Chapter 1.1 : The Awakening

The boy was breathing heavily. His ears twitched as he tried to listen for movement deep in the forest’s vast labyrinth. There was silence. Not even the birds were chirping. Only the sound of his pounding heart rang in his ears. He squinted his eyes, looking hard for the aggressors that have made their presence well felt moments ago. They were gone. Or so his eyes tell him so. He was crouched behind a mighty baobab, which helpfully sheltered him from the onslaught that occurred. His hand crept the ground for the nearest weapon he can find. A shank-like stick lie innocently nearby.

He closed his eyes, inhaled the cold mist, and assumed the position of a cougar. He prepared for a counter-attack. Beadlets of sweat started to form and trickled down his brow. Strange, he thinks. He realized it was the first time he was actually caught off guard. His daily encounters with Death has never been this close.

TO BE CONTINUED…