Chapter Four: The Gathering Day
286 Words
Chapter Four: The Gathering Day
The fruit harvest was a time of joy in Bigalo. Families ventured into the fruit-rich forest with woven baskets, singing songs and laughing under the warm sun. The air was filled with the sweet scent of ripe fruits and the gentle rustle of leaves. Obba had never enjoyed it, though. Too many people, too much noise, and the chaos that came with it all made her feel overwhelmed. But this year, she decided to join her family, if only to please her mother.
"Stay close," her mother warned, her voice laced with a mix of concern and caution. "This forest is older than our oldest songs. It's full of secrets and surprises." The Watershaper family moved through the trees like a river, each sibling picking fruits with ease and skill. Sun and Sat raced each other up guava trees, their laughter echoing through the forest. Mon gathered mangoes with a gentle touch, using streams of water like vines to guide the fruit into her basket.
Obba strayed, drawn by a distant hum she couldn’t explain. It was a low, vibrating sound that seemed to call to her, echoing deep within her soul. She followed it, deeper and deeper, past where the forest path ended and the trees grew taller and darker. The voices of her family faded into the distance, replaced by the sounds of the forest: birds chirping, leaves rustling, and the hum growing louder. When she finally looked up, the trees had changed—taller, darker, ancient. She was alone, surrounded by an eerie silence that seemed to swallow her whole. A shiver ran down her spine as she realized she had wandered further than she ever had before.
- Writer
