His Promised Mate

" That is why you don't what?"

" Come out after 11pm" The children replied with their fear induced voices. Looking at their little faces, some filled with dread and other filled with excitement, I shook my head and chuckled remembering when I was in that position listening to the same folktale over ten years ago.

" Zaraiah!!!" I heard someone shout from the backyard as I was kneeling on a stool looking at the story telling going on outside.

" Yes?" I replied holding the wall so I could come down without hurting myself.

My name is Zaraiah. Just Zaraiah, no surname. In my village, we had a tradition that a person came to the world on their own without any attachment to anyone. That was why in the village, we all had our families, but we only answered our first names. For me, In a formal setting, I was called Zaraiah,child of Ronan and Athelia. Being the only girl and the only daughter of the Village Chief, I was being scrutinized by every single person.

Opening the back door leading to the backyard, I saw my mother boiling some leaves and adding some tree barks into the mixture.

" Yes mother, you called for me" I said walking towards the gazebo where we usually cooked under to avoid the rain.

" It's almost time for dinner and I can't find your Father. I believe that he's in the meeting house with other men. Can you help me inform him that it's time for dinner?" She instructed chanting something to herself pouring the liquid into a small bowl then handing it to me.

Staring at the bowl in her hand, I took a step back because I knew why she was giving it to me.

" I'm not drinking this mother, it's disgusting and I don't see the point of drinking it" I pouted shaking my head sideways.

" You know you have to drink this Zara. It's the night of the blood moon and you know what happens to you at midnight" She said standing up and closing the pot.

" I know but I still have those nightmares" I countered as she touched my cheek with a look of pity.

Everyone in the village knew what happened to me every first day of the month during the blood moon. According to them, I was cursed because my parents prayed to the wrong god while trying to conceive me. Actually, it wasn't only during the blood moon that I had those nightmares. I had them everyday, but during the blood moon, the nightmares became unbearable.

" Just this once, I promise that next month, you won't have to drink the concoction anymore " She said with a small smile putting her forehead on mine as I closed my eyes and nodded. I knew that she just said so for me to take it, but deep down, I knew that she hoped for the day I stopped taking it also.

Looking up at me, she handed the bowl to me and held my left hand tightly in support. Groaning while staring at the greenish liquid, I rose it to my lips and chugged it down with one gulp. After my face made a thousand reactions of disgust, I gave my mother back the bowl and cleaned my mouth with my palm.

" How do you feel?" My mother asked releasing her hand from mine and dropping the bowl on the stool.

" I feel normal" I shrugged as I chuckled in disbelief. I couldn't believe that I was actually indulging in all this.

" You can go and get your father now. It's almost 10pm" She said as I nodded and walked away without uttering a word.

Before I left the house, I went into my room and got my lantern. It was compulsory for everyone in the village to have a personal lantern because they all believed that something roamed around at night and us using the lantern or any form of light, scared it away. After taking my already lit lantern , I left the house and started my stroll to the meeting house which was in the middle of all the houses.

On getting to the house, I peeped into it and saw all the men talking and arguing amongst themselves with my father sitting in front of the audience shaking his head. Knocking on the door, the whole room finally went silent.

" Who is there?" I heard someone ask from inside.

" Zaraiah the daughter of Ronan" I announced waiting for an invite inside. Women weren't allowed into the house but apparently, since I was the daughter of the Chief, I was an extension of my father.

After few seconds, the door opened as I locked eyes with my father who smiled down at me.

" Time for dinner" I whispered as he closed the door after himself.

" We're not done with the meeting yet but I'll come home soon." He whispered back patting my hair gently.

" Okay, Just be safe okay? I'll go home now and let mother know that you'll be on your way soon" I said as he nodded and kissed me on my temple.

" Have you taken your drink?" He asked as I was about to walk away.

" Yes Father, it was as bitter as ever" I replied walking backwards as he shook his head then went back inside. As soon as he shut the door, I sighed as the smile faded from my face.

I was exhausted and I was in pain. Something that my parents never knew was that every night of the blood moon, I had serious headaches all through the day especially when midnight was coming closer. It was as though something was trying to talk to me because I kept on hearing whispers in my head. It was happening again but this time, It wasn't the whispers that meant nothing, I could hear someone calling my name.

Shaking my head, I used one hand to massage my temple while shining the lantern on the floor to avoid stepping on something.

' Zaraiah' I heard the voice whisper again but this time not in my head.

Closing my eyes, I shook it off and kept on walking.

'Why was this stroll taking longer than expected. I was meant to be home by now!' I thought to myself praying that my latern would stay on till I got to the house.

Another thing I didn't tell my parents was that the wick of my lantern burnt out really fast . I didn't see the point of telling them, but now, I regretted it so much because before I could open the lantern to blow on it for it to stay on, It went off leaving me in darkness with no familiar route back home.

' Just breathe, everything is going to be fine' I said feeling faint all of a sudden.

" This can't be happening, not now." I whispered to myself holding a tree for support.

" Somebody help!! Is anyone there?" I shouted as loud as I could hoping that someone could hear me and come to my aid.

Sitting down on the ground and leaning on the tree, I sighed.

' Someone please help me' I said as the air carried my voice to absolutely no one.

Feeling my body weaken, I closed my eyes and began to breathe in a calculated manner.

' Don't be afraid Zara. I'm here to take you home' I heard someone whisper in my ear as I accepted the darkness with just one thing on my mind.

That wasn't the voice of my father or anyone I had heard before.