The encounter

                            The encounter 

My unforgotten experience

I would never forget it, never, a one in thousand day, I hope my encounter serve as a lesson to others children.

This is what happened…..

I breathed in the fresh air of the village as we boarded out from the car, this is my first visit to my village, I had wished so many times that I come here, and now it came true.

Both our parents came out in embracement, and they ushered us in. ‘’junior’’! My mother haul from inside because I am already playing with other children. They were astonished and surprised about my appearance, how I looked totally different from them, in my dressing in nutshell, and I boasted about it,

We just arrived and you are already being naughty around’’ my mom said in playful way’’.

Leave that boy, he is just trying to be social able’’ my dad took my side and I smile at him’’

‘’Just help me with this’’ she said untying the luggage

My grandfather approached us, I prostrated and greeted him.

How are you my child ‘’ he said with his shaken voice’’

‘’Am fine dad’’ replied

I overheard your mom and dad, let me tell you something about our village, there are many good and bad boys, you have to watch who you socialize yourself with ‘’ he said advisable’’

Ok sir I will heed your advise ‘’ I replied’’

You can go ‘’ he said and I dash out from the hut’’,

Hey boy’’ a boy called me’’ are you the new visitor’’ he added’’

Yeah’’ I replied’’

Let go, I will show you around the village’’ he said and I followed him,

That’s when I met him…..

****************************

After two weeks in the village I made friends with the boy that I met named max, but I neglected my grandfather warning, max and his gang( Liam, Richard, Raymond) was well known in the village as a trouble maker they entered someone else farm without permission and picked many valuable things in it, they the girl in the stream and they also played prank on the passerby i joined them, not totally, but I followed them, because they were fun, I like being with them, my mom and dad warned me several times to stay away from them but I refused, I was even beaten because of it. But I just like being with them.

One day, early in the morning, someone whistled around our house, I definitely know is one of us, that’s is the signal we give each other, I sneaked,

‘’What happened’’ I asked Raymond

Let go ‘’ he said’’

D-day

*******************

Everywhere was quiet, very quiet, unusual quiet and creepy

‘’why is everywhere quiet’’ I asked them

Don’t you know what is happening today ‘’ max said’’

I looked at them questioned

Today is a day set aside for the demons and fairies ‘’Liam said’’

But why are we here when no one does ‘’ I said emphatically’’

Do you really believe that, it’s just a superstition, let go and get fun ‘Raymond said and run forward’’

The others followed, I followed’’

We arrived at the streamed and them off their clothes

I am still scared

They jumped into the river and swim, I don’t know how to swim, but I watched them, it fun watching them, in a moment I throw away my scaring.

Just then the river rumbled, we all halted and listened carefully, by our surprised the river grows up, then a creature appeared, it was a mermaid, a real mermaid, not the one we watches in the TV, it was scary and rough

What are you doing here, you human being’’ the creature said monstrously ‘’

We’ll looked terrified

Don’t you know today is for ours! ‘’ he said, now loudly’’

You are now our meal’’ another said appearing from the water,

Max was the first person to run, we all picked up our heels and ran through different paths.

***********************

We kept running, I and Raymond for many minutes before stopping

We looked around and see that we are not familiar with the forest, it is dark and we could barely see,

Max!’’ we hauled but no response

After minutes of trekking, I know that we are lost and I started crying, also was Raymond. I regret not listening to my parents.

Then we heard a voice, crying voice?

The person back us, and the structure of the persons is as Liam

Liam’’ I called’’. But he kept crying, we approached him,

Raymond touched him gently ‘’ Liam’’ no response, then he turns at us. We got electrified at what we saw, a monster, he had a longs fang, and his tears is blood

Grrrr! He roars.

Again we flashily ran away, and we took different place, now am all alone.

*****************************

I cried, cried, cried and cried that my voice is even tired of crying,

I blamed myself for my disobedience repeatedly,

Junior’’ I voice called, again fear gripped me

Junior’’ the voice come again, when I listen to the voice very well, it seems like my mother, no, it exactly my mother voice, I run towards the voice, but when I got there I saw nothing

Mom’’ I shouted’’

Here I am ‘’ the voice come again, it coming underneath me, I looked down slowly, it was only a head, a head of some kind of spirit is the one speaking,

Ahahah! It laughed hysterically.

I trembled and picked up my heels, there I bumped on someone, and it was max,

It’s coming its coming run’’ he said and continuing I run after him.

After some minutes of running he stops trying to catch his breath, I stopped also.

‘’What’s happening ‘’ I asked him

‘’ how am I to know, I keep encountering many demons, many …many things I can’t explained’’ He stammered, what are we going to do now? ‘’ I asked hopelessly

Lets rest first ‘’he replied and rest under a tree I sat beside him.

‘’Who are you ‘’ I heard a voice

‘’Max did you heard that’’

‘’What are you hearing now, lets me rest’’

Who are you ‘’ the voice again and max could heard it now, he jumped up and looked around, then a hand tap me, I turn around and saw nothing.

It tapped me again. It was not a hand, but branches of the tree we rest under

‘’Human being what are you looking for here ‘’ it said indignantly

The tree was the one talking.

Immediately again we run, then a grass run after us, it like a spare grass, we run, run and run

Until we encounter a dread animal which stop us,’ ’tiger’’, again we face another unpredictable fate

Grrr! The tiger roar as it slowly approached us, there is nothing we can do then to wait and accept our death.

Grrrrr! He roared louder, we closed our eyes tight frightening, then the roaring stop, I opened my eyes slowly, and truly it had gone,

It has gone’’ I said repeatedly’’

We exhaled in relief, then we heard a footstep rustling, again the fear gripped me,

Who is that’’ max yelled tying to be brave, but his leg kept shaking’’

The footstep keeps moving closer, instead of running we wait to verify if the person is here to help us.

Then the person appeared, it was a woman, her face was gentle and seems kind.

Children what are you looking for in this dark forest ‘’ she friendly said, this put my mind at ease.

‘’We lost our way’’ max said

I nodded in support

This forest is scary with many kinds of demons and monster ‘’ she said’’

‘’Please help us, please m’’ I pleaded, max also.

Okay, I will like to, follow me’’ she accepted and we followed her’’

After some hours of walking, we arrived at the woman’s hut beside the forest, the hut is very small and tiny, she ushered us to sit down on a mat which we did. She leaves us for some minutes and come back with two plate of food, we ate hungrily, after eating, and we thanked her.

Where are you going before you lost your way, I and max looked at each other.

‘’We are on our way to the stream but surprisingly we couldn’t find the footpaths ‘’ he lied and I supported.

Ok rest for some moment and I shall find a way for you to go back home ‘’she said and this make me happy’’

But why are you here alone ‘’ I asked’’

I was sent out from the village so I decided to be living here ‘’ she said’’

Why did they sent you out from the village ‘’ I asked further’’

A long story, rest first and I will tell you ‘’ she said and went out’’

I stared at max puzzled, and after some moment we slept, not too long I woke up because I can sleep properly, I keep turning around, then I heard a voice, a conversation, it seem like a whisper, it coming outside the door entrance, I tiptoe to overheard the voice.

‘’ they are still sleeping’’

‘’ if the others arrived, we will killed them and have a wonderful meal’’

‘’ what are they even finding in this dark forest’’

‘’ that’s is their own problem, it been long we have a human meal’’

When I heard this I immediately know what’s going, the woman is a witch, we have to run for our lives, I hastily tapped max to wake him up, I closed his mouth for him not to make a noise and alert them.

‘’ we have to run away’’ I whisper

‘’What are you saying’’ he said feeling sober

I quietly explained what I heard to him, we looked around for an escape route, the window, and we climbed it, and run as fast as we could, until our sore leg stopped us.

There, I promised myself that I would never disobeyed my parents again, tears run down from my eyes, the forest was now very dark, I and max hold ourselves not to lose each other, I wondered where could others be. Suddenly a net cover us, and some creatures appeared, they wore only dried leaves to cover their naked. Again we got captured by another spirits

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We got tied down around a big tree, the spirits are now plenty, they were dancing and singing, like they were having a festival, they is a big pot between them, one of them then approach us with a large shiny knife, they were about to cut us and use us as a meal, we kept screaming and crying for help when we know no one can, the knife man displayed the knife in front of us, laughing, while the others too are also laughing, talking in a gibberish language, we are dead, I stopped shouting and closed my eyes, awaiting  for my demise, just then I feel a tap on my shoulder, I opened my eyes and saw a man that dressed traditionally, he then start some incantation, the spirits all stop before I know, we appeared in the village, the sun shines brightly directly into my eyes, at first I don’t know where I am,

Junoir ‘’ my mom shouted’’

I rose up my head, and then I know that we are in the palace, many villagers surrounded us, I looked beside me and saw max, Liam and Raymond, they are unrecognizable, we all looked haggard. The king angrily got up, and all the people bowed shouting ‘’your majesty’’ we joined them.

He command us in a harsh voice to tell the village our experience in the fort, we all did, one after another, I could hear my mom and dad crying,

The king said ‘’ I hopped you all learnt some lessons  from this disobedient boys experience, if this great hunter did not rescued them in time, they will all be dead by now’’

Even after our encounter, the king ordered that we should be beaten 30 strokes of cane,

That very day, when I reached home, my dad also beat me, and we leave the village, since then I never returned to the village…