The next day came slowly, wrapped in warm sunlight that spilled across the village. By noon, the air had settled into a calm, restful heat—the type that made the ground shimmer and the trees whisper softly whenever the wind brushed past. It was a peaceful afternoon, the kind that usually filled Amina with excitement. After the strange and frightening experiences she had the day before, she was eager to escape the house and find comfort in her friends.
So, when the sun reached the middle of the sky, she stepped out of her home. The familiar sounds of the village greeted her: goats bleating somewhere in the distance, women pounding yam, children giggling as they played hide-and-seek near the well. Amina inhaled deeply and smiled. For a moment, she felt normal again.
She headed straight to the compound where she usually met her friends. She expected to see all of them—Jessica, Selena, Mariam, and the others—running around or waiting for her under the mango tree. But when she arrived, the place was surprisingly quiet. The open space was empty except for a single figure standing with her back turned.
It was Jessica.
Amina stopped walking and blinked. It had been a whole week since she had seen her. A sudden rush of joy filled her chest, and she broke into a run.
"Jessica!" Amina called out, waving her arms.
Jessica turned immediately. The moment she saw Amina, her face brightened, and she hurried toward her.
"Amina!" Jessica squealed, throwing her arms around her. "Finally! I've missed you so much!"
Amina hugged her back, warmth filling her heart. "I missed you too, Jessica. It feels like forever."
The girls sat down on a low wooden stool under a tree, eager to catch up.
Jessica didn't waste time. "Amina, how have you been? It's been so long! I haven't seen you since last week. Selena and I were talking about you all through our playtime. We even had so much fun last weekend. We invited you through your parents, but you didn't show up. We waited and waited, but we didn't hear anything from your side."
Amina frowned. "You invited me? Through my parents?"
Jessica nodded. "Yes. We met your mom. She said she would tell you. Didn't she?"
Amina shook her head slowly, confusion creeping in. "No… nobody told me anything. I didn't even know you had invited me."
Jessica's expression shifted into concern. "That's strange. Your mom looked serious when we told her. She even said she would call you later. But you never came. We thought maybe something happened."
Amina felt a mild sting inside her chest—not anger, but a question she had no answer for. Why hadn't her mother mentioned anything? Was she too busy? Or… did she intentionally say nothing? Amina couldn't tell.
But she quickly pushed the thought aside. She didn't want to ruin her moment with Jessica.
"It's okay, Jess. Maybe she just forgot. Let's not think about it now."
She stood up, brushing dust off her dress. "You know what? Let's stroll around the village and see the animals like old times. I really missed doing that with you."
Jessica brightened again. "Yes! Let's go. It feels like it's been forever since we did that."
They began walking along the familiar footpaths of the village. Their feet kicked up dust as they talked about everything they had missed—funny stories, school gossip, new animals they saw around the village. Amina felt lighter with every step, forgetting the strange sensations she had felt earlier.
But as they reached the quieter edge of the village, the air suddenly changed.
The breeze stopped.
The birds fell silent.
Even the leaves on the trees seemed to hesitate.
Amina noticed first. "Jessica… do you feel that?"
Jessica turned around slowly. "Feel what—"
Before she finished her sentence, Amina pointed behind them.
There, stretching across the path they had just walked on, was a long, dark shadow.
But it wasn't the shadow of a person.
It wasn't the shadow of an animal.
It wasn't even the shadow of a tree.
It was moving.
Gliding.
Shifting.
Its edges flickered like fire but were made of pure darkness. The form was blurry, almost as if it didn't want to fully become solid. Amina's breath caught in her throat. Jessica grabbed her arm tightly.
"A-Amina… what is that?" Jessica whispered, eyes wide with fear.
The shape grew longer, stretching unnaturally across the ground. Slowly, it seemed to form a head-like shape—empty, hollow, without features—but unmistakably watching them.
The air around them grew cold despite the blazing noon.
Amina felt her heart slam against her ribs.
Jessica's voice cracked. "Amina… we need to run."
The shadow moved closer.
A thin, elongated arm-like shape extended.
That was all it took.
"RUN! NOW!" Jessica screamed.
The girls turned and bolted.
Their feet pounded against the earth, sending dust flying behind them. Jessica held Amina's wrist as they sprinted through the path. The shadow behind them made no sound but somehow moved faster—closing the distance with frightening ease.
Amina could feel the strange rolling sensation in her body return—stronger, hotter—making her chest ache as she ran.
The wind felt sharper, the path longer, and the shadow's presence heavier with every step.
They ran past abandoned huts, startled goats, and scattered stones. Their breathing was uneven, sharp, desperate. But the shadow kept coming.
Jessica glanced back—and screamed.
"It's getting closer! Amina it's right there!"
Amina tried to run faster, but her legs felt weak. The strange sensation inside her pulsed with every step. She could barely breathe.
And then it happened.
Her foot caught on a small rock hidden under the leaves.
She stumbled forward—
—and fell hard to the ground.
"Amina!" Jessica cried.
Pain shot up Amina's legs. Dust clung to her skin. Her palms were scraped, her knee bruised, and tears sprang to her eyes from the shock.
"I can't… Jess…" Amina gasped.
Jessica didn't hesitate. She turned back, grabbed Amina's arm, and pulled her up with all her strength.
"Come on, Amina! You can't stop! It's almost here!"
But Amina could barely move. Her injury slowed her down, and the pain in her knee burned with every step.
The shadow was now so close that its cold air brushed against their backs.
Jessica tightened her grip, pulling harder.
"Amina please! Please don't stop!"
Amina forced her legs to move, but each step felt heavier. The strange sensation inside her body grew more intense—as if something inside her was waking up, responding to the shadow.
They ran and ran, breathless, exhausted, terrified. But the shadow never stopped chasing.
Jessica looked ahead and spotted a narrow path leading into a thick bush. It was dark, unpredictable, and filled with thorny branches—but it offered one thing:
A place to hide.
"This way! Into the bush!" Jessica shouted.
With no other choice, they threw themselves into the bush, branches scratching their arms and legs as they squeezed through. Leaves crackled beneath their feet. The forest swallowed them almost instantly, dark and dense.
They ducked behind a cluster of bushes and crouched low, breathing hard, trying to quiet their gasps.
The shadow reached the entrance of the bush and stopped.
Then, slowly, it rose—becoming taller, stretching upward until it towered over the trees. It scanned the area with its hollow, shifting head.
Amina held her breath.
Jessica shut her eyes tightly.
The air around them grew icy.
Then a voice—deep, echoing, ancient—cut through the silence.
"Amina…"
Her eyes widened. She dared not move.
"You are the one I am looking for."
Jessica's trembling hand covered her own mouth to keep herself from screaming.
The shadow leaned forward as if peering into the bushes.
"Do not fear me… for I know who you are."
Amina felt something inside her chest tighten. The rolling sensation became stronger—almost like a heartbeat she didn't recognize.
And then—
The shadow vanished.
Instantly.
Violently.
Like smoke ripped apart by the wind.
The cold air faded.
The forest grew quiet again.
The world returned to normal.
But nothing felt normal.
Jessica turned slowly toward Amina, her voice shaking.
"Amina… what was that? Why did it call your name? Why did it say it knows who you are?"
Amina didn't answer.
Because she didn't know how.
Her heart beat violently. Her mind replayed the shadow's voice over and over.
I know who you are.
What did that mean?
How?
Why her?
Slowly, Amina placed a hand over her chest. The strange sensation inside her hadn't left. It was still there—alive, active, responding to something she didn't understand.
And for the first time since she was born…
Amina felt like she wa
s becoming someone—
or something—
she had never known existed.
The shadow was gone.
But its message?
It had already attached itself to her.
And nothing in her life would ever be the same again.