• Prologue
• Chapter 1 & 2
• Chapter 3
• Chapter 4
• Chapter 5
• Chapter 6
• Chapter 7
• Chapter 8
• Chapter 9
• Chapter 10
• Chapter 11

Chapter 12

I had very little comfort that night. Our camp was at the very edge of the very large swamp. The ground was slippery and muddy. I found it impossible to sleep comfortably. To compound issues; endless waves of mosquitoes attacked ceaselessly. Our only protection were the dying embers of the bonfires that sometimes drew their attention.

I lay on my mat on the marshy ground, huddled under my blanket. The tent I was assigned to was overcrowded to say the least. The men snored loudly. I found myself wondering how anyone could sleep under such conditions; I guess they were more exhausted than I was.

Over the ceaseless snoring and buzzing. I started to hear the distinct sound of a woman sobbing. 

It seemed oddly familiar! It was the same as the sobbing I had heard just five days earlier!!.

I rose from my mat and got out into the full glare of the moon. I was intrigued; who was this sobbing woman? Why was she in the camp? And why had she been in at my house? it all made no sense. I had to get to the bottom of it.

The entire area had the pungent odour of rotting foilage. Only a handful of men stayed away and were chatting away. They seemed completely oblivious of the sobbing; I soon found myself questioning my sanity.

I followed the sound and soon found myself at the edge of an extensive bog. The sobbing seemed to be coming from within the bog. I treaded lightly through the muddy terrain trying not to slip. I had previously grabbed a torch from a nearby bonfire. I took a deep breath as I waded knee deep into the bog.

The deeper I waded into the bog; the further the sobbing seemed from me. I wandered around in the bog for what seemed like hours shouting at the top of my voice

Show yourself and stop bothering me!

After an exhaustive pursuit of shadows, I eventually gave up my pursuit and started wading back in what I thought was the general direction of our encampment; but, alas I was lost!

The rain was now pelting down hard, hard enough to snuff out the torch in my hands.

In the depth of my confusion I heard the sobbing clearer than ever. It seemed just barely right behind me, in the middle of the swamp.

Once I again, I changed my mind, and found myself once again seeking the sobbing specter

The water was now waist deep. But I could feel myself getting even closer to the sobbing. I was very excited and scared. Over the shrubbery, there was a single lonely column of smoke rising. I felt certain that was where my torturer lay. 

Feeling extremely exhausted from my wanderings, I found myself needed to catch my breath for a minute or two. I went to rest my back on the trunk of a nearby tree  

In retrospect, the tree looked like something out of a bad dream; but I couldn’t care less. Hardly had my back touched it's back when I heard the sudden and violent ruffling in its leaves right over my head. 

What seemed like a bundle of very black twines fell down from the tree not more than a yard  from my position. The twines seemed to be locked in a violent deathly dance. 

It suddenly hit me;

They were three black tree vipers locked in a battle to the death. I felt my heart freeze with fear. 

They almost immediately smelt fear and suddenly all at once stopped their infighting and turned their glistening yellow eyes toward me.

I felt a warm feeling run down my thighs as my bladder let go of its content. At least they seemed as shocked as I was. We all stood there for a moment, staring at each other for about ten seconds. I promptly started plotting my escape. 

Tree vipers are renown not only for their remarkable tree climbing abilities but also for unbelievable speed in the water. I knew my only hope of salvation lay in the clearance from which the smoke was rising. 

Trying to catch them by suprise,  I started thrashing away from the tree; toward the clearing as fast as I could. 

I glanced back momentarily as they, in one swift movement they dropped their heads into the water and started streaking towards me like black bolts of lightning.

I was very afraid. Alas, I would die a vagabond in the swamps, where no one would ever find my body, eaten as a midnight snack. I waded desperately as fast as I could, thinking of Ashti and our unborn child. Were my bladder not already empty, I would have emptied it again.

The column of smoke seemed finally within reach but yet, I could feel the vipers snapping at my heels as I waddled as fast as I could. Soon I saw the clearance and flung myself on it.

I turned immediately as I landed and I saw all the three snakes and twelve fangs jumping out of the water toward me… with a sudden poof! They all vanished into thin air, leaving a mere trail of sooth. I was paralyzed with fear. I turned my head and looked around. Alas I was right at the edge of our encampment, where I had begun my journey.

The sobbing voice was gone