N.B. This is my first story on NL
All copyrights belong to me.

The village menace (Prologue)

Yes, it's my name, and so proud of it. They call me troublesome as if it's a bad thing. How exactly will this world get better if there are no trouble makers. Not everyone can be good at being good, and no one is good, why can't I be good at being bad. Trouble gets me going, its my life line, the sugar in my beans, the soup for my rice, and the blood in my snail. Exactly why its called bad still baffles me. Going to the grave without having anything to point out, except sleeping and drinking, go to farm and eat yams. That's exactly the trouble.

My name? Why exactly will you desire to know my name? Even if you are not told, shouldn't your troubled mind tell you trouble is my second name, freedom is my first name, and challenge is my last name. I sleep as a true ambassador of hassles, I wake up a loyal pest. Call me any name, insult me, you only seek to punish the mountain with eggs. I bear whatever name signifies trouble, synonymous with agitation, stirring and whatever comes to your mind.

I am the last of twenty children, the son of true agile and sharp man. Coming last is a cool thing, especially when you are the only boy. Nature was patiently waiting for a true companion for trouble. Someone to dine with him, I daresay he gets lonely sometimes. I ve always wondered how life would have been for him before I came, since I heard people always stay away from him. Receiving care from several ladies, what else can you call enjoyment. My pa can not disown me, I didn't beg him to bring me around, and now that I 'm around, I live in freedom.

My room, one dedicated to trouble, sacrificing every bit to the great one. No one dares enter my den, every meeting must be done outside the vicinity of my abode. Anyone who dares violate my privacy rule does it to their own detriment. Broken lips, insect stings stands as the minimal, with the maximum being -- why would you wanna know that? That's how I pay trouble its salary, Just stay away and we ll both be happy. My life of solitude is the best side of me.

I remain a good student in school, a really brilliant one. Out of the twenty five brown necks in my class, beating two of them hands down at the end of the session is no joke. My teachers are ever unfair, taking my playfulness for dullness, they are always marking me down. This is just my second year on elementary school, but I 've gotten reputation of being the most popular in school. Even our prefects are not as popular, so why be a gentle dull boy. I like my life and everything about school. Primary science is still my best subject, simply because my teacher is tall and funny and -- that's enough.

My life has being a brave one, I'm no coward. Hunting trouble is my major, and I don't care about your take on that, except it will add to my meat tonight, just keep it to yourself. People like me are rare, you don't get to see my kind everyday. Now its enough. You 've heard enough, enough. Just listen, and don't interfere, or you ll lose your teeth.

Walk along with me in the forest of trouble making, jump with me and learn, for it will save you from broken bones, shorter tongue, smaller eyes, long nails and a bigger nose.

Village Menace 1

'Gbam, gbam, gbam, wake up and get ready for school!', she cried. The hard knocks on my door sent resonances to my brain, snapping me out of my sleep just as I was about killing the last ninja I was fighting with. I quietly cursed under my breath, piling up my bed cover to my ears to muffle her incessant calls. When she wouldn't give up, I stood up lazily with a loud yawn that could almost swallow a human, staggering like a drunk man. A look at the time showed 6.30am, 'shit! What a short night', I murmured. After several stretches and more loud yawns, I scrambled for my towel, and opened the door.

If looks were enough to murder, I'm sure my sister standing at the door would have died instantly. I muttered another curse and went to the bathroom rather reluctantly. As I did my early morning sacrifice, I sang a classic of 80s on top of my voice, 'Wón rán mó lojà, kó lo gborí oká...' (A child sent on errand to the market to get a cobra's head) making sure everyone heard my beautiful husky voice. After some minutes, I came out all wet to prepare for school. Putting on my blue shorts and white, ruffling my hair as much as possible, and my white bathroom slippers completed it all. A meal of amala (yam flour) was waiting on the table, and without praying or washing my hand, I dug in, eating hungrily like I have been starved of food for three days. After the meal, it took another 30 minutes to get my school stuffs together and finally I set out amidst my sisters and we headed for school.

My lieutenants (friends to be found wherever I was) were already waiting at our usual meeting juncture, and I separated from my sisters. After exchanging our usual greeting gesture of rubbing each others forehead, we proceeded together on the dusty path that led to the school. On the way, we entertained each other with tales of last night dreams, telling them about how I had managed to kill some ninjas with bare hands. Matching song was already being chanted when we arrived, and we quietly slipped into the bush till the coast was clear. Sneakily, we entered the class and went straight to the back row, where our seats lay.

Class started usually with the recital of multiplication tables, which we had been told to memorize the previous day. I had totally forgotten about it, as well as my comrades. From the back, we made guttural sounds, chanting along with the class with coordinated solos, making rhymes with the tables. 'Juu chans juu, bour, yiri tans yiri, wine, dor dans dor, dintin', we sang and danced slowly, our heads moving up and down like that of an agama lizard to the rhythm. The teacher, seemingly pleased with the rather attentive and intelligent class, made us clap for ourselves, and we clapped the loudest, hitting our hands together furiously.

Class went boring as usual, the teacher drooling on and over the blackboard, with his funny accent, repeating something that sounded like 'pentrator', 'felius', and 'sharen height'. To make sure my day isn't wasted, I took the liberty to make up for the sleep I didn't get enough of. Resting my head on the wooden desk, and shielded from view by the heads that lay before me, I drifted off to my dreamland to continue my battle, snapping out occasionally when the bell is rung for a change of lesson. Break time served as the only interesting part of school, the time for food and play.

The final bell rang, and we jumped up in jubilation, shouting and singing. Scarcely had we said the closing prayer that we shot out of the class, marking the start of our own escapade. We hurried to our meeting fort, to decide on the day's mission. We decided to go on a farm raid to pluck mangoes, marking out a strategy for our plan: Short snake (a nick given to him because of his rather short height) was to stand guard at the farm entrance to alert us of any impending danger, dark finger was to gather the fruits together in the sacks, wide nose and I would climb the tree to pluck the mangoes.

Executing our plan, we plucked as many mangoes as we could, filling all the sacks with ripe mangoes, the unripe ones scattered all over. Just as we were about going, I looked up the tree and saw a ripe mango staring at me, unsatisfied with our loot, I climbed up the tree again to bring it down. Just as I was about reaching for the mango, I felt shivers to my spine, and I trembled uncontrollable on the tree. Coming from the distance, back bent with a dane gun hanging over his shoulder was the farm owner.

Wow.....nice diction and storyline. Definitely following keep the updates coming

A rather lengthy into I must say. Nice story though, makes me remember those days of stubbornness in school. Keep the updates coming bro.

Lovely, I must say.

Village menace (2nd episode)

How I got off the tree, I wouldn't know, immediately alerting my gang members of the imminent danger. We quickly lifted up the sacks to our heads, and scampered for safety by jumping incautiously into the nearby bush like a bush rat on sighting the hunter. The dysfunctional man sighted us running, but couldn't figure out our faces from the distance. 'Hold it right there!' The man screamed, giving us a chase as his strength bade, but he was no match for four agile young boys. Till we got to a place of safety, we didn't look back, running desperately like thieves who were afraid of being lynched.

We panted heavily like thirsty lizards, sweats flowing from our forehead like our village stream, our school uniform dirty and leaf particles decorated our hairs from the bush we had to clear from our way. Slowly, our breaths returned, after looking here and there to make sure we were no longer being followed, we sat down on the bare floor and ate the mangoes to our fill, licking our fingers clean. The remaining was shared equally, making sure I got the best part of it all. After a short rest, we went to the marketplace in search of fruits traders and sold our portions, pocketing the money, the reward of our 'dangerous' escapade. Afterwards, we roamed around the neighborhood, hunting and shooting stones at birds and lizards till evening, after which we separated each to our houses.

I got home all stressed and tired, dragging my feet noisily and murmuring greetings reluctantly. I dropped my bag somewhere and went straight to the kitchen to meet my sisters. Without bothering to greet, I asked furiously for my food, pacing up and down the fireplace. In minutes, a hot meal of rice was on the table for me, and I hurriedly scooped it all, satisfying my stomach's hungry desires. My tommy shot out like that of a rich man's belly, and I belched constantly, the sign that I have eaten my fill, and I walked slowly to my room, taking one step at a time. Carefully locking my door in case of intrusion, I jumped thunderously on my bed, and slept like a dry log of wood.

The night seemed to pass in minutes, and I was awaken by the usual door rap. After the usual early morning routine, we got to school just as they were about starting the assembly. When it was time for announcement, the headmaster stepped on the platform, dressed in his usual khaki shorts and shirt, ironed to the point that the 'fold lines' was almost as sharp as a knife, tie hanging uncomfortably over his pot-bellied stomach. He constantly adjusted the spectacles over his nose bridge, his bald head shining like the back of a stainless plate, his hand wielded his usual stick of horror. Suddenly I felt my heart skip a beat, the look on my friends' faces showed fear as well; standing beside the him, all frail and old, face gaunt with eyes looking as if it was running away from his wide nose, was the farm owner.

We could sense trouble coming, our chickens have finally gone to eat maize from the foxes' house. His hoarse voice rang throughout the assembly ground as he made his announcement, pacing around with a hand pocketed, he swung his cane up and down, and his nose twitched with every word he said. 'It came to our notice, hem, hem, that some unscrupulous elements went to a mango farm yesterday', he said, clearing his throat like it had a frog lodged in there. Silence filled the air like a king about to pass death sentences. I could feel my heart beating harder now. 'The mango farm was laced with slow-reacting poison because of recent thefts, so the farmer in all benevolence, has come to offer those thieves the antidote to the poison within a five-day period, after which the culprits will kick a cobra's tail if they fail to drink the remedy', he continued. On hearing that, beads of sweats welled over my forehead, and I made attempts to throw up, because of the nauseating feeling that was building up in me.

Fear gripped me at the thought of dying, my friends were not any different. Coming out for the antidote will mean admitting culpability for the theft, with great punishment. The rest of his announcements sounded like cricket's chirps to me, as I stared on in oblivion like a criminal tied to the stake. I made a pacifying signal to my friends, and we remained in line, keeping our calm till we got to class. Terror was clearly outlined on our guilty faces, we couldn't afford to die nor bear the punishment of our actions. On getting to class, we deliberated on the next step and we decided to wait over after closing hours and steal the antidote from the headmaster's office.

The day seemed to move slowly, paying no attention to the teacher's usual rants, my head was busy planning on how to get the antidote out without being caught. When the bell finally rang for closing time, we sat calmly much to the surprise of our class teacher, loitering around the school premises as we waited patiently for everyone to disperse before carrying out our 'rescue' mission. When finally we heard the headmaster's rickety car zoom off loudly, we headed straight for his office, breaking the padlock with little effort. Short snake stood at the entrance as usual to alert us of any danger, and we proceeded to turn the office inside out in search of the antidote. Under one of the book shelves lay the bottle, and immediately I opened it. Tasting the content of the bottle, I started laughing in derision. The antidote was nothing but salt water.

Hahahahahaha salt water? I can only imagine

Village Menace (3rd episode)

How interesting! How could the headmaster and the old farm owner take us for dumb students, to think they could actually apprehend culprits with salt water, I thought. Without wasting anymore time, we all took a sip of the antidote, careful enough to make sure no remarkable difference is shown in the bottle. Just in case the poison was for real, we could be sure there's no death coming our way. Carefully we arranged the office back into order, restoring books and the scattered items and we bolted out like thieves who had just finished a robbery.

The god of trouble has saved us yet again from the claws of our headmaster's stick of horror. A stroke of that cane on your buttocks would almost make you wish you were never born; it sears your warm body and makes it go numb immediately, blood runs away hurriedly from that part in fear and your mouth goes dumb for a few seconds before it cries out like someone beaten by a king cobra, and you go into unconscious disco dancing steps. The very threat of being beaten sends shivers and trembling to the heart and makes it beat in uncoordinated rhythm.

Happy at the success of our mission, we went on our way, shouting and hailing our wits like people who had just won the lottery. Just then, pangs of hunger started to hit us and we decided to pay a local canteen a visit. We hurried along the path that led to 'big mama' canteen, managed by a woman who could pass for thrice the size of my mother, and happened to be the most popular in my village because customers can eat with spoons and plates made of stainless, and sit on plastic chairs, a reason why 'mama kafaya' canteen, its closest rival is fast losing customers.

We got there just as they were pounding yam, beating the pestle furiously against the mortar, their chests heaved up and down, and sweats poured from their forehead. The delicious aroma given off by the stew being prepared watered our mouths, and impatiently we proceeded to take our seats just by the entrance at a table for four. We shouted on top of our voices like hungry goats until one of their waiters came along to ask what we wanted to eat. Without a second thought, I asked for sixteen wraps of pounded yam, with twelve pieces of meat for all of us. Oh, and I almost forgot, a bottle of coke for each. The waiter looked like she was hit by a hard blow in the head, confused or bewildered, probably wondering how young boys like us can finish such, but then it was none of her business.

Within minutes, the meal was placed before us and we dug in like undernourished canines. In the blink of an eye, our table was cleared up already, but it seemed our burning hunger wasn't pacified yet, so we ordered for an additional eight wraps of 'eba', and just four pieces of meat. By the time we were through, our tommy was already shooting out that we had to loosen our knickers' waist line to accommodate the bulge.

As we sat, getting relaxed after an awesome meal, the waitress came back to ask for the payment. The price she mentioned sent shockwaves to my brain, and trying to feel indifferent, I confidently dug into my pocket to pay, and suddenly felt a lump on my throat, and I swallowed hard. There was a hole in my pocket.

Waiting for more....thumps up really interesting

Richards22:
A rather lengthy into I must say. Nice story though, makes me remember those days of stubbornness in school. Keep the updates coming bro.

ritzeluv:
Lovely, I must say.

nellyme:
Waiting for more....thumps up really interesting

Thanks Y'all. More coming...

Village menace (4th episode)

It was way past the length of my pocket, and my hand seemed to be on a journey of no end. Confusion and sadness settled of my face like a man that had just being robbed of a loan, and my heartbeat suddenly went irregular like an ironsmith's hammer. Our palmwine tapper has fallen off the tree into the mouth of an hungry lion, and have finally become food. I stood up hurriedly, and turned out all of my pockets, carefully checking it to see if it's hidden in the crevices. My sidekicks looked on like innocent sheep, wondering what magic was actually being performed.

The waitress was not any different, standing with a hand rested on her hips and the other hand stretched to collect her money. When she saw the money wasn't forthcoming, she started adjusting her headgear and retying her wrapper, and her face contorted to show terror. The goddess of vengeance was ready to collect her due from us, and nemesis has finally held our ankles. The money from the mangoes we sold had disappeared mysteriously through the hole, and we were left cashless. Putting on a remorseful face, I told her I had lost my money, the rest of my explanation sounded like a wood being beaten by a feather.

She immediately held onto my collar, dragging me closer to herself, shouting and calling on the 'mama' in charge. The customers' attention were diverted by the scene being played before them. As the woman wobbled towards us, my friends could already sense trouble coming, they instantly took to their heels, leaving me in lock horns with the waitress and quickly, some customers shot after them in a serious race like an hunter running after bush rats. The woman came and asked what the commotion was all about, and the waitress explained to her; before I could say a word, a fat palm landed on my face, and my eyes clamped shut immediately, my cheek burning as if hot pepper had just being poured over it. In quick successions, more slaps landed on my face, and a wide array of stars displayed before my sight.

Just then, I opened my eyes to see my friends being dragged along like cows being led for slaughter. After tying us up with ropes, we were thoroughly flogged, the cane landing on our backs and buttocks like thunderbolts, and curses silently escaped our lips amidst cries and pleas for mercy. When it seemed their anger won't be pacified easily, I attempted regurgitating, threw up all the food I had eaten and feigned unconsciousness. It was only then we were untied and freed, when they realized we may actually lose our lives. On gaining freedom, my eyes instantly opened, and we fled as much as our legs could carry us, looking behind like prisoners who had just broken out of jail.

We didn't stop until we got to our safety fort, and we crashed down in a loud thud, sheep that had escaped the lion's claw. All our eyes were swollen, black and bloodshot, our body decorated with cane marks, and our uniforms all dirty. We sat down and looked on at each other, no words coming out, all probably thinking on who to point accusing fingers at. After relaxing a bit and getting a portion of our strengths back, we deliberated on what explanation to give for our bruises and decided to head back home.

We separated, and I moved with staggering steps, swaying from side to side along the road like a drunken man and crying on my mother as I neared my home. One of my sisters spotted me from the distance and rushed to support me. Leaning on her, we both moved together home. My mother dropped the pot she was holding and screamed when she saw my deplorable state, and rushed to my side. 'What happened?' She screamed, hurriedly checking my face and body. I only screamed the more, and amidst moans and groaning, I stammered, 'we were attacked by wild animals.'

Nice story it luks traditional.

Idiataqueen:
Nice story it luks traditional.

Yea. Thanks.

Village menace (5th episode)

Without bothering to ask about the details of my attack, I was quickly rushed into the house like an accident victim, and my wounds were tended to. My mother was visibly shaken, as she scampered up and down to attend to her only son. Bitterness filled my heart and tears dropped from my eyes uncontrollably like a child whose cake was snatched away; the fact that we had been beaten helplessly without being able to defend ourselves at all. A delicious meal of rice was prepared for me, and I ate like a starved chicken, littering the floor with its grains. After the meal, whimpering and limping in pain like a dog with a broken leg, I went sourly into my room to rest my frail body.

The following morning, a Saturday, just as the sun was coming up, I set out immediately after breakfast in search of my friends in a bid to discuss how to defend ourselves from future attacks. In minutes, we were converged at our meeting place, all with demeaning and sour looks. After the usual greeting, we settled down on the cold ground to deliberate on the next course of action. After many suggestions, without reaching any logical conclusion, we decided to head for the village shrine and pay the oracle a courtesy visit.

Only one path leads to the shrine, on each side lie thick forests, believed to be an habitation of evil creatures possessing four arms, three eyes and one leg. The thought of those creatures gave me goosebumps, and my heart started beating rapidly like the sound of the King's drum, I tried as much as possible to hide my fears, and assured my friends as well. As we walked deep down the path, strange birds started hooting loudly, the gibbons on the forest trees shouting loudly, jumping wildly from tree to tree, and crickets chirped as loud as their voice will allow. Afraid, we took to our heels, and ran down the path like we were being chased by wild dogs, reciting verses we had forcibly learnt in school, "The Lord is my Shepherd... Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death..." When the shrine was visible from the distance, we slowed down, and moved quietly till we got to the entrance.

Annoying and foul odours filled the surroundings, the shrine itself was old, its thatched roof was already loosing its strength and sagged over the dilapidating mud hut. Painted on the wall at the entrance were strange-looking images; animals without head, strangely-marked people with horns and without eyes. A mighty boulder stands close to the entrance and beside it was an altar that was stained with blood, probably used for sacrifices. The atmosphere around the shrine held something particularly ominous about it, and silence filled the air as it would on a visit to the dead's abode.

Without caution, we charged into the sacred hut, and we looked carefully around like strangers finding themselves in a new territory. Strange items lay on the inner walls of the shrine; small gourds, cowries, calabashes, and the dried skull of animals and people that were used for sacrifices. Multi-coloured rafia mats covered the earthen floor, big clay pots lay on each corner of the room, and curiously we checked its inside to find white horsetails and black-coloured tortoises roaming its inside. We examined every item in the hut till we got to a particular statue.

Black to the teeth, it stood rigid on the floor, no hands and legs, its eyes and mouth wide open. The statue had a sort of fierce countenance and a first look at it got us laughing in derision. On its contorted head lay a brown calabash with palm oil leaking from its base. Boldly, I went on to slap the statue's face, and my companions proceeded to do the same, kicking and slapping the back of its head like our teachers do, and laughing. When we got tired, we went out of the hut, happy at the fun and experience. As we were about leaving, 'widenose' turned back, "I need to remove a tooth from that thing's mouth," he said, and went into the hut. Suddenly, we heard a loud fearful cry and then a sound of commotion in the hut, and we all rushed inside to see what happened. Struggling, with a terrified look, and a hand inside the statue's mouth was 'widenose.'

*Nice update*

Village Menace (6th episode)

We were at first taken aback by the sight of him struggling with a lifeless statue. The statue itself showed no sign of yielding, as it looked on indifferently with a rather straight face, the sight of a giant being pulled by an ant. I disobeyed my second instinct and held back a delirious laughter, and quickly we rushed to pull him away from the statue's unyielding grip. Holding on tightly to 'widenose', we pulled him with all the strength we could summon, all to no avail.

Amidst grunts and struggles, we started hearing strange voices from afar, the sound of strange chants. I rushed out quickly, and the sight sent water to my trousers, my heart changing its beats to that of the traditional talking drum. Acolytes of the priest, all clad in red wrappers, carried calabashes and matched towards the shrine in uniform steps, all chanting sorrowful songs. The priest himself stood in the front leading the procession, dressed in a black overalls and had white markings over his face. We have finally kissed trouble in the face. The consequence of desecrating the shrine by non-worshippers was to become dinner meats for the gods; meaning our heads will be used to abate the god's anger.

I stood transfixed for a while before regaining my composure. I grabbed a big stick just outside the shrine and rushed back in. After trying severally to pull him off, our strengths gradually wavered. The chants get clearer by the moment, and the sound of matching footsteps get bolder, eating into the distance with each second. Without a second thought, I smashed the stick into the statue's mouth and off his hand came. Without further delay, we took an instant relay race, running desperately out of the shrine like thieves that had just stolen from the marketplace, our heels almost touching our heads as we ran. The sight of a deer running from the lion himself. I scampered into the forest without looking back.

After several minutes of running, clearing stubbles and the bush out of my way, I looked back to discover none of my friends was running behind me, and I quickly took a stop. At first, I thought they were actually playing a prank on me, but after calling out as much as my voice will allow and got no reply, I gave up and started walking back. The road I followed suddenly divided into two parts, and I had no idea of which one to turn to. Confusion and despair settled confidently on my face, standing in the middle of a thick forest with none of my comrades.

After several deliberation, hand gestures and chants of 'sokini, sokini...', I turned to the pathway that seemed clearer and wider. After a short distance, I started hearing strange eerie tones, and with no bird in sight, I felt a jolt in my heart. The sound became incessant and seemed to be coming from a particular direction. My legs received the memo and started running, but instead of getting fainter, the sound only got clearer. Out of curiosity, I searched through the bush to see a cat looking at me innocently. I laughed in derision, to think I was actually being chased by a cat.

As I turned back to continue on my journey, I heard a loud growl just behind me and I turned back to see a three-eyed, four-armed and one-legged creature staring at me.

You have entered a 'one-legged' chance.

Village menace (7th episode)

I instantly felt my hands go numb like blood stopped flowing through my veins, and I thought my heart stopped beating. My mouth failed my heart's desire to scream loudly as no audible sound came out, and it hung loose as if trying to suck air in. My eyes opened widely, and my feet unconsciously staggered backwards in fear. The very beast that had once been a terror in my imagination stood boldly in my presence, its third eye which stood on its nose bridge rotating in its sockets scrutinizingly.

He growled loudly again, slapping its many arms against its scaly chest. The birds hooting playfully in the trees scampered out into the outer space for safety, the leaves of the forest trees hurriedly fell off the trees in fear, and I thought I saw a monkey flying in the air. The presence of this deafening terror sent all hopes of escape out of my little brain. My cockroach has finally decided to escort the hen to the village meeting. Without thinking, I felt a surge of strength to my legs and I decided to make a break for it.

I ran as much as my tiny legs will carry me, jumping into the air to increase my pace. As I ran blindly, clearing the bush out of the way, I looked up to see the creature standing right in front with hands folded together. I tried turning back again, and there he was. Only then did I realize I was caged, a trapped rat with no where to run. He leapt towards me, the ground vibrated and trembled in fear like an harsh tornado. My legs buckled and I fell to the ground, knocked my head against a stone and I knew no more.

How long I lay, I knew not. I felt cold breeze sweep over my head and I opened my eyes slowly to see several fierce-looking eyes staring at me. At that moment, I almost wished to be eaten up by the ground beneath. I screamed loudly, calling on my mother as much as my voice will allow, but even then I knew no help was forthcoming. I saw a thick scaly calabash-like hand wave over me and I suddenly went dumb. With one deft stroke, I was lifted into the air and we went on a journey into the heart of the forest.

As we went, strange sounds trailed our steps. Sorrowful tones that seemed to come from inside the forest trees. The wild animals we read about in school were nothing compared to those residing in the forest. The sight of tortoise walking on two feet, birds with brown teeth, or the rat talking with other rats just beside the path. Despair and sorrow clogged my head, and the thought of dying, far away from my family sent shockwaves to my spine. My bladder was almost set loose when I saw a long snake with two heads entwined with a tree.

From the distance, I saw similar creatures with several arms, jumping up and down merrily and screaming. Now there was no hope of survival. The grim reaper has decided to take its due. Uncontrollably, tears started flowing, regretting I ever stepped out of my house that morning. It was evening when we finally arrived at their abode, made out of tree trunks and leaves. The shouts and screams stopped immediately and I was taken to their leader, who appeared to be the largest in the group.

I was placed in front of him, my legs trembling as I knelt down. He looked down at me with a mean look, and cleared his throat, "We are not going to kill you."

Keep it rolling please... Thank u

Village menace (8th episode)

Hearing that, I felt a heavy stone taken off my heart, and my racing heartbeat slowed down and returned to normal. I heaved a sigh of relief, patting my chest soothingly. My head itself felt light like a heavy log had just been taken off it. The excitement and thought of seeing my family and eating my mother's palatable meals again made my mouth drool. I prostrated flatly, muttering words of gratitude as the terror in their presence alone had taken away my voice. It seems the cockroach has finally found favour in the hen's sight, and they can now go to village meetings together.

He readjusted on the trunk he sat on and continued. "We were not always evil, people made us into what we are," he said, his eyes drooping as if to show remorse. He continued his story, adjusting his position again, his third eye rotating with each word he said. ''Before we came to live in the forest, we lived among the people, helping them with manual labours and protecting their properties, and they in turn provided shelter and food for us. After a while, they started fearing us, and thinking we will one day bring harm, they waged a war and nearly wiped us out. Only a few of us were able to escape the claws of demise and seek refuge in the forest."

As he told his story, I started wondering what his true intentions were for deciding not to kill me. Several ideas flew through my mind but none of them made enough sense to me. I jerked at the thought that they may actually want a human companion, or probably take me as an hostage. Either ways, none was going to be a palatable experience for me. The thoughts beclouded my mind that the rest of his tale sounded like a lizard's shout to me.

The leader stood up on his foot with a loud thud, snapped me out of oblivion and asked me which family I came from. I only looked on like a ram that had just been saved from the ritual shrine, batting my eyelid as a child caught stealing from his mother's pot. He moved closer and lifted me up like feather into the air, bringing me closer to his face and observing me. My heart failed me again, and I stared on at him pitiably like a rat caught in the lion's claw. Pangs of hunger started hitting me furiously and I flinched in his hands. After looking curiously at me, as if he could see through and read my mind, he told his subjects to bring food, guessing I was probably hungry.

In minutes, a big calabash was placed before me, covered with leaves. Instantly, like a starved rat, I removed the cover and immediately felt my stomach rumble, the worms of my stomach throwing a tantrum at the sight before me, and I shifted backwards. Prepared for me in the calabash were brown maggots big enough to swallow a rat, fresh intestines, a snake's head, and a dead tortoise. Nauseous feeling gripped my inners and I threw up the leftover of the morning meal. Suddenly, as if possessed by stubborn evil spirits, they started laughing mockingly, their voice resonating throughout the forest trees.

"You will have to eat this, if you ever want to make it out alive!" He growled, spits from his mouth hitting me squarely in the face.

Village Menace (9th episode)

Moonlight quickly settled over the night, and cool breeze blew all over. The birds in the trees just wouldn't rest their tongues as they sang their eerie solos continuously on top of their voices, blending with the resonating laughter of the forest beasts. Never before in my life have I seen anything so gross. The hunger was killing me, but I'd rather go hungry than eat such a stinking meal. When I continued to hesitate, he balled one of his fists and and pointed at me menacingly.

Slowly and reluctantly, I drew the calabash-full of gross terror closer with the tip with my fingers, careful to make sure my palm was not stained. With my other hand, I held on to my nose tightly to avoid breathing in the stench emanating from it. My face contorted uglily like someone forced to share a kiss with a leper, and it twitched sideways. My captors opened their mouths widely again, laughing in derision at the mini-drama being acted before them.

Knowing my survival depended on eating the content, I had no option than to consume the disgusting meal. When a stubborn sheep takes to visiting the dog, he will have to eat dung and bones. Slowly and barely touching, I took a maggot and tasted, a pus-like liquid bursted out of it with a disgusting taste. I coughed several times, opening my mouth wide and gasping for breath. Slowly I consumed all the maggots, my stomach rumbling in revolt at the unpalatable food it was being fed.

After eating that, I turned away from the meal, and announced I was satisfied. They all laughed again, and their leader shouted, "You will have to eat everything in that calabash, even to the last drop." On hearing that, I bursted into tears, crying out in despair. He threw me a really furious look, and he growled loudly. Immediately I dipped my hands into the calabash, closed my eyes tightly and picked whatever my hand laid on. Without a second thought, I dipped it into my mouth and munched on it. I did that continuously until I could no longer feel anything in the calabash again, and then slowly I opened my eyes. I released my nose and breathed in fresh air with relief.

Seeing I was through with their meal, he called out to them, "bring him a refreshing drink." One of them quickly rushed into one of the sheds and brought out another calabash, much smaller than the first. He collected it and handed it over to me. "It was made out of snake's urine, toad's saliva and fish blood," he explained. I winced in pain and spat out in anger, muttering a curse under my breath, but a look at his mean eyes sent shivers to my spine. Obediently, I closed my eyes again, held onto my nose, and slowly drowned the content.

They all started clapping thunderously, hailing, screaming and stamping their foot that I felt the ground beneath vibrating with the rhythm. Their leader silenced them with a wave of his hand and said, "Well done, you have now been initiated into the council of the forest beasts."

epelumi...wen should we b expecting an update

Village menace (10th episode)

I felt my heart skip a beat and I was soaked in sweats immediately. The revelation hit me hard in the face that I almost slipped into oblivion. I felt nauseous immediately like a man who had just stolen a poisoned meal, my inners irritated more by the news than the meal itself. I held onto my stomach, squeezing it tightly as if to make the food come up but a futile attempt it was. The worms of my stomach refused to let go of the horrible beastly meal.

I tried as much to hold back the tears that was building up, an evidence of my heart's despair and trouble, and started laughing in a rather delirious way. A funny thought came to my mind at that moment, the sight of beasts with one leg, playing against two-legged men during a football match, or having one of them as a goalkeeper; definitely with four arms --. A look on their faces showed confusion, as they tried hard to decipher the cause of my sudden laughter. Imminent danger and peril beclouds my existence, and I still had the effrontery to think of jokes.

A loud growl snapped me out of my fantasy, and after consulting silently with his subjects, he announced, 'you are free to go back.' I immediately wiped my eyes carefully to make sure I'm not in a dreamland, and jumped up joyfully in happiness. I thanked them happily, especially for the 'delicious' meal I was fed. He ordered the 'unserious element' that arrested me to escort me back to the village and without any delay we set out in the dead of the night.

The moonlight escorted us on our journey back, its rays, shielded by the forest's dense cover, barely lightening our path. I looked up expectantly at the beast, hoping he will at least give me a ride on his back. I muttered curses under my breath and threaded slowly after him, his arms clearing the way. The stalkers of the night followed us through; creatures with scary features, ranging from birds with long horns, bats with human-like arms. As we walked along, I discovered the fear which marred my mind before the supposed initiation was gone, and those creatures seemed normal to me. Strength coursed through my legs that I didn't feel a pain throughout the entire journey.

It was almost daybreak when we finally got to the familiar path which led to the shrine. In a swish, the beast disappeared from sight and I saw him no more. Just as I was about leaving, I heard a cry. 'This is no beastly cry,' I thought. Curiously I searched into the bush to find a girl who seemed around my age tied with ropes and crying sorrowfully. I quickly carried her out, and untied the ropes. Her clothes was torn, her hair disheveled, looking on at me like an abandoned puppy.

After calming her down, she went on to tell me her story; the story of a troublesome girl sent to the evil forest as punishment...

Continue after the cut...

After hearing her story, I decided to take her along to my village, to be taken care of by my mother. Wailings and shouts greeted us as we neared the village square. It seemed my disappearance from the village had caused a turbulent commotion in the village. I was welcomed like a wartime hero, my mother dancing like a merchant that had just made a huge profit. I tried as much as possible to shed tortoise tears while narrating my ordeal, showing a fake remorseful face like a man whose poisoned cake had killed his sworn enemy. When everything subsided, I was treated to a delicious meal, and I retreated to my room to take a well-deserved rest.


The End.

P.S. The girl's story will be updated later. And wait for the epilogue.

Village Menace (epilogue)

I had barely slept when I started hearing strange growls and the sound of snake hisses under my bed. I stood up hurriedly to check and found no creepy animal. Just as I was about sitting, I caught my reflection in mirror that lay on the wall. Fear gripped me at the instance and I felt my legs tremble unconsciously. I moved closer to the mirror and tried to wipe off the eye that was staring at me but it just wouldn't come off, only then did I realize that it was right on my nose bridge. A third eye was revolving on my nose. I screamed alarmingly, and I could hear the strange hisses blending with my voice.

'Mummy mi, mummy mi,' I tried to shout, but instead, only the croaking sound of a toad was heard. I felt my stomach churning with searing pain, and I fell down flat on my face. A look at the back of my hand showed it was turning scaly, the rugged look of a tortoise's shell. Pulling and scratching my skin, I tried hard to bring off the scale but it wouldn't bulge. After trying very hard, blood started gushing out of the scratches, only that the blood itself was slimy.

As I struggled desperately in fear and despair, tears flowed down my eyes like stream water. The tears turning green as soon as it hit the ground. I tried to scream harder but the toad lodging in my throat just wouldn't give up the fight. Suddenly, familiar growls of the forest beasts filled the air again, and I turned around to see various creatures with weird figures appearing from the corners of my room. I hurriedly stood up and made for the door, only to receive the shock of my life. Standing at the door, brandishing a dagger and a big club was the girl I had rescued from the forest.

I scampered around the room, making gestures of apologies. I tried to mutter promises of being a good boy, never to cause trouble again, but then they wouldn't give up until I was cornered. She matched towards me confidently with a furious look on her face and I saw her raise the dagger -- and I knew no more.

Still dreaming?

okay, still following

nellyme:
Still dreaming?

.No dear, He passed out. That's the end of part 1.

this is getting scary....wonder what will become of him and his friends