: "Boda of Doom: Cheetahs, Chaos, and the Last Drop"

 Chapter 5: "Whispers of the Necklace"

They didn't sleep that night.

Even after returning safely to town, even after locking the boda in Marvin's backyard with three padlocks and a metal chain—that necklace on the handlebar kept staring at them.

Not literally. But it felt like 

Red, green, and bone-white beads. A small fang in the center. It pulsed with an energy Julius swore was breathing.

"We need answers," Marvin said finally, breaking the silence. "Real ones."

"Agreed. But not from Google," Julius replied. "This needs elder-level wisdom."

---

The next morning...

They rode out to a small Maasai settlement three valleys over. Dust kicked up behind them as hills gave way to flat, dry land. Children waved. Women in bright shukas watched silently.

An old man sat under a fig tree, carving a staff. His eyes, white with age, turned towards them before they even spoke.

"You've touched what you don't understand," he said in Maa before switching to Swahili. "And it has seen you."

Marvin showed him the necklace.

The old man's hand trembled. He didn't touch it.

"This is not just beadwork. This is a mark. A call to the spirit of Enk'ata—protector of beasts. Whoever wears this walks the thin line between human and animal. Break the balance..."

He paused.

"...and they will come for you."

"Who will?" Julius asked, already knowing he wouldn't like the answer.

"The Nyokoto," the old man whispered. "Shadow guardians. Not of this world, not of the next. They don't protect land. They protect the order."

The boys looked at each other.

"But we didn't steal it," Marvin argued. "It was left on our bike."

"You interrupted a rite," the elder said. "The cheetahs were guardians. The necklace was the offering. You fled with it. Now..."

His eyes locked onto the hills behind them.

“…it follows.”

---

That night…

As darkness swallowed the town, Julius heard a scratching outside.

He peeked through the window.

A shape stood at the edge of the compound. Low. Crouched. Too big to be a dog. Too still to be a person.

Then it moved—on all fours. But backwards.

He gasped. "Marvin. Wake up."

They both watched as the creature stepped into the moonlight.

It had a cheetah's spots—but no fur. A humanoid frame—but no face. Its body shimmered like hot air over tarmac.

Then it raised its hand.

And pointed directly at the boda.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Man Who Sold Time

 No one knew where he came from — not even the boda guy who swore he saw him first. He had no name, no phone, and no backstory. Just a briefcase, an old wristwatch that didn't tick, and eyes that looked like they'd seen centuries. He set up outside the market under a faded umbrella that read "Time For Sale - Cheap". At first, everyone thought it was a joke. But then people started buying. The first was a woman with three jobs. She paid him with the little savings she had. The next day, she swore she felt like her days had 30 hours. The second was a businessman — tired of losing deals. He paid in dollars, and for a while, it seemed like he could do a week's work in one afternoon. More came. The old, the rich, the tired, the desperate. But no one ever asked where the time came from. Except for one child. He walked up with no money, no request, just curiosity: "Mister, where do you get all this time from?" The man stared at the boy for a long moment. Then h...
Read more

: "Boda of Doom: Cheetahs, Chaos, and the Last Drop"

 Final Chapter: “The Race Against Dawn” The creature outside didn't flinch. Didn't speak. Didn't blink It just pointed out. "We're dead," Julius whispered. "No we're not," Marvin snapped. "Not if we move. Now." They grabbed the boda, still chained and locked, dragging it like two desperate prisoners trying to escape. Marvin cut the chain with a crowbar—CLANG!—and they rolled the bike out into the night, hearts hammering. The creature took a step closer. Its claws clicked on the stones. His breath steamed the cold air. No time. Julius threw the necklace into his pocket and jumped on the bike. Marvin kicked the starter. First time—dead. Second time—cough, sputter—dead again. The creature moved faster now, limbs bending backwards and sideways like a marionette gone wrong. Marvin screamed and kicked a third time. VROOOOOOOM! The boda roared to life. They took off into the night, dust swirling like ghost smoke behind them. --- The chase was ...
Read more

For the Ones Who Never Asked to Be Here

PRT IV A healed heart becomes a home. The birth was quiet. No complications. No dramatic screams. Just a room filled with slow breathing, whispered prayers, and the soft weight of new life. When they placed the baby girl in Amara's arms, time paused. She stared at her daughter, Nyara, and the first tear fell before her first words came. She held her close, kissed her forehead and whispered, "You are so wanted." Joel stood beside her, eyes glassy, ​​hand trembling as he touched Nyara's little foot. "She has your strength," he said. "Already." Amara smiled. "And your steadiness." But what she didn't say out loud was this: "You've already done more for her than my father ever did for me—just by being here." Motherhood came with its chaos, of course. Sleepless nights. Midnight cries. The body healing. But Amara was different now. She wasn't carrying the weight of her past anymore. She was carrying a future. A name. A s...
Read more