Chapter 7 The Hiss From The Mountain Top

Sam and I went up to the mountain to fetch some freshwater, Cain told us that there is a well near a waterfall up here that we can fill our pales. Well for starters I don't know anything about mountain climbing or trekking so, thank god there is a path leading to the waterfall that we can follow so we can't get lost or worst, to be eaten by a bear or a forked tongue demon from the realm of the unknown.

"Hey, are you sure you're okay doing this? I mean… You just got nightmares…and your mana is not yet that stable…" I tried taking the pale Sam's holding but she insisted on coming to help me fetch some water.

"Don't worry I'm okay…Don't worry about me…" Sam smiled and skipped and hop while we both walk side by side.

"You seem so relaxed…after you know…your nightmare being killed by monsters…" Sam looked at me with trembling eyes.

"There's nothing that I can do but to accept that this is my life now you know…these eyes just caused me my life but…I also met important people on the way…So…I'll do my best to be at your backs at all time…" The rising sun shined on her while the trees suddenly moved because of the wind rushing in the forest along with her black silk-like hair.

I quickly turned on my right because I can feel my cheeks burning red.

"I…I notice you didn't wear your glasses this morning…" I quickly blurted out while looking straight.

"Y-Yeah…I left it in the hut…But it's okay I can still see without them…" Sam walked straight but I held her shoulder.

"What…?" Sam looked at me and folded her eyebrow.

"Where's the path…?" Sam turned around and saw the brown dirt path that we're following for the past 15 minutes is gone into thin air.

"Do you remember some part where we are…?!" I tried to keep my trembling voice but I was on a verge of panicking.

"N-No…What are we going do…?" Sam moved closer to me.

"I think we should just walk straight…? This is not an ordinary forest, to begin with…" Sam agreed and we both walk straight but, I can hear women laughing and giggling deep in the forest.

It's creeping me out.

Sam drew in more closely and I became more careful with my surroundings because the voices are becoming even louder and louder, but then a sound of rushing water grew louder as well. I think we are here, instead of rushing towards the waterfall we both hid on a bush near a huge stone where we can see the waterfall, Sam and I put the pales on our side to avoid sudden noises.

"…Are those…? Women…?" Sam squinted her eyes and I looked closely. Good thing there's fog everywhere. The women are splashing and talking happily while taking their early bathing session.

"Hey…How are you with Mark…?" A lady loudly expressed with her cheeks becoming red.

"Everything's good for us…The bad thing was…" The three other women looked at her while she circles her hair with fingertips.

"I almost didn't swallow his head…It's been a while since I ate a fat villager…" The four women laugh.

"C-Charles…L-Look…" Sam pointed at the water where the fog is decreasing, the both of us quickly hid our heads after seeing their snake bodies.

"What the hell are those things…!?" I covered my mouth.

"I-I think…Gorgons…?" The hell is a Gorgon man!?!?

"Don't tell me you don't know anything about Gorgons…?!" Sam lowering her voice while blurting out her frustration.

"Half snake half people man…! Come on! A little culture wouldn't kill you…" Sam expressed trying to ease her voice lower but, her frustration of hearing me that I don't know anything about Gorgons is still crackling.

"What are we going to do now…?" Dang, it…I forgot my scythe in the hut…I don't have any weapon, my mana is still recovering also from yesterday.

"So…?" Sam jiggled her head.

"We both need to get back but, our problem is the path is missing…and we both know that were first-timers in this forest…" The sunlight started to slowly disappear and a dark silhouette started to cower our spot, a sound of rattling started to cover our atmosphere.

"Shhh…" Sam and I tucked our heads down as far as we can. The snake girls started to move.

"What is it, Diana? Do you smell something…?" the sound of huge scaly bodies as one of the Gorgons crawled out of the water made my body tremble like a baby.

"Humans…" She continued to sniff the air like a wolf hunting its prey. "Wait…Not exactly…human…" The rattling continued.

"…THE EYES…My sisters…I-I can sense it…" She inhaled heavily. The Gorgons laughed loudly their tails rapidly hit the ground up and down.

"We…Have to find it…We will be the most powerful beast in the world…" Their voice started to change from a sweet innocent beautiful and expressive tone. Into gargled and distorted.

"We…Have to go fa-" My sight began to blur, looking at my shoulder I saw a scorpion-like sting. My whole world was going in circles, I can see Sam screaming but her voice was never there.

"S-Sa…Sam…" The last thing I saw before going dark was a pair of yellow straight eyes staring at me with gladness.

***

The suppressed hissing laughter is all I can bear to hear, my sight is still coming back to me like a cloud of fog forming from afar. I couldn't picture where we are but, I know it's something not pretty like I said my sight is still gradually making its way to support me again but I can see a skull and other skeletons on the ground beside me.

"Ugh…" I covered my mouth because of the rotting stench, it smells like dead rats…hundreds of them. Suddenly one of the Gorgons took me by the neck and made me sit on a rock.

"What are we going to do with the boy…? Teresa?" My eyes are still heavy but my ears are now perking.

"After we eat this girls' eyes we could save that boy for later…" Their voices became gentle again the gurgling sound from earlier disappeared.

"For now we must tie this girl up…Help me…Helena…" The two Gorgons tied Sam on a stone table while the other one was sharpening an ax right beside them. Sam was still unconscious…The venom inflicted on her was stronger than mine…If I could just…Tsk…

"It's useless young man…" One of the Gorgons slithered her way down from the ceiling and onto my face. She touched my chin and pinched my cheek.

"Your body is still under in our trans young man…So it's useless to escape…" She coiled to me like I was a stress ball.

"Before we do our thing here…Allow us to introduce ourselves…" She called her three other sisters and the three of them slithered to me showing their forked tongue.

"I Am Diana the oldest…" The Gorgon who was circled and hugging me tightly flicked her blonde hair and kissed her razor-sharp back nails.

"…I am Teresa…" A strong and deep British tone cowered the cave, her red eyes and white hair gave me shivers.

"I am Gracia…" A cute and medley voice started to cover. Followed by another…

"I am Katrina…" it was also the same tone, Katrina and Garcia were both coiled at each other and holding each other's hands and they laugh. Both of them are much smaller compared to the other two.

"We're twins…!" They happily laughed. They were all wearing a dear skinned type of clothing you can see in cavemen in history museums and they wore a necklace made from dead animals.

"Now then…" Diana clapped her hands. "Let's get started…"

Sam was tossing and turning her head, her eyes are beginning to open. She was sweating more and more. I tried lifting my arm and tried clenching my fist but it was all useless.

"It's useless Mr…" The twins smiled at me. "You'll be our dinner later…" they tilted their head and their teeth began to grow until their cheeks cracked.

"Gracia! Katrina! Hold your horses…! Be patient…!" The twins pouted in frustration.

"But…! We want a leg and heart now sis…!" They cried and shook their tails like whimpering dogs.

The four sisters were busy prepping everything, they even took out ropes and a large witch-like bowl like my mother's potion maker.

"Psst…Up here…" I slowly lifted my head and saw Cain's head in a small tunnel up in the ceiling.

"Shhh…! Don't…" Before I could even open my mouth Cain told me to shut my mouth. There was something off about Cain this time, noticing that there was something on his shoulder… wait is that…? What I think it is…?

"Go…" Cain whispered and a comb-sized goblin began to jump from the ceiling and towards the gorgon's prep feast. It has green dry skin like a leaf after falling down a tree, its eyes were yellow with black straight pupils.

"Hi…" it was a high pitch voice, after saying his greetings he took a little potion bottle then opened it like a champagne bottle and made me drink it all. The flavor was sweet and it was really slimy and colored white.

"…What…?" I can feel my hands and body beginning to go back from its deep slumber. The goblin tried to cut the ropes with its teeth.

"What was that you made me drink earlier?" Asking the goblin while untangling the ropes from my legs. The goblin stared at me and tried to cover his mouth.

"Loch ness monster saliva…" My mind went blank.

"WHAT!?" For a second I forgot were in the Gorgons chamber, the four ugly snake witches turned their heads to mine and began hissing as they saw the little green goblin trying to help. But before the four sisters could grab me with their veiny and razor sharped claws dragged down into the ground…

"What the…?!" All I can see was black as a shadow in broad daylight.

"Charles…" behind me was dad in his Death form holding his scythe.

"Dad…?! Where are we…?!"

"Shadow realm…"