Chapter 8

Father should be able to hear us I've covered a good distant, I don't know why he still can't hear me so as to come and fetch us.

 " Papa Jess....e!". I called out weakly so inaudible that I could barely hear myself.

"I should have just listened to him and waited quietly for him". I thought, almost regretting why I had to make the decision of going to look for pesi, now both pesi, her puppies and I are all lost in a scary jungle.

 "The dark wood!" I mumbled remembering the story uncle Ivan told me about the beautiful dark wood.

 "Perhaps this must be the wood he was talking about ". I waved the thought off my mind as I paid full attention to the noise coming from the bush,the noise ceased for sometime and suddenly started again ,I noticed a creature struggling it's way out of the bush.

 " It's a ..wild c..at ". I said with a trembling voice. Ma Mia has taught me much about wildlife that I can recognize any wild animal with out much difficulty.

 It looked scared as if something was after it at first but on sighting me and my shaking legs it charged fiercely at me and started coming towards me increasing it's speed at every step it took until it finally turned into a clear run. I turned towards the stream and took to my heel.

 "Pesi run.....!"

 I didn't turn back to look but I guess it raced out also, I increased my speed as I felt it drawing closer to us my heart beat faster and I silently prayed for a savior as I kept running but at a point decided to look back to know how close the cat is to us only to see it feasting on my black little puppy.

 "Lucky.....!" I screened with my body filled with goosebumps due to the sight. I stopped running, thoughtlessly wanting to run back and save my poor baby dog , I took few steps towards the cat but it glance fiercely at me and I got real scared and instantly turned back but my legs could no longer carry my fat body. How could I have saved lucky in this state and moreover am only seven and equally lose my life.

 I became really weak so tired of running, I fell on my knees sobbing heavily probably waiting for my turn to be devoured. Pesi and pat ran up to me and stopped,I could see the pain in her eyes.

 " It's all my fault,if I had listened and stayed in the wooden house none of this would have happened, pesi and her puppies would have been safe." I berated myself,my tears almost forming a pool of water .

 "Maybe this is my punishment for disobedience ". I said knowing I can no longer run to save my life let alone saving pesi and her puppy. 

 I saw the wild cat purr as it advanced aggressively towards me, surprisenly pesi and her puppy stood up in my defense as they charge fiercely and started barking . My heart skipped as I felt a hand on my shoulder.

 "The ghost of Tsushima ". I said feeling very dizzy , I turned to stare at the figure standing behind me, I managed to steady my gaze on him. 

 "He must be a man since he possesses all of the features Papa Jesse and uncle Ivan have." I concluded in my dizziness relieved that it's not the ghost of Tsushima.

 I subconsciously watched him carry me in his hug arm stronger and bigger than papa Jesse and uncle Ivan's.

 In thesame weak state I watched the cat approach us, the man dropped me on the ground again. 

 "Is he going to leave me to die here? Now e know why papa Jesse continuously keeps saying that men are very wicked." I said to myself recurring what ma Mia and papa Jesse said about the wicked nature of man now I see I we leave away from them.

 I continued crying piting my poor dogs that has been barking all along.

 Kpooooo.... 

The sound kept echoing In my head as everywhere turned plane white and the cat tired into shred. I became scared as I could see nothing order than the lifeless torn body of the cat and the white environment that is surrounded by nothing order than the blood of the cat. Everything became normal again as I watched the man who stood fearlessly with the long metal I guessed produced the noise initially. I became relieved knowing we are free from the wild cat but the grief of having lost little lucky filled my tender heart, I felt my eyes forcefully closing. This might be the reason why everywhere was so white earlier due to the dizziness I feel. I tried resisting myself from closing my eyes but too weak to hold on, I heard faintly the barking of pesi and at a point could no longer hear them apart from the sound of waves am hearing by the sea where I stood.

 ***********************************

 I stood wordlessly watching the empty sea that looks like there was no life in it.

 " You can't hide forever ". It came as a whisper and frightfully I looked around but there was no one around. 

 "Papa Jesse... Ma Mia...!". I called out in confusion as I turned around only to see that I was surrounded by water and was only standing on a little piece of land that I might fall into the sea if I take two steps forward or backward. 

 "Save me pls...". I muttered as the figure of the ghost of Tsushima emerged from the sea and offered her hand for me to hold onto I tried taking her hand in fear when our eyes met and I was strucked speechless watching ma Mia in ghost Tsushima's attire.

 "Ma Mia". I called inaudibly and took a step back on seeing her eyes so plane white, her overgrown whitish teeth, her elongated ears and her extra two arms longer than the original arms, but her smile still remained as beautiful as always.

 " Let's go home Mel". She said with a smile

 " No You are not ma Mia ! ". I exclaimed fearfully. 

 " Go away.... You're a demon." Shouted and fell to my knees with my eyes closed.

 " Let go home...." She yelled her voice echoing over the sea.

 I looked up to behold her bloody face and blood sucked teeth. I felt the sea raising against me.

 "Leave me alo.....ne ". I yelled back with a trembling voice as I watched her go with the echoes of my voice.