My name is Artie. I lived with my family, mom and my dad, in the jungle. We had no neighbors but only listening to the sweet melodious voices of the singing birds from the jungle. I grew up from the house and never moved out.My parents used to tell me I was the only reason for their happiness so I made sure to keep them smiling.I was a type of girl who liked watching fantasies so I always wished to make the impossible possible.One day on my birthday, dad asked me to make a wish. I just told them I wanted a tattoo on my thigh instead. My mom scolded me for asking such a stupid thing on my day but it's what I wanted.Few weeks after my birthday, I was twenty four years by then. My mom had gone to visit her parents and my father too wasn't at home so I decided to break the promise I made to them to not move out of the house. Slowly but steadily, I broke out of our house and entered the thick Forest. It was very dark in there but I was so excited as it was my first time to step out o
"Mother, why are you here?" I asked after a long wait for her to say anything."Nothing big dear, am here to spend some time with my daughter, that's all." She said.She was a mother after all, she has the right to spend time with her daughter but to me it wasn't the right time. I was not in the mood. I was already stressed out and worried because of what my friend Bat had told me in the dream. I was still terrified but wanted to pretend to be fine before mother. Her spending time with me would create a room for suspicion so I had to find an excuse before anything wrong happens, but what?"Mother, let's spend more time together tomorrow. I still want to sleep please."I begged."It's alright dear, I came here just to check on you since I have heard you screaming but I see you are okay, right?" Said mother."Did I scream?"I asked."Yes, so loud too.""What! Did I say anything else out loud?" I was curious to know."No dear, you just screamed. I will leave now. Sleep tight darling." She
Still wondering, I heard someone knocking on the door. It was dad he had followed me. Maybe he wanted to scold me again. I opened the door and then he came inside. " I am sorry my dear daughter. You know I didn't mean to hurt you this much but you have made me so mad. How could you step out of the house.You see my intentions are pure for you. I only wish you the best this world could provide. I am your father, protecting you from any danger is my responsibility. Please try to understand your father.When your mother was pregnant with you, she went into the jungle and met a stranger woman who told her that she will give birth to a beautiful girl child and that that child will get married to a monster. The son of the devil (the king of the jungle). We had planned to do something to you but the happiness you brought to us was and still is incredible so we decided to raise you and not letting you step out of the house in order not to meet with the devil's son anywhere. And today when
All seemed to be going well before the day I came to my room wrapped in a towel after a shower in the morning. Unfortunately I had left the door to my room open so my mom had entered in.I was almost half-naked because I had only covered the lower part of my body.I wasn't aware that my mom was in my room, the moment I entered, she saw the tattoo on my back and screamed surprised."Wh-what happened to your back? What's that I have just seen?" She asked standing up and coming closer to me.I tried to turn around and hide my back but it was too late to do anything. I started to panick because I knew trouble has come my way and I didn't noticed that I had started crying already."How did you get this on your back?" Mom asked with a harsh voice.I didn't know or have what to say. I just shook my head."What do you mean by that?" She was really angry with me. But why? I wondered."I don't know how I got this mother, trust me please." I cried when I noticed she was thinking of sharing this
I then remembered my mom had Holly water. I started to look for it and finally found its bottle in the nightstand drawer.Turning to face them, I didn't find their statues there. They were all gone. "Unbelievable! Where have they gone? They are still statues and can't walk from here. How did they just disappear and why? Are they dead or something?" I wondered."Am I imagining things? But no am not, my parents are really gone." I dropped the bottle of Holly water and ran outside to look for them. They were not there either. Where could I search for them?" I asked myself." No need dear. We are here." My mom's voice interrupted my thoughts. I couldn't believe it at first so I had to look behind me to first confirm if she was the one.Indeed she was the one. I was so shocked but couldn't stop myself from running to them and hugged both of them. They were alive. But how did all this happen? How did they come back to normal and who helped them? I got so many questions in my mind. I need
Maybe I was getting insane because I held him tight and this sent him a message that I wanted more. So he gave me what I needed. It felt so good though not right. It was considered a sin according to our culture. Thinking about this, I pushed him away and that's when I woke up and realized it was just a dream.Though it was a dream, it still felt like real but I just ignored it since I was getting married the next day. On the day of the wedding,I was wearing a heavy makeup that brought out my beautiful face. I was looking extremely beautiful in a long white wedding gown. It was my day but I wasn't feeling happy at all since I was lost in thoughts about the dream I had last night. "Is it true that my friend Bat is in my body. How can this be possible? Is it true that he isn't a bat? Can it be possible that he changes to anything he needs to change to?"these were the questions that ran through my mind on the day of my wedding.I thought of looking at my tattoo. It was there but what
"I need to use the bathroom."I excused myself but before I could go upstairs,the other woman who addressed him as her son blocked my way." Where are you going dear. It's not right for a bride to look back after her wedding ceremony. In fact let's go home right away." She said.For a moment my heart skipped a beat, my eyes got flooded with tears as I imagined how life without my parents would be like.I knew life wasn't going to be the same. I would miss them so much. Moreover I didn't know if these people would ever let me go and see them again." Thanks for everything Mr Smith and your family. We shall take your leave." She said these words as we walked to the car. My husband opened the door for me, before I could get in the car I got a strange feeling. I turned back to look at my parents for the last time but that didn't seem enough for me. I ran to them and hugged them both."I will miss you so much,"I cried when they responded back "we will miss you too darling."I walked slowly
"You said you wanted to go back home and I can't take you back there because I still need you as my wife. How can I take you back home on the first night of your marriage." He sounded disappointed."Take me with you. Am willing to go with you?"I hurried to say."Have you accepted me as your husband or not? I can guess you have just agreed to go with me because you can't go home all alone in this darkness." He said smiling."Exactly" was all I replied."Well. Come hold me tight and we go." He chuckled softly as he stretched his arms."Hold you?" I looked confused."Yes, you heard me right. Hold me and we go. Remember I have no car with me anymore. I have destroyed it when you refused to go with me but thank God the lion made you scream my name." He teased. I had no choice but to wrap my arms around him before we left.Like that, we were already somewhere in a place that looked like a desert, it was very hot like fires of hell."Where are we?" I asked when he landed." This is our land.
My heart jumped with joy and happiness after reading the letter. I couldn't wait to see my father again. I couldn't find sleep since my mind was very busy imagining how the surprise would be like..It was approaching to four o'clock in the morning when my heart skipped a beat and my mind went blank. I thought that maybe I was very excited to share the news with the family so I had to wake up and make noise through singing so that everyone's sleep could be interrupted and it really worked. Everybody woke up with a frowned face because they were angry with me at the moment."I have good news for you all.. I meant to say that father has called us all. He said he wants to surprise us."I said with a big smile."What's wrong with you? When did you see him?"Anu couldn't believe."Read this. I don't have to meet up with him in order to communicate with him, we're demons after all."I sighed."Read it for us Anu. Am sure Artie isn't joking about this, right Artie?"Nikki said."It's true Grandpa
"But who had possessed you and why?"Nikki asked."I'll tell you later. What's very important right now is to conduct this ritual and let them inside first."she said."Alright then. But how will you do the ritual when the holy water isn't enough. I meant to say that there are only five Jerry cans of holy water yet they're....."he pointed."I think we'll have to seek help from the witch's tree once again."she looked to be lost in thoughts as she spoke."What are you waiting for then."Mother then tried to summon the witch's tree but in vain. We thought that maybe it was because of our presence and she had to walk away from the crowd but again the tree didn't show up.A minute later, a twig came and fell on my head and turned into a rocket immediately. It was the same rocket that Carlos gave me. I had left it at the ocean bank hoping that he'd one day collect it from there because I had no hopes of seeing him again. Moreso I didn't want to keep it as it would remind me of the best momen
After some time, the other three woke up too. Mani immediately recognized me however his brother Manu just stood there, staring at me as if I was a stranger. "How are you mother."Mani hugged me. I couldn't answer because I was driven away by thoughts and sorrow. "My own son doesn't recognize me?"I breathed deeply before looking him in the eye. "Manu dear, don't you know who I am?"I asked politely. I didn't want to force things."I know you very well. I know how you left dad and I and disappeared. You don't love me at all. Dad might've forgiven you but I... I will never forgive you for neglecting me like that. You're the reason why I went through all this."he said and for a moment my mind went blank. I didn't have what to say to him or how to explain things to him. I just stared at him, speechless."Manu dear, it's not like how you think. Your mother loves both of you equally. I agree she left us but trust me when I say that she did what was right at the moment. She wanted to save y
On opening it, I couldn't stop crying because of what was written there, ' best friends forever'."You'll forever be remembered my dear friend."I said.The girls did their best to put me in good mood but my worry for my family was too much. "Don't worry ma'am, am sure that cousin of yours will help you and very soon your family will come back."Remi comforted."I don't think he'll, after all he's a horrible person. He's a murderer remember and I don't trust him at all."Rema pointed sharply."How can I explain to you that Carlos is only a pure soul and he would never think of killing someone no matter what. He only took the blame for my sake."I thought. "I think we should trust him once, let's see if he can do something good for anyone."I said."As you say madam. And anyway ma'am, do you mind if we call you auntie because to me you're like my real auntie.""Of course I won't mind at all. You're my little angels and angels should only be loved and nothing else. It's okay you can call me
"Why won't you dear?"he asked politely."Because the woman you're going to propose to is already married.""Ohh! You're right about that but you've forgotten that her husband is dead now which makes her single."he lied."Why do I have a feeling that you're lying to us? My mom always said that when someone is telling a lie, he can't look you in the eye and that's what you're doing."one of them pointed. This made me notice something about the two of them, one was introvert and the other was the opposite. She was so talkative I must say."Where's your mom's corpse?"I asked them."We're sorry madam. We conducted the last rituals by ourselves. We knew you were going through a lot that's why we never came to bother you.""I don't believe you, someone else must have helped you because I don't think you could do all that alone.""But we did madam."she said raising a brow."What made you disappear after healing my husband's wound. I didn't understand."I wanted answers to my questions."Am not
"No. I refuse to believe this. My Anu can't be dead. I know you've taken him somewhere. You have to tell me what you've done to him, tell me now."I grabbed his arm with all my strength."What are you doing Artie? I know this is hard for you to believe but am afraid it's the truth... your husband is dead now."he said.I couldn't stop myself but to slap him so hard on his face. "Shut up! Do not say another word about my husband, do you hear me?""I won't say anything if that's what you really want. I think I should leave you and your problems alone because am tired of explaining myself to you that I'm not a bad person and my intentions are good yet no one is willing to believe in me. Am sorry if I troubled you in any way."he said and vanished.At that time I didn't care at all. I was only worried about my family. "Would they come back?"I kept asking myself. All I had to do was to wait for them with hopes that they'd surely come back.Some days elapsed with no sign of their return. As a
Mother had to leave and go back home. "Artie, keep my words in mind."she said before disappearing."This woman also! Why can't see that all this is happening because Anu wanted to keep his powers and this decision of his is stopping my children from coming back to me. I need to do something, but what?"I thought. We couldn't speak to each other for two days although Anu tried to cheer me up sometimes.On the third day of the second week, the old man in my dreams came and appeared before Anu and I. "I've been watching you and I really like your patience. You still have hopes that your sons will come back even after all these days. Wow, keep it up."he said."Who are you?"Anu barked at him."He...is the same old man I told you about.""Old man?""Yes, he's the one who always come in my dreams."I explained. "What brings you here."I asked."I came here to help you after seeing how much you both love your sons."he said smiling."How are you going to help? And who called for your help?"Anu sh
I then took her to where I had left Anu. The moment we came very close to him, I started to see some improvement. "What kind of magic does this girl possess?"I asked myself."Here he is."I said."Oh! He's my uncle."she jumped in excitement after looking at his face."Your uncle? How? I mean do you know him?""Yes, he's the same man in the picture that mom used to show to us. She said we should call him uncle, that's why. Oh, am so happy but..."she couldn't complete."What?"I asked curiously."I don't understand one thing, my mom used to tell us that uncle doesn't have a wife that's why he wanted to marry my mom so how come you're claiming to be his wife?""My worries are slowly coming true, Cucu's blood is haunting us."I breathed deeply. "Well...we married recently, that's why."I lied."Let me heal my uncle first but before that, you need to hide somewhere because my magic can't work when someone is watching me.""Alright then I'll go and hide. You'll call me when you're done, okay?"
It was almost coming to midday and our kids hadn't returned yet, there was no any sign of their return the thing that caused locomotion in my stomach."No, the old man's words shouldn't come true."I prayed inwardly. I was getting worried and restless that I thought of summoning my mother. I felt like sharing the weird dream with her. I knew she could interpret it for me but no... she wasn't allowed to come see me at the moment as only Manu's parents and siblings were accepted."What should I do now."I didn't know that I said it loudly. "What, what do you want to do?"Anu asked."It's nothing."I lied."Still worried about the dream, right?""Ahhh no. I mean am not worried at all."I said giving him a plastic smile. "Am here, nothing is going to happen to our sons I promise. They'll have to come back for us no matter what."he assured.I always loved the courageous version of his. It always got me fall in love with him over and over again. "I love you Mr Anu."I said coming closer to him an