The south western wind blew calmly occassionally blowing down drizzles from the soaked canopy of trees so that one may think it is a mini rain. This was after a heavy downpour. The sky, starless and the ground wet and slippery. I held a torchlight on my lefthand to aid in navigating my way through the bush track while a file was in my right hand. The community teachers' conference ended late. I felt a pang of hunger as my stomach grumbled but I trudged on hoping to get home soon. Aha! I recalled, I instinctively felt my left pocket but in it was the three pronged cane made from animal hide. Perhaps to keep naughty children at bay, but that was not what I was looking for. I felt the right pocked and in it was the 18cl unlabeled transparent square bottle. I opened it and took a heavy gulp. I felt a little warm and lighter. I heard the creaking of crikets and the croaking of toads which dominated the entire sound of the forest but there was this odd sound, I'm certain it is not the nocturnal sound of bats or is it the effect of the spirit taking its toll on me? This sound was becoming clearer and I stopped abruptly, then I heard it clearly, few feet behind me, I turned and shone the already dimmed torchlight to the direction. It was the sobbing of a little boy. He sat in a face down position on a rock. I felt my three pronged koboko once again, these mischivious kids must be up to something. "Hey kid, what are you doing here in the middle of the night, run along" I barked "Do you remember me" He stuttered in between sobs "How can I recognize you when I have not seen your face" I replied, anger giving way to uncertainty as I drew closer to him. "Oh, how you forget, so this is your plan, to make me suffer, to live in pain, to be stigmatized" Uncertainty gave way for confusion. "Where, how manage, who did. . .when?" I asked a thousand questions. "Did you remember Kamara, who was raped, how she got pregenant but refused to abort it due to social and religious pressure. Did you remember how she gave birth but lost her life in the process. So you have forgotten that the child she begat was deformed and luckily an international NGO promised to undertake a surgery on him abroad." I stood transfixed, my mouth agape. Of course I remembered "My creator, It's been 9 years, you wrote about moral dilemma, about the law and religion but you cannot complete the novel. Please go and complete the novel, you stopped when I was born, you should continue where I had the surgery on my face and the sequel when I had my revenge by when I was grown" I recalled all what he said, "But you exist only in my imagination, you are not real, what surgery are you talking of, let me see your face" I insisted. He slowly raised his face "He has a single bulging eye on his forehead, his elongated mouth was unable to hide the sharp yellow canine dripping with a mixture of blood and saliva and the other features were just folds of slimy flesh" That was exactly how I described the new born baby in the novel. He stood up and took a step towards me displaying long claws on both hands "Go and complete the novel NOW or face the wrath of your creation." he growled in a muffeled bass voice I felt the hair at the back of my neck rose My head swelled as the torch fell from my hand. I ran blindly through the swampy forest, occassionally falling and rising till I saw a ray of light. I rushed to the direction of the light and alas, it was one of the vigilante. I took a deep breath of relief as he hollared at me "Teacher Dimkpa, what is chasing you, you look lost" "Ah, I, I, saw a monster", I managed to reply panting. "Does it look like this?" He raised the hurricane lamp to his face. He has a single bulging eye on his forehead, his elongated mouth was unable to hide the sharp yellow canine dripping with a mixture of blood and saliva and the other features were just folds of slimy flesh" That was when I had my heart attack