There was always this loud, welcoming gasp echoing around the small town when hunters came back safely from the forests. Carrying dead bodies of deer, beaver, and rarely even cougar, these brave men came back to our town full of fulfillment, with barely any worries. These men would come back with their young sons, whether their sons were first-timers or on their fifth trip. It was like this for quite some time, actually
That all changed when the head hunter, Jacht Dood came back, finding out that his daughter was missing. Nobody even seemed to notice, only Jacht. Most of the town was Dutch, only few were not. We Dutch actually care for our fellow children. Caring about Jacht's child, we searched and searched for her, little Lieveling Dood. Six weeks later, we found her. Lieveling's body was ripped apart, mostly likely by a cougar family or wolf pack. Everyone cried that day, grieving for Jacht's daughter.
Some time passed by after that. Jacht had decided to take his three sons in the forest to hunt that day. I was twenty-five then, taking care of my three-year-old daughter. My husband had been off, hunting in the east part of the forest, while Jacht headed to the west. Mooi was my husbands name, Heerlijk my daughter, while mine was Vrijjager, our surnames being Droefheid.
That day was very transparent, and well remembered. I was merely playing with Heerlijk, and teaching her how to take care of our plants. She seemed to quite enjoy it, actually. It made me fill up with mirth. Mooi came back shortly after, carrying a small deer. We went inside and started to prepare dinner. That was when the angst cries started echoing across our small forest town.
Verhalenboek was a tall, beautiful woman. She had hazel eyes, and dark brown hair that almost seemed black. Her skin was as if it had been frozen since the moment she was born---it was tan, but not that much. Her beautiful features passed down to her darling little children, exactly nine sons and one daughter.
Verhalenboek was wailing like a wild kitten looking for it's mother. Tears streaming down her face, she gently touched the face of her husband, Jacht. Her three other sons- all three the three oldest ones--lay beside their father's body. It was obviously murder. A bloody knife used to cut small wood pieces was in the hands of Jacht, blood drenching his arms. It was disgusting. His son's throats were slit as well, still bleeding. Heerlijk had to stay inside while Mooi pressured me to stop staring. It was horrible. The hunters that had found them said that he killed his three sons, chanted some weird stuff, and hung himself easily with a rope used for climbing, and an old tree.
Shockingly enough, Jacht actually chanted things in a totally different thing then Dutch. He had chanted it in German. We didn't even speak German, only the little old German lady that collected small dogs on the end of the row of houses understood it. Sadly, she was beginning to forget her native language and learn Dutch, only. However, she actually could still interpret it.
''Meine Brüder, Mutter und Vater wird mir zu kommen ... denn ich bin der ultimative Gott.'' She said in German, reciting Jacht's words. ''My brothers, mother, and father will join me...for I am the ultimate God.'' He had said.
The first thing that came to mind was Jacht's daughter, Lieveling, had possessed her father, and killed them. She was only six! I highly doubted it was true, but then I thoroughly convinced myself it was true. Little did I know, I was about to be utterly embarrassed in front of the town.
At noon, may fifteenth, 1817, the town gathered for some kind of community meeting. They all shared their versions on how Jacht had gone insane and such, and killed his three sons. Some argued, like Jacht's fellow hunters. They declared that the Native American spirits that had once lived here were trying to kill us because other Americans' killed them. That would have been a very reasonable idea, if not for my idea.
I told the town that Lieveling had possessed her father to kill her brothers, then killed her father as well. I even had an explanation for all of this, that she was trying to kill her family because her spirit was young, and lonely in the vast forest by her humanly home.
Everyone laughed. Mooi didn't, and neither did Heerlijk, thank goodness.
I got horrible looks.
"You shouldn't joke about stuff like that." Were only a few of the words I got from people. There were also some inappropriate remarks as well, since this was 1817, a year where women still were not respected.
I almost rolled my eyes, but the leader of the village would probably send me to jail or something.
"If this is true, then there is nothing we can do." He told everyone, which silenced them all.
That night was very difficult. Mooi, still my husband, thank goodness, comforted me. I had fallen ill since that time, which I believed was because I was absolutely correct about my predictions. I had gotten bruises all over my body since that day when I had stated my concerns and guesses. I could only hope that my body healed itself.
It was now July second, still 1817. The night was dusky, very dark, to be more precise. The stars were singing and dancing in the sky. A slight mist wadded it's way throughout the forest. This would be the night that ended my prediction.
Howls echoed throughout the forest, sending shivers down everyone's spines. They were sharp, haunting howls that symbolized death. The ground suddenly started shaking violently when the howls ended. Our candles around the small house blew themselves out, smoke now filling the air. Mooi started grabbing our water supply, and food like wheat, carrots, and such foods that were grown. I grabbed Heerlijk from her cradle, although she protested by swinging her legs around, trying to kick me.
I sighed, hushing her with shushs. Heerlijk quickly quieted down.
The house suddenly burst into a spasm of shakes, and I heard the floor crack loudly.
"Mooi, stay by the door!" I yelled at him. He was standing in front of the door with our essential things, since we both were going to escape into a path that led into grassy plains. It was near, and convenient, so we didn't have to go through the gloomy forest.
The floor split open before my eyes, eating away at our items, such as dressers and our bed. It all fell into what seemed like a bottomless pit, and I swear I heard the screams of the dead from inside there.
Heerlijk let out a cry of agony, and pointed at the floor. It was about to eat Heerlijk and I away as well! I practically jumped out of my skin. I held onto her tightly, dashing into the mud room. The cracking floor seemed to follow me, on the edge of my heels. I kept running, my dress trailing behind me. I seriously did not keep track of where I was heading, and before I knew it, the forest surrounded me.
Owl's hoots bounced off of the thick trees all around me. The wolves' cry was heard again, shooting it's self between the trees. Wind blew at my face, making my eyes water. All was silent, until the pounding of feet on the ground started back up. It was not the sound of man's feet, no, but the sound of an animals.
Five wolves dived between the bushes in front of me. I quickly shot up, and started running madly. I seriously did not know what my idea was to run from wolves, since they're a lot faster then me.
I dived off of a hill, rolling down it. Leaves and twigs either snapped or got stuck in my dress when I rolled. Next thing I knew, Heerlijk flew out of my arms and across the clearing we fell in. The wolves saw this as a chance. They quickly jumped down the hill, tongues lolling behind them.
All quickly went flying past me. Heerlijk let out terrified screams as the wolves attacked her. My eyes widened, and a sudden pain fell in my chest. I knew it was hatred. I jumped in between the wolves, piling myself on top of Heerlijk. Instead, the wolves tore at my arms, ripping skin off, blood pouring out of my body.
A sudden loud boom of a gun caught my attention. The hunters let out wild calls to frighten the wolves, but the wolves did not disperse. They growled at the hunters, baring their sharp fangs proudly. The hunters didn't even follow by hunting rules, which was unless the animals are supposed to be your dinner, do not kill them. Giving no mercy, the hunters shot their muskets at the wolves, shooting one right in the center chest. After that one collapsed dead, the others retreated without hesitating.
"Mooi!" I let out a weak smile as my husband ran up to me. He grabbed me into his arms.
"Are you alright, Vrijjager, Heerlijk?" He queried greatly.
"No. Take Heerlijk, bandage her up." I told him.
Grabbing his musket, I ran towards the wolves' paw prints that stuck to the ground.
"Where are you going?!" Mooi yelled at me.
I spun around, musket still in hand. "How many died during the earthquake?" I asked him, straightforward.
"The rest of Jacht's kids." Mooi stated. "Why?"
I sighed. "Because the last one in Jacht's family that has yet to be killed is Verhalenboek, Lieveling's mother." I explained as quickly as possible, before heading into the dark forest.
The wolves were quick, let me tell you that. I followed behind them, extremely exhausted. Blood still ran down my arms and legs, which made me feel itchy. I couldn't stop, though.
Wails and cries are what caught my attention. The wolves seemed to grin from the distance between us. Verhalenboek was laying in front of her house, her home almost looked war-torn. She gazed at her dead sons, tears filling inside her eyes every time.
A shadow loomed over her, something like a knife in hand pointed at Verhalenboek's back.
I started running towards them. The wolves had smelled me, and were now in attack-mode. I swiftly grabbed Verhalenboek's dress, and dragged her away. She was surprised, like the shadow was.
The knife went into the ground, catching aflame the ground.
"How DARE you!!" The shadow screeched at me. It was a small shadow, almost looking harmless. It was then that I realized that the shadow was about the size of a six-year-old. It had to be Lieveling.
"How dare me?! How dare you!" I growled in frustration. "You kill your family, just because you are lonely.I mean, if you die before them, you should gift their lives with mirthful surprises, because they're living a life for you. One you couldn't fulfill." I lectured the small shadow.
It giggled. Why it did, nobody shall know. "Ohh!~ You actually predicted I was Lieveling. How idiotic."
I cocked an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"
"Oh, yes. Lieveling died." The shadow replied. "She died, and was most likely sent to sing with the angels in heaven. I am now her--merely taking on her form."
"Then who are you?" I asked impatiently.
It giggled once more. The giggles made my neck hair stand up, and the leaves on the trees started to bawl, shivering. This ghostly feeling was not good.
"Nobody could have honestly guessed it, I suppose. For my name is Jacht Dood, father of ten, the one that despises you, us--even his own children.
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