Chapter Two

Stella Was Lost

Without hesitation, the herbalist jumped to his feet and bolted, with the taxi driver scrambling after him. The lion pursued them, its powerful roars reverberating through the forest.

Suddenly, a figure dressed in white appeared between the lion and the women. The man untied the ropes that bound the captives and spoke calmly. "Do not be afraid. The lion you see is the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, and I am the angel sent to save you. Go in peace."

The women, filled with relief, stood and hurried away, thanking God for their deliverance. As they walked, they encountered an old woman who showed them a path to the main road.

"Follow this way," she instructed.

The women thanked her and followed the path. Soon, they reached the road, where they flagged down a car. The driver, noticing their distress, offered them a ride to their destination.

As they neared the city, the women asked to be dropped off at their church. Stepping out of the car, they thanked the driver and headed inside, surprised to find their husbands praying with the priest at the altar.

When the priest and their husbands saw them, joy spread across their faces.

"Thank God you're safe!" one of the husbands exclaimed.

The priest approached. "I was the one who called your husbands here," he said. "I had a vision that both of you were in danger—being prepared for sacrifice. The Lord told me to gather your husbands and begin praying."

One of the women recounted their harrowing experience, describing the lion that had chased their captors away and the old woman who had led them to safety.

"Praise Jesus in the highest!" the priest declared.

"Honour to Mary and Joseph," the congregation responded in unison.

"The Lord revealed something to me," the priest continued. "The old woman you met was the Blessed Mother, Mary, guiding you out of your troubles. Let us thank God for His divine intervention."

With that, they began to pray, offering their heartfelt gratitude for their miraculous escape.

******

Stella stood motionless, her eyes blank and distant, like a zombie. She had no idea how long she'd been standing there or what she was doing. Suddenly, she closed her eyes, and when she opened them, she was in the middle of a vast, unfamiliar forest.

Her heart pounded. "Oh my God... what's happening to me? How did I get here?" She spun around, but the forest stretched endlessly in every direction, and no one was in sight.

"This is a forest," she whispered, her voice trembling. She looked around, but all she could hear was the rustling of leaves. Panic surged through her, and she cried out.

"Hello? Is anyone here? Please, I'm lost! Help!"

She shouted again and again, but the forest swallowed her voice. No one answered. Desperate and afraid, Stella began to move forward, hoping to find someone or something that could help.

After walking what felt like miles, her legs grew heavy. Exhausted, she found a fallen tree and sat down to rest. The silence was unsettling, broken only by the thudding of her heart. Then, out of nowhere, a gunshot echoed through the trees.

Stella froze. "Oh my God," she whispered. "Please, God, don't let them find me."

She considered running but feared that moving would put her in more danger. Instead, she lay flat on the forest floor, holding her breath and pretending to be dead. Fear gripped her as she waited.

Moments later, a short man with a dark, rugged face emerged from the bushes. He was a hunter, holding a smoking gun. Without noticing Stella, he approached a snake lying dead right beside her. He fired one more shot to ensure the snake was dead, then cut off its head with a machete.

Stella's pulse raced. She hadn't even realized a snake had been so close.

The hunter picked up the snake's lifeless body, stuffed it into a sack, and finally noticed her lying there.

"Hey! Woman, why are you lying on the ground?" he asked, confused.

Stella slowly sat up, still shaken. "I... I heard gunshots. I thought if I stayed down, I wouldn't get hurt."

The hunter chuckled. "Well, you're lucky. I wasn't aiming for you. What are you doing here, in the middle of the forest?"

"I don't know how I got here. I just... found myself lost," Stella replied, her voice unsteady. "Can you help me get out?"

The hunter studied her for a moment. "I can take you out of here, but you'll have to wait until I'm done hunting. I'll give you a ride in my tricycle when I'm finished."

Grateful, Stella nodded. "Thank you."

He gestured toward his tricycle, parked not far from where she had been resting. "Sit inside while I finish up," he said. Stella climbed in and waited as the hunter disappeared into the trees.

After a few minutes, he returned with a rabbit caught in one of his traps and tossed it into the back. He left again and came back dragging a large bushmeat.

Once he had everything packed, he got into the tricycle and started the engine. "Where do you need to go?" he asked as they bumped along a dirt path toward the main road.

Stella told him her destination. The hunter frowned. "That's far. Do you have money for transport?"

She shook her head. "No, I don't... I wasn't expecting to be here."

"Call someone who can send you money," he suggested, pulling out his phone. "You can use this."

"Thank you," Stella said, taking the phone. "How much should I ask for?"

"Two thousand should cover it."

She dialed her husband's number, her hands trembling. After a few rings, he picked up.

"Hello? Who is this?" her husband asked.

"It's me, Stella."

"Stella? Where have you been? I got home, and you weren't here! I tried calling, but your phone wasn't reachable. Where are you?"

"I'm... I'm lost. I don't even know where I am. Please send me 2,000 naira so I can get home."

Her husband sighed. "You went out when you were told not to, didn't you? The man of God warned you, Stella! Why do you keep doing this?"

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "Please, I'll explain everything when I get home. Just send the money."

"Alright, I'll send it."

The hunter drove her to the nearest bank, where Stella withdrew the money and thanked him. Afterward, she found a bus heading toward her area and arrived home just after 7:30 p.m.

Her husband, sitting in the living room, looked up as she entered. "Good evening," she said softly.