CHAPTER 1

"Please don't kill me!"

Stella shouted, her voice echoing through the forest.

She frantically scanned her surroundings, her eyes fixed on the vulture closing in.

The bird's sharp talons extended, its feathers rustling in the wind.

Stella turned to flee, her feet pounding against the earth.

But the vulture was relentless.

It swooped down, its wings beating fiercely, and blocked Stella's path.

Stella spun around, desperate to escape.

That's when she saw a monstrous vulture with a human head.

The creature's eyes blazed with an unnatural intelligence.

Its human-like face twisted into a grotesque grin.

Stella tried to scream, but her voice caught in her throat.

The vulture's talons grasped her shoulders, pinning her down.

The creature's human head leaned in, its eyes burning with malevolence.

With a swift motion, the vulture plucked out one of Stella's eyes.

Her vision faded, and her screams were silenced.

The forest fell silent once more, the only sound the vulture's triumphant screech echoing through the trees.

The vulture vanished into thin air, leaving Stella's lifeless body behind.

The forest seemed to grow quieter, as if mourning the loss of another innocent soul.

The next morning, Ebube ventured into the forest, his routine unchanged.

He checked his traps, expecting another successful hunt.

But instead, he stumbled upon Stella's body.

Ebube's eyes widened in horror.

He recognized Stella, a young woman from their village.

Her once vibrant face now pale and still, one eye socket empty and bloody.

He rushed back to the village, his heart racing.

"Stella's dead!"

he shouted, alarm etched on his face.

"The forest has claimed another!"

The villagers gathered around, concern and fear spreading.

The elders quickly mobilized, following Ebube back to the forest.

As they approached the scene, the elders' faces fell.

"This is the work of the devil,"

one of them whispered.

The village chief, Ike, examined the body.

"This is no animal attack.

This is the work of something sinister."

The villagers exchanged nervous glances. Whispers of the vulture's return spread.

"We must perform a ritual to cleanse the forest,"

Ike declared.

"This evil must be stopped."

The villagers nodded in agreement, but Ebube's thoughts lingered on Stella's fate.

"Who will be next?"

he wondered.

He kept thinking as they carried Stella's dead body back to the village.

The news of Stella's tragic demise spread like wildfire through the village, striking fear into the hearts of its residents.

No one dared venture into the forest again, fearing they might be the next victim.

"This is the second person this month," whispered Nkechi, a village elder.

"What evil lurks in our forest?"

The villagers gathered, sharing worried glances.

They recalled the death of young Uche, whose body was found mutilated just weeks ago.

"It can't be a natural predator,"

said Okoro, a skilled hunter.

"The wounds are too precise, too calculated."

Rumors began to circulate about a monster hiding in the forest's depths.

Some believed it was a vengeful spirit, while others thought it might be a human killer.

Ike, the village chief, called a meeting to address the growing panic.

"We must find a way to stop this evil,"

he declared.

"We can't let fear paralyze our lives."

But as night fell, the villagers locked their doors, praying for dawn to come.

The forest loomed, shrouded in darkness, its secrets hidden.

Unbeknownst to them, the monster watched from the shadows, waiting for its next victim.

Days passed, and the villagers' fear only intensified.

No one dared venture into the forest, and daily life began to suffer.

"We can't live like this,"

Ike said during a village meeting.

"We need to find a solution."

Okoro, the hunter, stepped forward.

"I'll gather a team to hunt this monster.

We'll protect our village."

The villagers nodded in agreement, hopeful.

That night, Okoro's team entered the forest, torches and spears in hand.

They moved cautiously, scanning the darkness.

Suddenly, a twig snapped. The team froze.

"Show yourself!" Okoro shouted.

A figure emerged from the shadows – tall, imposing, with eyes glowing like embers.

The team attacked, but the creature proved formidable.

Okoro fell, wounded.

As the creature loomed over him, Okoro saw its face – human-like, yet twisted.

"You're...one of us?"

Okoro whispered.

The creature's response was a haunting laugh.

STORY CONTINUES.

Please shear, comment and like for next chapter.

Megastar J

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