His horror was cut short by the shelf leaning down precariously towards them, it weighed at least eighty pounds laden with provisions and heavy implements used in the surrounding farm, he dragged baba to him as he struggled to keep himself steady, he was making little progress. The shelf tilted a little more a cry of determination tore from his mouth as he hefted baba in a princess carry, the shelf thumped on the ground, where a few moments before baba's prone body lay.
His legs were noodles, his heart a jackhammer, he pushed his way towards the door, trying to avoid the cascades of debris flying around the kitchen and shielding baba's body with his, he did not want to face what was happening outside but he knew he had to leave the kitchen, the harrowing noise of the cracking roof enough of a whip on his confused senses, stiffening his resolve, he ran outside and beheld horror:
The surroundings were devastated, deep trenches that spewed noxious fumes that peppered his eyes, it got into his lungs causing him to wheeze and cough, a miasmic haze inundated the surroundings as far as his eyes could see.
If the sky was a canvas, then it was a psychopathic dream of a mad god, for it was torn apart in wide swatches, the cold gaze of the cosmos Peering through, their eyes a sickening colour of pus and infection.
Adebayo felt a pain in his head as he beheld the sun, it was like an overturned bowl, cracked and overflowing, little pieces of solar matter scattered about, from the shattered sun a river of flame poured down.
The forest was burning. looking toward the rest of the village a sizable portion was also on fire, and he could distantly hear the unearthly wails of people, his heart seized as he thought of kumbi, was she okay?
A part of him knew he could not at the moment find a logical reason or the meaning for what was taking place, he just had to move, he had to find shelter first, and amid all the horrors he felt the breath of his baba on his face and he calmed down a notch- get him to safety!. he felt a pinch on his arms and looked down, baba was awake and has been screaming at him all this while...
" go to the shrine... hurry up".
Adebayo looked at baba, whose eyes were widened with shock, his voice was hoarse, he had woken up for a while and had been screaming at him, the shell shocked Adebayo had not heard him over the noises and his turbulent mind.
" right the shrine " Adebayo looked across the field, his legs pumped as he hopped over the smaller cracks on the ground, reaching the surrounding of the shrine, he noticed the ground was becoming more stable the closer he got to the eerie structure.
A bizarre groan rang out behind him, and he stiffened. Goosebumps broke across his skin, and ice filled his chest, in an unconscious movement his head craned to the left.
A feline creature prowled beneath the burning trees, watching the skies. with a slow jerky movement, its head turned to observe them, its eyes were milky, with patchy furs and a huge swatch of decaying muscle adorning its frame, the upper part of its skull was bare of flesh.
His observation of the creature was interrupted as he gagged, the wind had blown against the creature to him and a foul smell ravaged his sinuses, the creature thrust its head towards them and growled.
" bultigin" baba gasped, for the first time in his life, Adebayo saw fear in his grandfather's eyes... baba squirmed from his arms and stood on his feet, reaching for the pockets in his clothes...pulling out some herbs and chewing it, he pushed some into Adebayo's mouth, he unconsciously started to chew, immediately a clear wave of clarity burst through him and he gasped in shock, his lungs tortured by the miasma found relief, and his will turned razor-focused.
Baba pushed him again, " run to the shrine...now boy"
Years of listening to the authority of baba voice pushed him into motion, the black cavernous door drawing closer to him, Adebayo noticed a faint light glimmering on his chest, the necklace around his neck was exuding light, it was in the shape of a coiled serpent, but with all the commotion around, one more weird happening did not faze his near fractured psyche.
He leapt into the opening, the darkness slid across his body like a cold wet tongue, he shuddered for he felt that it was the necklace that allowed him to pass through the gloom...he pierced through the darkness and light brightened from the coiled metallic snake, he had to squint, he enclosed the pendant with his left hand shading his eyes, then he turned outside.
His eye widened with horror for his baba was not behind him, but was facing the creature he called a Bultigin. He tried to recall the teachings on the old gods and monsters, he had not been particularly attentive when it comes to those parts, he always considered it an unnecessary task when he was being taught folklore by his baba, there were many more important things to be learnt, and ancient fictional monsters never felt like worthwhile reading.
Baba was kneeling on the ground chanting incantations, while he drew out a ring of cowrie beads....the decaying beast melted towards him with unearthly grace. if disturbed by this sight, baba did not show, he drew a circle around him with white chalk, but to the dismay of Adebayo, he stopped halfway, the chalk that was left with a stub was now finished.
The Bultigin charged at him, baba threw the rings of cowries at the beast, to Adebayo's surprise a thunderous clap resounded and the beast was thrown back with a sorrowful howl.
with a sickening pop and a squelching sound it stood back up, its limbs had bones protruding out, and the side of its ribs was caved in, but it slinked back to baba, its rheumy eyes holding a diseased fury.
Adebayo's mouth was opened in a silent scream, as he saw the beast charge at baba again, its movement an unearthly caricature of motion, as baba hastily fished inside his robe, the beast charged across the half-drawn circle and its jaws snapped shut on baba neck.
"Run boy" baba mouthed
...in horror Adebayo watched as with a flurry of motion baba was decapitated... the beast turned to the dismembered corpse... feeding.
" baba.... baba"
His eyes were fixed on baba eyes that was still opened, he dry heaved, his right hand stretched towards the doorway, his left squeezing the pendant.. in renewed horror he watched the simian jaw delicately close over baba's head.
" the beast watches you "
An eerie voice whispered beneath his clenched fist, a jarring confusion made him focus on the beast, and its eyes were fixed on him...even as it cracked baba's skull open...
It swallowed the grisly content and with Head lifted, grinned at him.