The man's voice broke the silence as he stopped in front of Ezra, his tone sharp and gruff. "So, you're not going to move?"
Ezra blinked in confusion, still trying to process the figure in front of him. "Huh?"
The man grumbled, an irritated frown pulling at his features. "You're blocking the path."
"Oh," Ezra muttered, snapping out of his daze. He quickly stepped to the side, allowing the man to walk past him. The stranger didn't even spare him a second glance as he continued forward, his heavy footsteps crunching the leaves beneath him.
"Well, that was weird," Ezra muttered under his breath, shaking off the encounter. He shrugged it off and continued his way through the woods, the setting sun casting long shadows on the path ahead. Realizing the time, he quickened his pace, knowing he needed to make it back before nightfall.
His heart raced as he sprinted through the dense woods, veering off the main trail. The underbrush tangled with his legs, vines and stinging nettles prodding at his skin. Every few steps, he swatted them away, his breath coming in ragged gasps as the light of day began to fade.
Ezra stood still, his breath heavy in his chest as he tried to steady himself. A noise, crude, foul singing, cut through the stillness of the forest, and his curiosity got the better of him. With slow, deliberate steps, he made his way through the dense underbrush, following the sound of the man's voice.
As he pushed through a thicket, the trees parted, revealing the source of the ruckus. A waterfall cascaded down into a crystal-clear pool below, the water glistening in the fading light of the day. A small shack stood there made from log .But what caught Ezra's attention was the man sitting by the edge of the waterfall.
The man was hunched over, his robes a mismatched tangle of fabric, and in his hand, he clutched a bottle of wine, his grip on it tight as if it were his only source of comfort.
" She said kiss me there and I refused . How could I ? It made me so amused …"
" What the heck- "
" Her lips were sweeter than the sweetest nectar , wet -"
Ezra stood frozen for a moment, staring at the drunken figure by the waterfall. The man's incoherent ramblings were unsettling, and the crude lyrics made him feel uncomfortable, but he knew he had to speak up.
"Erm, excuse me, sir," Ezra called out, his voice tentative but firm.
The man immediately stopped singing, his head jerking up to face Ezra with bleary, unfocused eyes. The bottle of wine in his hand swayed dangerously.
"Who's there?" the man slurred, his voice thick with alcohol. He squinted, trying to make out the figure standing before him. "Another lost soul in the woods, eh?"
Ezra cautiously stepped forward, carefully navigating the dozens of discarded wine bottles scattered around the man. The pungent smell of alcohol filled the air, mixing with the earthy scent of the surrounding forest. As he got closer, he took in the sight of the man before him.
The professor, or at least what Ezra assumed to be looked completely unkempt.
His wild dark green hair cascaded to his waist, tangled and matted, as though it hadn't been brushed in days. It hung in messy strands that obscured half of his face, leaving only his stubbled chin and mustache visible. His robes were tattered and stained, as though he hadn't bothered to change in ages, the fabric smelling faintly of mildew and alcohol.
The man's overall appearance screamed neglect, an odd contrast to the esteemed professor he had heard about.
He sat hunched over on the ground, still clutching the wine bottle like a lifeline. Ezra couldn't help but feel a mixture of pity and discomfort.
" Ahh these bastards , these crawling insects .They mentioned securing the perimeters a while ago and now I have rats like these disturbing my peace " he mumbled .
Ezra flinched as shards of glass suddenly flew toward him, narrowly missing him as they scattered across the ground. His heart raced in shock, his instincts screaming at him to move, but he stood frozen for a moment, trying to make sense of what had just happened.
Ezra took a step back instinctively, his heart pounding as the man lurched toward him. There was a wildness in the professor's eyes, a dangerous madness that seemed to crackle in the air. The wine bottle swung loosely in his hand, still gripped tight, as he staggered forward.
"You took away my dear Annalise , my beautiful Lisa" he shouted, his voice shaking with a mixture of grief and rage as his mood suddenly switched ."Die!"