A Bad Dream

It was dark, the darkness threatened to consume him, Ṣeyi found himself running, running through the hostile forest desperately, in search of a means of escape. Despite his exertion, he felt a strange sensation that whispered to his spirit, threatening to consume him. The presence taunted, telling him that he had achieved nothing in an attempt to break his spirit. He had been running for more than three hours, instead of losing the malicious presence that stalks his footsteps, he felt it, no, he felt them getting closer. The strength he once professed to have at his command seemed to be leached away from his weary limbs, and from the way he was panting, he can tell that his body was at its limit. To make things worst he can sense the urgency in the atmosphere, crying out to him to keep on moving or else he is going to die! He can sense their presence as their screams echoed into the dark, the roaring essence of fear, unimaginable fear and the desperate need to destroy. Their desire to destroy him was fuelled by the instincts of survival, "Die so we can live" their combined thoughts echoed in an eerie sound.

"Come to us" they called "come to us, child! We need you, feed us! Feed us with your flesh! Come to us, child! We need to feed"

He could tell that they intended to devour him, to use him as a source of nourishment before moving on to feast on some other helpless prey. The only option he had was to run, not because he was afraid. No, Ṣeyi had conquered his fear a long time ago, two seasons ago to be exact when he wittingly killed the bloodthirsty Babalawo known as Agbako. No, the only reason why he was running was that running is the only option, running is the logical thing to do, especially now that the odds are against him, seventy to one.

"How did I get here?" He wondered, "Where am I? Who's after me?" These questions plagued his chaotic mind ever since he started running. Most of the time he tried hard to keep his mind together, forcefully willing himself to maintain a level head. To prevent the constant strain of madness that seems to be imposing itself on him, taking over the last inches of his sanity.

Ṣeyi began to run once more, without looking back using even more effort than before exerting the last of his strength in a final attempt to escape his tormentors. He ran with the entire fibre of his being, his heart screaming for the one thing he desperately needs "peace". But all of his efforts were in vain. His pursuers had caught up to him, he sensed their presence overshadowing the entire environment, he could sense their greed and the burning desire to tear him apart, "what am I going to do now?" He whispered. Suddenly, what seems to be a bony hand emerged from the soil viciously reaching out to grab hold of Ṣeyi's left ankle. Ṣeyi shouted in sudden terror and for a slight moment, his mind almost surrendered to the madness, feeling the cold vibrations of fear paralyse his entire body, he recovered his wits quickly and pressed on. He instinctively drew out his pocketknife to stab at the strange thing that intends to keep him rooted in one spot. As the knife pierced the flesh of the evil being that held Ṣeyi earthbound, he heard the beast screech out an inhuman sound right before its grip loosened enough for him to force his way to freedom.

Too bad the brief delay had cost him the few precious seconds he needs to acquire the narrow hope of escape, now he could sense the presence of his tormentors they were much closer than before, to make things worse now they can sense him as well. He could feel it, he could feel them getting closer, egged on by the aroma of their upcoming meal, "Ọmọ!" Ṣeyi exclaimed in terror, doubt occupying his mind.

"Is this how I'm going to meet my end?" Ṣeyi wondered, now he could see the faces of his pursuers, in a few seconds they would be upon him and he had no place to hide. Ṣeyi stumbled over a large stone and fell face-first onto the ground. As he stood up to resume his fleeing, he looked back for a minute, a moment too long, time enough to see that he had underestimated the odds against him. The strange creatures numbered far more than a thousand, judging from the number of glowing red orbs that illuminated the night which served as the eyes of these strange creatures, it seemed like they had taken over the whole environment towards the horizon, a beautiful yet terrorizing sight. They had sharp claws with which to tare open their victims and they wore black robes to conceal their dried up skin, and their heads were in the shape of a heart with two pairs of pincers sharp enough to penetrate a man's skull.

Whatever force attracted these beasts from the nether realm and to Ṣeyi in particular, goes beyond any human comprehension. Using only his willpower Ṣeyi pushed himself forward, forcing his overtaxed body beyond its limits in an attempt to find a safe haven. Ṣeyi suddenly felt his head explode in pain, for a moment, he saw nothing but white light only to regain his consciousness a second later with a throbbing pain at the base of his skull. "ki!" Ṣeyi yelled in agony. The beasts had started to attack, using stone missiles; obviously, the goal was to slow him down and not to kill him. Ṣeyi could now hear their defiant screech, screaming for blood, his blood, and something deep down inside him whispered to his soul the song of death.

"I don't want to die" Ṣeyi voiced

The next stone scored his shoulder dislocating his right arm and the next stone struck him in the hollow of his back, causing him to fall on his face a second time. As he fell to his knees, he helplessly watched as his predators' approached, his body too weak to respond to any of his mental commands.

The beasts rushed towards him like the rising tide of a tidal wave, trampling upon each other regardless of size or position with only one goal "Oluṣeyi!" He could see them coming, he could feel his heartbeat run a hundred times per second, he could see their razor-sharp claws bearing down upon him and he could feel the cold chill of death reaching out to embrace him, gladly ushering him to the field of broken dreams.

"It cannot end like this" Ṣeyi whispered, "God of heaven! Help me, I don't want to die!" He prayed in desperation.

The beasts are upon him. Tearing and rending, shredding his flesh, drinking his blood and at that instant, Ṣeyi felt the last spark of life depart from his body.

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

"Noooooooooooooooo!!" Ṣeyi screamed as he fell off his sleeping mat, drenched in his own sweat and totally out of breath. What a relief he felt the moment he found himself in his room surrounded by the artefacts that he loves so much, chief Oloyede's chieftain's totem, the Balogun's wrapper, Ṣodipọ's prized hunting knife and a host of others. The dream, why, why does it have to be the same dream. Is the dream some kind of punishment for all his past wrongs? It can't be, so why? He wondered, if only he could get a good night's rest, then he would be strong enough for the day's activities.

"Oluwa-ọrun please help me." Ṣeyi prayed

********

The darkness overshadowed the entire environment, sucking up the very last measure of light that filled the night with hope. The fireflies danced beneath the stars giving a spectacular performance worthy of a king's court and the crowd of thousands. They danced in circles while flashing the dim light produced within their abdomen, in the hope of attracting a potential mate. The crickets sang in the dark also filling the star-filled sky with their mating ritual desperate in the attempt to ensure that their call for a mate echoes into the night's cacophony, dampening the sounds of all of their other rivals. The nocturnal animals were not left out, the Night Owl screeched in defiance on the hunt for a decent meal. The bush rat scurries off from one hiding place to another sensing the danger of being in one place for too long, the bat guided by the sound of its scratching hovers through the forest canopy on the hunt for fat spiders or even the blood of nomadic livestock.

The perfect night where nothing out of the ordinary can happen, a night in which nature is in harmony and well balanced. A perfect night where nothing bad can happen, or so it seems. Two figures walked into the darkness, bearing dim clay lamps fuelled by palm oil, both of them were males in their late 50s or in their early 60s, their hair was ripe with patches of white strands and their eyes filled with the knowledge of their life's experience. The two men used a red wrapper to cover their loins reaching down to the earth, and they had nothing else on, therefore, had their port-belles and most of the upper parts of their body are out on display for the hungry mosquitoes to have a feast. The man in front carried a small bag with him and his face seemed to be designed with both black and white chalk, he has laceration marks on his body and small shells and cowries tied to his hair and in his beard. They have been travelling for some time and from the sounds of his companions, panting the journey is not an easy one.

"We are here," the first man with the bag said with authority, "are you sure you want to go on with this?" He inquired, "The moment we begin there is no going back"

"When a man embarks on a journey to complete a mission, it is either he comes back successful or he dies" the other replied, "I want this, they must die!"

"Very well, I," the first said "then let us proceed, and remember from here on out, say nothing until I command you to speak"

"As you wish" the second acknowledged, remembering the warning given to him earlier

They walked into a small clearing void of life, but for the small insects that crawled within the undergrowth. The clearing is a small space within the confines of several Dongoyaro trees, the floor, littered with fruit pods and several abandoned bird nests and in the centre of the clearing stood three wooden idols emitting the aura of pure bloodlust. The second man in the person of chief Oloyede shivered at the very sight of the presence of the idols.

"These are my mothers," the second man said in a conversational tone "they once walked the physical plane of existence, covered in human flesh and masked in the confusion of man. One day they heard the voice, the cry of glory, the calling and they answered"

"Ẹyin iya mi o" (my mothers)

"Awaki yin" we have come to greet you

"Ẹyin iya wa, jọwọ, dari gin in wa" my mothers, please have mercy on us

"My mothers, we extended our respects"

"And we greet you with our substance"

"Please accept this small sacrifice of palm oil and bitter kola," he said, offering some pieces of bitter kola at the feet of the Idols and pouring the upon the idols whispering his thanks

Suddenly the entire environment became tense, Chief Oloyede found it difficult to remain on his two feet, he found it difficult to breathe and he found it difficult to remain conscious because of the strange aura in the environment. As he leaned over to rest against the trunk of a tree, his ears received a warning as though from a distance.

"Chief Oloyede I admire your courage for coming here, but if you lack the ability to stand on your own two feet my mothers will see this gesture as an insult and end your life" the other cautioned firmly, this snapped the spellbound chief out of his dazed state in no time

"My mothers, thank you for gracing us with your presence" the environment suddenly became filled with strange inhuman sounds that congealed the blood within Chief Oloyede's veins, "what was I thinking, I am an Idiot for coming here," he thought to himself with a silent prayer for a safe return home.

"My mothers, we have come to make a small request and we pray that in your mercy, you grant this small request and in exchange, I promise that your thirst will be quenched not with palm oil but with blood, human blood"

"Akijaooo" (Akija the name of the first man whose chanting) the strange presence boomed in the ancient Yoruba language "n kan to bafẹ, oyasọrọ" (whatever it is you want speak now)

"Ẹṣe ẹyin Iya mi" (thank you my mothers) the Alawo greeted in a grateful tone, then to chief Oloyede he gestured for him to come closer "my mothers are in a good mood, and when they're in a good mood anyone fortunate enough to ask anything of them. Their wishes would be granted even to the death of your enemies"

"Anything?" Chief Oloyede inquired eagerly

"Anything" Alawo Akija guaranteed, "now present your gifts to the mothers and ask for whatever your heart desires"

With a lustful sneer on his face, Chief Oloyede slowly walked towards the three idols and fell to his knees. Akija handed him the calabash of palm oil and the chief drew out two pieces of Ẹkọ neatly wrapped in banana leaves and placed them in the calabash filled with palm oil.

"My mothers" he began, "I greet you, and I thank you for listening to the requests of an old man. What I want is simple I ask you to help me slay one of my enemies, an enemy who has been tormenting my life ever since the day he was born"

"And what is his name?" The lead idol inquired suddenly, the question was so sudden that Chief Oloyede very nearly jumped out of his skin "his name?" The idol inquired again

"His name is Oluṣeyi" Chief Oloyede replied maliciously "the boy stole my lands, he had me publicly humiliated many years ago and now he dares to steal from me and the boy's best friend, the ugly hunchback thinks he can control your son the highly respected Alawo Akija. My mothers, please help us end this problem" thus he had finished making his request

"Ẹyin iya mi o" (my mothers) the Alawo continued "ẹ ti gbọrọ ọmọ yin" (you have heard the words of your son). Listen to his grievances, do not turn a deaf ear to his pleading and avenge all the wrongs done to him, Ẹyin iya mi Oooo!" Alawo Akija chanted, "Grant me the power to summon the spirit of he that has considered it in his foolish heart to provoke your son to wrath." There was suddenly a loud mind-numbing moan in the atmosphere, causing Chief Oloyede to tremble all over, with Goosebumps filling out every inch of his body, then the sound ceased and the night was silent again but for the loud cacophony of the crickets, which blended into the night.

"It is done," the Alawo said as he turned towards his friend, "I have been granted the power to kill our young friend"

The Chief chuckled in delight despite the fact that he was scared out of his wits a short while ago. "So what are we to do now?" He inquired

"Now" Akija gloated, "we summon the spirit of our enemy and slay him right here and now"

"Yes," Chief whispered

"Now be silent as I summon the spirit of that little boy, tonight is the night of his doom!" Alawo Akija pronounced, and then walked towards the base of a nearby tree to gather some items among which are the feathers of a male peacock, the tail of the dog, the eggs of the vulture, the shell of the tortoise and a host of others. He placed them accordingly before the idols creating the impression that he is offering the items as a sacrifice and then he poured some more oil upon the idols kissing the ground close to their feet 3 times each.

"Oluṣeyi! Oluṣeyioo!! Oluṣeyi!!!" Alawo Akija chanted

It is I, Alawo Akija the rock of the forest

I am the man who slew the rhino with his bare hands

I am the lord of the winds

The master of the earth

The summoner of the underworld

To vex me is to vex a lion

To please me is to invite prosperity

Your foolishness began the day you insulted me

This day is the day of reckoning

Today is the day I carry out justice by blood

Oluṣeyiooo! This day is the day you will see death

No one vexes the god of thunder without receiving the thunderbolt

No one vexes the god of iron without receiving the gift of cold piercing steel

Anyone who is foolish enough to vex the goddess of fertility will receive the gift of stillborn children

Oluṣeyi, you have vexed me, and now you must prepare to face the consequences

Oluṣeyioooo!! I Alawo Akija summon you to appear before me now!!

Oluṣeyiooooo!!" Akija shouted with his eyes half-closed, expecting his victim to appear before him at any moment, but to his disappointment, the prey in question refused to grace the night with his presence, "how dare you defy me?" Akija growled angrily

"Oluṣeyi! You dare to defy the rock of the forest

How dare you claim equality with the gods?

How dare you ignore the authority of my voice?

I am Akija the leopard that hunts the hunter

I am the fish that sneers at the angler

I am the herbal master who overpowers the Ẹbọra (Evil spirit)

And the demons flee at my wrath

I Alawo Akija summon you Oluṣeyi! Oluṣeyioooo!"

Then from a distance the Oluṣeyi's voice resounded "Oooooooooo" Akija laughed in pleasure no one had ever defied him before, not even a man with a strong spirit and he does not intend to be put to shame by a 14-year-old now.

"Oloyede, it is done," he declared triumphantly "so put your heart to rest, the worst of it is over" if only, there was a sudden explosive boom in the atmosphere. All the trees trembled due to the sudden shock of the explosion. What was most confusing, is that the sky did not brighten in the wake of the explosion and the absence of debris.

"What happened" chief Oloyede inquired in a misty voice

"I don't know" Alawo Akija replied

"Tani n pe mi? (Who is calling me?)" The explosion voiced, once more only this time in a clearer tone

Then the aura in the environment changed, everything seemed to be sucked into the very centre of the small clearing where the three idols proudly stood. The strange presence seemed to be drawn towards the clearing at the same time. The presence seems to attract everything within a 50-mile radius into its very being, devouring the very essence within its immediate surroundings, making the bold declaration of its absolute dominance of the environment, and then it appeared...

This demon stood a good 20 feet above the ground, but the word tall is an understatement, it more than complimented for its height with its width, which is a good six feet across. All the clay candles lit up the moment the demon appeared so the two horrified men had a good look at the imposing creature. They can see its form, they can tell from being in close proximity with it that this strange creature possesses the nature of pure greed and they can tell that even though Akija is a powerful Alawo this strange creature can finish him off with the blink of an eye

"Who dares to summon me?" The demon demanded once more smashing the tree closest to it "who dares to summon me to this cursed place"

Alawo Akija stood transfixed in shock, his anger completely forgotten and Chief Oloyede simply urinated on his wrapper fighting the urge to go down upon his knees in order to beg for his worthless life.

"I hunger!" The demon declared suddenly, and then it reached out and grabbed ahold of the idol that stood in the centre of the clearing flanked by the other two idols, the strongest of the three and bit its head off in one swift motion. The loud scream erupted from the background that faded into the darkness implicating the death of the spirit within the wooden idol Akija fell to his knees in shock. The Alawo observe in terror as the inner flame of life within the idol faded out rendering the wooden structure devoid of life. "Iya mi (my mother)" he mourned. The demon reached out to grab a hold of a second meal only to have it turn to dust the moment its claw made physical contact with the idol, indicating that the spirit that dwelt within its wooden confines had fled for dear life, Alawo Akija was left alone.

"Ebin pa mi! (I'm hungry!)" The demon roared, to back up words with action the demon roared again and this time it began to draw in everything in the surroundings. In respective of what it is as long as it is a solid substance, then the essence would be consumed, thus its nature gluttony. The desperate desire to devour everything within its reach air, water, wood, rock, stone, anything as long as it can be eaten then it will be eaten.

Chief Oloyede quickly grabbed a hold of the trunk of a nearby tree in order to avoid being sucked into the demon's stomach while Alawo Akija chanted desperately, praying in his heart for a solution to this problem that they had foolishly walked into.

The demon roared again in defiance the sound so loud that it scared all the animals, both the animals living within the trees all the way to the insects living in the undergrowth, smothering the sounds of Akija's chanting right before it drove its fist into the ground creating a mini earthquake. "Onjẹ mi da? (Where is my food?)" The demon demanded, putting on more pressure to its devouring chant. Chief Oloyede cried out desperately hoping that help would arrive only to realise that they are in the middle of nowhere very late in the night, even if someone is going to come after him it will be in the morning at sunrise when everyone would notice his absence, so he closed his eyes and prepared for death.

"O you demon of greed

I Alawo Akija the rock of the forest summon you to answer me

We are not your prey

We are not the ones you seek

We have not done you any harm

We are not your prey

You will gain nothing from feasting on us

Our flesh is poisoned and will give you pain

Our blood is bitter and unpleasant

We are the bearers of the plague of shaponna

If you eat us, you will fall victim to sickness and pain

It was evil that summoned you

Return to your nesting ground

Go to that place you call home and rest

Trouble us no more go home! Go home! Go home!!"

The winds suddenly stopped and the night became silent once more, as for the demon of greed, it was nowhere to be found, Alawo Akija's chant had worked, their lives have been spared.

"Is it gone?" The Chief inquired in a fretful tone

"It's gone" the Alawo replied, bending down to gather the remnants of the wooden idol that was once his goddess "that monster destroyed everything" he mourned

"At least we're still alive" Chief Oloyede consoled, let us return to the village before that demon returns to finish off what it started

"Yes! Yes!!" The Alawo agreed, "We must leave this place immediately"

The two men hurriedly left the small clearing not even daring to cheque if they had forgotten anything; the fear had eaten its way into their bones. What had just transpired had spooked both men so much that the slightest sound can make them jump with a start.

"But tell me" Chief Oloyede began as soon as they had gone a considerable distance away from the clearing "why did that demon appear in the first place"

"I don't know" the Alawo replied "there was nothing wrong with the chant and I called out Oluṣeyi's name correctly, even if he had a strong spirit, he would have answered"

"Do you think someone is protecting him?" The Chief pressed

"It is possible, or," Akija said with a moment's realization "or someone very powerful placed some powerful wards about the child, I know that child does not possess the spirit of a demon it's impossible, we'll just haft to use another method"

"Eh! Another method?!" Chief Oloyede exclaimed, "Definitely not me and you, I had enough terror to last me a lifetime"

"Then I'll do it myself" the Alawo growled "and then I will claim both the girl and that land you so desire"

"As long as I can go home to my wives alive and well, I'm not going to engage in this act of wickedness again"

Thus, the two men returned to the village, defeated and shamed, one glad to be alive and the other filled with malice and a vengeful heart.