Chapter 2 II – The Cursed Woman

Present time

In a faraway town, the wind howled as Jillian ran. Her bare feet slapped against the cold, rough ground, each step making her foot bleed even more.

But Jillian didn't care. She had to keep running. She could feel the weight of the knives and weapons getting closer behind her.

They were coming for her, and she couldn't let them catch her. Not now. Not ever.

"Curse woman! Murderer!" A voice shouted from behind her, full of hatred. "You killed our family!"

Jillian's heart pounded in her chest. She didn't know what to do anymore. The tears blurred her vision, but she didn't stop running. Her body screamed in pain, but her fear was stronger.

"You don't understand! I didn't do it!" she screamed, but no one cared to listen.

Jillian glanced over her shoulder, the angry crowd closing in. They were relentless, shouting at her, their faces twisted in fury.

She could see their weapons-knives, sticks, stones-raised and ready. They wanted her dead.

They wanted her to pay for something she didn't do.

A woman with dark hair and wild eyes, was yelling at her. "Jillian, come back! Pay for what you've done! You killed so many people! You killed my poor son!"

Jillian's breath caught in her throat. She wanted to scream back at them, to explain that she was innocent, but the words didn't come.

Her legs were giving out, and her chest was tight with fear. She wasn't just running from them. She was running from everything she had ever known, running from a life that had cursed her.

"I didn't do it!" she cried out in desperation. "I swear I didn't kill anyone! I'm not the one!"

But no one listened. No one cared about her side of the story. All they saw was a cursed woman, someone who had to be punished. Someone they could blame for all their pain.

Tears streamed down her face as she pushed herself harder, ignoring the pain in her body. She didn't know where she was going anymore. She didn't care. She just had to keep running, keep moving, before they caught her.

But then, she saw it. The end. A cliff.

Jillian froze for a moment, her heart skipping a beat. There was nowhere left to go. The people was getting closer. They were almost there.

She turned around, her eyes wide with terror, and saw the people closing in, their faces full of hatred. They were all shouting, ready to tear her apart.

"You have nowhere to go!" one man yelled, a cruel grin spreading across his face.

Jillian's heart raced. She backed up to the edge of the cliff, trembling. She could hear them coming closer, the sounds of their footsteps drubbing in her ears.

Someone threw a dagger at her, but Jillian was quick enough to catch it in her hands. The blade sliced through her skin, blood pouring from her palms, but she didn't drop it. She gripped it tightly, trying to defend herself as the people surrounded her.

Another weapon came flying at her, a rock this time, and she dodged it just in time. But one man managed to get close, his face twisted with anger.

Before she could react, he lunged at her, his knife sinking into her side.

Jillian gasped in pain, stumbling backward, her vision going blurry as the world seemed to tilt. She tried to keep her balance, but the edge of the cliff was too close. Her foot slipped on the loose stones, and before she knew it, she was falling.

"No!" She screamed, her body plummeting downward, her arms flailing helplessly.

Her head hit the hard stone with a sickening crack, and everything went black.

Jillian's body continued to fall, tumbling down toward the river below. The cold water hit her like a shock, pulling her under, the force of the current dragging her deeper.

She couldn't breathe. The world around her was dark and heavy, and she felt herself slipping away.

Up above, the crowd gathered at the edge of the cliff, staring down at the river where Jillian had fallen. They couldn't see her anymore, only the raging water below.

One man looked down, his face full of rage. "She's gone! She's dead! Let's go back!"

But the leader, Simon, wasn't so quick to give up. He clenched his fists, his eyes burning with fury. "No. We're not leaving until we know for sure. We'll search the river once the rain stops."

The others grumbled, clearly frustrated, but Simon wasn't backing down. "If she's still alive, I'll find her. I'll make her pay for everything she's done. For my wife. For all the people she killed. She will suffer."

One of the men, a tall man with a scar running down his cheek, spoke up, his voice full of doubt. "But Simon... What if she's dead? What if the river took her? It will be hard to go down there."

Simon shook his head, his face hardening. "She won't get away that easily. I'll find her, and I'll make her regret every single thing she's done. She's not getting away from me. I want her body turn to ash in front of my eyes even she already dead!"

The people nodded in agreement, their anger still burning hot. They had lost one of their own to Jillian's so-called curse, and they weren't about to let her escape. They would hunt her down, no matter the cost.

But as Simon turned away, the sky suddenly darkened. A loud crack of thunder split the air, and rain began to pour down, soaking everyone to the bone.

Simon cursed under his breath. "We'll come back after the storm passes. We'll find her then."

The others murmured their agreement, although their frustration was evident. They didn't want to wait. They wanted Jillian gone, dead. They wanted to see her suffer.

The group slowly began to disperse, their anger still thick in the air. Simon stayed behind for a moment, staring out at the river, his mind focused on one thing: Find Jillian's body. Whether dead or alive.

He still not yet done for his revenge.

No storm, no river, nothing would stop him from getting the justice he believed he deserved.

He swore it.