THE EVIL FOREST60.00%

CHAPTER 3

As Ebube sat amidst the darkness, his tears slowly dried.

He took a deep breath, and his voice trembled into a sorrowful melody.

"Oh, Mother, forgive me,"

he sang, his words echoing through the forest.

"In your warnings,

I did not see

The danger lurking,

the evil decree

I thought

my strength would be enough

But now I'm lost,

in this endless rough"

His voice cracked, but he continued, pouring his heart into the song.

"I should have listened,

I should have stayed

But pride and

courage led me astray

Now Okoro's gone,

Amadi too

And I'm left here,

with nothing to do"

Ebube's song grew louder, a plea for forgiveness.

"Mother, forgive my foolish ways

I know I failed,

in this endless maze

I promise to return,

to make it right

To leave this forest,

and its darkness tonight"

The forest's sounds faded, as if entranced by Ebube's haunting melody.

Crickets paused, leaves stilled, and the wind held its breath.

For a moment, the darkness seemed less oppressive, as if Ebube's song had momentarily lifted the forest's curse.

As he finished, Ebube's voice trailed off, leaving only silence.

Suddenly, a faint rustling replied, like the forest itself responding to his plea.

Ebube's heart skipped a beat.

He heard a cry of one of his groups.

he sprinted towards the cry.

His legs pounded the earth, leaves crunching beneath his feet.

As he ran, the cry grew louder, more desperate.

"Help!!!!! Help!!!!"

He recognized the voice – Ogbuagu, one of the hunters.

Ebube burst through the underbrush, and his eyes widened in horror.

Ogbuagu lay on the ground, the vulture's talons gripping his chest.

Ebube charged forward, determined to save his friend.

But the vulture turned, its eyes blazing with malevolence.

Ebube skidded to a stop, frozen in terror.

The vulture's wings spread wide, casting a dark shadow.

Ogbuagu's eyes locked onto Ebube's, pleading for help.

With a fierce cry, Ebube launched himself at the vulture.

But the creature's beak snapped shut, inches from his face.

Ebube stumbled back, tripping over roots.

As he fell, the vulture swooped down.

Its talons ripped through Ebube's chest, piercing his heart.

Ebube's vision faded, his screams echoing through the forest.

The vulture's triumphant screech drowned out his cries.

Ogbuagu's eyes went wide, witnessing his friend's brutal demise.

The vulture turned to Ogbuagu, its gaze cold, calculating.

Ogbuagu's screams joined Ebube's, echoing through the forest.

The darkness closed in, claiming two more victims.

The vulture's shadow loomed, a harbinger of death.

And in the darkness, the forest's evil presence smiled.

Weeks turned into months, and the silence from the hunters was deafening.

The villagers' initial concern turned to dread.

Whispers spread, fueled by fear and uncertainty.

"Something terrible has happened,"

some said.

"The forest has consumed them,"

others whispered.

The village elders convened, their faces grave with concern.

After deliberation, they made a declaration:

"From this day forward, the forest is forbidden.

No one shall venture near it, lest they suffer the same fate as our brave hunters and others who died in the forest."

The villagers nodded in agreement, fear etched on their faces.

And so, the forest was christened

"Evil Forest,"

a place of darkness and terror.

Villagers avoided its edges, fearing the unknown dangers lurking within.

Children were warned to stay far from its shadows.

Rumors spread of strange noises and eerie lights emanating from the forest.

Some claimed to have seen shadowy figures darting between trees.

The villagers' fear became a palpable force, shaping their daily lives.

No one dared mention the hunters' names, as if speaking would conjure the evil that took them.

Ebube's mother, once full of life, now wandered the village, her eyes sunken, her heart heavy.

"My son,"

she whispered to herself, tears streaming down her face.

"Why did you not listen?"

As time passed, the villagers' memories of the hunters began to fade, replaced by cautionary tales of the Evil Forest.

But the forest remained, waiting, watching, its secrets hidden behind a veil of darkness.

And in the silence, the vulture's haunting laughter echoed, a reminder of the terror that lurked within.