The Witch

Chapter three: Aziza's POV

The usual darkness enveloped me. I knew what was going to happen, and even though I have experienced it before, it still scared me. I walked around the darkness, finding nothing. And then I was transported into the savanna. The wind blew harshly making my hair go all over my face. It was cold, really cold and even if I tried covering myself it was impossible to get rid of the cold.

My heart started pounding on my chest. I knew what was going to happen, it was always the same. He was waiting for me, like he always did when I had these nightmares.

I walked while I tried to fight the force of the wind, but eventually it became so strong that I couldn’t go against it. Still, I tried, even if I was feeling tired. I continued trying, and then the wind stopped.

For a moment, it was calm and serene. If I hadn't known what was coming, I could have enjoyed the moment. But just as every time it has happened, I felt his cold breath right behind me.

It sent shivers through my spine. His foul smell was obvious, making me want to gag. But I controlled myself, like I had for a long time.

“It is time to see you again, Aziza.” He said, his voice was horrendous. It made my ears bleed.

“It was time you showed yourself again you asshole.” I always confronted him. I was not going to show him that he scared me.

“Hmmm, how I love that confidence of yours. It is going to be fun seeing you break down.” He started laughing like a maniac while one of his fingers started going up my arm.

Eventually, his nail reached my collarbone where he pressed it with enough force that a scream escaped my lips. I muffled it instantly, but still, he knew what he had done.

“You act so tough, but you are still just a child, Aziza.” He continued pressing his nail, and I could feel blood coming out of the wound. “You have so much potential, so much power, but you need to cultivate it.” Now I could smell blood, so I knew that his dirty nail had pierced my skin. “A small piece of advice, take care of your mother while you can. That happiness is not going to last long.”

That was the last thing he said before he pierced my chest and reached my heart.

I felt my life slipping away, the pain from the wound slowly disappearing, and then, just like before, I woke up gasping for air. I looked at my skin, and found another wound in my chest. At first, he couldn't hurt me, but as time passed by, his attacks were now leaving marks on my body.

Who was he? I had no idea, but I knew it wasn't something from this earth. He had to be something else, something evil. Why was he attacking me? That was another mystery.

I remembered what he told me, and got anxious. What did he mean? I couldn't stop thinking about that, as I also had the feeling that something bad was going to happen soon. I did want to make my mother worry, but if something was coming after me, I needed to protect her.

She was human, I was something else. A witch most likely, so I needed to find someone who could teach me how to use my magic. The bad thing was that people didn't like witches at all. They secluded them, even burned them alive. Sometimes they were used for her power. The chiefs of the villages kidnapped them to use them, they wanted their power to conquer more territory, or to get powerful heirs that they could use further on.

It was a cruel destiny for people that possessed what I had, and thankfully I was safe because I lived far away from any civilization. But what if they find me? Would they try to do something to my mom to get to me? I was putting her life at risk, even if I didn't mean it.

The morning arrived. I was waiting to talk to my mom, to tell her what had happened and that I should leave to keep her safe. I knew she wouldn't agree with me, but I hoped that she wanted to come to wherever I was going. She didn't possess magic, but she never judged me for having it, and so I was going to ask everywhere I went to get help for my mother.

"My sweet baby, why are you awake so early?" Mom told me as she entered my room. She had a bucket of water as she probably went to the stream to get some.

"Mama, I wanted to talk with you." She sat in front of me, and started caressing my hand.

"I can see that you are troubled, my sweet child. Tell me, what is wrong?" Her touch soothed me, she was my mother after all, and I hated what I was going to tell her next.

"I need to leave mama, I can't stay here. I need to find out what is wrong with me." She looked at me strangely, like she couldn't understand what I was talking about.

"What could be wrong with you? What are you talking about, Aziza?" And so I explained everything to her, the nightmares, when they started and how they had been progressing. The physical damage inflicted on me, and the warning that was given to me last night.

When I finished, my mother looked deep in thought. She didn't tell me anything, she just closed her eyes for a moment and then looked back at me.

"I hoped that it wasn't true, but I guess it is. There have been rumors that a demon was looking for a powerful girl. He had given her a curse, the curse of death, and everything that she loved would be destroyed. I really hope that it isn't you my chil, but if it is, we need to find help." She gave me a reassuring smile, telling me that she was going to be by my side when I needed her.

Third-person POV

In the shadows a person was lurking. He was looking at the cabin in the middle of nowhere. A lioness surrounded it constantly, as if it was taking care of the people inside it. His mission was clear, he had to capture the woman with the red eyes. A few days ago he stumbled upon this place.

He knew what it was, he knew that no one dared to enter that land, but he hadn't planned to arrive there. He was going to leave the land, when he heard a beautiful singing. He looked at the source of the singing, it was a gorgeous girl, and a red light was coming from her hands, that revived a cub. At that moment, it seemed that he had found what he was looking for. But he had to make sure that the girl possessed the power that he thought she had.

He left small animals' bodies near her house, and each time, he saw her revive them. And so he went to his village with the great news that he had found the cure for his father.

Five years ago, his father was found out to have an incurable disease. They had called doctors, shamans, with no result.

His father was once a strong warrior and leader, but soon the illness took over him, and now he was on permanent bedrest.

“Father!” He yelled as he reached his father’s chambers.

“What is it?” The man asked with annoyance. He was now constantly tired, and hated it when people disturbed his sleep.

“I found a cure for you!” His son said with excitement, even if his father had been cruel to him, he wanted to save him.

The man wasn’t a bad person, but his father was a despicable man, and so he had ruined the boy’s golden heart.

“Sure, like the last time, and the other time. Stop wasting my time!” The man yelled while he asked the guards to take his son out of his bedroom.

“I swear father! She could revive several animals!” His father couldn’t take up more of his nonsense, but then the man remembered something that had gotten his attention.

“She has red eyes!” He finally yelled, and that made the father open his eyes with surprise. Could it be?

“Stop! Don’t take him yet.” The guards stopped dragging him out. "Leave us." The man could finally breathe, he knew that he had piqued his father's interest.

"I saw her father, I saw her heal and bring a cub back to life. She is our answer." The father knew that the girl was what he was looking for. He knew who she was, it was impossible to see another red-eyed woman. Was it fate that she was coming back to her hands?

"I believe you, son, you've done a great job. Now, you have to get her. Where is she?" The man was happy that his father finally recognized what he was doing. He never treated him well, he always told him that he was a loser, and for once he heard his father say that he did a great job.

"Do you remember the land where that village once was?" The father recalled the story regarding that area. It was said to be cursed and that a witch was the one to cause the demise of all the village.

"Yes, son. That could explain why we haven't seen her before. But are you sure she isn't the witch that destroyed the village?" They couldn't bring the enemy back to their land, it could bring down his empire.

"No father, she is a teen, she is just a few years older than me!" The man explained with enthusiasm.

Now the father knew that this girl was the same one he discarded all those years ago, and he smiled. After all, it was a daughter's obligation to take care of her father.