The Anyaman Tree has stood there for years and years. It has withstand storms and earthquakes in the area. It has seen how the area has changed. From the luscious forest, all green and flowers, the area is now surrounded with apartment complex, houses and human beings.
Humans. The Anyaman Tree has a love and hate with the humans that has lived around her. They have cared for Her but at the same time, they have tried to destroy Her as well. How humans tried to cut Her down so many times. They all failed on those times because of the little one.
The little one, Bumi, She name the little one Bumi, has always been there for Her. Bumi was abandoned by her human parents. She was unwanted. She took care of Bumi, but Bumi did not survived as a baby, so She with her powers bestowed by Gaia in her, transformed the little one into an Earth Elemental. Bumi grew up into a power earth elemental and she has protected Her from bad humans who wanted to cut down.
As the time goes by stories of an elemental living in the Anyaman Tree spread like wildfire. She was regarded as an evil spirit who will hurt anyone who dare touch or try to cut the tree down. For years, people who dared, died of mysterious illness or got into terrible accidents. The stories were passed on to the present modern times that the city government declared the area where the Anyaman Tree as a protected area. A park was build around and a metal barrier with a brown cord with paper talisman surrounded the tree. A warning to keep people from approaching the tree.
But of course, as time goes by, the stories fade and all is left is are but rumors. Rumors it may say, it was enough to have the kids and some of the adults in the area to stay away.
The Anyama Tree and Bumi relatively lived peacefully. Not until now.
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She looks around looking nervous. She doesn't understand why she agreed to this. Her parents has always warned that tree in the middle of the village is cursed and no one should approach it. There were many stories of people dying of illness and or getting into accidents. But they are just stories right? Then why does it feels like that what they are about to do is something she would regret? She never believed those stories. Did she?
"Lee-ann!" a male voice called out to her.
"Vittorio, shut the fuck up!" Lee-ann said hissing at the boy.
Vittorio grinned at her. "Come on, Sammy and Juls has already went over the barricade."
"They what? I thought we will all do this together?" Lee-ann exclaimed. She sprints towards the tree with Vittorio following behind.
They reached the Anyama tree in a matter of seconds. Vittorio ran past Lee-an and went over the steel barriers. Lee-ann slowed down saying, "Damn it Vittorio!"
Vittorio skidded on his tracks. He looks at her saying, "Come on! Don't tell me you are chickening out?"
"I- no... but..." Lee-ann stammered looking at the tree before her. It loomed over them. She never liked the tree. It always give her bad vibes.
Vittorio chuckled saying, "Don't tell me you believed those stories?"
"Fuck no!"
"Then cross over here. Don't be a pussy! Oh wait... you are one ahahahahaha." Vittorio laughs as he turns his back at her and ran closer to the tree.
Lee-ann frowned. Vittorio can be very crude and annoying especially to girls, it doesn't really affects her but that one was a foul. She took one more glance at the tree and she climbed over the steel barriers.
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"Finally, Lee-ann Sanders is here." Juls Hill exclaimed grinning as he sees Lee-ann approaching. "Vittorio here said you chickened out."
Lee-an rolled her eyes at Juls. "Vittorio is a liar."
"I am not you cunt! You were hesitating awhile ago!" Vittorio exclaimed. Sammy Crowe raised her hand and whacked Vittorio on the head saying, "You dickwad! You don't call her that."
Vittorio made a loud oww and exclaimed, "What the fuck? You call me a dickwad but I can't call her cunt?"
"Because you are a dickwad" Sammy points out giving Vittorio the fuck you sign.
Lee-ann sighed. She lifts her hands in defeat and said, "Cut out you two. Did we come here to fight like elementary kids?"
"She's right. We are here to do the dare right?" Juls replied as he picks up a stone on the ground.
The wind suddenly blew slightly. The sound of leaves from the trees can be heard rustling in the air. Lee-an could feel goosebumps forming on her skin. The dread she is feeling awhile ago is getting stronger. She grabs Juls by the arm saying, "Juls, are we really going for it? I mean, isn't enough that we are here? Let's take a video and just go."
"No Lee-ann. The dare is we hit the tree with a stone, video and then we go." Juls exclaimed. He gives Lee-an a wink and said, "Don't worry the stories are not true. My dad did this before and he is still alive."
"Are you sure Juls?" Lee-ann asked.
Juls pried Lee-an's hold on his arm and said, "Pretty sure." with that he threw the stone he is holding at the huge tree that is a few centimeters away from them.
The stone hit one of the branches of the tree. Sammy followed suit. She picks up a stone and threw it. This time the stone hit the trunk. "Shit, I was aiming a branch too. Oh well."
"Weak!" Vittorio exclaimed. He threw a rock with a sharp edge and it hit a bit higher than what Juls hit. He howled. "Awww fuck yeah!"
"Quiet you dickwad!" Sammy hissed.
What they are doing is technically trespassing and if they are caught by the village securities they are done for. That's juvenile detention for all four of them.
"Your turn Lee-ann." Sammy replied placing a stone on Lee-ann's hand.
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| Credits: Google Image |
She looks at the stone and at the tree. Her gut feeling says she shouldn't.
"Lee-ann chicken cunt" Vittorio exclaimed.
Lee-an bit her lip and threw the stone at Vittorio. It nearly hit him if he didn't see it coming.
"HEY YOU-" he screamed.
Another whack on the head was he got but this time from Juls. "Vittorio, another one and I will fucking bury you here." Juls then looks at Lee-ann saying, "Get over it Lee-ann. We don't want to get caught."
Lee-ann sighed. She picks up a stone. It is a rather small stone but it has jagged edges. She closed her eyes and threw it at the tree. The stone hit the roots.
"Weak-" Vittorio exclaimed. Juls glared at Vittorio and he didn't continue what he was about to say.
"Okay, let's go now." Lee-ann replied walking away. Sammy stops her by pulling her from her back collar. "Not so fast Lee-an. We need a video."
Juls takes his smartphone and opens his camera app. He pressed the video button and started recording. "Okay, folks. We did the Anyama dare! We are still alive and well as you can see." he moves the camera from Sammy to Lee-ann and to Vittorio who gives the camera big fuck you sign.
"So that's it. Let's see if we will alive tomorrow." Juls replied. He turns the camera at him saying, "That is all and we---"
Juls was not able to continue. He looks behind him and then the camera. He could see from the screen this shadow of a woman with glaring red eyes. It was standing besides the tree. It was tall. The shadow was tall almost a giant.
"Juls, are you okay?" Sammy asked.
Lee-ann could feel her the hair on the back of neck stand up. She could sense something looking at them. She slowly turned around. What she saw made her scream.
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She opened her eyes and a white ceiling greeted her. She blinked her eyes trying to adjust her vision. She heard someone moving to her right. She looks and she could see her mother pit pattering about in a nervous matter.
"M-mom?"
"Oh my God Lee-ann! You are awake!" Mrs. Sanders exclaimed.
"W-where am I?" Lee-ann asks softly. Her head hurts.
Mrs. Sanders caressed her daughter's forehead. "You are in the hospital dear."
"Hospital? What happened to me?" Lee-ann asked. Mrs. Sanders sighed and said, "That I want to ask too dearie. Village security found you and three of your friends unconscious at the foot of that cursed tree. All three of you didn't have injuries but you were in a coma for a week."
Lee-san tries to stand-up from her bed but her mother stops her. "What?" Le-ann exclaimed.
"Yes, one week in coma. Well, you are awake now. The others I don't know." Mrs. Sanders replied.
"Mom, you said others. You mentioned we were just three?" Le-ann replied her voice weak.
Mrs. Sanders sits herself on her daughter's bed and said, "You, Sammy and Vittorio."
"Mom, we were four. Juls was with us. Where is Juls?"
"I don't know dearie. His parents searching for him since the day you thee were found. He has been declared a run-away now." Mrs. Sanders commented.
Lee-ann shakes head. "N-no mom, Juls didn't run away. H-he was w-with us. It can't be."
"Dearie, take a rest. Don't stress yourself much. You just woke up. I need to call a doctor to check up on you okay?" Mrs. Sanders replied as she exits the room.
Lee-ann closed her eyes. She, Sammy and Vittorio were in a coma for one week? Where is Juls? What happened to Juls? What happened to them?
An image of a tall female shadow with glaring red eyes flashes before her mind. She opened her eyes quickly. That is right, the evil spirit that lives in the Anyama Tree has showed itself to them. She remembers screaming and after that she doesn't remember anyone. Everything was a blur and now she wakes up in the hospital with the knowledge that the evil spirit had done something sinister to them and that evil thing had taken Juls. But where? Is Juls still alive?
That heavy dreadful feeling she felt at that night is back. Why does she has a feeling that it is not over?
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"They have been searching and looking around."
Bumi snickered. "They will never find anything."
"Little one. Don't you think you have gone far?"
"They hurt you Ibu. Not just once but four times." Bumi replied.
She sighed. Bumi has become angrier at humans as the years go by. "Little one. They only threw rocks at me. I am not even wounded."
"No. Humans should learn their lessons." Bumi explained.
"By spiriting away one of the four?" She asks.
Bumi chuckled. The boy with the camera. The one who came up with the idea of doing a silly dare at night. The same boy who she transformed as one of Ibu's roots.
"It is been a week. One of the three is now awake. Return him."
"Ibu, you can't force me. I am just getting started" Bumi replied as she disappears.
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The doctor, declared her to be healthy and she could be discharged in three days. Sammy has awakened already too. She has requested to be wheeled in Lee-ann's room after her doctor cleared her.
Sammy looked distraught and scared. Like Lee-ann, she could not remember much. All she remembers is Lee-ann screaming, Vittorio running away and Juls. Juls was a blur because she lost consciousness at that point.
"Sammy, have you heard? Juls is missing." Lee-ann replied her voice quivering a bit.
"I know... what the hell Lee-an. What happened? What did you see?" Sammy asked.
Lee-ann bit her lips. "A shadow. I don't know. All I know that thing. It's the rumored evil spirit."
"So stories are real?" Sammy exclaimed.
"I don't know Sammy! Maybe? None of us are dead. Well, Juls is missing and Vittorio is still in a coma." Lee-ann remarked clenching her fists.
Sammy scoffs. "Vittorio can fucking not wake up."
"Sammy!"
"What? He is rude and has no respect for women or any to anyone." Sammy exclaimed bitterly.
Lee-ann sighed. She doesn't know how to respond to that. Despite that, Lee-ann do want Vittorio to wake up. Maybe, he saw something more than the two of them. After all, he was running away.
Mrs. Sanders came into the room to let them know that Vittorio too, has woken up but delirious and agitated. The poor boy has been screaming about a demon trying to kill him. Lee-an and Sammy looked at each other knowing that there is a sense of truth there.
They were also informed that the police would question them about what happened especially now, Juls' parents knew that their son was with them.
Lee-ann could feel another headache coming. What will she say? An evil spirit has probably kidnapped their friend Juls?
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The police officers only questioned Sammy and Lee-ann since Vittorio is no position to give a statement. Sammy's statement described of hearing screams, seeing Vittorio running away from them and seeing Juls. She can't remember seeing Lee-ann but she remembers seeing Juls but she can't remember what happened to the boy. She blacked out at that point.
Lee-ann's statement is almost the same except that she didn't see Vittorio running away. She was asked why she screamed since Sammy did mention she her screamed. Lee-an had no choice but to say what she saw but she said she wasn't sure because she could be hallucinating.
After a few days, they were allowed to go home. Even, Vittorio who was recommended to see a Psychiatrist because of his aggressive behavior which more than the usual. As soon as the three teen-agers gets home, the manifestation of something they cannot explained happened.
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Sammy never believed in anything supernatural. She didn't believe the stories or the rumors about the Anyaman tree. However, after their experiences there, she started to think that the stories are true. She is not the one to open her curtains in her room. She hates the idea of her neighbors peeking into her windows and see whatever she is doing. She has been begging her mother to have her windows tinted but her mother refuses.
This time around, the air in her room is really stuffy. It was never this stuffy. She opens her electric fan but the air just remained heavy. She was tempted to open her air-conditioning but her mother will raise hell saying, she should save electricity. She had no choice but to open her curtains and her window to allow fresh air in.
As she did, she is shocked to find that instead of her neighbor's house, she could see the Anyaman Tree in full glory. Her eyes widened and she could feel the hairs on her arm standing up.
"What the fuck?" Sammy muttered as she rubs her eyes. She even pinched her arms just to make sure she was not dreaming. The tree is indeed there. Sammy knew this is not possible, she knows that there should be a house obstructing her view to whatever.
A cool breeze blew through her room. Sammy should be thankful but this cool breeze feels familiar, it is the same cold wind that blew before the screaming and everything went dark.
"What have we done for you to disturb us?"
Sammy turned around. She heard a haunting creepy voice. She heard it clearly.
"W-who is t-there?" she demands.
"Do you know why I woke you up?"
Sammy jumped a bit. The voice came from outside the window. She slowly turn towards there, she sees the tree again but from behind the tree, she could see girl's shadow creeping out. Glowing red orbs meet Sammy eyes and a voice in her head rang,
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| Credits: Pinterest |
"You need to be punished for hurting Ibu!"
Sammy closed her curtains immediately and let out a blood curling scream.
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Vittorio Righton is a spoiled brad by nature. Born to extremely wealthy family. He gets away with everything. He always does. No matter what bad thing or shit he has done, his parents will turn a blind eye to it, this is why he doesn't get why he can't get away from seeing a psychiatrist.
"I am not fucking crazy!" Vittorio exclaimed almost screaming.
"Honey, you were talking about demons and evil spirits." Mrs. Righton replied trying to pacify his son but failing to.
Vittorio stomped his feet saying, "I am not seeing a shrink! I am not! What I need is for that tree to be fucking gone!"
"Oh Vittorio, we cannot cut the tree down! The city government declared the area a protected area" Mr. Righton exclaimed looking annoyed. "And yes, you will see that psychiatrist next week! That is final!"
Vittorio grumbled. He couldn't argue further especially when his parents are full force on something like this. He stomped his way to his room. As soon as he entered it, he slammed it so hard that his bedroom fixtures shook.
"Fuck this! Fucking shit! Why does everyone thinks I am crazy and those cunts are not?!" Vittorio screamed as he threw himself on the bed.
"Maybe you are?"
Vittorio's eyes widened. Did he hear a voice just now? He got up sitting on the bed. He looks around but no one was there except him.
"Tell me you pathetic boy. Why do you find pleasure in hurting Ibu?"
"Who the fuck are you?!" Vittorio demanded.
Suddenly, a cold breeze can be felt. Vittorio rubbed his arm. He looks at his air-conditioning unit and noticed that it was not on. His eyes darts towards his window and noticed it open, the curtains blowing from the wind.
He slowly approached and suddenly he could feel the hair on his nape standing up. Before he could even reach his window, a shadowy figure of a girl creeps out from the curtains. It's glowing red eyes staring at him.
"I should have let you sleeping and never wake up."
Vittorio stumbled back and screamed.
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Her room seemed so small right now. She finds it hard to breathe. Her mother bought her dinner in her room and encouraged her too eat. Lee-ann doesn't feel eating. Ever since she left the hospital, she started to feel this dread and fear in the pit of her stomach. She knows it is anxiety and it's eating her whole.
She tried to eat the food her mother prepared for her but her appetite is completely gone. She puts her spoon down and sighed. She should feel safe now but she doesn't. What happened to Juls? Why did they fell into a coma for a week? Did she really see the evil spirit of the Anyaman Tree.
Le-ann suddenly felt a sudden chill. She grabs the air-conditioning remote and closed it. After a few minutes, the chill of the room didn't disappear. Lee-an rubs her arms in annoyance. She then noticed her window wide open. No wonder.
She got out of her bed to close her window but as she reached her window, she sees this girl. She has long black hair reaching up to her waist. She has this headdress made out of vines and brown leaves. Dressed in somewhat midnight black flowy robes that moves along the wind like a shadow. The girl lifts her hands and points her finger at her. Her glowing and angry red eyes is all well too similar to Lee-an.
"The evil spirit" her mind screamed.
"You hurt Ibu!" it exclaimed at her
Lee-ann walks backward from her window very quickly. Her back legs bumped against her bed and she fell on it. As she did, the entity she saw appeared above her, it floated horizontally at her, it's hair cascading down on her head. Its red eyes glaring at her.
"I am sorry!" Lee-an blurted out. "I d-didn't mean it. I did not want to do it but my friends... I..." Lee-an exclaimed in tears. She is truly terrified. Lee-an wanted to scream but she could not.
The entity growled at her, "You humans, you say sorry when you are caught and punished!"
"I am truly am sorry!" Lee-ann sobbed.
"I could have punished you more but, among the four, you made the least damage." the entity exclaimed. "So I will let you go but with a warning."
Lee-ann gasped as the entity grabbed her right arm. She could feel a searing hot pain coursing to her arm. She closed her eyes and grits her teeth.
"Human, you are now marked. Never come near Ibu ever again. If you do, I will take you!" the entity exclaimed.
There was a loud bang and the pain was gone. Lee-ann opened her eyes, she immediately got up from her bed and looked at her window. It is now closed with the blinds closed. She then looks at her right arm and sees this weird vein like tattoo creeping from her wrist up to her elbows. The reddish hue reminded her of a burn mark but not really. She touched it and surprisingly it is smooth to the touch. It didn't feel like a scar.
The words of the entity rang in her brain, "Human, you are now marked. Never come near Ibu ever again. If you do, I will take you!"
Lee-ann clutched her chest. The beating of her heart hasn't calmed down. It is still hammering in her rib cage as if it's ready to burst out of her chest.
"I will let you go but with a warning."
"Am I safe now? Was I forgiven? How about Sammy? Vittorio? Juls?" Lee-ann thought.
She grabs her smartphone and dialed Sammy's number.
"Hello Lee-ann?" it was Mrs. Crowe.
"Mrs. Crowe? Where is Sammy?" Lee-an asked.
Mrs. Crowe's voice quivered and sobbed, "She is in the hospital again Lee-ann. She just, just collapsed and s-she won't wake up."
Lee-ann grasped her phone tight, "W-what? H-how?"
"I-don't know. We heard her scream and when we got here, she is already unconscious. Her heartbeat was low. I- I gotta go. I need to talk to the doctor."
The line ended. The next thing she knew, she was rushing out of her room.
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Mrs. Sanders didn't expect for her daughter to be knocking on her door crying to be driven back to the hospital. She mentioned of her friend Sammy being rushed to the hospital again. She saw the worry and fear on her daughter's face. She knew that look. She had the same look when she learned that her husband has stupidly had a drinking binge with his co-workers and all of them end pissing on that cursed tree. Literally.
The next day, her husband got into an vehicular accident. Her co-workers encountered misfortunes too. One got sick and the one got into an accident too. Only her husband who died. She was pregnant with Lee-an at that time. She never told Lee-ann her speculations that the reason why her husband, her father got into a vehicular accident is because of the cursed tree.
That is why she prayed to so hard that Lee-an won't have the same fate of her father when the security villager found her and her friends unconscious at the foot of the that cursed tree. If only she told her daughter about her thoughts about her father's death maybe Lee-ann would have said no to her friends' dare.
So now, they are in the hospital again. They are back here, to think they have been here for a week and several days. In less than 24 hours after the three has been discharged, they are back again, well Sammy, Lee-ann's friend.
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| Credits: Pinterest |
Sammy Crowe is back to comatose state but this time, it's worst. She is now in the ICU.
Based on Mrs. Crowe's statement, they heard their daughter screaming in her bedroom but when they got there, she is already on the floor and is convulsing. They rushed her to the hospital and she is automatically critical. She is now comatose. Again.
Lee-ann looks so distraught. She doesn't understand. She knows, she knows that it's the entity's doing. Her smartphone started ringing. She picked it up and she could hear Vittorio screaming at the other end.
"I will get that bitch! I will tore that bitch of a tree down! You hear me?!"
"Vittorio? What do you mean?" Lee-ann asked. "Vittorio can you hear me?"
"Fuck you cunt! I told you I will tore that tree down!"
With that the line went dead.
Lee-ann looked at her phone. Another feeling of dread creeping up on her. She looks at her mom, who is seating down in one of the hospital benches.
"Mom, can you take me to the tree?" Lee-ann asked walking towards her mom.
"What why?" Mrs. Sanders asked.
Lee-ann took a deep breathe and said, "Vittorio. Vittorio called, he sounded hysterical and I think he would do something really stupid mom."
Mrs. Sanders frowned. "Lee-ann going back there would be dangerous."
Lee-ann knows. But if she doesn't stop Vittorio, things might get worst.
"Mom, Vittorio might die or end like Juls." Lee-ann exclaimed
"Dear, have I told you how your father died?" Mrs. Sanders said.
Lee-ann bit her lips and said, "I know. People think the accident was caused by the curse of the tree."
Mrs. Sanders was taken a back by that answer. Her daughter knew.
"I knew mom, have you forgotten how people talk? I just thought of them as rumors. Because they sounded like one. " Lee-ann exclaimed. "But now, I don't think so."
Mrs. Sanders sighed and said. "Then why did you participate in the dare?"
"I don't know. I was being stupid. We all are!" Lee-ann remarked tears forming in her eyes. "Mom, please. Take me to the tree."
Mrs. Sanders looked at her daughter solemnly. She heaved a sigh. "Okay, but no going over the barricade. Pease, Lee-ann."
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The Anyaman Tree has seen its fair share of angry teen-agers. This one is nothing new. Teen-agers and adults has come here charging with pitchforks, fire and the likes. They hurt Her and when she retaliates, they get mad and hurt Her again. Bumi knows this all too well. She has seen this with her own eyes.
"What do you plan for the boy?"
Bumi chuckles, "He can be a good addition to the collection."
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Vittorio looks at the looming Anyaman tree before him. He has an axe with him. He got it from his father's shed. When he saw that demon in his room and before it could do anything to him, he tailed out of his room screaming. His didn't wait for his parents to come look for him. He ran towards his father's shed and got the axe.
As he walk and run towards the tree, he called Lee-an to let her know what he would be doing. He would show that tree. He will not allow some demon to scare him and make him look crazy.
"You wretched tree! I will fucking chop you down!" Vittorio screamed shaking the axe at the tree.
"Vittorio! You dickwad! What are you doing?" he hears Lee-ann screaming at him.
He turns around. There Lee- ann stans behind the barrier.
"Come over here and help me!" he bellowed.
Lee-ann frowned at Vittorio, a few meters away is her mother waiting in the car. Vittorio has indeed gone crazy. The boy has an axe and is ready to maim the tree.
"You idiot! You are going to make it worst! Come here! Get out of there!!!" she cried,
"Lee-ann you fucking chicken pussy!" Vittorio exclaimed. "I am not going anywhere without chopping this bitch down."
Lee-ann frowned. She gripped the barrier with her hands. She is near going over there to drag Vittorio away but the entity's warning rang through her mind,
"Human, you are now marked. Never come near Ibu ever again. If you do, I will take you!"
She looked at her arm. The mark is gone. It disappeared as soon as she ran to her mother asking her if she can drive her to the hospital to see Sammy.
"Lee-ann. Don't you dare go over there!" Mrs. Sanders exclaimed sternly. "I called Vittorio's parents, they are on their way."
"Vittorio! Don't hurt the tree!" Lee-ann screamed.
Vittorio rolled her eyes at her. He raised his arm, he swung at the tree, the axe is about to hit the trunk when a strong wind suddenly blew and a voice boomed,
"You will pay for that!"
Vittorio's body suddenly got enveloped in vines. Lee-ann watched in horror as Vittorio got swallowed up thick monstrous vines.
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| Credits: Pinterest |
"NOOO!" Lee-ann screamed.
A shadowy figure appeared, it's glowing red eyes boring into her. A sharp pain suddenly surged from Lee-ann's arm. The mark appeared again and this time is was glowing.
"Remember human!"
Lee-ann cringed in pain. She feels someone grabbing her by the arm. It was her mother. She could hear her mother crying that she gets into the car and get out of there.
"Leave Ibu alone! Leave us alone!"
Mrs. Sanders, knew that she is not hallucinating. She heard the voice, she saw that entity. She saw, that child Vittorio getting swallowed by veins of the cursed tree. She knew that she had to take her daughter away from all of this. She drags her daughter towards the car and sped off.
She saw the Righton's car speeding towards the tree along with the police. It's too late though. Their son is gone just like Hill's son.
"Mom! Mom!" Lee-ann cried.
"I know honey, we are getting out of here. Far from here." Mrs. Sanders exclaimed.
She should have left this village a long time ago. The day her husband died should have been an indicator that she should have left.
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Vittorio Righton was declared missing after three days. Same like Juls Hill. The police questioned Mrs. Sanders and Lee-ann about the disappearance. Mrs. Sanders told the police, that immediately left when they saw the young Vittorio screaming at the tree. Lee-ann corroborated her mother's statement. Mrs. Sanders made it sure Lee-ann never mentions the entity. They don't need any more problems.
Within the three days, Sammy woke up but she was not the same anymore. She woke up not being able to see. Sammy was hysterical. The doctors explained that her seizures that night damaged some nerves that allows her to see. The doctors cannot even say if she can see again.
Lee-ann knew better. Sammy will never be able to see. The entity will make sure of it. Lee-ann tried to visit Sammy and talk to her but Sammy refused to accommodate. Her blindness turned her recluse and would only talk to her mother. Lee-ann was truly saddened at this. Sammy the feisty girl she knows is now gone.
Like miracle, Juls was also discovered at the foot of the Anyaman Tree, two days after Sammy woke up. Juls until now remained comatose. The Hills decided to bring Juls to a specialist abroad hoping a cure. When they found Juls, he was clutching his smartphone. The police tried retrieving any videos pertaining that night but all videos were corrupted.
Lee-an is praying for Juls to wake up but the chances are slim. As for Vittorio, she doesn't know if the entity will return him back. Something tells Lee-an probably never. Vittorio was the worst among the four. Did he deserve whatever fate the entity sealed him into? Maybe. Did Juls and Sammy deserve theirs? She feels that it was too much.
All of them threw stones that night. Then why is she the only one who survived? Did she though?
Mrs. Sanders taps Lee-ann indicating that they will be going soon. Lee-ann sighed. She looks at their house since she was a child. Today, they will be leaving. Her mother thought it's better to move to a different city and live there to start a new.
"Dawn City is perfect for us. A huge metropolis far away from here. Plus, I can continue my legal consultancy there with ease because there are a lot of firms I can apply there." Mrs. Sanders replied as she enters the car.
Lee-ann nods her head as she enters the car too.
"Mom, is this okay? Going away when things are not yet okay?" Lee-ann asked. "Sammy is still blind, Juls is well in a coma. Vittorio..."
"Lee-ann, staying here will just be more of a problem. The Righton's are furious. They think we have anything to do with their son's disappearance. The Crowes and Hills are obviously blaming you because you came out unscathed."
Lee-ann frowned. "You know that is a lie."
"I know. You are marked by the entity." Mrs. Sanders replied starting the car. As she drives out of the garage she comments, "I am doing this move for you, for your safety. The far you are from here. The safer you will be."
Lee-ann knew her mother made a good point. She looks the window, they are passing by the cursed tree. The Anyaman Tree, looms over even in the broad daylight. The metal barriers around it were replaced with higher barriers hoping it will stop people from going over.
She closed her eyes hoping as they leave, the memories of the entity, that elemental and of the tree leaves her brain.
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"That story is quite scary" the child said.
The old woman smiled. "Really? I think it is more a warning for you, youngsters to not disturb the Anyaman Tree."
"But grandma, if there is no chance for Bumi to like humans?" the child asked.
"No... I... I don't know child. Despite what happened years ago, there are those who still do the dare and they even end in much worst state." the old woman replied.
The child looked at the window and asked, "Grandma Sammy, do you miss your friend Lee-ann?"
Sammy smiled a bit. "Of course but it is better for us not to see each other again."
"That is sad." the child said.
"It is, now go child. I could hear your mother calling you."
The young child grinned and ran out of the room. Sammy closed her eyes. Her vision didn't return ever. Juls did wake up eventually, but he was in a catatonic state that it is just like being in a coma. As for Vittorio. Vittorio never returned. As for Lee-ann. She has now news of her old friend.
She could feel the cold breeze coming from the window. Her vision may be gone but every time she looks at that window all she sees is the Anyaman Tree and her, Bumi and her glowing red eyes.
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| Credits: Pinterest |
The End
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