Stranger night

My heart raced as I keep running down the lonely path!! The ominous wind blew among the weeds, with each swizzling sound adding space to my skittish legs.

What was a girl of my age doing in a Blood curling forest at that evil hour?; for someone who doesn't know herself..... I just discovered my existence This gut-wrenching night. My throat ached, and it was like hell held it convention there. Silence filled the night making the hooting of the owl and squirming of little animals really sounds ominous. for a short while a wind blew moving the leafs thereby making a rustling sound, more like the noise made from the foot of thousands of armies marching out for war!!

For a reason, I felt a strange presence adding to the already vile atmosphere. My knees were giving me up, my eyes wasn't willing to offer any help, I struggle to focus my sense of gaze on my environment through the little light illuminating from the moon, but that wasn't working, rather the more I try, the more dizzy I felt. My strength gave way as I lay vulnerable on the cold floor, my environment getting absorbed in the darkness just before my eyelids came together I caught sight of an image although not clear, standing in front of me, my lips parted, but no word came out "poor thing" that was all I heard before I fell into my subconscious.

Far away from the forest, in a little village which harboured different families of peasant occupation

"Isn't it funny how people take advantage of one's kindness?" Asked a woman who sat at the edge of a wooden bed. The man sighed, stood up and moved towards the window.

"come on flora I don't see it that way" he said and peeped through the darkness In the sky

The woman stare at him for sometimes "but they'll come after you" she brought down her gaze adjusting the helm of her dress.

"You worry too much my dear, am sure it's just a misunderstanding which will be sorted out in a matter of time" he said with his gaze still outside looking intently at nothing in particular.

"You sound like an idiot!!" The woman spat, irritated at the man's confidence, "do you think the world holds a good place for good and kind people? Isn't it obvious that only the brutal survive in its course? More like the strong shall subdue the weak"

He turned his gaze on her," you think I don't know that, do you? Honey!! Even if the world is all about the principles of survival for the fittest, it doesn't justify the fact of been wicked" he sighed. "unfortunately not everyone understands this, the world would have been a better place if they see things the way I saw it"

"Marcus!" The woman called in a bitter tone

"Can you stop been naive and keep your preaching to yourself, lest you get trampled upon. You know where those who wanted to stand out against the king are? Tey aren't six feet below the ground, they are served as meal to the King's ferocious wolves"

Marcus grinned with one side of his chin pulled up "stop been worried about me, wife. I can watch my back"

"You think I worry about you?" Flora stared at him irritated, "you think I worry a dime about you?, I don't care how you decide to end up, I worry only on what consequences your actions may bring upon me and my children!!

Marcus smirked, "you can't be so sure about that wife!"

"To hell with you" Marcus!

"I know how you feel Flora!, But if you can just understand things, maybe you will see reasons with my thought"

"There's no good reason as to why you will risk our lives, our precious lives, Marcus! Doesn't it mean anything to you?" She retorted.

"You know what? I'll just go cool off" he said, making his way out.

Where on Earth are you going at this odd hour, have you loss your senses?

Without turning back or stopping he said, "you don't think I know what I am doing?"

Shit!! She cursed.

Marcus made his way towards the forest, he couldn't understand why he was heading there, but he felt something or rather someone called unto him for help.

Though he has spent eighteen years in Garland to know that the forest can be hostile at this hour of the night, but his legs couldn't just stop him from going further.

His relationship with the villagers were neutral as they have come to accept him and his family even though they weren't really part of them. But not until the young Prince took over power. For a man who was a close acquittance to the late king. He couldn't avoid not getting in touch with the new king, but his Pattern of system didn't sit well with Marcus.....the prince sought for a strange power.

Marcus didn't consider himself a man of integrity, he has his secrets and personal thirst, but then he held the interest of the people at heart. Should the young king lay his hands on that power, bloodsheds is inevitable. The prince had succeeded in gathering allies to himself and winning the interest of the villagers cunningly, Marcus who knows the king's tactics have try in so many ways to stood up against him, the villagers started seeing him as a rebellious, ungrateful fellow.

He sighed, what can he say? "Poor villagers"

Deep into the forest, the strange cry of an unfamiliar bird brought his memory back to his surrounding, he looked around and discovered he was indeed in the heart of the forest. "Damn me" he cursed, "when did I get this far?"

The leaves rustle, he stopped abruptly on his track, he felt it, a strange being, a strange presence, the strange cry wasn't normal after all he thought.

"This is already Dawn and that psycho don't think it's time to get home" Flora said to herself amidst worried tone. Keeping me unnecessarily worried is his hobby. She sighed.

"Who keeps getting you worried, mom?" Came a subtle feminine voice.

Ooh! Chloe!!! The woman softly cried her name. "Your champ of a father left late hours of the night, and he isn't back yet" isn't that enough to get me worried, child?"

The lady slowly sat beside her mother and patted her back, "I heard you and father, last night"

"Uhm?" She stared at her, "is it now a habit eavesdropping on parents talk?" She enquired, holding a serious expression.

The lady scoffed "seriously mom!! You and father literally made noises all through the night, depriving one a good sleep; and now it's called eavesdropping?"

Ooh!! "I had no idea we were that loud.

Mother! "Don't you think you are just been so hard on father? Let the man do what he knows best to do" came a male's voice.

So! Wow!! "I just can't believe am being blamed for worrying too much about your fat little asses" the woman queried.

The boy sighed.

Flora stared at the young teenagers besides her with a tinge of emotion visible in her eyes, "what good of a destiny can I say awaits my teenage twins?" She said in a rather sad tone, "this isn't the kind of life I dreamt for you children"

"Come on mother!" It was Chloe, "it isn't father's or your fault, just that sometimes one can't escape the hashtag's of life"

The mother stared at her daughter, fighting her tears hard, "sometimes you speak far ahead of your age"

"Just can't help it, mom"

"Flora!"

"Talk of the devil" she rolled her eyes.

Marcus barged in: carrying a figure with a golden hair on his shoulder. The three other people in the room stared at him with a confused look

"Father!! It was Chloe and Lyon who chorused

"Okay, I get it, I know you need a lot of explanation; but can we just attend to this person first?" He attempted laying the sleeping or rather unconscious person on the bed: but was stopped abruptly by his wife. Hey!! She drew him back. "What on Earth do you think you are doing?: You were out all night to God knows where… and then you just showed up this morning, inviting a human or rather a spirit…. I don't even know"

"Come on honey, !! This isn't the time to argue this: she doesn't seem well, and if there's anything this stranger needs now, it's our help."

"Does it look to you like I care whether she's wellSaying is, you can't just go out there and bring a random stranger to our home." She retorted

Yes ma'am!! Marcus obliged. "I promise, once we've helped her as much as we can, I'll let her go her way"

"It should better not be argued later" she stormed out.

A shabby looking figure putting on a black Cloak, hanging from it head down to it toes; walk steadily along the gloomy Street. It appeared not bothered with the heavy dew. The village street seems lonely and silent: as the villagers have not begun their daily routine. After walking a mile distance away from the village street, it came to stood at the front of a giant castle. A devilish grin appeared on it face, revealing a few sets of coloured teeth which appears to be broken.

Chloe sat staring at the stranger's sleeping, it dawned on her that the person they earlier thought was a female was indeed a male. For a moment, she thought she saw his hands move, but there was no other further reaction from the sleeping person, she waved it off.

"Mom come seat" Chloe beckoned to Flora who stood at the entrance watching the manly figure. Flora sat beside Chloe:

Mom! "Yes darling"

"Do you have a bad feeling concerning him?" Chloe asked innocently

"How do you expect me to feel towards him? He is a random stranger"

"Yeah! I know Mom, but he looks harmless"

The older woman scoffed "you are such a young and naive teenager: haven't you heard about the one who was attributed to be wicked, vile and dangerous, he was cast down to earth because of his sinful nature, but he turned out to be a very attractive one"

Uhm!! Chloe tried to digest her mother's word.

Yes! Flora continued, he was very attractive to a point where people call him; a beautiful man!! So, my dear, evil is good-looking" mother! "I've got goosebumps all over my body" Flora laughed hysterically "I didn't mean to scare you dear!" "By the way, where is your father and brother?"

" They're out in the field"

Okay! Flora stood up and patted the young lady's back "I'll just go fix dinner

Chloe was left once more with the stranger, she took her time to savour his physique. A perfectly curved face, lodging a sharp pointed nose, and perfectly shaped lips, she smiled sheepishly. His long hairs covered some part of his closed eyes. Chloe was tempted to remove some strands of hair from his face, she marvelled at his beauty. If what mom say, concerning the one who was cast down to earth was true: then this should be him right in front of her "the good-looking evil"

Chloe's hand was still on his face when suddenly his eyes flipped open, she gasped as her eyes met with a pair of golden eyes, time seems to stop as Chloe was drowned into those pairs.....

"Come on son! We need to do this before dusk." Marcus cajoled his son, "father, I am trying my best here" the young man groaned.

"I know son! But if this is all your best, then I need something better." He patted the young man's back. "father, the ground is harder to plough than last spring" Lyon complained. "You shouldn't be surprised, son! Things keep getting harder, day by day, month by month, and year by year, as the harshness of life progress, so should the toughness of man increase, that's how to balance nature, man must always increase his strength in terms of his capabilities in adapting to his frowning environment" ooh! I see! "Yes son!, No man ever survive by been comfortable with his current level of strength, we strive and learn new ways to live every day." Marcus removed his hat, sat down on a pile of grass and drank from a wooden bottle. "The sun is too harsh today" he stared at the sky, "it is about that time of the year" he said absent-minded. Lyon walked up to him, "father, What time of the year are you talking about?"

Father!! Chloe's voice echoed from afar; both father and son turn toward the direction of her voice. "What is the matter, young lady?" Marcus shouted back. "He is awake"

Holy Molly!! Marcus exhaled deeply

"Come on son! Let's go see our patient

Okay father. "I'll just pack the tools and tag along.