Soul land: Devourer of souls

I was consumed by boredom, having finished another mundane day at school. The relief of being away from the company of those creatures called teenagers washed over me. With nothing particular to engage in, I found myself with ample free time.

My name is Adam, and I work as a high school teacher. I lead a rather ordinary life, born into a typical family of three. My home is in Tunisia, situated in the northern part of Africa. After completing high school, I pursued higher education at a college. While I had the opportunity to continue my studies, my father fell ill, prompting me to secure a job to support my family.

Several options lay before me, and I ultimately chose to become a high school teacher, specializing in history. The experience was far from pleasant. Imagine being surrounded by students a decade younger than you, struggling to command respect and maintain their focus during classes.

I decided to take a strict approach, removing unruly students from my classroom and using the threat of expulsion to keep disruptions at bay. I refused to tolerate disrespect from these individuals. Some attempted to challenge me or intimidate me with the influence of their affluent parents, but being someone with above-average intelligence, I recorded our interactions and dealt with the situation accordingly.

In need of a break, I decided to explore the beauty of my country during my summer vacation. Tozeur, the renowned desert in Tunisia, was my chosen destination. I booked a plane ticket and embarked on a short flight that soon brought me to my cousin Karim's residence, where I was warmly welcomed.

After exchanging pleasantries with his family and settling in, exhaustion took over, and I fell into a deep sleep. Nighttime awakened me, and I joined Karim and his family for dinner. We stayed awake, sipping tea and catching up, embracing the darkness.

As dawn broke, I greeted the family and turned to Karim, asking, "What's on the agenda for today, Karim?"

He looked at me, his face still heavy with sleep. "After our prayers, we're planning to hunt some gazelles," he replied, his words accompanied by a refreshing splash of water on his face. We proceeded to enjoy a breakfast that featured drizzled olive oil, honey, and the delicious crepes that Karim's wife skillfully prepared.

Following our time at the mosque, we headed home, armed ourselves with rifles, started the car, and journeyed to our hunting destination. Our search for gazelles commenced, but fate had a different plan. The gazelle we targeted managed to escape, and we stood bewildered, perplexed by the lack of noise that should have driven it away. Then came the growls.

Our confusion quickly transformed into terror as we turned to see a pack of wolves behind us. Panic set in, but we sprang into action, hastily starting the car in an attempt to escape.

Sadly, our efforts were in vain as the car windows shattered, allowing a wolf to leap inside. It lunged at me, sinking its teeth into my arm. With Karim in mind, I fought back against this horrifying fate. Amidst the chaos, I flung open the door and made a split-second decision.

"Karim, run! Your family needs you. Save yourself, but please, delete my browser history," I managed to utter amidst the chaos, just before other wolves descended upon me.

The last image etched in my mind was that of the ferocious wolves, their faces illuminated by the turmoil of the moment.