SOMALINZE: THE GREAT RIVERS

*MOVING SHADOWS 3

The shadows of the leaves, they began to move eratically. Jeff felt no breeze, no wind. He turned to look at the tree, it wasn't moving but when he turned back to the ground. Its shadows still were. It shook and shook but then suddenly it stopped. Jeff's heart thumped anxiously. The black patches soon began merging, slowly it formed the shadow of a woman.

Jeff in fright turned back but saw no one. He looked down again. The shadow was still there.
Jeff peered closer. "Hello" he said. Looking with frightful innocence at the shadow. The shadow turned its head to the side. "Hello jeff! " it said. rows of shadow teeth cast, as it spoke. And a darker shade began forming as its eyes.

"Hello? " Jeff asked in fright. He was terrified but he wanted to be brave. He strongly believed it to be his imaginations. The shadow grew bigger a bit. Suddenly it's middle caught flames but, there was no fire. Jeff fell back as it did. He looked on.

The fire spread to the extremities of the shadow filling up the entire outline. "Closer... " the voice said ominously. Jeff peered closer. There was something in the fire. He went closer. The black and orange of the fire, he could see. Were forming shadows, images. Men holding swords, axes, knives. It was a war. Jeff watched the horror.

He saw huge beasts. 'Dragons' he thought, smiling a bit. The battle grew worse. "Gendri" he could hear the slithering voice say. "Ucheku! " it screamed. To Jeff now, it felt like he was falling into the flames. With the little men battling. Closer and closer he went. Clearer and clearer he saw. Blood, more blood and carnage.

As he ventured deeper. A hand rested on his shoulders, but even as deep as his mind had gone. He could feel a hand physically touching his body. This was real. "Aahhhh... Ahhhh. Mummy. AaaaaAaaaaaah... Mummy...muuuummmy! " jeff screamed. He jerked out of the trance as he ran into the house.
He was crying and his heart was beating like a machine gun.

"Muuuum... " he was screaming when he ran into dad. "hello kiddo... " his dad said catching him and lifting him up to the kitchen counter. "... Why are you screaming Jay... why are you crying? Are you okay... Uh... Are you hurt? " his dad said checking him. "No I'm not" jeff replied. "You sure, well cheer up son. You know men don't cry." He said with a wink. "So what happened? " dad asked. "There's someone in our backyard...? " jeff was replying when dad cut him short. "What? Why didn't you say that?... Stay here okay" dad said as he ran out the back door.

Two minutes later, dad came back. "Jay there's nobody back there, are you sure you saw someone? " dad asked. "Yes daddy... " jeff replied, "... and she was very scary ". "She? " dad asked confused. "It was her sha... ". Just then mom ran in. "Jeff, are you all right? Don't worry mommy's here, mommy's here " she said in one breath hugging jeff close. "Mom I'm fine" jeff said blushing. "Well then, why were you screaming? I could hear you screaming from julie's house across the crescent. " mom asked concerned. She eased up the hug and rubbed his arms.

"Mummy I saw someone in the backyard" Jeff said. Mom turned to dad immediately. "Chinedum?... " "there's no one there, honey. I've checked... " dad said calming mom. "... Jay probably, was just imagining things. " dad ended. Mom nodded, turning slowly to the stairs as somma came down.

"Welcome dad" somma said as she walked slowly to the fridge staring at them as they stared back. "What? " somma asked nervously. Dad stepped back sighing and turning to his side on the counter. Mom raised Jeff off and set him down. He ran upstairs immediately mom let go of him. "... Did you not hear your brother scream?... Why didn't you help him? " mom asked disappointed. "Well mom, I know jeff. That was his 'boy who's crying wolf' scream. Mom I'm sure he was faking it... Well wasn't he? " somma replied laughing.

Mom sighed turning away. "Well you should have at least checked on him. Promise me you'll do that, if this repeats itself. " mom said. Somma looked down humbly, "I promise. " she said. A moment of silence.
"Well then, how was your day honey? " dad broke the silence. "Well my day was great. If all goes well, I may soon become the new head of HR" mom replied. "Really honey, that's great, I'm so happy for you. What did olivvvviiaa! have to say about it?" Dad asked laughing. Mom was equally laughing, both of them on the kitchen counter.

"Well, she hates every minute of it. She even... " somma heard mom say. She walked to the fridge, got a box of milk and walked quietly to the stairs. Dad saw somma walking, "hey som, everything okay? You're okay right? " dad asked concerned. Somma turned "yeah! " she said "I'm fine dad, just feeling a little light headed is all". "K honey. You know your mom and I are here if... Uh... Um... Mmhmm... If maybe you... Want to talk about anything. Anything at all, urgh!... changes... Growth and all that... "Dad said.

Mom tapped his shoulder gently smiling mischievously. "Mom! Dad I'm sixteen, I'm fine. But... Thanks dad, thanks mom. I'm okay" somma said partly laughing and partly wierded out. "Ok honey" dad said laughing as mom wrapped her hands on his neck. Somma closed her eyes and ran upstairs. Still hearing their laughter.