NOVEL WEB A Curse Has Befallen
The mountain range at the edge of the Haguko town is covered in thick forests. The mountain itself is large and spreads wide, so naturally, the forests are endless. Some of the townsfolk from Haguko scout these forests for different kinds of fruits and berries they can sell in the city. Some scout these forests for wood. The city is not so far away so most of the Haguko townsfolk have made a livelihood out of selling goods in the city. The wealthier townsfolk of course have their own farms and workshops where they produce their own goods to sell; the skillful and wealthy crowd of the lot. The ones who scout the forest are less wealthy compared to the rest but they all help each other out and have lived generations in harmony.
Recently, however, a certain curse has befallen the thick forests of the mountain range that borders the town.
One night in the beginning of May, a group of townspeople ventured into the dark forests, never to be seen again. There was no survivor, no eye-witness. No one could inform the town of what happened. Every single person who dared to venture into the mountains that night was quietly swallowed by the darkness. When the townsfolk heard of this, they speculated many things.
“They got lost”, said some.
“No. Wild animals took them”, said others.
“No. They ran away with the wood to sell at a different city for a higher price”, said some others.
But no one had proof. So the discussions died out and soon the townsfolk forgot about it. Then there was another group of venturers. This time a young couple and their friends. They set off in the direction of the mountains one afternoon, never to be seen again. When no one heard from them for two days, the townsfolk got suspicious again.
“A vengeful spirit took them”, said some.
“No. It was some demonic presence.”, said others.
“It was, without a doubt, a group of robbers and murderers”, said some others.
“No. They ran away to live in a different city without their parents bothering them”
People kept speculating. But again, there were no survivors or eye-witnesses. So there was no proof. By this time, the townsfolk grew restless. So they informed the police. The next day, a couple of officers came to talk to the townsfolk and take their accounts. After talking to everyone they got in their car and left to inspect the mountains, but they too, were never seen or heard from again.
Quickly, intense fear and distress swept across the town. People avoided going into the mountains and the townsfolk that lived at the far edge, closer to the mountains, avoided going out after sunset altogether. Everything was uncertain. The helplessness and confusion that springs from facing an unknown enemy was rampant and people started to pray more often. Even the ones that never prayed. There were still some sceptics of course, who believed it to be something less serious than what everyone else was making it out to be. But they too were convinced after a fourth group ventured into the mountains, out of desperation for maintaining their livelihood, and faced the same fate again. However, this time, someone came back. Someone survived, only barely, and made their way home again.