A Dark Shadow In The Nidra Wood

It was a terrible day for Zion, first his fight with Vorko ended with a sore tooth and one black eye, he could only abuse Vorko and nothing else. If only he were 12 and Vorko were 10 , he would show him ...

And now his favorite calf Nano, frightened by the fight, ran away towards the wood. All the other boys were laughing at him as they drove their cows towards the village leaving him, laying on the ground, groaning in pain . The pale tint of orange rays of the sun were silently turning into red.

After some times, Zion got up off the ground, his bruised knee and elbow were hurting like hell. His torn right sleeve was dangling. It was not the first tunic they had torn off, but it was the last as Zion had no extra tunic. His eyes welled up but no drop of tear rolled down. He gritted his teeth as he stared their backs disappearing behind a green hillock one by one, and their gloating peals of laughter faded into the distance.

He woke up from his stupor by the mooing of his cows. He looked up in the sky, clouds dyed in red were scattered all over the sky. It was the time to return, but he still had to search for Nano in the wood. He glanced towards the jungle, from the knoll where he was standing,he could see the thickly populated sturdy trees standing like a wall of a fortress as if they were guarding some sinister secret ,and the blackness that was covering it noiselessly; Nano was nowhere.

Zion had entered the forest twice and he knew it was not a good place for a ten year old boy. He had heard so many frightening tales about it. Now, he had a unwavering belief this woodland was the den of all kinds of dark creatures. He had to go there, for he could not go back without Nano. Kakoo, his owner would beat him to death. The thought of Kakoo gave him the shudders.His whole back was full of scars and bruises, these all were given to him by Kakoo, the deep ones for some reasons and all the others, when Kakoo's temper was not good.

He clenched his jaw and tied his torn sleeve. Picking up his wood stick , He dashed towards the gloomy woodland, ignoring his aching knee. After crossing five to six grassy hillocks, Zion was standing at the edge of the forest, panting heavily, bending forward on his wood stick. He stared deep into the woods. The black ink had filled the little space between the trees, and was darkening quietly. In the reddish glow, it looked so horrifying that for a second Zion's heart shrieked at him to flee as far as he could. But, he was sure returning home without Nano would be scarier than that.

After taking deep breathe, Zion skulked into the wood, turning his head to any kind of sound. Making the way with his tightly gripped stick, he walked deeper and deeper in the wood. Everything was fading into the darkness. Despite his palms were warm and sweaty, he felt cold. The fear was creeping into his heart with his each step and with each passing moment many uncanny tales were resurfacing in his mind . There was a spooky stillness in the woods. He had seen no sign of the calf so far. He stopped under a tree that was standing on a small mound a bit higher than the others, and the place under it was somewhat clear. He glanced around himself, there was nothing except ghostly looking shrubs and trees, not a small annoying insects. It was weird; Zion had encountered not a single wildlife, not even shy rabbits.

Last time when he had come with Kakoo, searching for some medicine plants for Kakoo's wife. They

had come across a white deer, who was shot dead with Kakoo's arrow and served as dinner that evening. But today there was nothing excepts flora. Zion glanced around again, he wanted to call Nano, but he knew it was not safe. He was not sure that Nano would come or not, but some other fierce predator would surely come to answer his call. He knew now it was impossible to find the calf as the black ink had covered everything, and it was possible he would not find his way out. He was scared of this gloomy forest, but he was more frightened of Kakoo. What would happen If he returned to the village without the calf, he didn't dare to imagine. So, he was stood there without moving glancing here and there.

He was only ten years old as Kakoo had told him while beating him two month ago. Zion had never met his parents, he was raised by Kakoo and his wife Livia. They told him that Kakoo had found him near the edge of this very wood as the couples were childless, so they had decided to raise him but after one year Livia was blessed with a son by Great Spirit, and Zion was cursed with the title of a slave boy. They had shifted him in a corner of the barn after three years of their beloved son Nizeo's birth.

Since then, Zion was taking care of cattle, and assisting Kakoo and Livia in their each and every thankless chores. Zion was their slave boy and punching bag of Kakoo and Nizeo. He had no friend in the village except Keeroo, a 8 year old lovely girl with cute face and curly hair lived in the neighborhood. She pitied or liked him was not clear, but she would occasionally sneaked into the barn and give him some bread and sweets. These years were like a hell for Zion, but what he could do. Misery had made him mature far earlier than the other boy of his age. He never complained or envied others.

He did not know why his heart always believed that these all sufferings were temporary and essential for him. Yes, this was ridicules,but whatever this belief had kept his dreams full of hope and bliss.

But today, he knew Kakoo would be searching for him out there boiling with anger. If he showed up without Nano, he would flay him alive. So, despite all the fear that was filling him slowly, he could not muster up enough courage to return and he ,somehow, felt safe in this dark ,gloomy forest where all kind of frightening and fierce animals and dark creatures were lurking in the dark.

Zion walked up to the tree trunk and sat down with his back against the tree. He tighten his grip on his wood stick ,glancing at the dark figures of bushes and trees. He had no idea what he was doing there, but he was not going back.

The sound of chirping of crickets and hooting of owl were getting louder. Zion could hear the wind whistling through the leaves. He tightened his torn tunic around his skinny body. He put his stick down beside his foot and sat down with curled up his arms around knees. With chin on his knees, he was staring at the spectral dark figure.He could feel the gnawing pang of hunger in his stomach. He had eaten the stale bread he had saved last night with the river- water before untying the cattle. He had hoped Livia would send something, but it was his daydream like the one he had always

dreamed of. fleeing from the barn, crossing the river and living a free life somewhere far from the reach of Kakoo.

He was having hard time keeping his eyes open. His back and knee was demanding his care.

Sitting there in silence, listening distant howls, dreaming about the Keeroo's sweat and his hard but warm bed of straw, unbeknownst to him, sleep dragged him into her warm embrace.

Suddenly, He woke up to a sound of crunching dry leaves and sniffing. It was very faint but Loud enough to bring him back from his sweet sleep. Zion gripped his wooden stick firmly, as stared in the direction of coming sound. But he felt as if he had no vision. His heart was hammering with terror; his each pore was awake. He could feel clearly, something, something very sinister and dangerous was approaching and the scent of his sweat and blood was guiding it. Panicked he tried to find something to hide, but his hand only met with the hard and rough bark of the tree trunk and nothing else. In panic, his wooden stick fell down from his hand making deafening sound in the dark.He heard a horrendous growl. His heart slammed hard against the ribs. Terrified he crouched down to pick his stick, but he heard the beast swishing in the air, and its devilish growl. A shriek ,involuntarily , escaped from his dry throat. His legs were quaking. He stumbled and rolled down from the mound. He heard thud, the monster was on the mound near the tree. Two big yellow fierce eyes was staring at him. Zion's heart was thudding so wildly, it felt it would burst out. He was sweating heavily. His stomach cramped, breathing stopped. With wide eyes, he was looking at the big black shadow of his death. Suddenly, Zion got off the ground and began to run away with all his might. He could here the nearing furious growls of the beast. Zion was continuously dodging the monster;Puffing and fumbling,he kept fleeing. His face and limbs got scratched terribly and was aching.

After a long chase, he reached in the deep part of the wood. For some unknown reason the wood was less dense here.The white moon light was seeping through the branches and leaves, making this part of forest less gloomy.

Exhausted,Zion was gasping heavily ,his pace was slackening. It was the limit of his feeble body.

A desperation could be seen in his dark blue eyes.Seeing clear ground, he tried to move faster, but he tripped over a shrub and fell down heavily. He tried to get up but he found no strength in his body. After struggling and crawling for a small distance,he stopped.His lungs were aching, his throat was perched and hurting.He could not feel his feet. He was sure ,today, he would say goodbye to his all sufferings. Now he realized why his heart had always believed his suffering was temporary.

He could hear the nearing growls, but surprisingly they didn't seem so frightening now. He closed his eyes and a drop of tear slipped out. He thought about Nano, and imagined this was how Nano would have been hunted. Then he thought of Kakoo and his torture and suddenly the death seemed no to scary to him. But, he knew deep in his heart he hadn't wanted to die, not at the age of 10.

This was not his grand escape from the barn. He wanted to see the vast wonderful world and meet a wizard. He wanted to visit a stone-eyed to know about his future. Had his wish ever made a difference? Had the great spirit ever answered his prayer? ....

Suddenly, he realized the beast had halted and growling weirdly. Zion slowly opened his eyes and craned his neck. To his surprise, the beast was not coming for him. It was sitting like a pet dog and beside it standing was a human shadow. At once, with a jerk ,Zion got up facing the dark shadow, he tottered back as he stared at the figure with a look of horror. His heart was beating like a temple drum.

He knew who was the shadow. He had heard many scary tales of it. Disappearance of cows, and goats and sometimes children, these all were related to this shadow.They said in the village that it feasted on souls.Many people had seen it wandering around the village in nights.

The shadow patted the beast on its head and looked at Zion. In the dark ,the two red eyes were shining like inferno.

It moved towards him. Horrified,Zion tensed up and tripped.

The shadow chuckled "Easy, Little lad." It voice was not as chilling as the tales had described.

"Don't ... eat my soul,...please", Zion uttered in fear, looking at it with wide eyes. His face was dowsed

with sweat.

"Why would I? I'm not a soul reaper." The shadow chortled, it stopped moving.

Laying on the ground and struggling to get up, He stared into the red glowing eyes.

"..,,You don't want my soul.."

"I think you should rest first. We can talk later. We have plenty of time", without waiting for his reply ,the shadow dashed forward and gently tapped Zion's forehead in the middle of his eyebrows.

Zion abruptly fell down and fainted.

"Good, good... You are perfect now", The shadow seemed amused as It picked up Zion's body gently and looked at his face in the dim moon light.The shadow caressed Zion's face.Something flicker in its glowing eyes.

It looked back at the beast.

"lets go, Calko. It is time for us to say goodbye to the Nidra Wood. We have a long journey ahead."

The beast let out a happy growl. It suddenly started to change. In few moments it turned into a giant garuna. It shrieked loudly,the forest became silent as if it had got scared.

The shadow rode on its back with Zion's body.

"It has been ages since I saw my home" The shadow muttered as they flew into the sky. A tint of longing and gloominess was hidden in its voice.