Journal of a Bounty Huntress
Entry 4
It was dark when I slipped out of his home, the less people knew the better it was for him. As I left the city I looked back over my shoulder many times, still unsure weither I really wanted to go. I had to, I couldn't forget my purpose, my promise. Until I had fulfilled these things, I could not rest.
Hours of walking straightened my mind. The smells of the open land and the wind whisping across my face, made me feel almost like a child again. I just wanted to spread my arms and fly, which of course I can't. As the night fell I set my tent, and soon drifted off to sleep.
'She was picking flowers on the outside of the swamps. It was warm that day and she, a child of seven, enjoyed the merriment that all children do at that age. Her feet were bare, as she walked back toward her home in the swamps, arms full of the freshly picked flowers. She dug her feet in the mud, feeling it squish against her toes. She smiled as she could see the rooftops of her families homes. Her family had lived happily for years in these swamps, ever since she could remember. The day grew quiet as she reached her home. The usual sounds of children and adults enjoying the afternoon, was gone. She couldn't understand, 'Where was everyone?' She thought to herself. She ran from one house to the next, empty. As she reached the yards behind the homes, her face went pale and her stomach seemed to jump into her throat. They were all there, the women, the men, the children. She dropped to her knees, her skirt and her hands becoming red with blood. The tears began.'
I woke up in a cold sweat. The memories. I quickly packed my things and headed towards the nearest river. I had to wash my hands....the blood.....the blood was on my hands.
The sun had not yet risen, but the tiny beams of light were trying to peek their way from the horizon. As soon as I found a small stream, I took several minutes scrubbing my hands. I couldn't stop, I kept seeing the blood and dirt. Tears streamed from my eyes, and my hands began to burn with the familiar green flame. It caught me by surprise, as I was concentrating on getting rid of the imaginary blood. I feel back, getting mud from the banks all over my back. I lay there on the banks crying, my arms outstreched and aflame.