THE BEGINNING (VAMPIRES OF REBELLION #1)
TEMIDAYO OLALEYE.




This is for my sisters who believed in me and encouraged me even when I was insecure

Author's note

The beginning is the first book in a series vampires of rebellion series - of the lives of vampires who still tried to live and maintain their humanity despite being made vampires against their wishes. This book is to be followed by the vampire and the belle, the local and the flirt, bloody mess, bloody melody etc.

All the books are a continuation of the same family but not the same characters so they are not dependent on one another. The novels may be seen to be an extension of the former characters’ role in the new book.

Enjoy reading as and more than I did writing.





















PROLOGUE

Festive periods had always been Dan's favourite parts of the year. He lived for that time. Everyone let down their guards at that time and children were free to enter anywhere without fear of being rebuked and they always got something in return for their troubles.
Children held meetings on where to go based on past experiences. As a rule, they all avoided Anisha's place like a plague. Her house had a strange dead feel to it; shrubs and bushes surrounded the main house leaving a slight path to tread. The trail led along a long windy road to a misshapen building that looked as if it might collapse soon but it had been like that even before Dan was born. The myth had always been that the building was been held in place by magic.
Even youths and not just children avoided the place not just because of the atmosphere but also due to the behavior of the lady. Dan shuddered at the memories of the pranks they all had done as kids to enter the building. After so many attempts, they got in but immediately regretted getting in. One would have thought the building shape was originally her idea and work as she never interacted with the other villagers and when they entered, she boiled with rage and threatened to turn them into frogs. At first, they were rooted in place by shock and couldn't react. Their intention was to celebrate the festival with her - after all, she was the priestess and she was the one deciding the festivals according to whatever she claimed to have heard from the gods or whatever spirits she listened to - and maybe, they could get to eat some of the meat presented to her by the people for the spirits. They all knew it ended in her belly.
But now being threatened to be turned into frogs, this was so not going their way. Anisha emerged from her house breathing heavily, chanting some incomprehensible bullshit assumed to be chants. She glared at them, waved her hands to the sky and pointed to them. As if on cue, they all remembered her threats and it was not unknown to them what a powerful witch Anisha was. They fled for their lives - no, they would still be alive but just frogs. They fled for the sake of their humanity.
Who wanted to be a frog? Not even when there was a promise of turning human by the kiss of a beautiful maiden. Who would risk that fantasy? And, moreover, ladies of nowadays don't kiss frogs.

@pen_pwincess
© Temidayo Olaleye

TO BE CONTINUED....

ONE

The harvest was poor. The livestock were malnourished. The whole villagers were hungry. Guess the gods were angry. Who wouldn't be? Having Anisha as an intermediary was bound to cause dispute between both parties concerned, wouldn't it?
Heavens knew that woman hated mankind with a passion. She referred to everyone as mere mortals. Who knew what she had said they did to make the gods angry so as to allow the whole villagers to perish by starvation As if the living condition was not bad enough, Anisha kept asking for supplies. Was the woman going blind even if she was deaf to the whole villagers' complaints? Couldn't she see them all looking starved and tired?
Well, she couldn't care less. Something had to be done.
Mewubi was located in a remote part of the world separated from other islands and lands by a mixture of mountains and large expanse of water. The villagers lived a very peaceful though solitary life. They rarely moved from their lands nor did they receive foreigners. No one could even imagine the place existed.
Feighan Ettiero stood up reluctantly from his reclining chair. He had just finished what he never imagined in his wildest dreams to call a meal; well at least, they were not starving. The turnouts were never this bad. Now all he had to do was to go to that emergency meeting. He wished he could avoid going but unfortunately, he couldn't. He sneered. As if they could all do anything against Anisha. They all feared that witch more than anything. Sometimes, he wished they could stand up against her and not just take everything she said line, hook and sinker.
Dan walked up to him with Andy, his brother and he smiled proudly as they approached him. Their mother had desperately wanted a female child. He had wanted it too but they had to give up when she came and was gone five years after she was born and got Andy when they tried again.
"Father," Dan bowed while Andy just mouthed his greetings and sat beside his father. Feighan nodded in response and smiled. Andy had always been the naughty one while Dan took it upon himself to be responsible that he sometimes wondered if those two were actually related. But still, he was proud of them.
"We want to escort you to the meeting, father." Andy spoke up.
Startled, Feighan gaped at his children. He couldn't believe they were now men - they were still his little boys. How time flew.
"Whose idea is this?" he asked.
"Mine." Dan said. It had actually been Andy's idea but saying that would get them nowhere. It would only convince father the more that they were up to no good which he still prayed would not be so. He knew he had not succeeded in the threats he made to Andy if he behaved irresponsibly. What he would do, he didn't know but so far, Andy had never called his bluff.
Could that be that he feared him a bit? He doubted that. He had never known that punk to fear anyone or anything. Not even Anisha.
Smiling, Feighan replied, "Well, then. Let's go. No better time than the present."





@pen_pwincess
© Temidayo Olaleye

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