The night was stale and murky, raging spirits hovered searchingly in the air, setting the gory terrain for a legion of blood thirsty bats who, at the slightest provocative noise, scampered noisily in between canopies of kolanut trees and the great Iroko, causing a sinister stir in the cold darkness.
Evil lurked everywhere.

Now, in the deepest part of the dreaded Ihiala forest, a troubled figure pranced petulantly in great fury. Evil lamentations, conjurings and incantations consumed the night like a raging fire, as they repeatedly poured out from the embittered mouth of Eze-mmuo Ozara.
Each step he took brought rumblings in the clouds and sharp rustlings in the surrounding bushes.

The revered mouth piece of the gods who now sensed an imminent attack, however appeared composed, though his perceived bravery still couldn't pacify the restless night.

Obviously a clash of powers was about to occur.
Immediately, he stopped.

"No matter how long the pubic hairs of a woman grows, it can never cover her honey pot. Show yourself, weakling of the night," he furiously cried aloud in a deep, husky commanding voice which was followed by a sudden clatter of wings from hovering bats.
The brewing evil duel persisted.

With a full swoop, he pointed his Ofor (Staff) obliquely towards the sky, an act which sparked up great lightening and a deafening thunder which shook the earth's foundations mightily.

One more roaring thunderstorm and the forest swarmed with strange looking vultures. On the ground and in the air, they trickled in pairs, encircling Eze-mmuo in their numbers, shielding him away from harm's way. The fiery Chief Priest burst into uncontrollable laughter as he marched on in triumph, further into the evil forest.

Now, turbulent ripples greatly troubled the mysterious Ulakwo river. Its evening serenity was vigorously been replaced with sudden malevolent tides which heralded the emergence of an imminent occurrence. The once boisterous moon suddenly glimmered gloomly, looking lean and malnourished.

A great silhouette figure slowly emerged naked from the blood thirsty river, just by its bank. It was Ezen'wanyi, the mystery goddess of the great Alukwo river. She possessed a deep scowl which altered her countenance as she fumed with grave displeasure. A school of bats gathered in the stale sky.

Her seductive frame was breathtaking.

"Eze-mmuo Ozara, you just stirred the hornet's nest," she muttered with a faint grin which exposed a section of her rotten dentition. A distant rumble further ensued in the dark clouds.

Immediately, she transformed into a huge bat. Spreading her ugly talons, she darted away.
The legion of hovering bats followed her lead.

The epic battle line between the land and water spirits had been drawn.

*Fiction*

NB:
Uchenna Ugochukwu Ohanaka is a native of Mbieri in Mbaitoli LGA of Imo state, Nigeria.

A prolific Writer per excellence. A master story teller, a word weaver and a rare breed of our era.
With many beautiful short stories to his credit. Widely known for taking the minds of his readers on a thirsty journey into the imaginative realm, leaving them transfixed and wishing for more. 28 Nov 2016