Status: WARNING: Explicit gore and blood. Ideological perspectives may be present as well.
Tainted
Prologue - The Hunt
Cracks of lightning splits the dusky sky, signalling a refreshing shower to transcend into a blinding and gusty storm. Mundane clouds congregate to build a formidable tempest. Amidst the natural calamity, a dog is found running deep within a forested area. An akita -- she seems determined, yet there is panic apparent in her eyes. Her heavy panting obscured, she firmly holds an infant puppy in between her jaws. The puppy seems at an age where it is unable to open its eyes, yet there is a mysterious icy cerulean glow dimmed underneath its eyelids. Not far behind, she is being pursued by shadowy figures taking in the forms of wolves, barely distinctive from the shadows of the trees. Her stamina begins to wane and so she begins to slow; however, the figures display no signs of weariness. The crimson eyes of her pursuers glows of strong-willed hatred and passionate bloodlust -- the akita tenaciously countered her exhaustion and kept running.
The akita has been running in the storm for hours, reluctantly succumbing to fatigue. Her pelt went from a ashy grey to an umber brown on account of the mud her fur collected. Her drenched coat weighs down on her body and the rain caustically blinds her eyes, burdening her visibility. Despite the duration of the pursuit, the wolves did not lose sight or scent of her. They remained relentless. She soon realized that the more she ran, the more barbarous they became. In spite of this knowledge, she kept going.
As she struggled to remain on her sore paws, a mudslide suddenly propelled her down a dangerously deep incline. She tried to keep the puppy above the surface so it wouldn’t drown. She whimpered and whined out of desperation as she was being carried away, her head miraculously remaining surfaced. Fortunately, the mudslide came to a halt and she made no hesitation to free herself from the hazards of the mud deposit. She noticed at the top of the incline the fiery eyes of the wolves vacantly observing her and realized the position she is in, all panting with anticipation as they are trying to find another route to reach her. The mudslide seemed to be a blessing in disguise -- it bought her time and she planned not to waste it.
Among the sponginess of the forest, she frightfully tries to find a secluded spot to shelter her infant from harm. The moment she found the perfect thicket underneath the base of a tree where the opening is covered with cascading thick roots, she heard chilling howls and eerie growls approaching. She hurriedly mask her scent with mud and soggy foliage, and camouflaged her puppy. With much certainty that it is fully concealed, she ran off into the distance, in the direction opposite of the puppy’s hidden position, and barked to avert the pursuers’ attention.
Her attempt was a success. Unfortunately, minutes later, blood-hurdling yelps could be heard. The cries of its mother echoed, reaching the innocent ears of the puppy hidden away in the thicket. Silence finally befalls on the forest. as the storm settles back into a drizzle.
The akita has been running in the storm for hours, reluctantly succumbing to fatigue. Her pelt went from a ashy grey to an umber brown on account of the mud her fur collected. Her drenched coat weighs down on her body and the rain caustically blinds her eyes, burdening her visibility. Despite the duration of the pursuit, the wolves did not lose sight or scent of her. They remained relentless. She soon realized that the more she ran, the more barbarous they became. In spite of this knowledge, she kept going.
As she struggled to remain on her sore paws, a mudslide suddenly propelled her down a dangerously deep incline. She tried to keep the puppy above the surface so it wouldn’t drown. She whimpered and whined out of desperation as she was being carried away, her head miraculously remaining surfaced. Fortunately, the mudslide came to a halt and she made no hesitation to free herself from the hazards of the mud deposit. She noticed at the top of the incline the fiery eyes of the wolves vacantly observing her and realized the position she is in, all panting with anticipation as they are trying to find another route to reach her. The mudslide seemed to be a blessing in disguise -- it bought her time and she planned not to waste it.
Among the sponginess of the forest, she frightfully tries to find a secluded spot to shelter her infant from harm. The moment she found the perfect thicket underneath the base of a tree where the opening is covered with cascading thick roots, she heard chilling howls and eerie growls approaching. She hurriedly mask her scent with mud and soggy foliage, and camouflaged her puppy. With much certainty that it is fully concealed, she ran off into the distance, in the direction opposite of the puppy’s hidden position, and barked to avert the pursuers’ attention.
Her attempt was a success. Unfortunately, minutes later, blood-hurdling yelps could be heard. The cries of its mother echoed, reaching the innocent ears of the puppy hidden away in the thicket. Silence finally befalls on the forest. as the storm settles back into a drizzle.