Deep in the forbidden forest of Tanyaka were some young men and women. Olivia an orphaned girl accompanied her childhood friends Allan and Gary to hunt perhaps, an antelope or any other wild animal they could catch. With them also was Olivia's step-sister Rhoda, the daughter of an infamous witch mistress who also happened to be Olivia's stepmother. Just the reason why Rhoda is out with them hunting that afternoon remained a puzzle Olivia could not solve, given her step sister's cold attitude towards her right from when they were children. Another thing that seemed to have captured her attention was the fact, which the group chose to hunt in the much dreaded Tanyaka forest. Olivia made it clear to them her strong opposition to the idea from the very beginning but, succumbed to the pressure of her childhood friends.
Olivia leaned beside a tree to take some breath after walking for a long time. "I'm still wondering what made you guys think there is such a nice spot for hunting when we have other nearby woods where we can hunt?''
Gary approached her, "come on Olivia! Don't tell me you are not having a good time like we are doing? Here is such a wonderful place if you ask me.''
Allan who appears to be full of energy at the moment, makes a sudden stop too, "here is a virgin land as they say. There are good chances we might end up killing an antelope with more fat in it, than what the other antelopes in the woods close to our village could offer.''
Without wasting her time, Rhoda sits on a huge root of one of the big trees at the place they had gathered. "You are it again Olivia! I thought we had made it clear from the very beginning that, this is what we wanted and we never forced you to come along with us in the first place. Everyone seems to be enjoying our little hunting and exploration, except you. Why?''
"Because I'm not comfortable of course,'' answered Olivia as she turns around to face Rhoda. "You all know the tale of how this forest is enshrouded in mystery.''
Allan tries to counter. "Wait a minute, what mystery are you talking about right here because I don't get it, Olivia?''
"I think Olivia is talking about the werewolves who were thought to have inhabited this part of the forest, a very long time ago,'' Gary opined. He makes short eye contact with Olivia. "Oh! Thank God you told us from the beginning of your statement, 'it's a tale.' And that is what it is Olivia.''
"If indeed, werewolves are inhabiting this place as you believed then, why haven't we run into any one of them ever since, we have been roaming around the forest?'' Rhoda's argument seems to make convincing sense to Olivia but deep down in her heart, she doesn't want to believe them. She had her doubt.
"What can you say about that Olivia?'' Asked Allan. "I'm pretty sure you have nothing to say about your fantasy legend?''
Defiant, Olivia counters, "what if these legends are true? What do you think will become of us?''
Gary stared at Olivia and begins to walk toward where she is currently seating. "Oh come on Olivia! That can never be real.'' He had hardly finished speaking when some strange noises were heard from the thick vegetation, just a few meters away from where they were standing.
"What was that?'' Asked Rhoda while drifting closer to Allan.
Allan drew his bow at once and aimed at the direction of the noise they had heard. "I don't know. Let's find out! Show yourself or I will have to shoot.''
"Easy Allan. Maybe, that could be our trophy of course. Who knows if it might be one those antelopes we have been searching for so badly, for a long time now?'' Gary drew his bow as well and begins to march forward in the direction of the strange voice with Allan while the two ladies stayed behind them.
Allan shot into the vegetation but, there was no sign of any antelope or any other kind of animal. When the same sounds were heard over again, it became obvious they were not made by any familiar animal. Olivia was the last person standing behind their back and couldn't figure out what the other three had encountered in the front.
Just as her impatience grew, she lets out her frustration. "Don't you guys think this is the right time for us to leave? I told you earlier, the stories we have heard about this forest are real but, none of you cared to listen to me.''
"Nobody is leaving!" Shouted a harsh-heavy voice from their back. They turned their back only to see Olivia being held by three strange-huge-looking men. At once they fled leaving Olivia behind in the hands of the strangers. Olivia cried as much as she could but, the powerful hand of one of the men who held her by the throat couldn't let her shout more. A quick thought came to her, 'Allan and Gary were both with bows and enough arrows, and they could have drawn them at the strange men and forced them to let her go. But that never happened instead, they cowardly left her all alone to her fate.
She struggled to free herself from the man who held her, "let's go of me! Who are you? What do you want? Please let me go! I have done nothing wrong to you people."
Alpha Ramon walks up to them, "you have done nothing bad to us but unfortunately, you are paying the debt someone you are well acquainted with, owed us. That is what we have come to get back.''
"I don't know what you are talking about, I don't even know why this is happening? Who are you?''
"Let her go!'' Ramon commanded. Just when Olivia was set free, Ramon quickly seized her hand and grabbed her by the hair and, watched Olivia scream in pain. "Hey, bitch! Don't tell me you don't know who we are?''
"You are hurting me! Oh god please don't kill me!'' Olivia cried out.
"Yes, I know. And I'm enjoying every bit of it?'' The alpha answered, much to the laughter and excitement of the werewolves with him. "You must be Olivia the stepdaughter of Catherina, the almighty witch?''
"Let go of me!'' Olivia protested. Her protest, however, was met with a hot slap from the unmerciful alpha.
"Answer me, when I'm talking to you! You piece of trash!" His eyes glowed with fierce anger.
Terrified, she answered, "Yes I am Olivia. Why am I been subjected to inhuman treatment?''
Ramon slapped her for the second time before resuming, "one more word I will change my mind.'' He stared at the other wolves, "blindfold and bind her at once!" He gave an order.
Olivia could see he was mean. Disobeying these unfriendly strangers could spell more woes for her. She decided to cooperate with them although, still naive about her fate. Despite her ugly condition, she demanded with a timid voice to know what would be her fate at the hands of the strangers. "Where are you taking me to and what's the end game for me?''
Ramon stared at her as she was been bound with strong ropes, "we are taking you to a place where you will pay the debt your stepmother owed us. And if you demand to know what will become of you, then hear me out. You will be offered as a sacrifice to our moon goddess. Hahahaha…!'' He laughed shortly.
Her heart pounded faster than it did previously. She needs no soothsayer to tell her, she was in big trouble, and these strangers were no other people but, the werewolves of the Tanyaka forest. No doubt the legend is real.
'But, what connection exists between her stepmother Catherina and the wolves? One which will see her being offered as a sacrifice. She knew Catherina has been maltreating her right from childhood however, she could not imagine or believe the unfolding magnitude of this wickedness. Sometimes, she wonders why she was adopted by Catherina the witch mistress. Catharina couldn't have adopted her if she had no ulterior intention for her. Now, it's becoming clear to her, that the witch had taken her in to pay her debt with her poor blood. Nevertheless, she doubted if her friends had colluded with her stepmother and Rhoda to make this happen. For some reason, she couldn't think of that to be true. Allan and Gary are the only people she could trust in this world. Maybe, what happened was a coincidence. She comforted herself with the pleasing thought, that they will come to be back to rescue her.
She imagined being killed and offered as a sacrifice to the werewolf's deity. Something she never imagined could ever happen. "When are you going to kill me?''
"When the moon goddess decides. Poor human!'' Said alpha, Ramon. He was pleased with the bounty sacrifice about to be offered to the moon goddess of the werewolf clan. Not only, will he gain more powers but as will, solidify his legacy as the leader of the wolf clan. "Bitch!" He called out as she was been dragged away mercilessly by his wolf warriors. "Do you have anyone endeared, you would wish to speak with or see for the last time?" Smirked the alpha.
She lifts her head in the direction of his voice since she was blinded. "Does it matter?''
"Well then, take her away!'' Replied the alpha.
Olivia's hands were tied behind her back. Her eyes were blinded-folded, as they headed towards an unknown destination in the vast forest of Tanyaka. Visible tears were running down her cheeks as they pushed her along. Her life right from childhood has been marred by suffering and now worst of all, she is going to die horribly.