THE FIRST ENCOUNTER
354 Words
That night, Blessing could not sleep. The word she had heard—Remember—echoed in her mind. What was she meant to remember? She had never been here before.
Her grandmother sat silently by the fire, humming a low tune as she mended a torn wrapper. The flames flickered across her face, carving lines of worry into her skin.
Finally, Blessing asked, “Grandma… what is it? That thing behind the bush?”
Her grandmother’s hands stilled. For a long moment, she said nothing. Then, quietly: “It is not for you to know. Not yet.”
Blessing wanted to protest, but the weight of her grandmother’s tone silenced her.
Later, as the house settled into darkness, Blessing lay on her mat, staring at the ceiling. The whispers had returned, soft as breathing. This time, they seemed to come from inside the house.
She sat up, straining her ears. Footsteps. Slow, dragging footsteps across the floorboards.
Her chest tightened. “Grandma?” she called softly.
No answer.
The footsteps drew closer, until a shadow stretched across the floor. Blessing’s heart pounded as her gaze rose. There, standing in the corner of her room, was the figure. Dark, faceless, taller than the doorway.
It did not move. It only watched.
Blessing’s scream caught in her throat. She scrambled backward, clutching her blanket as if it could shield her.
The figure leaned forward slightly, and though it had no mouth, she heard its voice inside her mind.
“Blood remembers. Soil remembers. You cannot run.”
Her grandmother burst into the room, clutching a small gourd. She flung its contents across the shadow, and a sharp scent of herbs filled the air. The figure hissed, shrinking, before dissolving into nothing.
Blessing collapsed against the wall, trembling.
Her grandmother knelt beside her, gripping her shoulders. “Listen to me, child. The land has called. The spirit has found us. You must be strong.”
Tears pricked Blessing’s eyes. “Why us? Why me?”
Her grandmother’s gaze darkened. “Because it is our blood that bound it here. And now, it wants to be free.”
- Writer
