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Before it began

Author: Stephen Sarah
last update Last Updated: 2025-03-26 19:32:50

VALERIE

The man rowed the boat slowly and silently, his eyes fixed on the peak of the dark tower a distance away.

I itched to say something to him to ease off the tension weighing on me.

"How long will it take to row to the other side?" I asked, staring at his scarred face.

He darted his one eye towards me, his lips stretched out in a thin line. He seemed to be triggered by the harmless words that I had said to him.

"You… you don't have to worry about answering," I quickly added.

He grunted and looked away, staring at the tower behind me.

We were sitting across each other in the boat and this made it quite hard to notice anything behind me.

I stared at the man's wrinkled face again, having a sickening feeling in the pit of my belly.

His left eye looked like it was forcefully gouged out years ago. Perhaps, that was how he got the scar that ran down to his cheek.

I wondered if it was done by the demons that always wake up when darkness takes over the sky.

I didn't ask any que
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