The Verdict

"I WON'T LET YOU KILL HER!" Denie came bursting through the door and yelling in the Chief's face.

I couldn't help but allow myself to smile a little. If Denie had not been here to save me countless times, I'm pretty sure the Chief and the townspeople would have already hung or stoned me to death.

Denie was the town Chief's favorite niece, but even though he had raised her, she was nothing like him. She was kind, sweet and a loyal soul.

Denie and I met ten years ago at an orphanage she was brought to spend the night after her parent's death. She had been so sad and lonely that I could not help but try to comfort her. We stayed together that night until the Chief's, who happened to be her uncle, came for her. She had lived with him since that day.

However, before she left for her new home, she promised never to forget me and to always be there for me. We became close friends after that night and have been inseparable ever since. She kept her word. She became my guardian angel, watching over me and protecting me from harm's way.

I will always love and be grateful to her for that!

"Uncle! I swear if anything happens to her, I won't live another day!" Denie's declaration jerked me out of my train of thought to see the Chief's face had turned red in irate.

Every citizen of this town knew that no matter how strict and firm the Chief was with Denie, he loved and treasured her dearly. She was the light of his life, so it was apparent that her words scared him.

"B-but look at what she did to your cousin. He is in bad shape because of her." he pointed toward Lance who had still not regained consciousness after receiving treatment by the best practician in the village.

"We both know that Lance did that to himself. Did you expect her to stay still and let him do away with her as he pleased?" Denie shot at him.

Her words were filled with anger and disbelief as she confronted her biased uncle. She couldn't fathom how anyone could think it was acceptable to harm an innocent girl and get away with it because she had no one to fight for her.

The Chief looked away, knowing she was right. But his hatred for me runs too deep to let me go unpunished.

"Fine, I won't have her executed even though that is what she deserves." He continued, "However, she can no longer be a part of this town. She will be sold to the town of Mador by dawn!" he spat.

"MADOR?" Denie gasped. "But Uncle, they are the most heartless and wicked people we know! She won't survive there!"

The Chief took one long and hard look at me before uttering a single word, "Good!" And with that, my fate was sealed.

It was official, I was going to die!

"Take her away and have her confined in the barn. She should never have the chance to escape, so make sure to cover every exit from this town." The Chief instructed his men and they dragged me away to have me tied up like an animal.

As I lay in the dark and dingy barn, I couldn't help but wonder what fate awaited in the land of Mador. Would I be treated worse than I already was, or would they take pity on me and grant me a quick death?

The thought of the unknown future made me shiver with fear, but I knew that I had to stay strong and keep fighting for survival until my last breath. Perhaps, one day, I would be able to escape this misery and find a better life elsewhere. If not, then I prayed for a smooth sail to the afterlife.

In my moment of despair, I heard muffled sounds from outside then a shadow loomed over me.

My heart almost jumped out of my chest, thinking one of my oppressors had come to take advantage of my predicament and do away with me however he pleased.

"Hey, it's me." A deep wave of relief washed over me when her familiar voice reached my ears.

"Denie?"

"Yes, Lana, it's me. I am here to tell you something, but please keep your voice down."

I nodded even though I wasn't sure if she could see me in the dark.

She came closer and sat beside me on the floor. "Lana. You can't let yourself be sold to Mador. You'll die there if that happens." Her voice was croaked, and I knew she was crying.

"I know, Denie, but what else can I do?" I said dejectedly. I only fought back when Lance tried to assault me yet look where that got me.

"You can run away," she whispered as if someone would hear her.

"Run where?" I whispered back. "To the North is Mador, to the South is the hostile town of Kir. The East is the Sea; there is nowhere to go."

"How about to the west?" She asked.

I turned to look at her like she had lost her mind. She pretty well knew why I couldn't go to the West.

The only thing in the West was the forest of Humdrum. A dangerous place that should never cross anyone's mind. Death was a far better solution.

"That's a death sentence! Every man that has gone in has perished!" I repeated obvious facts to her.

"Exactly! Every MAN. We don't know what would happen if a woman went in."

Okay, now she was just being plain ridiculous. Or she had indeed gone crazy.

"Wait, hear me out. I know it's a dangerous shot in the dark, but you don't have an option here! You will surely die if you end up being sold to the people of Mador by dawn. At least there is a 0.00001% chance that you will survive in the forest. I strongly believe there's life beyond those giant trees."

Denie inhaled a sharp breath before adding, "What if those who never returned decided that on their own? What if the life they found beyond is far better than what they initially had and thus decided their future was far better off?"

I found myself nodding at her words. I had to admit she had a good point even though it sounded too good to be true. It was no more than false hope yet circumstances have left me with no other choice but to consider this terrible idea my only means to survival.

****

A/N: Hi there, friends I just finished writing the introduction to my next great work of art. Please feel free to add this to your library; for now, updates will be a minimum of three chapters per week. This is a werewolf tale, as you may have guessed from the tags. But if you're a fan of other genres, I urge you to give this one a shot; you won't be let down. Additionally, this book is participating in the Webnovel Spirit Award. Please support me with your votes.

Constructive criticism is also welcome throughout this journey. Please feel at ease in expressing your opinions.

Thank you! :)