Enchanted Shores

The Tribe

Rough, scratchy, itchy. That described the state of my body perfectly.

But why?

It was an uneasy feeling, and I couldn't fathom what was causing this sensation.

My eyelids slowly opened as my mind took in the darkened environment surrounding me. The sky was darker than I remembered it being before, and the woods still rustled and moved as if its trees were living.

As my vision began to clear after blinking a few times, I soon started to notice hair and what looked like animal tissue tied together as a net.

Suddenly, it all came rushing back to me, and my heartbeat quickened.

Derrek was the one who did this to me!

I was still trapped inside the net he put me in! My head whirled from the influx of memories, and I could feel the panic starting to set in once more.

I noticed that the net was being pulled by someone, seemingly dragging me along in the process. However, the figure pulling the rope remained obscured in shadows, and I couldn't tell who it was.

Suddenly, my mind recalled the members of the tribe from before, and panic filled me with a sense of dread as I realized I really was in serious trouble.

The men were all clothed in loincloths and bore long hair, many of them marked with scars and holding sharp spears. Just the sight of them was enough to make me freeze up in fear.

I j-just have to calm down...yeah...just think.

I suddenly heard the men speaking in their native tongue, and my senses were on red alert. One of them locked eyes with me and glared at me with nothing but pure contempt, as if daring me to make a movement or scream.

I could feel his intense glare, even though I had no idea what he was thinking or saying to the others.

Whatever it is, it's not good, not for me at least.

Mom...Dad...Jade...This was it for me.

Drums suddenly started beating in the distance, growing louder and louder with each passing moment. They knew I was awake already, and I scrambled to turn my body around to look ahead of us.

The drumming sound only got louder and louder, and I could hear loud hollers mixing in with the rhythm.

My eyes widened as I realized where we were being taken. The man pulling me was guiding me towards the entrance of the tribe, where there was a massive stone barricade that spanned long and wide, curved inward to make a circle. In front of it were long rows of sharp, spiked sticks that looked like they were meant for defense.

If I was still in my geographer mindset I would've wished I had my journal to write this down, but I wasn't. Instead, I was in my holy shit, I'm going to die mindset.

"Wait!" My voice escaped from me before I could prevent it, and I cursed myself for allowing the emotion and fear to take control of me.

As the massive, wooden, and stick door opened wide, I felt like I could feel a draft of hell and despair.

The drums grew louder, and I could feel the beat of my heart do the same.

I struggled around, now laying on my back, as I frantically felt around for any sign of a loose or broken tether in the net that I was still trapped in. I clasped my hands over it, trying to break it free, but it was a wet from animal blood and rough from the material, complete with little sharp thorns embedded at the surface that began to prick and cut into the flesh of my hands.

"Come on...Come on!" I harshly whisper.

As I continued to struggle in my attempts to escape, I began to hear the members of the tribe commenting on my efforts. They were either oblivious or didn't care that I was trying to escape from my trap, knowing that I was completely at their mercy.