Introduction

Dashing through the meadow fescue at midnight on the wet grounds of the forest highlands as the rain poured with much fury, I finally decided that the best thing to happen to me was to die in pure distress.

Behind me were two brawny men with lit torches whose flames were eternal and unquenchable having what looked like an animal's skin wrapped across their bodies. They chased in pursuit to bring me to my doom which was totally unexpected filling my mind with uncertainties as to why such was happening. Crossing over a bar fence which was made of steel, I continued running, and this time, I ran so fast that my feet became sore. I covered a fair distance and in front of me stood lots of trees.

Turning back, I saw the two hefty men crossing over the fence, and in me I knew this was the right moment for me to look for a perfect hiding spot. On my left were distant trees not far apart from each other, and on my right were the clashing branches of really tall trees. I was confused as ever and I had less than ten seconds to come up with a strategic plan in order to escape the evil harnessed in their rogue hearts.

I ran towards the path with trees which were a little bit distant from each other of which I climbed in my vulnerability, yet the rain still poured down falling with lots of velocity. Literally, it felt like I was being hit with hail stones as I engulfed myself in a little corner at the tree top having my knees closed together and my arms wrapped around them in the cold of the night.

I spotted the two men from a distance and from the nod of their heads, I knew they were going to split. One took the left path, and the other, took the opposite. I held on tightly onto the tree branch with fear hovering my entire being. My eyes were closed and I prayed for the one thing that I feared the most as a kid.

"Death"

My heart raced more than the usual immediately I sighted a yellow light on the floor as it steadied towards my path. On looking below, I saw one of the men who chased me poise his nose up having his head tilted as he sniffed the moist air which was filled with nothing but the stench of my fear. He motioned forward and stopped under the branch directly beneath me with his face up high holding onto the torch as he squinted to get a clearer view, I feared I was sighted, but just when he was about to climb the tree, I heard a huge scream which drew my attention having my breath increase in fear. Nevertheless, he stopped what he was about to do and stepped backwards five times having a suspicious look at the tree before he ran towards the direction of the sudden scream, I felt lucky for the first time in my life.

I was terrified and completely devastated. Still on the tree for more than an hour, the cold became more unbearable. I held onto the little courage I had and halted the fear for a moment and from the looks of things, there was no trace of the men nor their eternal lit torches and to me, this was a good sign.

With no hesitation, I climbed down the tree and walked forward following the same path of which I came as I headed back home. It was hard to spot my tears in the rain neither could anyone feel the sorrow that clustered my heart because I was blinded with anger.

"If only I had the power to stand up to those men, none of these could have happened". I soliloquized.

I couldn't help but blame myself for all that had happened. If only I wasn't sturbborn, I could've had the best night rest and also my parents joy, but only because of my costly mistake, I lost them both.

Barely a hundred steps away from the tree, I spotted something quite unusual and very intriguing as I looked down below after stepping on the object of concern. One of the men must've let go of his torch, but even if he did let go of his torch on purpose, it never should've lost its flame. From the look on my face, I was struck with utmost consternation having realised the unusual event.

"Something must've happened to the men", I thought in concern, not for the men, but for my security. My feet and my fingers went numb due to the cold as the rain reduced in intesity, but anxiety struck again and I was enthusiastic in knowing what happened to them.

I walked towards the right path this time which was filled with tall leafy trees with clashing branches. Sooner enough, I lost the fear I had a while ago although tensed about the decision I made in finding out what happened to the men.

Stepping further into the forest, the whole place became thick with darkness and my eyes could barely see the droplets of rain. I stopped walking as I stepped on something, it felt slippery and soft, on looking down below I saw it move sliding on the floor in its wavy motion. Forgetting about the chase, I shrieked in realization that I stepped on a snake. I panted in stupor and got more terrified though grateful it didn't strike my heel. Almost immediately, I felt alone as silence erupted, the rain had stopped falling and the clouds parted revealing the full moon glow in it's dazzling glory.

I could see more clearly this time around, and I walked further into the forest. I went deeper into the forest and I lost trace of my movements. I was lost, scared and filled with pain, but I had to find out what happened or else my curiosity wouldn't let me hold my peace. I needed an assurance that they wouldn't come for me later, or in the possible future.

Engrossed in my undiscovered adventure, I saw something much more unusual as I walked into a section that had no trees round it's ground in a circular pattern, it had a diameter which was a bit wide. Right in the middle was a hole and beside it on the east side was another torch. Both men lost their torches, and at the same time, the torches lost its flames.

I walked further towards the hole and I saw it was of a great depth. It was almost like the abyss because there was no end to its depth. Sighing to my relief, I raised my head high up in the sky on hearing the squeal of bats which flew above, this was when I noticed that I stood right under the middle of the moon.

"This can't be good" I uttered in realization of what was happening. I hurried out of the circle and went back into the forest. Things got more weirder on feeling the droplets of rain increasing more and more each time I increased in distance.

Finally, I was out of the forest which had tall trees with lots of leaves. My cloth was soaked again and I felt bitten by the rain. I made my way towards the fence on seeing the light that emersed from a huge mast, I increased in speed thinking I was free from the dreadful experience, I mean, what's the worst that could possibly happen?

This time, I was approximately a hundred steps away from the fence when the worst happened. I felt the breeze caressing my whole body as I fell strenuously into a hole hitting my body on the rough edges. My heart raced more than normal and my whole face shown with defeat terrified of the unknown. I prayed to land safe, but what I got was the direct opposite falling backwards and landing vigorously on what felt like a metallic alloy.

My whole head ached alongside my body, as I layed unconscious with my eyes closed. I could feel my heart beat move round my body and my eyes were shut in agony as though I was dead. This was the worst experience a child could ever pass through in life, but this was my experience at the age of ten.

Soon regaining my conciousness, I sat upright and looked round squinting at the sun rays which plastered my face. It occurred to me that I had passed out, but I felt no life in me when I landed roughly on the metallic surface. The huge statue structures and the decor was more like a museum, though with shelves, filled with pottery structures. On looking down, I noticed that what I fell on wasn't an alloy, but a plastic covering of what seemed to be a bath. I stepped down and and wandered around the creepy environment which had bats flying around and lots of cobwebs. The whole place looked like it had been mounted centuries ago, probably a millennia.

Agnised at the door in front of me, I steadily walked towards it, with my right hand poised towards the door knob. Holding it with a tight grip, I was startled at the voice that spoke.

"If I were you, I wouldn't open the door".

I turned round in search of the person who spoke, but I couldn't see anyone.

"Who's here, what's happening?" I asked in bewilderment.

"Don't open the door" the voice continued.

"Maybe it's a trap, the men might've followed me here and are trying to trick me. Or maybe the two holes led to one place and there's something else, what if a monster took them and it wants to take me too? ". I thought to myself.

Failure to decide what to do, I did the direct opposite. Opening the door, I saw a huge turquoise dragon of which it's locomotion wasn't different from that of a snake. A shock wave passed through my spine as it approached me roaring in much fury. I tried closing the door but my hand got stuck to the door knob and the door didn't move either. I yelled for help panicking as I hoped for someone to save me, but no-one did.

My eyes were wide open and I breathed in fear shaking the door knob with all my strength as the dragon was almost close to me. Its mouth was wide opened and it spit out a huge blue flame of fire which I feared I wouldn't survive from. The heat alone was enough to consume me, but all it did was to increase the sweat which flowed down my body soaking my clothes and luckily for me, the heat from the flame didn't hurt me, yet the dragon's mouth was wide opened roaring louder and louder and the whole place vibrated due to its roar.

The dragon flew upwards and I lost trace of it in the sky. In front of me, I could see a garden which blossomed with different kinds of flowers. My breathing increased with my eyes bulged due to the shocking experience holding onto the door with my other hand trying to figure out how to get my hand unstuck from the knob.

"The worst is yet to come" said the same voice I heard before. I turned again in search of who spoke, though I was angry that no one showed up to my rescue, yet I heard this voice speak, cautioning me about things yet to occur. I ignored it for a moment trying to figure out a way to free my hand from the cursed door.

"I wish I had my hand unstuck". I scoffed tired of trying, and almost immediately, it was unstuck. Just when my heart was filled with relief as I stepped on the grasses of the garden admiring the layered rock around the door, a lion appeared from no where with its mouth wide opened roaring as it pounced on my body.

"Wake up" I heard a voice whisper alongside the buzz from my phone's alarm on a rainy night which made me jump up on my bed gasping in fear and panting heavily as my chest rose and deflated in an undaunted manner. This was when I discovered that It was just but the usual nightmare.