Tony trudged on through the misty swamp. Only about ten minutes had passed since he had last seen Wolf, but to him, it felt like hours. He was beginning to regret his decision to go on alone. What if Wolf had been right? What if he was walking into a trap? He shook it off, not letting go of his stubbornness, and concluded that he was right and Wolf was wrong.
"He doesn't know what he's talking about," Tony mumbled to himself. "who would want to go that way? It's probably a dead end or something." He scoffed and continued walking deeper and deeper into the thick and dismal swamp.
What he thought was the light at the end of the tunnel was a mirage, it was never supposed to come. Still, Tony was optimistic and believed that in no time, he would be prancing out of the swamp, and then he'd show Wolf who was right.
But, wait. Wasn't there something he was supposed to remember? Something he was supposed to get? He stopped in the road and pondered the thought for a moment, but quickly shrugged it off. He, unknowingly, was becoming prey to one of the Deadly Swamp's traps. He was forgetting everything but his envy and greed.
"I'll show him a thing or two." He scoffed again as he stomped on, not even realizing the sign he had passed, which read, 'Turn back now, or you won't come back at all' Too caught up in his strive for success he wandered further and further off the path and onto a more treacherous road.
Tony stopped. "Where the hell am I?" He asked aloud.
Almost disappointed when there came no reply, he sighed. For some reason he thought that some magical being would come to his rescue once again, but there was nothing. Suddenly, he began to waver and his balance was thrown off. To stop a threatening tumble, Tony went to the ground and sat there for a moment, regaining his composure. His eyelids were becoming very heavy and his mind was clouded.
"No..." He moaned. "I can't...." He yawned. "fall asleep." Remembering very well what had happened the last time he had fallen under the spells of the Swamp, he shook his head and rubbed his face with his hands roughly, trying his best to stay awake.
Strangely, he began to remember what had happened the last time. He started to pull back the memories. Almost drunkenly, he started to hum 'A Whiter Shade of Pale' as he recalled the singing mushrooms.
Almost as if they were in front of him, singing that song softly to him, he stretched out his arm and fell sideways. More and more events came rolling back to him, his mind pulling on his forgotten memories to save him, to make him realize what was happening.
The scene was the same. He was drifting into another fatal dream, just as he had before. The ground felt the same beneath him, the foggy green mist surrounded him once more, and he began to doze off. A soft vine crept from below the ground and neatly wrapped itself around Tony's ankle. More and more sprouted up and coiled around him, trapping him tighter and tighter.
"It's the same trap I fell into before," He thought weakly as his eyes shut. "the same as it was when I was here with..." His eyes snapped open. "Virginia!"
Everything came back to him as if he had been hit by a train. He flew up and immediately started to yank off the vines and throw them hatefully to the ground. He looked around and remembered what had happened. "Oh crap," He muttered to himself as he took in his surroundings. Taking the best looking path, he ran off. "I have to find Wolf."
Wolf, on the other hand, was far from falling asleep. His eyes were wide open as he swallowed and took another step into the cellar. The water sprayed lightly from above and slid down the rough rocks that made the side walls. From above, the cracks in the ceiling were dripping from the water in the swamp and onto the slick concrete stairs. Drip. Drip. Drip.
Each time a drop fell onto a stair, it echoed the entire passageway and into the tomb. Wolf knew she was in there, he could feel it. As he reached the bottom of the stairs, he came upon a metal gate covered completely in cobwebs. That is, except for where they had been rubbed off. One hand print, he noticed, in the middle, on the bar.
He put his hand on it. "Virginia." He whispered softly. She had been there. Doing the same as she had once done, he pushed the rusted iron gate open. It went to the opposing side with a loud creak before loudly banging against the wall. Wolf winced, almost as if he were afraid he was waking someone up.
He walked forward. In the middle of the room was the Swamp Witch. She laid in her brown coffin, face up, her remains, surprisingly, still intact considering how long it seemed she had been dead. Her entire body was like the cottage, covered in cobwebs, spiders crawling over her. The smell was terrible, completely repulsive. It took most of Wolf's might not to run out the tomb and back outside, but his expression remained impassive. His face was blank. He didn't want to give the Swamp Witch the glory of seeing his fear, even though it was flowing off of him very strongly.
"Come closer." She spoke, he mouth barely not moving at all, her eyes shut. Her crispy white hair seemed to mix with the webs as it reached her shoulders and her gangly teeth stuck out of her mouth as she spoke. Wolf froze and didn't move.
After another moment, she spoke again. "Come to me Wolf. Come closer to me." Wolf shook his head when he couldn't find the voice to speak. "Do I frighten you?" She seemed to snicker a bit after that question, but still Wolf didn't move.
"I know of what you search for," She stated bluntly. Wolf's eyes flew open wider and he mouth hung. How would he be able to get it from her? "And I can give it to you. It's very near here."
Finally, Wolf spoke. "Where is it?" He asked as he took another step closer. He still remained six to seven feet away from her, and didn't want to get closer than that. The smell was making him feel faint, it was overpowering him terribly.
"How about a deal?" She laughed lightly at this and waited for Wolf's response.
"What kind of a deal?" He asked cautiously.
"I tell you where the crystal is, and you give me something in return." She said.
"And ... what's that?" He asked, dreading the answer.
Her eyes opened and she turned her gaze towards Wolf, glaring at him menacingly. "Your soul."
"He doesn't know what he's talking about," Tony mumbled to himself. "who would want to go that way? It's probably a dead end or something." He scoffed and continued walking deeper and deeper into the thick and dismal swamp.
What he thought was the light at the end of the tunnel was a mirage, it was never supposed to come. Still, Tony was optimistic and believed that in no time, he would be prancing out of the swamp, and then he'd show Wolf who was right.
But, wait. Wasn't there something he was supposed to remember? Something he was supposed to get? He stopped in the road and pondered the thought for a moment, but quickly shrugged it off. He, unknowingly, was becoming prey to one of the Deadly Swamp's traps. He was forgetting everything but his envy and greed.
"I'll show him a thing or two." He scoffed again as he stomped on, not even realizing the sign he had passed, which read, 'Turn back now, or you won't come back at all' Too caught up in his strive for success he wandered further and further off the path and onto a more treacherous road.
Tony stopped. "Where the hell am I?" He asked aloud.
Almost disappointed when there came no reply, he sighed. For some reason he thought that some magical being would come to his rescue once again, but there was nothing. Suddenly, he began to waver and his balance was thrown off. To stop a threatening tumble, Tony went to the ground and sat there for a moment, regaining his composure. His eyelids were becoming very heavy and his mind was clouded.
"No..." He moaned. "I can't...." He yawned. "fall asleep." Remembering very well what had happened the last time he had fallen under the spells of the Swamp, he shook his head and rubbed his face with his hands roughly, trying his best to stay awake.
Strangely, he began to remember what had happened the last time. He started to pull back the memories. Almost drunkenly, he started to hum 'A Whiter Shade of Pale' as he recalled the singing mushrooms.
Almost as if they were in front of him, singing that song softly to him, he stretched out his arm and fell sideways. More and more events came rolling back to him, his mind pulling on his forgotten memories to save him, to make him realize what was happening.
The scene was the same. He was drifting into another fatal dream, just as he had before. The ground felt the same beneath him, the foggy green mist surrounded him once more, and he began to doze off. A soft vine crept from below the ground and neatly wrapped itself around Tony's ankle. More and more sprouted up and coiled around him, trapping him tighter and tighter.
"It's the same trap I fell into before," He thought weakly as his eyes shut. "the same as it was when I was here with..." His eyes snapped open. "Virginia!"
Everything came back to him as if he had been hit by a train. He flew up and immediately started to yank off the vines and throw them hatefully to the ground. He looked around and remembered what had happened. "Oh crap," He muttered to himself as he took in his surroundings. Taking the best looking path, he ran off. "I have to find Wolf."
Wolf, on the other hand, was far from falling asleep. His eyes were wide open as he swallowed and took another step into the cellar. The water sprayed lightly from above and slid down the rough rocks that made the side walls. From above, the cracks in the ceiling were dripping from the water in the swamp and onto the slick concrete stairs. Drip. Drip. Drip.
Each time a drop fell onto a stair, it echoed the entire passageway and into the tomb. Wolf knew she was in there, he could feel it. As he reached the bottom of the stairs, he came upon a metal gate covered completely in cobwebs. That is, except for where they had been rubbed off. One hand print, he noticed, in the middle, on the bar.
He put his hand on it. "Virginia." He whispered softly. She had been there. Doing the same as she had once done, he pushed the rusted iron gate open. It went to the opposing side with a loud creak before loudly banging against the wall. Wolf winced, almost as if he were afraid he was waking someone up.
He walked forward. In the middle of the room was the Swamp Witch. She laid in her brown coffin, face up, her remains, surprisingly, still intact considering how long it seemed she had been dead. Her entire body was like the cottage, covered in cobwebs, spiders crawling over her. The smell was terrible, completely repulsive. It took most of Wolf's might not to run out the tomb and back outside, but his expression remained impassive. His face was blank. He didn't want to give the Swamp Witch the glory of seeing his fear, even though it was flowing off of him very strongly.
"Come closer." She spoke, he mouth barely not moving at all, her eyes shut. Her crispy white hair seemed to mix with the webs as it reached her shoulders and her gangly teeth stuck out of her mouth as she spoke. Wolf froze and didn't move.
After another moment, she spoke again. "Come to me Wolf. Come closer to me." Wolf shook his head when he couldn't find the voice to speak. "Do I frighten you?" She seemed to snicker a bit after that question, but still Wolf didn't move.
"I know of what you search for," She stated bluntly. Wolf's eyes flew open wider and he mouth hung. How would he be able to get it from her? "And I can give it to you. It's very near here."
Finally, Wolf spoke. "Where is it?" He asked as he took another step closer. He still remained six to seven feet away from her, and didn't want to get closer than that. The smell was making him feel faint, it was overpowering him terribly.
"How about a deal?" She laughed lightly at this and waited for Wolf's response.
"What kind of a deal?" He asked cautiously.
"I tell you where the crystal is, and you give me something in return." She said.
"And ... what's that?" He asked, dreading the answer.
Her eyes opened and she turned her gaze towards Wolf, glaring at him menacingly. "Your soul."