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Chapter 2

The wolf, lured by the smell of my blood, advanced towards the rock where I huddled, my distorted face mirroring the curse that had afflicted me. Deep wrinkles marked my skin, hanging loosely and showing the effects of the grotesque change that transformed me.

As the wolf drew nearer, its ferocity palpable, I felt a surge of fear grip me, knowing that my fate hung in the balance.

Desperation clawed at my heart as the wild animal closed in, its predatory instincts honed on the scent of my blood. With no escape in sight, I could only pray for a miracle for the wolf to turn away and leave.

The spring's gentle cascade of water from the rocks sprinkled on the wolf and it jumped in fright.

As the wolf crept closer, every wrinkle on my face seemed to deepen, every sagging fold a reminder of the curse that had twisted me into this nightmarish form.

Hunched and trembling, I awaited my fate, hoping against hope that the wolf would heed my silent plea and retreat to the shadows from whence it came.

However, the wolf perched itself on the rock and stared at me hiding behind it.

At first, the wild animal did not exhibit any aggression towards me but stared deep into my eyes. I could sense its pure evil as I looked back.

Despite the fear, I stayed behind the rock, aware of the trembling that had taken hold of my whole body.

I knew that wolves could sense fear and act on it. I tried to evade being mauled by the animal and retreated further behind.

The fearful predator assessed its prey from the rock.

I dared not move, knowing that any sudden action could trigger a deadly response.

The air crackled with tension as the wolf's piercing eyes bore into mine, a hostile encounter in the secluded garden.

Every fibre of my being screamed with the urge to flee, to escape the impending danger that loomed before me. Yet, I remained rooted behind the rock, my heart pounding in my chest, each beat drumming a warning to my mind.

Time seemed to slow to a crawl as the wolf, sensing my fear, tensed its muscles, preparing to pounce. In that heart-stopping moment, confusion clouded my thoughts, fear gripped me in its icy embrace, and the realization dawned that my fate hung by a thread.

With every passing second, the urgency of the situation pressed upon me, a relentless reminder that action was needed, and time was not on my side. I was at wits end about what to do.

As the wild wolf crouched, ready to spring, a surge of adrenaline coursed through my veins, urging me to act, to find a way out of this deadly encounter.

Amid chaos and fear, I knew I had to think fast, to outwit the predator that stood before me, for in that fleeting moment, my survival depended on my next move.

Just as the wolf was about to attack me, a gust of wind pushed it out of the way. “I heard the sorceress’s laughter ring out in the eerie silence. My heart thumped louder in my chest, and I was consumed by unimaginable fear. I started trembling uncontrollably.

Something trickled down my face, and I suddenly realised I was crying.

“Go now, find some other disfigured human to while your time away,” the sorceress commanded the wolf.

The wolf looked petrified when it heard the voice of the sorceress. Its hair stood on end. And I saw it look away from me towards the trail of the winds.

The winds swished and buckled, and the eerie laughter lingered. I felt afraid to know that the sorceress kept an eye on me.

As the gust of wind and the sorceress diverted the wolf's attention and delayed its impending attack, her haunting laughter echoed through the garden, sending a chill down my spine.

Suddenly, the sorceress's presence loomed over us. I sensed the evil in her presence, in the eerie silence that enveloped the surroundings.

My heart raced with a mixture of dread and awe, my body trembling uncontrollably in the face of the acute nightmare. Tears streamed down my face, a release of pent-up emotions brought forth by the overwhelming fear and uncertainty that gripped me in that condition.

In that moment of vulnerability, the sorceress's voice cut through the air, commanding the wolf to depart and seek another unfortunate soul to torment.

The wolf once poised to strike, now stood frozen in fear at the sorceress's voice, its wild gaze shifting from me to the surroundings which scared it.

Her watchful eye and unfathomable ability to kill us as she wished, was scary.

As the tension thickened, she said wickedly, "You dare trespass in my garden, creature of the night. Leave this disfigured soul be, for she will not be consumed now. I want her to suffer for her insolence by entering my garden. Why, she should have known that I have prohibited man and beasts from entering my private domain. Now, go, amuse yourself with another palate that will be more delicious and suited to your taste. This disfigured old lady stinks and rots like dead flesh."

I suddenly thought to plead, hoping she would release me from her wicked curse. "I seek only solace, sorceress, that I entered your garden. My intrigue for its beauty overcame me and I made a grave mistake. Please forgive me and release me from your spell and I shall never enter the garden or displease you again.”

However, the sorceress gave an insipid laugh, “Your fate is entwined with mine, and you shall remain until I choose when you die.”

My voice, a whisper now, pleaded again, "Please release me from your curse. I shall never return here again. I beg you to release me from this nightmare.”

The place crackled with tension, and I could see her roving eyes looking at me with disdain and loath.

I cowered under her stare. The wolf jumped off the rock and escaped and the sorceress disappeared again.