Impostor

The village:

Inside a house, made of clay and stones, two men were seemingly searching for something, the darkness of the house was illuminated by a small lantern held by the shorter man and the other one just quietly followed behind him.

Ronald and Joseph had seperated from Cillian and Gerald as per Gerald's order and they were now conducting a search of their own.

They agreed without much resistance, Joseph wouldn't mind who he went with and Ronald just wanted to get this over with and leave this abandoned village.

Ronald stared at the rotten wooden table in the centre of house, Joseph had a frown on his nose as they both stood in silence.

"It's Oak wood, it's a bit suspicious and we haven't came across anything like that here."

Oak wood was more resistant towards rot but he can't be sure, maybe it was very old.

But the village has been only built for 12 years

Joseph rarely spoke and when he did so it was for something important, Ronald turned to face Joseph with a low voice, "Although it's suspicious we can't scratch off the possibility it's natural rot,So let's leave and search another house."

Joseph turned towards the open door, the darkness in the distance did not sit well with them.

No one among them liked the darkness even Rowen hated it despite his love for the supernatural.

He gasped, the cold air filled his lungs, "No signs of danger has been found yet, the church will conduct a search by themselves after our report goes through."

Confusion was apparent in his voice.

The church decided to see if the influence of the supernatural still remained here which was the 'reason' they told them.

"Really makes you wonder why they sent us here if they had already decided to sent the blessed ones." Ronald shared the same confusion as Joseph, they all did.

If the village was deemed safe then the kingdom would repopulate the village,

From what they heard it seems like the kingdom is willing to sent over the refugees they received from the sea.

The reason for the absence of life inside the village were the heretics that did a mass sacrifice inside the Wiccan forest.

Ronald sighed, he felt bad for the people involved in the mass cult sacrifice and he even pitied Cillian after he heard Cassian was abducted by them.

But he didn't show that pity outwards, Cillian wouldn't mind it but Cassian despised pity.

He would pity others but wont receive it from others.

Ronald however can't stop it, that's how he is, he was kind.

A genuine kindness.

He didn't why he was like that, he listened to hsi heart more than his brain and that earned him respect.

Maybe it was his nature to be kind? He didn't know but he wasn't complaining either.

It brought him no joy nor satisfaction, he just did it.

There were no purpose or thoughts behind his actions.

They both left the house, the lamp might burn for another 30 minutes before it gets estinguished and if they want to refill it, they need to go back to Rowen.

********

The village:

Ronald walked infront of me, the lamp in his hands burned brightly but the shadows still managed to devour our surroundings.

The light made his face visible in the darkness and I could see the fear in his eyes increasing.

The eyes don't lie, a trait I picked up from Cillian.

The eerie silence was also creeping me out but not as much as him, what made my heart pound wasn't fear but the feeling of something wrong.

It crept around like nails prickling my skin, my paranoia trying its best to make me turn around but I didn't listen.

The village so far has been normal, the only thing that makes me question its legitimacy is the unending darkness.

It was so dense it made an illusion of being solid, I know the others also had the same idea but they were acting oblivious.

If we don't notice them they might leave us.

I sighed in my mind, I just wanted to return to my cozy bed and sleep my days away.

Thud.

Something...no someone fell, I looked forward and saw the absence of the lamp, the light from it vanished and the darkness took over.

I walked forward, my each step calculated and as I guessed a huge hole was in the middle of the path.

The lamp was on the ground and Ronald too.

"You okay?"

I shouted towards him, no answer came.

But something picked up the lamp, "Yeah, sorry I didn't notice the fall."

It was 'Ronald', the lamp illuminated his smiling face, my face remained as stoic as ever as I shouted back again, "I'll search for ropes to get you out!"

He seemed in thought and after a few moments he yelled back, "Sure but can you use the whistle to call them, this tunnel seems to be what we were looking for!"

I nodded.

He nodded along.

I turned around without sparing a glance at 'Ronald' again and I ran.

I ran towards the area where Gerald and Cillian were searching.

As I ran, I took out a whistle from my bag, it was not the one used for emergency, it was used if you find something of notice.

I didn't want to alert that creature afterall.

That was not Ronald.

Although I didn't know the exact depth of the tunnel I knew it was pretty deep and no normal human can survive that fall without atleast a broken arm or leg.

And he nodded along with me, why would he do that? And how did he know I nodded even though the light could only illuminate his face?

The whistle blew, my speed increased, I reached for the spiked mace I hung on my belt.

I ran and ran, the darkness stretching endlessly, my footsteps echoed in the silent night of the unknown.

The ever increasing paranoia gripped at my heart maybe survival wouldn't be possible against such a creature.

But I would survive.

'It can imitate Ronald perfectly, but the uncanny vibes it gave out helped me differentiate him but what can I say about the others?'

Can he trust the 'Gerald' and 'Cillian' whom might be heading his way?

No matter how perfectly you imitate a human it would be just a 'doll' without emotions.

"Joseph!? Is that you?"

As I was long in thought a gruffy voice called out, a lamp appeared in the distance, I didn't answer nor stop I ran past it.

It didn't stop me, I know it wouldn't.

How would it stop me?

As I passed it I took a close looked at the creature's body, only the head remained normal.

Everything else?

Goat.

The unnatural goat body bore a unfitting human head.

The hooves turned around or chase but how can a goat surpass a human?

But that's no normal goat, isn't it?

So I ignored.

I ran.

Change of plans, leave the village alone.

No blame would be placed on me.

This was something Gerald himself told us before entering the village.

'As long as one survives and tells the tale we don't mind sacrificing ourselves.'

A remarkable man indeed.

The question is...how would I escape?

********

At the same time:

"Honey! Open the door."

Inside a long abandoned house, filled with lit candles, a woman gently knocked on the door.

A man of about 19 could be seen inside the house, deep inside the dark corner, shivering in fear.

His shaking hands clutched the loaded crossbow and his closed shut eyes narrowly opened to look towards the window he had previously closed.

Something was pushing it from the outside, the hinges of the wooden window creaked and through the small gap some strands of hair was let inside the house, an eye peeked through, searching deep inside the house.

Rowen was sitting on its blind spot, he changed his focus to the door, and the small window next to it.

It was open which filled him with dread and what made him so frightened was the neck.

Yes the long twisted neck.

The woman had wrapped her neck around the house.

Or that's what it seemed like.

He wanted to close it but he didn't want to alert her.

He knew the moment the hinges break or the moment she tries to see through the open window, he is dead.

His heart pounded, goosebumps constantly covered him, fear shook him to the core.

The more he looked the more he feared.

He buried his face into his knees, his hand tightly clutching the crossbow.

He didn't know how long he sat there for.

The knocking stopped along with the woman's noise, his eyes were closed shut.

'If I don't gaze at her I won't get frightened right?'

This thought etched onto him.

Rowen surrendered to fear.

Rowan was a coward, someone who is fascinated by the unknown and the supernatural but he is also someone who would rather die than glimpse at it.

A pathetic man.

That's what Cassian called him.

And maybe he was right.

The sound of wooden planks splintering was heard throughout the eerie silence, the window has been broken.

Hesitation..

He hesitated.

But fear overcame that hesitation.

Blood spilled from his mouth, it dripped onto the crossbow he held, Rowen bit his own tongue out.

Despite his fascination towards the supernatural, he knew some things are better left unnoticed.

'If you are afraid to face your fears it's better to kill yourself rather than put up a humiliating resistance.'

Those words...

Cassian truly was different from others.

He chose suicide rather than overcoming his fears.

But remember he is a coward.

He didn't completely bite of his tongue, only a small cut was inflicted.

He is also afraid of death, isn't he?

He is pathetic, isn't he?

The village which seemed normal overturned and became something sinister.

The squires who entered he village has been trapped inside.

All hope has been lost.