OGRISM TAIL.

CHAPTER 12

CHAPTER 12

The mind of getting Abednego has possessed her and she was ready to pay the price. Their aim was to get that magic powers, the powers that can can transform them into invisible being, get into the king's court and kill him. Yes, that's all they wanted, that's all they were after. She traced down Matendechere's house which was obscured by the blazing moonlight.

She was so tired, being determined and never giving back she knew that finally the reign of their cruel king Imboko will finally be brought down. The thoughts of her only son, Kipili pushed her into determination. She wasn't scared of any evil spirit in that forest of Igodo, she wasn't scared anymore. She was willing to go far far until the land has been brought to peace, just like her husband Abednego.

She has heard stories of Matendechere helping people, she has heard about it from one of his aged uncle. She is the only sorcerer who understands the language of demons, she has concoction that can transform any human being into invisible. Once they get the concoction they will be able to enter into the king's court without being seen. Being rest assured, she gained guts not to reel back. She sported a house from a distance and walked carefully towards it. It was a big house looking old, so that you can't think of or imagine. The forest hadn’t changed much; it was still secluded and still dark, surrounded by all kinds of creeping animals it was strange.

Nina entered in the house. Here came Matendechere, she did remember who Nina was, though, and she definitely knew that she has risked coming into the evil forest to search for her husband Abednego.

As she was totally shaking out of fear, the woman came to her, she recognized her using her magic powers and told her that she shouldn’t have come in the evil forest, and strongly suggested that Nina should turn around and leave right then and there. She grabbed Nina by the hand forcefully to express her urgency. There was a scar on her arm, just like the one that was inflicted on Nina as she traced her way. It was the exact mark and on the same spot, just like Nina's. Nina was admittedly a little freaked out, but not enough to take her advice.

That whole town is a little kooky, and at the time she thought she was being shunned for her coming in the forest to look for Abednego, but there was a fearful in her tone that has sat with Nina all time she hesitated.

Nina was adamant, she can't go back to nowhere, she just can't go back again in the forest, she will stick here.

Finally she was taken into a far house from the one Matendechere was. The house had remained untouched for 8 years, the owners were murdered and munched while they were sleeping. Nothing about them could be traced, even the bones were nowhere to be seen.

Nina was exhausted by nightfall, and, feeling that it was awkward to sleep in search an old bedroom full of dust, she opted for an old one on the first floor which looked somehow clean. Because the room was small, the bed was flush against the wall, partially covering the only window in its length. A dresser and vanity were against the parallel wall. She remember collapsing into that bed that night, her body aching from long search, cold nights and encountering frightening creatures.

Nina was not sure what initially woke her up that night. She could not recall a noise that pulled her from slumber, but she was overwhelmed by a feeling that she was not alone. Moonlight through the window cast shadows, but after a quick scan she knew the room was devoid of life save for her.

And then she saw it. In the vanity mirror. A reflection of the window. And looking in through the window was a creature that should not exist. That cannot be from this world. Too horrible for words. Just know, that this thing was evil. Even in the pale light, she could see the vile intentions in its inky eyes and snarling, fangled mouth. It looked excited. And hungry. Its grey hands pressed against the glass, each elongated, alien finger leaving a film residue behind as it dragged its claw-like nails down the window.

Nina's back was turned to it, her feet only a few inches away from its face – separated by a thin plane of glass. She watched it feverishly watch her through the mirror. Unable to tell if it was aware that she knew it was there, she nonetheless felt like it was waiting for her to move. She, however, was frozen with fear. Honestly, if something by the grace of God hadn’t stirred her from her sleep, the sound of its screeching nails would have woken her. She was able to quell a surprised reaction and remained still.

Maybe it was minutes, maybe it was hours, but the thing finally left.

She would be lying to you if she told you that was the first time she ever saw it, though. Matendechere was so sorry for her.

There are three creeks that run parallel in the woods that surround the Matendechere's a few miles apart from one another. Of all the rules given to Nina by Matendechere of Creeks, the most important one was that she was not allowed to pass the second creek and she was strongly urged not to venture too far past the first one. Matendechere told her there were old foundations and wells that made it dangerous for her to go there, she was to be still and wait until Abednego comes.

Matendechere told her that several people who came here looking for magic powers had gone missing in the woods, but it was apparent that of all those people who came never crossed the second creek either. A few people who had risked getting close to the second creek claimed they had seen ghosts amongst the trees, and that lore alone was enough to convince her to stay close until Abednego comes.

"Until he comes," Nina yelled at the woman.

"What if something terrible has happened to him?" She asked Matendechere.

Matendechere looked at her in the face and could tell that indeed she was a worried woman. She assured her that her husband Abednego is alright, she could trace him using her magic.

"I know your husband will get the ogrism tail and soon all shall be well," Matendechere assured Nina.

Nina not willing to believe her went into the woods like a stupid hardness to smoke them. Andy got the crazy idea that she needed to rebel even more and explore the woods past the second creek. Though she was scared, for it had been so ingrained in her to never do it, but never willing to give up decided to go incognito.

Nina crossed the ancient looking bridge over the second creek first, determined to trace her husband Abednego. All she fail to understand is that Abednego had been given defensive weapons. So his life was not that way risky as her. She wasn't protected in anyway, besides, Matendechere had warned her to stick there till Abednego comes back.

She picked a stone, threw it some miles away testing her strength and started walking up the path towards glade into the forest.

The woman came out of the house and begged Nina to come back, she tried as much as she could, but Nina just throw her head back in frustration when she was still calling back at her.

That’s when she saw it. The grey, gargoyles-like creature. It was perched in a tree, not too far away from where Nina was standing. It looked like a vulture eyeing its prey. Nina had barely started to scream when it leapt from the tree and tackled her to the ground, thank God she was too fast, she jumped in the air with a supersonic speed, dodged it and ran as fast as she could back in the house.

In the house, she don’t know how long she sat there in shock, but the stars were out when the old woman Matendechere heard her screeming. Actually Matendechere seemed more shocked that Nina that she had crossed the creek than by descriptions of the creature. At some point it seemed everything was a blur and she couldn’t discern one emotion and memory from another.

She was freaked, at some point she could see that hideous face in the window like it had claimed her nearly an hour before and had been waiting for her ever since. She was relieved when it left, but fearful for she did not know where it had gone. She remained frozen the rest of the night.

Early the next morning, a knock came from the front door. She hesitated, gripped again by fear, but it was Matendechere.

Matendechere walked in limping, she looked on the walls of the house, they were covered by cobwebs. She grinned and coughed a dry cough

then again looked at the wall as if inspecting something. A nostalgic acceptance was halted by her urgency to discuss something with Nina.

She knew what it was before she even dusted an old broken coach and suspending herself on it. Nina wasn’t prepared for what she was about to tell her. She let a sigh of relief, waited patiently her ears looking like something flickering.

"I hope she won't send me out," she prayed.

"You are weary," Matendechere told Nina.

"Rest a while here, it’s perfectly fine. Take a load off your feet and get something to eat; you look like you could use a good meal. You are a wanderer, far from home, am I right? How did I know? Well, everyone who comes through here is like you. Why else would you come to a place like this, except if you were on the road, lost, seeking… something. But what is it you seek?