The Afflicted Nymph

(Re-)Birth

My first memory is the river.

The water is so clear. It reflects the lush trees and bushes along the riverbank. The river acts as a mirror, capturing the world above it, each sway of many a tree branch in the wind. I hear the rustling of foliage. I am mesmerized by this river that cuts so cleanly and neatly through the forest.

In this moment, the world is serene.

I peer into the water and see a face that could only be mine. My face is pale, with ice-blue eyes and thin lips. I part my lips and spot sharp, pointed teeth. I raise my arm and, with my bony fingers, push back a strand of raven black hair that feels out of place. Just like that strand of hair, I feel out of place.

Despite the sheer beauty of the scenery before me, my expression looks bemused and I feel terribly dull and groggy. How did I get here?

Panic begins to swell in my chest.

A gust of wind makes me shiver, so I begin to stand and pull my beige cloak tighter around my body. The thoughts running through my head are slow as honey, but this feeling is unmistakable. I'm starving.

I'm hungry, and it's making me anxious. Where can I find food? My eyes dart around the shoreline. I spin around and realize I'm just steps away from a worn footpath leading along the riverbank for some metres before steering sharply to the left into the dark, dense forest. A shiver travels up my spine as I step onto the path, leaving behind the most beautiful thing in existence up until now. I feel numb. Why is my face wet?

I raise my thin fingers to my face and wipe away my tears. I pull the hood of my cloak over my head and sprint into the forest, some unknown force seeming to propel me forward. I will never forget you, my beautiful river.

Awakening

The walking never ends. I don't know how long I've been walking but my limbs feel tired and heavy. While the riverbank felt alive, I slowly realized that within the forest, time stands still. There is neither wind nor sunlight, no relief from the darkness that the shade of the forest trees provides. The path has long disappeared into tall, thick grass indistinguishable from the shrubbery, with clusters of spotted mushrooms scattered around. The mushrooms seem to grow taller the deeper I wander into the forest. Other than the vegetation, there appears to be no animal life in these woods.

I'm scared. Panic once again strikes me in the chest. My knees buckle and I fall to the ground.

Everything goes black.

I can't open my eyes... This place is so quiet, motionless. I wish I stayed lying beside the river. My body is weak and hungry, but I have a bad feeling about the mushrooms. Something tells me I shouldn't eat them. I feel it in my soul, this place isn't safe. There's nowhere else to go, though. Where do I return to?

"Come back to me...."

My eyes flutter open. I see a pair of piercing grey eyes above me, staring into my soul as if reading intently. The eyes were attached to no body. No mouth is speaking these words. I feel my heart pounding.

"Little Nymph, return to me, where you belong, the Great River..."

My heart skips a beat as the knowledge hits me. I have been somehow coaxed out of my home, the river, and I can't remember what happened.

"You will perish without the river to guide and sustain you, Little Nymph." The frigid eyes of the river blink matter-of-factly. I try to sit up, but my limbs feel like lead. "We will wait for you to return. Be quick about it." The bright eyes shut and disappear in the dim light of the forest.

My body feels lighter. I quickly sit up and stare at my arms, hands, and crossed legs. I was Little Nymph of the Great River, but what am I now?

"A curse personified." A voice bellows from behind me, causing me to flinch in fright and cover my pointed ears.