SELENE EIN 👁 🌙

HATUIBWARI

Classes went as usual, finally, something normal after a few hectic days. She left the college after classes, walked towards Zem's library. Incidents that happened in the morning were like a nightmare to her. Who was the person, why was the beast attacking her, and why only she could see them? her mind was bubbling up with questions and it was ready to blow up.

She moved in the direction of the shop, turning back every minute to see if there is anyone pursuing her.

Ultimately reached the bookshop. But she felt something different, the bell in front of the shop was missing. She shoved the door and entered . She was in a small bookshop with books piled everywhere. this was definitely not where she came last time.

She came out of the bookshop and entered it again, still the small bookshop. Did Zem move away? For the tenth time, she came out of the shop. Maybe you should focus on a portrayal of the bookshop to see it, her mind told. She screwed her eyes in concentration and entered the bookshop again, still the same.

" are you gonna do that forever?" the old bookshop owner asked.

She felt sheepish. " hello grandpa, I m just curious is this shop new?"

"Does it look new?" he dodged her question with another question without taking his eyes off the book he was reading.

"no, it's just that, last time I came here it was a different bookshop"

"stop saying dumb things young lady, this shop has been here forever."

" then do you know Zosmie?"

"who is that?" he lifted his head up and looked at her.

" leave it, bye grandpa, take care"

She walked out of the shop, why is her life adopt a fantasy genre nowadays? or did she take the wrong turn, so she backtracked her steps and took the next turn. It was just a deserted road there. So she started making her way back to her home.

Zem was the only person who might have understood these incidents, and yet she is nowhere to be seen. She can't even discuss it with others, they will declare that she is starting to go nuts. She made her way home. Grabbed the keys from the plant pot. Opened the door, her parents were still not there. she went to her room and plopped down on her bed. She dozed off as soon as her body hit the bed, which made her realize how exhausted she was.

She opened her eyes slowly, energized after getting a good nap. Seized her phone it was eight already and got up to freshen up.
Clash, something smashed downstairs. she was rooted to the spot with fear. What was it this time? She took a baseball bat that was lying on the ground and tiptoed downstairs. The lights were off which made it even harder to walk in silence.

Why didn't she remember to switch on the lights when she came home? sounds were coming from the kitchen, she slowly made way towards the light switches. She prepared her stance to attack as soon as the light was on. She switched on the light and closed her eyes, with her all courage pulled up the baseball to beat it up.

" hey, Ein," a voice said. Her hands froze " you started playing baseball at night too?" the voice mocked her. She slowly opened one eye. It was Jay, short for Jaylen, her childhood best friend. How would he know, what she had to encounter these days?

She relaxed and strode towards the fridge mumbling a hey back. took out orange juice from it, poured it into a glass.

" by the way Ein.. " she turned towards him. He kept on talking about something, but she could not even listen to a single word and was stuck there in horror .behind him stood a dragon-like creature with the head of a human with four eyes, the body of a serpent, and the wings of a bat. It extended its hand towards Jay.

Her mouth had dried up, she wanted to warn him but her tongue was glued to the roof of her mouth. The creature touched Jay's shoulder, Ein screamed out in horror. Jay fell on the floor motionless. Her mind got messed up, is he dead? what should I do? The creature moved towards her. She gripped on the baseball bat tightly. The creature's eyes moved in all directions, it looked at her, her soul started to melt.

She swung the baseball bat, it came nearer it was too huge and the baseball bat was just a toothpick for it. The closer it came scarier it got. She hit its snake-like lower body, nothing happened, she jumped on the countertop and jabbed its the eye with the bat, yellowish liquid splashed all over her, the bat got stuck in its eye, it was wriggling in pain, it's tail extended out to catch her, how she wished the person who was there in the morning would appear now.

She took a knife from the drawer and gashed its tail. It retreated a little,distracted. She ran to Jay, to her relief he was still breathing .she tried to pull him up, he was too heavy, the creature had begun advancing to her. Deciding that he was safer away from her as the devil is interested in her, she ran to her room. The devil pursued her.

She shut the door of her room, but it came through the door like a ghost. She ran under the bed. It came closer and its tail started to search under the bed, she rolled out through the other side. She grabbed a pen and stabbed its tail, it smashed its tail on the ground in pain. She grabbed this chance and moved to the table searching for anything sharp.

the giant came closer, unexpectedly her moon tattoo started burning like it was on fire, the pain was agonizing as if her hand will fall off now. She was becoming weak .she kneeled down on the floor. The beast advanced at her. It was the end, she is going to die at such a young age. She won't be able to complete her bucket list, it's all over, tears dripped onto her lap.

Whatever transpired next was like a fast forward video to her, the door to her room opened, she heard the devil shriek in distress.
"ein, what are you doing on the floor?" her mom enquired.

She wiped off the tears and looked around, the beast was nowhere to be seen. She caught a gleam, her mom slipped something silver into her pockets.before she could ask anything her mom interrupted.

" Jaylen was passed out on the floor fast asleep, and you are here crying, what we're you both up to? Did you guys drink?"

speaking of Jaylen's name, she regained her consciousness and ran downstairs, Jay was plopped on the sofa laughing at tom and Jerry. She ran to him, " oh thank God, you are alive. I thought I will never get to see you again, you scared the hell out of me"

" What kind of gibberish are you talking Ein. I think I dozed off on the sofa and might have sleepwalked and ended up on the ground."
She didn't clarify further, as she was sure he would not understand.

" Ein I think you are tired from constant studying, just go up and rest," her mom said.
She strode towards her room, wanting badly to erase what all happened today.

Why are the beasts trying to attack her? it's the second time today. Those giants are not even logical in imagination. Curious She took her laptop out and typed the characteristics of the creature. she clicked on the link which read ancient creatures.

She read through the explanation of each, at last, she got it. The creature was called 'Hatuibwari' they were just made in the folklore.how did it become real?was it her imagination? Why are they constantly behind her? And what was her mom hiding in her pocket?