there with us when we saw her killing does Nhangs without as much as lifting a finger literally. " A very familiar voice said laughing.

" Speaking of Nhangs, what were they doing in the swamps? Are they not meant to be river dwellers? " The males voice from earlier spoke

" They could have picked up her scent and realised that she was not yet fully strong. So they might have tried to kill her and take her chi, Explains why they didn't try to drown her. "

" What you guys are saying now is meaningless, We should have atleast tried to kill her not bring her to our hideout and treat her. This girl here if you have not forgotten was the cause of... "

" Shhh, she's waking up. " the male voice said, making me ponder on what gave my acting up, then I realise I moved my arms in attempt to itch my leg.

" Just my luck. " I humphed inwardly unknowingly giving another clear evidence that I was now fully awake.

I open my eyes to see Zacchaeus smiling and three other people. Each giving a different expression; Worry, Uncertainty and Disgust.

" I'm guessing the girl giving me the disgusted look must be the one and only Deirdre" I thought shifting my gaze from her to Zacchaeus who was all smiles.

" You've got some guts speaking like the way you did to a supposed monster. I am Alejo Maleeq. " the boy who gave me an Uncertainted look said now giving me a gentle smile and bringing forth his hand for a handshake.

" Well I was a little frustrated and tired, I am Heather Amon. " I brought my hand out giving him a firm handshake.

Deirdre scoffed loudly not bothered that I was also in the same space.

" Amon? " Alejo said giving me an indirect question.

" Are you perhaps related to Amon Liam? " Alejo asked me, this time directly.

" No, no, no we're just close acquaintance. " I said laughing shaking my head and waving my hands in front of me at the same time.

" Enough with your introductions Alejo, Hi I'm Janus Damien. "

" Janus? that's a pretty odd name for a girl. "

" Yeah, my parents were expecting twins but my brother died during birth so my parents named me after him. " she said already in an awkward position as silence followed.

" Anyway, Heather why aren't you with your team? " Janus said breaking the silence

" Team? " I said getting confused

" Yeah Heather where's your team. " Zacchaeus asked now worried.

" Why would the Elders of Chi put her in a team. " Deirdre said, hatred filling her every word.

No one gave her attention or even looked in her direction making her huff in annoyance and leave the hideout.

" Deirdre be careful. " Janus shouted as Deirdre existed the hideout.

" Could it be the Nhangs? , they could have killed her team mates to have an easier access to her. " Alejo thought out loud

" What are Nhangs? and why do they want to kill me? " I asked feigning ignorance not that I actually knew all the details

" Alejo was startled and getting nervous to answer the question when Zacchaeus stepped in saying "Nhangs are river monsters who are shape-shifters and drown their victims which are normally men for their lust and big appetite. "

" What does any of this have to do with me and if their river monsters why are they in the Swamps. " I said knowing they were letting me know what was happening but hiding some vital information from me.

" That's why we are confused on why the Nhangs were in the swamp, why they chose a different method of killing and why they were after a female, You. " Janus spoke seeming as if she was also pondering.

" Aaaaaaah. " we heard Deirdre screams. We all abruptly stood up. Zacchaeus tried pleading for me to stay but I tried pushing pass him, when I didn't listen to him he carried me and placed me on the mat. I stood up with so much force and pushed passed him finally stepping out of the hideout with Zacchaeus still pleading behind me that I needed to rest.