WICKED

PROLOGUE

“Hansol....”

A small skeleton hand covered the trembling boys mouth as he squeezed his hazel eyes shut.

His small body was held by his older sister, head tucked beneath her chin to shield him away from the creature that crawled along their huts walls.

They hid in a leaf basket, small bodies cramped inside a basket made for fishing and his mothers vegetables, not for hiding out.

It was done in a rush, but they were hidden from the demon. For now.

His heart pounded in his ears as he tried to get his breathing in control. one leopard climbs down the trees. two leopards climb down the trees. three leopards climb down the tree. four leopards climb down the tree. What comes after five?

“Hansol, mama wants to play,” it gigged, their mothers stolen voice spilling from its blackened lips.

He could hear her screams, his mother. Remember the struggling sounds as his fathers shouted and protected their baby sister as she wailed. They were not here anymore. That thing was.

Tears welled up in his eyes. Its not my mama, not my mama, not my mama, not my MAMA.

"Gretael, my baby boy why are you hiding from me?”

The creature wanted their blood, yet it’s gouged out eyes did not have the sight to see his sister and him trembling in the corner, tucked inside their mothers hand woven grass basket. Their was no lid protecting them, only his sister.

And her magic.

"In the jungle, a little boy lives-” his mother began singing, her melodic voice traveling out to the silent jungle.

It was his mothers melody, the melody that put him to sleep. It was his melody. He could hear it’s ragged breathing, combining with his silent one. His whimpers where silent, but loud in his head. He was going to live. To live. Live was he, today he’ll live. HE IS GOING TO LIVE.

“he travels to the river, to catch fish for dinner-”

A strange presence fell over his mind. He opened his eyes, trying to crawl out. He needed to get out.

“Veca lua,” the girl holding him whispered silently but harsh, tightening her arms around him. Don’t listen. He struggled against her, this girl who held him back. She wouldn’t stop him, that was his mother out their. He needed to get to her.

“this little boy is his mothers favorite-”

“Mama!” he shouted against the girls hand.

The singing stopped. A scrape was heard, shuffling of large feet making its was towards them.

His mama was coming. He was saved.

Something swirled around his mouth, clamping it shut.

This creature holding him back was taking him away from his mother. He needed to get out. He couldn’t breathe, his mother need him. He began trying to wrestle whatever was holding him back. It wrestled him too, locking him in place.

Silence hung in the air.

Nothing but the shifting breeze and rattling of leaves. Their were no animals out tonight, not even his favorite bird friend, lekae.

“second to his father, who adores his mother-” the singing began again.

Mama! he had to get to her. He needed to get to her. How? How?! HOW?!

He bit down hard on a hand. The person grunted.

“Maybe some day he’ll be a warrior,

like his old sister, who never gets blisters-”

He pushed hard to stand but was being held down by snake like arms. He wasn’t going to be stopped. He kicked backwards, feeling his legs crush something hard.

“In the jungle, a little boy lives.”

He jumped into his mothers awaiting arms.

"Gretael, no!”

They should have never entered the demon kings jungle palace.