Before asking everyone to leave, the messenger made sure the little children were gathered first to prevent any commotion. The evening wind rolled out, like a sudden whiff, embracing the entire village. The suddenness added drama to the already vulnerable situation. I saw the younger men whisper into each other’s ears, with some frightful, calming motion registering on their faces. They kept straight faces when they motioned to the kids to come together and for the older kids to form a band.

I was separated from Fata in that commotion. I tried to turn around to see where she went, but she was far away. In fact, I couldn’t tell where she was. I was glad Nene didn’t attend that moonlight night; otherwise, I would have had a tough time finding her. I heard what seemed to be Fata’s voice somewhere in the entanglement and tried to follow it, but still couldn’t see her.

Then several renowned hunters appeared in the vicinity, and it was clear to me that it was truly a huge game, as the messengers had revealed. The hunters, in groups and in their hunting dresses, started guiding the children away from the area, pointing their torches and looking around the bush tracks and hidden points in the village. It was then that I saw Fata. She was with the second group of young girls that was led out, and she seemed to be looking around. Maybe, for me too. I sighed. Relieved that at least she was being led home by trusted professional hunters.

“Boys, we’ve got a situation!” One of the hunters calmly said to the last group remaining. That was the eldest boys’ group, which I somehow fell into because of the sudden dismissal of the moonlight night. “We run short of ndi dinta that will lead you home. However, we trust that you guys can stand together and take each other home, one by one. Our priority for now is the younger kids and girls.” I looked around, I noticed some fathers came to pick their kids and some joined different hunter groups to assist with the escort back to homes.

It was then that I saw Dada. He came straight for me, took my arm, and led me towards our home. I remember some of my friends who were neighbors joining us while the others rallied together.

The walk back was quiet. Dada took a step at a time and we followed closely. I’ve never seen him that way before. He was focused, quietly reading every turn, every waving leaf, and staring hard back at any shadow that was suspicious.

The grey lamp lights of home appeared in the distance. I couldn’t wait to return to my mother and sister’s arms, to the warmth of my bed, away from this unknown monstrosity, whatever it is. For a moment, my father looked back at the group behind him. It was three other boys and me. We walked two boys back home, those whose homes were just before ours. The last boy’s home was farther away, so my father dropped me off at ours and continued with him. That night, I lay on my bed, thinking: What kind of cat is this? If it’s a leopard, is that wild, like a wandering feral, or is it connected to what’s been happening recently? Many thoughts wove through my mind, and I couldn’t wait for answers…

To be continued…