He was lying motionless at the top of the stairs, in front of the door.

It was real. Real! My nightmare was confirmed. It was right in front of me, right in front of my own two eyes.

I was out of breath. I couldn't breathe at all. What was I to do now? What was I going to do? Was he dead? I rubbed my eyes, hoping the shadow would disappear, but it was still there when I opened them. Still there. Covered in blood.

I ran to the cottage with my heart pounding as loudly as it could ever do.

I climbed the stairs and bent over the shadow lying face down. It was just like I saw in my dream, it was covered in blood from the dirt road to the place where he was lying. My heart was hurting, my chest was on fire. The talismanic tattoo on my chest was on fire. I was afraid to touch it. Was he alive, was he breathing? I had to check, but I was afraid to touch a cold body, to be late.

I shook my head, pushing my thoughts away. I reached out and tucked his long hair behind his ears. His face was pale as a ghost. His eyes were closed. "Are you alright?" I wanted to ask, but I felt like I was going to burst into sobs as soon as I open my mouth. Instead of talking, I reached out and grabbed his shoulders, gently shaking him.

He didn't even move. I shook his body harder.

"Wake up," I was able to say. "Can you hear me? What happened to you?"

He didn't answer. I continued to shake him, but nothing happened. It just then occurred to me to check his pulse. I quickly reached out and placed my hand on his neck, checking his pulse while looking for any wounds on his head or neck, which could be lethal, but I didn't see any.

I felt a faint beat on his neck. I sighed with relief, knowing that he was still alive. I also knew he needed immediate medical attention, which I could not give. I was not that educated. The only medical aid I could give was to tend to simple wounds, nothing worse than that.

I examined his body again as far as I could see without turning him. He was wearing a gray cotton tunic. His tunic was wet, and I could see it was soaked in blood, especially on his torso. There was no tear on his backside. He obviously had a wound on either his chest or stomach, which was not something I hoped for. It couldn't have been a simple wound that caused this much bleeding. The smell of iron on the air was making my nose tingle.

I knew very well that there was no one around who I could turn to for help. There was only me, and him. I took a deep breath and tried to calm down. I could help him if I only stayed calm.

I thought about what I would do. I would take him inside, examine and clean his wound, and, if necessary, prepare a poultice for his wound or medicine for him to drink. I couldn't have done more. What could I do more? Should I then run to the nearest village to find a carriage? How long would it take us to travel to the temple in the town? Could he survive the road? Was the bleeding heavy? I had to see it. It would probably take us hours to travel from here to the town, and there was no other healer nearby other than Ascula.

I gazed around helplessly. The forest was all silent. Not even a whisper echoed through. Time was passing, and I needed to act fast. The young man lying on the ground was not tall, but he was big, making it impossible for me to carry him, especially up the stairs. I was not very strong. I began to consider my options. Could there be a slippery sheet in the cottage that I could use to wrap him up and pull him up? Or maybe I could oil a sheet, but the thought of how to do it left me feeling uncertain. I would have to spend a lot of oil.

Stolen story; please report.

I hesitated for a moment, looking back and forth between the unconscious man and the cottage. With a deep breath, I got up, stepped forward, and opened the door with the keys. My hands were shaking. I took a loud breath and pushed the door open. It was so dark inside.

I ran to the supply room. As I looked around, my gaze fell on a pile of linens in the corner. Without hesitation, I began rummaging through them, searching for a large enough sheet to put him on. I grabbed a clean white one and hurried back outside.

I quickly laid the sheet under him, then I tried so hard to push and roll him onto the sheet, careful not to jostle him too much. It did not work out. When I let go of his shoulders my eyes started to fill with tears. He was so heavy. How was I going to carry him inside? I thought about going inside to get a rope to tie him or something but then, I heard someone whistling deep inside the forest.

Almost like a whisper...

Almost like a silent whisper that I knew, in a way, was crawling on the ground.

"Huh?"

I quickly laid the sheet under him, then I tried so hard to push and roll him onto the sheet, careful not to jostle him too much. It did not work out. When I let go of his shoulders my eyes started to fill with tears. He was so heavy. How was I going to carry him inside? I thought about going inside to get a rope to tie him or something but then, I heard someone whistling deep inside the forest.

Almost like a whisper...

Almost like a silent whisper that I knew, in a way, was crawling on the ground.

The noise was coming from the depths of the forest where the trail of blood was on.

I remained very still, listening intently for any sign of movement or sound. My mind was racing with all the possibilities of what it could be. Was it an owl in the distance, or perhaps a bird making a whistling sound? Did I mishear due to stress? What was it?

I didn't hear anything else.

I slowly let out my breath, didn't even realize I was holding it. Must have been a bird. I leaned to the man lying on the ground again and tried to roll him onto the linen sheet with all my strength, holding his shoulder and torso.

Although I jostled him a little, I was able to roll him this time. Now he was lying on his back on the sheet. The moonlight hit his copper-colored but pale face, gray lips, and shiny black hair. He was so young. My age, probably. My heart clenched. I tried to push my thoughts away and checked his head and neck for any wounds, but no blood was visible.

Then, my eyes moved to his abdomen.

His tunic was torn. No, not just the tunic. His abdomen was full of blood. My hands, my scalp started tingling. I couldn't look anymore. He was going to die. No way he could survive this night. No way. Never. I knew. He is going to die, Mom.

I stood up trying to hold back my tears but it was no good. I climbed a stair or two and reached for the sheet. I was hoping to be able to pull it without having to tie him up. I don't know. I did not know anymore. I could not breathe.

With all my strength, I pulled the sheet but it was too heavy for me. I let go of my hands for a second to take a deep breath, then leaned back to hold the sheet and, suddenly, something whistled in the distance.

When I turned my head, I saw branches and bushes swaying in the dark.

There was no wind.

It was nor a human, nor a bird whistling.

The whistle sounded more like a hiss, as it got closer.

The branches swayed harder. The air was vibrating. The whole floor was shaking.

I didn't know what was coming, but I knew for sure what wasn't. Not something sacred. Without taking my eyes off of the darkness, I grabbed the sheet and pulled the man up the stairs at the risk of tearing my arms off.

As I dragged the man inside, the air around us grew thick with malevolent energy, and I caught a glimpse of it.

A flicker of red, greasy scales and glowing yellow eyes, whose face contorted and twisted, shifting between human and reptilian forms.

I will feast upon... your soul... your tender flesh... devour... every last limb... savoring... your screams... of agony...

It was singing.

I was numb as its body emerged from the trees. And its eyes fixed on us with a glowing, malevolent gaze.

Its grin stretched wider and wider as its body grew bigger and bigger, its eyes transforming into those of a human. Cheeks and lips began to appear on its face, a huge, twisted snake-child, with rows of razor-sharp teeth.

I'm losssst, and ssssscared, helllllp me.