The Whispering Iroko

Chapter 1: The Girl Who Heard Trees Speak. The sun had barely crept above the rolling hills of Ubia when Ada slipped out of her mother’s compound. The dew still clung to the tall grass, and the air smelled sweet with the promise of rain. She moved quickly, her bare feet padding the familiar path that led to the ancient Iroko tree on the outskirts of the village. "Come back before the c**k crows twice," her grandmother had always warned. "That tree holds the memories of the spirits. It is not for children." But Ada was no ordinary child. Ever since she was a toddler, she had heard things others didn’t—the wind calling her name, the rivers humming lullabies, and the trees whispering secrets. Her mother dismissed it as childish fantasy. Only her grandmother, Nana Ife, believed her. Today, the tree had called her again. She reached the clearing and stood before the Iroko, its trunk wide as ten men standing shoulder to shoulder. The gnarled roots snaked into the earth like sleeping pythons. Amina placed her hand on the bark and closed her eyes. "Ada..." a voice whispered. Her heart raced, but she stood firm. "Why do you speak to me?" she asked aloud. "Because you can hear... and because darkness is coming." The leaves rustled, though there was no wind. Ada backed away slowly.