Chapter One

Glaring from the backseat car windshield and staring at the narrowed coal-tarred lonely road, scary masquerade trees coated with snow take my pleasure while I count the trees.

I knelt in the back seat of the car while facing the back windshield because that's my favorite position to watch the car drive.

I was bored staring at the front windshield wiper as it flips out the snowflakes on the car screen left and right, which made me almost snooze. 

My mom is busy scanning through a rectangle shape piece of paper that looks, exactly, the same one my geography teacher had used to teach us how to study the map of the world. 

I have no idea where we were going, but I overheard my mom and my dad some time ago, they were having a conversation about buying a new apartment in a new community. 

I hope it is not where we are going because I am going to miss my friend Jennifer, she is the only person who understands me in the class. 

I am three years old, but my mom still calls me a baby, most times she gets worried about me because she thinks that I am more hyperactive than my age and over-curious. 

Every so often, I wish I could be like Wonder Woman, saving people's lives with my hand shield, but my strength is too little to lift a cup of coffee or even take a shower by myself. 

A few times in my quiet mood, I get to hear pandemonium voices from a distance and I can't figure out one speech from their conversation. 

And, when I am angry, I get hyperpyrexia which could be dangerous and disastrous, especially when my parent is not around and Jennifer was not in school to calm me down. 

I got expelled from six daycare schools because my teachers could not put up with my anger issue, although that is exactly what the headmistress said to my parent. 

Bullying my classmate is not my thing, but I get upset when they make a joke or fun of my drawings, especially James who always poo in his diapers. 

It was not my intention to bully him, but he made me angry by dropping his orange juice on my new drawing. 

Some of my classmates see me as a monster, that I'm different from the other normal children because I easily get angry. 

And most times they refer to me as an angry lion, but I wonder what an angry lion looks like thou. 

While I was previously watching the front windshield of the car, my mom had noticed that I was observing her and, 

she said to me, coiling up her cheeks and her lips extending nicely with her teeth that were sparkling so bright like a lovely smile, 

“baby, do you want some snacks?”, I could not tell her anything because I wasn't ready to speak up, I just rejected her offer by shaking my head. 

Emmy is my teddy baby, the only friend I have now, especially when I'm not with Jennifer, 

I held her very close to my bosom because I started feeling uncomfortable when I notice that the day is already dark, 

and only the headlights from our car could be the means I see through the front windshield from the car. 

An average old couple in their seventies, living in a house that has a single story and a roof that is not very steep,

and their home could be seen that they are just poor farmers living in poor village woods. 

Mr.and Mrs. Angus are poor couples with no child of their own, although, they once had two daughters, they were killed by the mystery animal that roams about the village. 

Mrs.Angus just started making dinner when her husband was in a rush to leave the house, 

“Where are you going, Mr. Angus? it's late already, and it's not safe in the woods.”

“My dear, I have to check my trap in the woods tonight before it flees with the assistance of its fellow animal.”

Adjusting the jacket from his neckline, the old faded ash color garment he wore while he wraps his neck with his old colorful Scotland tartan scarf. 

His wife yelled from the cluster corner inside the house that is used as a kitchen, and she said, 

“Please go with the lamp. Oh! It's the only one we have here.” she said, wiping her hands on her old above-knee flora sky-blue skirt. 

“You are right, my dear, I need the lamp.” before he could snail pace and arrange himself, his wife came out from the kitchen space and said, 

“I have to go with you because I can't stay here all by myself, and it will be dark for me” she double-quicks her walk to the lampstand and carried it. 

Her husband looked at her with a goof look that portrays, this old woman can't stop disturbing or following me around ever since we lost our two daughters. 

And both of them journey inside the dark woods to check their animal trap. 

My dad was still driving down the lonely road, and my mom did not insist on giving me the snacks again, rather she return to the strange-looking paper that she placed on her thighs. 

Suddenly, I heard her telling my dad, 

“Honey, did you see that?”, 

I looked immediately, and saw a human in the shape of an animal that zoom immediately at the corner side of her window, 

and I fleet very fast at the back windshield of our car,

and saw a huge animal in human shape, stotting like an antelope while bouncing up and down on all four legs. 

I was mute because I have never seen a gigantic thing like that in my entire life, and could not even find a word to call it.

I glared again, in the dark road from the back windshield, it looks like the animals were gathering like a pack.

Not only that, they gathered, but they were more and fast approaching our car, I was shocked and scared that I immediately screamed from the back seat.

“Mommy, mommy, look the giant dogs are following us, and they are running towards our car very fast.”

I suddenly knew, my dad was driving our car very fast like the car racing sports show I normally watch with him every weekend.

Suddenly, there is an unexpected bash on the car twice from the outside corner of the car like it was smashed with a huge based ball plank. 

Fear immediately circulate my body, and my heart started beeping very fast like I was about to fall from a high mountain when our car suddenly start drifting left and right.

All I could hear, was my mom screaming, 

“Annie, get your seat belt on!”,

It was like a movie when I felt the bash again on our car and suddenly, my dad and my mom screamed in a high hoarse voice and I also scream with them too, 

Not up to a minute, I glance out the window, I could see the sky and our car was floating in the air, suddenly it start going down like it was falling from the sky. 

Kaboom sounded a bit of distance in the woods, not far from where the couple went to check for their animal trap. 

It was like an earthquake the landed car gave its sound, which made both couples tremble with fear, their heart received a sudden shock that almost made Mr.Angus pass out. 

He held his chest to get himself from the heart cessation, and he whispered to his wife even though he almost went scared to death, 

“Did you hear the strange, loud sound?” 

“Yes my dear, we should go check where it is coming from, maybe something terrible must h-” before she could finish her statement. 

Multiple loud woof sounds echo in the woods, which got the couples more scared, but they were quick enough to reach where Annie parent's car had landed. 

The more they reach the car distance, the more the couple could hear slightly, a young child screaming. 

They approached the vehicle looking very perplexed because the car has tumbled and the wheels were still spinning. 

“What's that smell? like some kind of cooking flammable liquid.” Mrs. Angus curiously asked. 

“It is the car petrol, and we need to save the child” he affirmed. 

“What about her parent, can we save them too?” 

“Yes, I think.”

He hurriedly gave his wife the lamp and rushed to the driver's door, trying to pull the door open, but the door was stiff, 

he went to the passenger's side to help the carrying baby.

But the car doors were a bit difficult to open, and he added more strength while he forcefully open the car door and carried out young Annie, 

he handed her over to his wife while he collect the flame lamp from her. 

Still trying to save the unconscious couple that was stuck in the car, but it has seen very difficult. 

He had an idea to get anything that can break the glass window, he fleet-footed a bit distance from the car at least, he thought if he can get a wood he would use to break the car glass window,

His wife took young Annie to a safe corner in the woods when suddenly she heard an explosive sound from the car's distance. 

Although the heat wave was harsh on her skin, all that could spread in her thought was her husband's existence.

However, the wave had blown her husband to a dark corner that she could not have seen, but later saw him after she had thoroughly searched for him. 

Lucky for her, he is still conscious, she tapped him after she had carried him up, 

The couple then again heard the strange woof voices, and another strange sound like a dog is about to give birth. 

Suddenly, they heard the woofing sound again and this time around, it feels like whatever it is, maybe very close to them. 

They started assuming it could be the destructive animal that kills humans in the community and Mr. Angus double-quick to the flaming lamp as he picks it up for sightseeing. 

Mrs. Angus has already carried Annie while they ran without looking back, as fast as their legs could carry them home. 

They immediately zoom into their old wretched and dateless house. 

Both couples were seriously panting very heavily like their hearts were about to explode because they had never expected such exercise.

Fear grips their thought to the extent, that they stood like they were frozen or more like a statue inside the house. 

Staring at the door from inside like they were expecting someone to bang the door from the outer side, 

they stood for some minutes eavesdropping to hear any further strange sounds or voices. 

After a few minutes of waiting, they felt relaxed but slightly worried about what will happen next to them and the new child they saved from the car explosion. 

Mrs.Angus moved to lay the newfound child on the plain-clothed wood that looks like a bed. 

She was about to lay the young child, and suddenly, something sparkled from the side of the young child's dress, like a metal, 

she looked further and saw a gold necklace on Annie's neck, 

she took the necklace off her neck while she places the gold necklace in a safe box, that would hardly be noticed in their old fashion house. 

She return to the bedside where she laid Annie, I was staring at the young child when suddenly salty liquid dropped from my cheek and my heart was heavy that I could control myself as the tears drips. 

 

I wondered what could be the fate of this innocent-looking child, after seeing the way her parent died in the car explosion made me think of myself. 

Maybe heaven has blessed me with a child finally, that will take care of me when my husband and I will be old, 

and, I'm not ready to give up on this child because I will guard and take care of this precious gift with my life. 

While tears drop constantly on her cheeks, she wipes them with her left hand and unconsciously continues flicking Annie's hair backward. 

“What shall we call her?” he shocked his wife with his unexpected presence. 

“She shall be called Zena!, the moon girl.

Look, my dear husband, isn't she pretty like the moon?” 

Mr.Angus snail pace close to his wife and the young child that later went unconscious after much crying, 

he glared at her very close and his heart suddenly went mute as his jaw dropped immediately, 

he saw a unique rare birthmark, a familiar one from the tales of wolverine, the mark of true blood of an Alpha. 

He lash and doubted in his mind that, this might be a tattoo and the young child in question also look very innocent to be a wolf from the werewolves' tale description he had heard. 

His heart abruptly left his shocking mood and never did he resist the name his wife gave the young child, 

rather he loved it, the moment she mentioned the name he had the feeling that the name suits the young child in accordance with her found scenario. 

Although young Zena had found it difficult to cope with her new family, 

but as time travels, she has grown to believe that her foster parent is now her real family. 

Zena loves eating black-eyed pea fritter made by Mrs. Angus, as weeks turn to months and months turn to years she makes the black-eye fritter for herself and equally sells them at the local market. 

She grew up without the memory of her late parent anymore, and the old couple is happy having her with them. 

Mrs.Angus was a talented teacher who never had a formal teaching setting, but she is a great teacher, and she teaches the children in the neighborhood in her leisure time. 

Zena was one of her bright students fast in learning how to read and write.

She helps her parent during the farm cultivation and everything she set her mind to works very perfectly. 

Zena had grown to be a beautiful and intelligent young lady, 

she has dark brown frizz curly hair whose length is above her waistline, green eyes that are flawless like an angel, 

she possesses double-strength that is different from the normal ladies of her age and she is never tired of working or helping her parent. 

Her being is full of stars that everything she invests such as crops grows and yields in abundance. 

And her parent loved her more because she has lucky hands, that any crop they cultivated together every season yielded abundantly. 

The community was not surprised to see the young child the poor couple adopted, but they wondered where they got the money to adopt a child when they can't pay their debts. 

It was a new harvest season, and Zena's parents were working tirelessly on the farm to gather vegetable crops so that Zena would go and sell. 

Despite their abundance of harvest every season, it could not pay up all the debts they owed, but at least they were able to pay the ones their money could reach. 

Mr.Angus and his family were plugging the ripe capsicum annuum yellow bell pepper, Zena puts the vegetable inside the basket she is carrying at her back like a school back bag, including her parent. 

Suddenly, Mr.Angus cranky neighbor in the age of sixties ran to the farm like a mad dog panting so heavy as if she has just seen a ghost, and she said after she catches her breath to speak up, 

“Mr.Jones is at your place, he is destroying the vegetables you harvest yesterday, he said anyone who sees you, 

should tell you, he is at your house destroying your crops and if you don't pay him his money, he will flame up your farmlands” 

She delivered the message and took on her heels without looking back. 

Mr.Angus and his family recklessly ran on their headlong, 

they could not even pick up all their farm tools because they were eager to reach home, at least to confirm the information they got. 

Mr.Jones was on the edge of destroying the previous capsicum bell pepper before Zena rushed him like an angry beast,

she could not bear to watch him destroy another bell she had suffered to harvest. 

She grabbed him on his wrist, held him so tight that, 

Mr.Jones screamed and pleaded for mercy, but she was so angry that she could not control her emotions, while she used her strength to twist his one arm. 

The pains spread through his thought and he began to plead for mercy, saying he won't 

destroy any other things again. 

Zena's mom was entirely happy that she has a daughter who will defend her at the time of her worries and trouble, 

but only Mr.Angus was perplexing and shocked, how can a fourteen years old girl have such energy to make a grown man cry for help. 

“Hit him hard”, Zena's mom said, and she continued to bleat, 

“Such a foolish man, where does he want us to get money and pay him after destroying the vegetables we were supposed to sell, 

Hit him again Zena!, hit him harder!”, Mrs.Angus cheered her up to carry on with the torturing. 

But Zena noticed she is overreacting, and she left him immediately and Mr.Jones took his heels without looking. 

Mr.Jones was deeply surprised, how a lady or even a little girl could possess such strength,

his pretext was to destroy the couple's vegetables, and if they had pleaded for more time to pay him the money, 

he will request for Zena to go home with him, perhaps exchange her for the thirteen pieces of silver her parent had borrowed from him. 

Zena's parents are heartbroken and sad about how their crops are wasted to nothing, after much crying from Mrs. Angus, Zena consoled her, and they turn to another chance. 

Weeks passed, and Zena still insist on going to the university, 

she wished to become a poetry writer, and she has been saving the money she got from the farm work she does in her community and from her black-eyed pea fritters. 

Everyone in the community loves her, and they support her to fulfill her dreams at the University as a writer. 

But Mrs.Angus was not comfortable with the idea of Zena leaving the village for the city, although she has not given Zena a reason to start suspecting her of her selfish idea. 

Zena had overstayed at the market, waiting for the last customer to sell the few pieces of her black-eye pea fritters, but the day was already dark, 

a cylinder-like flame lamp that was stuck at the truck she uses to sell her fritter was what she uses to see in the dark. 

Suddenly, she heard voices from the distance, and she wished they should be her last customers for the day. 

Four male teenagers that are in their twenties came by her truck for fritters, she was about to serve them when one of the teens started chuckling and the other said, 

“I hope you are hot? I mean the fritters!”, he laughed Foolishly. 

“Yes, they are hot”, She replied while she wraps the black eye pea fritters in a foil and serve it to the young man. 

I was expecting him to give me my money, while I gave him, his order, but he took my black eye pea fritters without giving me money, only for them to turn their back and was about to leave. 

I rushed the person I gave my fritters from the back, I turn to his front while I drag his shirt for my money. 

But they were looking at me like I was a fool, one of them started laughing at me like I was a clown asking for my payment and the other one on the right side said, 

“look who we have, she thinks she can scare us as she did to Mr. Jones”, he laughed using one of his hands to cover his smiling face, and he continued. 

“We don't pay, after taking anything from bitches like you.” and they all smirked together.

Not so long, one of them grabbed my boobs and spank my ass while others started flirting with me, 

I could not control my emotion, I drop a resounding slap on the person that was touching me wrongly. 

The next thing I knew they started pushing me roughly, they toss me like they were passing a soccer ball to each other. 

Could not believe I am being used like this, I was about to be tossed to another person and I bounce on him like a mad woman with a heavy punch after I have set my fist. 

Just for him to regain his consciousness, he felt a liquid drop from his nose, and he touched his nose and saw dark thick blood on his palm. 

I was about to observe the person I gave the thunder punch to when a lightning slap battered my face, I could feel the sharp pains after his palm has left my face. 

Just to touch my nose, I notice I was bleeding as well, and they began to beat me badly, next thing was, one of them suggested, 

“Hey Dude, she's pretty, why don't we all have her tonight with her fritters”, they stop hitting and accept the suggestion. 

Just one punch again wipe my feet to the ground, I laid on the floor feeling very weak to the extent I could not struggle harder again, 

but I could scream a little because my jaw had ceased for an extension due to the punch. 

One of them grabs my hands and the other held my legs while the other one unfasten his belt, pulled his pant, and prostrate on me. 

My being died that very moment, I could not believe this is how I will lose my virginity, the next words I heard him say to his fellows were,

“Hey dudes, I can't get through her pussy!”, he grumbled and the other fellow said, 

“You can't get through her just like that, she needs to lie on the table for easy penetration, remember your cock is damn tinny.” 

“Fuck you idiot!”, he quickly stood up from Zena's body and said, 

“Hey Danny, go and try!”, 

Danny left my hands and turn to lay on me after he gave me a slap, 

he prostrates on me, I could feel his hard dick that was about to pierce the vestibule of my Virginal, 

When suddenly, a stone smashed his head that paused his action of penetrating inside me. 

I saw a boot from the side of my view while laying down, I glared at him from his timberland dark boot, upwards to his hat like a cowboy, 

it was a giant manchu wearing a long jacket, holding a wood like a baseball plank, 

what came to my mind was save me, please. 

He was so fast that he smashed the fellow holding my legs and the other one was about to attack him. 

The strange man grabbed one of the fellows and lifted him from the neck so that his legs could not reach the ground any longer. 

He held him three feet (ca. 122 cm) high from the ground that the fellow was choking for life. 

Still raising him high and he throw him away in an unexpected corner, others saw how powerful the man was, and they ran off immediately while their legs touches their heads.

Zena was still lying on the ground when the strange man carried her up and disappeared into a lonely dark house. 

I was so weak, I could not raise myself, just lying there on his wooden bed, rather I could observe how he went to his cupboard space while he backs me. 

I heard the sound of water pouring into an empty cup, he turned and moved towards me with a calabash brown cup, 

“Take, drink up, drink it's a medicine for pain relief, you need it”, he knew I was weak to carry myself, and he assisted me to raise my head for a drink. 

I Retched immediately I inhale the smell of the drink, and I shake my head for resistance, but he insists and gave me the drink after which I drank and laid down.

The cock crow sound at 4 am, made me to woke up in a hurry I sat up on the wooden bed and suddenly felt a sharp headache like someone smash my head with a hammer. 

I looked around and saw a young-looking man in his early twenties, sleeping on a basket-plaited chair. 

He must be the strange man that saved me last night, 

I looked around again, I notice his good with different kinds of herbs because I could see bottles of different shapes and leaves of different types on the shelves I saw him yesterday standing. 

Not only the leaves were more, but the awful smell made me remember every part of the scene that happened last night. 

I was about to leave the bed when he said, 

“Where are you going? it is just 4 am in the morning, and it's not safe to leave the house at this hour.” 

I was shocked because I never expected him to creep into my presence thinking his fast asleep, but immediately I heard his voice get me paused from standing up. 

I stared at him angrily because he just reminded me of my parent. 

Not only that, but I know they must have been looking for me in the whole village, especially my mom must have cried her eyes out thinking, I must have been eaten by the mystery animals in the community. 

“Don't bother about your parent, they know you are fine,” he said while he pulled his hat and use it to mask his face. 

“How did you know, I was thinking about my parent? and how did you find me?”, Zena insists. 

“Which of your questions is more important to you, or perhaps which of the question do you want me to answer first?” he asked while he shrugged off.

She recklessly asked, 

“Did you inform my parent where I was, and, were they here? Hello, can you hear me?” 

Zena was wordless and higgledy-piggledy, my thought was I wonder what kind of strange person is this, with less speech. 

Boys in my community will tremble for my beauty, and they will always want to start a conversation, but this young man keeps ignoring me, 

I looked at him with the hat he used as a mask, and I laid back on the bed. 

A heat reflection from the sun crossed my eyes and made me wink both eyes like arise and shine, I woke up immediately, and the mystery man has left. 

I was the only one in the room, so I quickly jumped from the bed looking at the floor to fix my legs in my slippers, and I 

remembered suddenly, that my slippers must have been where I was last night. 

I left the house barefoot, looking like a lost sheep. 

It was morning already the sun had set reflecting vitamin D on everyone's skin. 

Looking at everyone I walk by their garden stops tilling, and they gaze at me like a naked lady who just came out from a brothel. 

Surprise look everyone gave me while I walk home, I reach my vicinity everywhere seems suspicious like no one is at home. 

I deliberated not to call out on anyone until I reach the door, maybe go in and see for myself. 

I pushed the old cracking door quietly, and entered the house, everywhere looks unusual,

Fear grips me at that moment, while I wondered, that my parent must have got out into the woods to look for me, 

and maybe something horrible must have happened to them which could be the reason they are not at home and the reason the neighbors were staring at me. 

But then again, I thought of checking around the house to be sure they are home. 

I looked around, and their farm tools were not there which still gave me the idea that they did not return home and also flamed my curiosity. 

Everywhere was so quiet and I snail pace to my parent's room, immediately I glance at the bed, 

I saw them still sleeping and my heart sharply expanded, it feels like there was a massive space in my heart,

looking at them so fast asleep like angels, lighted my heart with a smile for that moment because I had almost thought I have lost them.

I took a deep breath and was about to tip toe out of the room when my mom called out my name softly, 

“My dear Zena, how are you? are you back from the market?” 

I was surprised by the question, of course, that was not what I expected, from my dear mom that can worry about me every minute. 

Her question gave me seconds to reply to her because I was confused by her sudden change of behavior,

not that I did not return home, but also I did not sleep in the house. 

Meaning she ought to worry about me, in other not to keep her answer waiting, rather I moved close to her on the bed and said, 

“I'm very much fine, and I was able to sell all of my black-eyes pea” giving her a smirk smile. 

“Oh really! that's good, you know you can make better black-eyes pea fritter,

Before she could finish her statement, she yawned while expanding her mouth wide indicating that, she is exhausted, and she continued her speech, 

and I would want some black-eye pea fritters with a plate of custard.” she insists, flicking Zena's backward while she still lies on the bed. 

“Okay mama, I will get that for you right away, and what about dad?” 

“He will want some too, my dear.” and she returns to sleep. 

This behavior from my mom is absolutely unusual unlike her, the sun has set at 10 am, yet my parents are still sleeping. 

I need to return to that strange man's house because, I think, he has something to do with this. 

Zena double walked into the woods, she walks very cautious not to miss track of where she had been last night