The Burning Forest : Chapter 3

LOST
The night was cold and an off-putting silence shrouded what he assumed was a medium sized bungalow. He hadn’t gotten up from the bed he had been given. He looked around the shiny, polished room and took in the sheer dedication whoever built this had put into it. From remembering Stephano’s hands, he could assume the old man was a carpenter and a bloody good one at that.
The walls had a mirror effect to them albeit it was heavily distorted. He could slightly see the man he was now; a huge, burly man with a beard that he could never grow on his own. He thought about his wife lying on that bed in the hospital. Every day brought her to the moment they would have no choice but to pull the plug and even before then, she could die from the curse inflicted upon her. Tears streamed down his face as he remembered his sister’s words. His wife was a murderer. It wasn’t possible in any dimension to him. He couldn’t accept that someone who spends her every moment with children could end the life of someone. He imagined a child of his own. He imagined a child whose laughter would break the pain bearing on his soul at this moment. His heart ached from these thoughts and he washed them away.
Twigs snapped in the distance outside the house and he sat up again hurriedly. Warmth seeped from his wound and he could tell he had pulled away some stitches. The noise from outside now resembled the sound of men talking. He got off his bed and crawled towards the window. At the door stood the cat man and the Crow man with another bald man who was nothing less than eight feet. He was muscular but at the same time seemed round and soft. He looked at the window Logan was staring out from and he ducked almost immediately. The door suddenly splintered to pieces in the next room and the two adversaries from before took the lead by running into the house. Logan knew they would come for him and probably kill him for what he had done to them and he rushed towards the wardrobe standing in the corner of the room. They switched on their torches and started looking around the house. Logan’s heart skipped a beat as he heard Stephano’s voice. He seemed to be begging. Something ceramic broke before a struggle could be heard and in the next instant, the cat man carried Stephano over his shoulder like he was a bag of rice. The Crow man hadn’t turned up yet and seemed to be still searching the house as his beam danced along the walls. Tension filled minutes went by and Logan crouched there painfully behind thick coats before a torch beam shone on the floor in front of the wardrobe. He held his breath as the door opened and the Crow man’s face looked in at what the wardrobe held. His face was even more disgusting up close as his beak had no place on the otherwise regular face. He looked at the wardrobe for a second more unable to see the man who’s back pressed hard against the wall of it.
“He’s not here boss.” the Crow man shouted.
Logan held back vomit as the smell of rotten meat and wet garbage escaped from the Crow man’s mouth. He also noticed the teeth the Crow man had in his mouth regardless of having a beak. The Crow man turned off his torch and rejoined his crew as they disappeared into the night with Stephano. Logan remained in the wardrobe for thirty long minutes before he finally got out.
He crawled slowly back to the window to see if anyone was still around. He got up and started walking towards the room he hoped Pin was in when a beam flashed directly onto him. His pupils contracted from shock and the bright light that blinded him.
“I knew you were here! You’ll hang for this. I swear you’ll hang!” A familiar voice shouted outside the broken door. Logan didn’t see it coming as his legs were cleared from below him and the hands that had mortally wounded him before grabbed him around his waist. The two slammed into a table by the wall and the only turned on lamp on top of it broke as it hit the ground. The torch flew into the corner and the house was plunged into darkness.
“You made a fool of me and left with a nasty wound.” The Crow man said struggling to hold Logan down. He was about to keep talking when the full force of Logan’s left leg slammed into his stomach. The hit winded him and he doubled over. Logan could barely see but he could hear the creature grabbing for the pieces of the lamp on the ground.
“All you do is stab people!” he shouted as he stepped on his wandering hand. The Crow man let out a loud bird-like scream and struggled to release himself. “Give up, you freak!” Logan bellowed.
“I’m a freak?” the Crow man protested. “You think I was asked to be born like this?”
Logan was obviously taken aback by this as he reduced the pressure on his hand. “I’m sorry…” he began.
The Crow man broke his hand free from beneath his boot with his eyes yellow with rage. “You’ll hang” he shouted before hugging Logan tightly and flying out of the house. The two flew horizontally through the trees with the difference from slamming into one being only a second. Logan looked at the Crow man more sympathetically. He was obviously insane. Yet what could have brought him into this world? “Is that why you live in these woods?” he thought to himself. The Crow man was flying angrily and without thought, as they found their way back to Stephano’s house and slammed into the wall. The wood splintered into toothpicks as they tumbled into Stephano’s room. Logan felt pain all over his body. Tiny pieces of wood had found their way beneath his skin. He looked at the Crow man who was worse for wear. He lay lifeless on the ground in front of him. Logan grabbed his arm and shook him to see if he was breathing but the Crow man’s neck bent limply to the right.
“He’s broken his neck,” Logan said sadly looking at the pitiful creature.
“How are you still alive?” Pin shouted from outside. He stood bare-chested in a pair of shorts.
“Aren’t you even bothered about your dad?” Logan asked with a straight face
“We’ll find him, don’t worry. I’ve got your conscience to bank on.”
“My conscience?”
“Yes, it was your loose lips that let them take my dad,” he said plainly.
“You’re right. Now this man can join that conscience.”
“He’s dead innit? Serves him proper”
Logan looked at this odd boy who didn’t seem bothered about anything other than his own life.
“We should bury him and go find your dad. Draug can wait.”
“We don’t have to bury that trash. Search his pockets and let’s go.”
Logan crawled next to him and dragged his weather-beaten jacket towards him. A thick pistol and a wallet fell out.
“He’s got a gun!” Logan shouted to Pin.
“Then take it and put it in your trousers!
Logan picked up the weapon and felt its weight in his hands.
“Where do you think they’ve taken him?”
“Mr. Skin has him now. You’re lucky you found that gun then”
Logan imagined having to take a life other than Draug and shuffled uneasily.
“Where does this Mr. Skin live?”
“He lives in the Crooked House. Don’t worry I know the way.” Pin said firmly
“Then lead the way.” He said struggling to get up.
Pin didn’t say another word before he began to trot away.
Logan felt freer around his side and peeled away the bandage. His eyes widened as his skin seemed better than it had before he was stabbed. The wound had completely healed.
“What the hell is going in this place?”