BOUND.

Flash.

There it was again.

“One, two...”

Flash.

It was getting closer. I felt the air around me shift as the storm screamed with urgency above. Staying stiff, I steadied myself as I pushed my body against the tree at my back. The bark biting into my skin. It was a distraction opposing the crippling, burning acidity of fear that was creeping in my throat. With every short, sharp breath I pushed harder. I could hear footsteps nearing, heavily crushing the leaves as they approached. There was nowhere to go, I cried out to the night for the sagging branches of the willow tree to swallow me whole. A few moments passed as my racing heart began to calm. “Pull yourself together god damn it” I whispered to myself.

My leg began to burn. The vile odour of my melting flesh and the leather of the damned little black book that I had hidden in the material of my pocket, suffocated me. They were here, it was them. They were too close, I had to make my move. Scrambling to my feet I fell forward on to all fours. I had to calm down. My mother used to tell me to sing to myself when things became intense. Not now, that would not help in the slightest. I took another moment, and bought myself to my feet once more, steadying myself against the tree again. Beginning a pace and starting to move quickly, I headed out further into the forest ahead.

Beating down heavily, the storm above released a wave of water, drenching me as I leapt into a run, attempting to direct myself through every flash of lightning in this darkness. With every clash of bright light, shadows began appearing. I could just about make out the shapes of the trees ahead, so I kept going. Weaving in and out, trying to flee the footsteps I could hear speeding up over the ever growing intensity of the storm.

Suddenly it stopped. Everything stopped. I was encapsulated by darkness - still, cold, darkness. My senses were confused, I could smell nothing but musk, like an old bookstore or cellar; I felt damp against my back and crisp paper between my fingers. My speeding heart was beating through my ears. But I could not see, there was nothing...

I startled, I must have been drifting in and out of consciousness when in a matter of moments my head was flooded with voices muttering in hushed tones. I was no longer surrounded by the sound of my heartbeat but the venomous tongues of those I’d spent so long trying to escape. A familiar voice rang through my ears, “Yes my lord, I have buried him within the grounds. He will find the money with him”. My brother. My god forsaken brother, my own flesh and blood had hunted me down. Years of running, hiding and avoiding all because of this ghastly black book had come to an end.

Suddenly I became distinctly aware of my surroundings, I was buried beneath the castle grounds where father used to take his victims for punishment. I couldn’t help but see the irony in the situation I had fallen into. After all, I had spent so much time hunting those who had come into contact with the book before, bound by the loyalty I held toward my father, just like my brother held now. Realisation clicked, the paper I felt between my fingers felt familiar once more, I had spent many of my years holding and counting this unknown. It was money. They had buried me with the $20,000, the so called ‘reward’ which had been offered to me countless times before in exchange for the black book I had kept in my possession. I couldn’t understand the importance of it. Yes it held our families secret within, but it would hinder my own life just as much as theirs if I allowed the book to fall in the wrong hands.

Footsteps approached once more, this time less urgent. Above me I could hear movement, the clanging sound of chains and locks rattling through me as one by one they were released. I had been held in the tight boundaries of the torture coffin. The click of the last lock was chilling as blinding light rushed in. When my eyes adjusted, I was not ready for the sight before me. How was it possible, for centuries the pain of her death had crippled me, this entire family divide had been to revenge what had happened to her. But here and now as if it were yesterday, I was looking into the burning amber eyes of my mother.