Chapter One: Captured

It was a very still night, and the air was very cold. The sounds of the night animals kept Ade awake on his sleeping mat. He tossed for one side to another unable to sleep. His twin sister, Asabi was fast asleep, not minding the cold or the sounds. But Ade's problem wasn't the sounds either. It was hunger. And the hunger pangs were like tiny needles pricking his stomach walls. He began to think about their past.

Ade and Asabi were twins born out of wedlock. Their father had abandoned them even before they were born. Their mother had died when they were both five years old so they were alone at a very young age. They started begging in the market for food and sustenance. But it wasn't enough. So Ade decided to be the man and look for a job that could feed both him and his twin. He worked with many people in many places ranging from hunters to palm wine tappers to farmers. When he was ten years of age he already looked like a fifteen years boy. He then decided to start working for himself.

He was a hunter at night and a basket weaver during the day. Both jobs brought enough for him and his sister, but after some time the basket weaving business was very competitive so he had to let it go. Now he was just a hunter.

All that happened five years ago and now he was not doing all that good. He rarely made any catch in his traps and he was beginning to feel frustrated.

"Ade I am very hungry", Asabi's soft voice snapped him out of his thoughts. He turned and he saw Asabi rubbing her eyes sleepingly. He knew this was coming and he couldn't tell her to go back to sleep. "Let's go to the forest to see if my traps caught anything", he replied instead. They got up and Ade took his hunting knife, a gift from his former master, and together they set out into the dark cold forest. In his mind, Ade knew the chances that the traps caught anything were very slim. "We would find some fruits if there is nothing in the traps", he thought to himself.

After a long walk through the forest Ade came to the first set of his traps. Luckily, a fairly large rodent was struggling to escape one of the traps.

Ade carefully realesed the catch and he put the rodent into his hunting bag. Ade set up a fire immediately they got home while Asabi cut the rodent to eatable pieces. They roasted the meat and started eating.

Althrough their little expedition into the forest, a shadow was lurking, watching them and it was waiting for the right time to attack. It decided to move closer and prepare to feast.

Ade heard rustling of leaves and a low growl coming from his right. He snapped his head in the direction and he saw a faint yellow light.

He quickly grabbed his knife and he shoved Asabi inside the house. "There is demon outside", he whispered to her. Her eyes grew wide in fright. Ade then realized that there was no door to their small thatch house which he built himself.

The wind blew the fire out and the being came out into the small opening between their house and the forest. Both of them peeped from the corner of the door and saw the demon in full view. Asabi gasped at the size of the beast. It was at least six feet tall with nails as long as daggers and teeth that actually looked like daggers.

The beast sniffed the air and growled louder than before. Ade grabbed his hunting knife firmly and prepare for the worst. He was sweating despite the cold and he knew if he didn't make a move, the monster will devour them both.