MAGICAL FOREST OF CONGOLENE

"Hold on, you are not going to die. Everything is going to be alright." Shanel held her best friends hand as they walked towards the back door.

The restaurant looked worn out, with broken chairs and tables. The floor; bloody, dirty and raggedy creaked at every step they made.

" It's just the same as the past. nothing has changed. We go through the portal and settle down in our new home. We change our names and open a bar." she was repeating that to herself.

It would be a lie if she were to say she was not scared. Every time Mama decides to move. it came in an abrupt and strange condition.

There it was! the back door that leads to survival. It was missing pieces of woods as if fists went through them. There was only darkness in those holes. Indeed teleportation was and will always be a strange thing.

Mama looked back. Her face sad and seemed like it had aged five more years within a day. She nodded at Shanel and moved her hand towards the doorknob.

Her hand pale as snow, with veins bulging underneath her wrinkled skin as she reached out for the doorknob.

However, the hand had stopped midway before it reached the doorknob. Shanel looked around, confusion in her eyes for the very world had frozen, It felt like everyone was paralysed on their spot. The very space and sight around her shrank. Darkness took the place of light until she could see no more. Sweat rolled down her forehead. She could hear her heart hammering against her chest. She took two small steps backwards.

"Mama! Mama! Minay! where have you all gone?" she was shouting in a brittle voice.

Laughters echoed in the dark. Its gravelly voice was that of a female, the same voice that she had always heard in her head. It spoke, " You're running away again. How many time must you run? you're weak! weak! weak!?"

Shanel closed her eyes and put her hands on her ears." I will never listen to you again. leave me alone!"

"You will have no choice but to come to beg to me sooner or later." The voice echoed in the darkness as everything returned to how it was.

A warm hand on her shoulder and a familiar voice awoke her." What's wrong? hurry up, it's your turn to pass through the portal."

She opened her eyes and looked around. Everything was back to normal. The door was already opened and there were only darkness and nothing else beyond the door. Cold air came from it and spread through the room and froze the wooden floor, chairs and tables.

She touched Mama's hand which was on her shoulder and kissed it. " Yes, Mama." It felt real and warm. She wiped her forehead and glanced one last time at her beloved restaurant before she stepped through the portal.

The darkness of the portal seemed like a veil. One that hid the unknown.

The veil tore as the sky, the air and the birds came into view. Mama was the last one to come out of the portal.

Shanel looked around and as far as her eyes could see, Gigantic pine and oak trees stood tall like castles protecting the forest. It felt primitive and ancient. The ground and the tip of the trees were white filled with snow but yet the season was summer and the sun hung on the sky as it had always, blessing the world with its light.

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. The smell of the forest was pulpy and sweet like honey. It refreshed her mind. She was at awe with the beauty that she saw. The golden flocks of bird sang as they flew one after the other in a straight line, in what seemed like a river of gold. The fluttering of the trees, The scurrying of the small animals as they peeked out of their holes. The smooth wind that came from the east, the sound of the distant waterfall. Everything seemed harmonious and peaceful until she heard a shrill and shouts soon after.

◇◇

Struggling to hold back the sadness and unusual heaviness in his heart. Tears rolled down but he wiped them off before it fell off his swelled cheek. There they were buried! the courageous townsfolk who died in this battle today, In one of the totally destroyed houses. The group had dug their grave, each using their own gift. The ground was hard and dry but it was nothing compared to the force that had struck it.

" You lives could have been easily saved yet they were not. The world might forget but I will not." Keiser hangs the sign on the grave as he spoke his last words.

The sign read 'The poor of poor town'

" A portal to the Magical Forest of Congolene indeed an adventurous journey worthy of the great me." Roho stood proudly. He was truly excited to go to the magical forest. He had heard a lot of stories of it when he was young.

One such story spoke of the Great Black Snake whose body span the distance of five great cities or mountains. It tells the tale of how the black snake subjugated and amassed an army of beasts of all kinds from the magical forest to challenge the world, The army of the black snake conquered cities upon kingdoms upon worlds however he was defeated when he bore it's fang upon the land of Solomon The great emperor. The Blacksnake was eventually forced back into the forest never to be seen or heard from again. Or the story of the red witch that roams the forest as if it was her backyard, or the monsters that protect and hunt prey on the forest, or the strange but large footsteps that are left behind on the snow. or the disappearances of all who set foot in the forest. The forest that snows even during other seasons

Tell me? Would you have an adventure in such a forest If you were given the chance?

Such stories only fuelled the hearts of the youth with excitement. And many went to the magical forest in search of fortune and fame but never came back and the ones that did come back. They were either retards or as rich as kings and powerful as siris. but they all had one thing in common. they had no memory of the forest whatsoever when asked of it.