More than a day has passed here. I am sure of it. But yet the sun has yet to rise. Once again, I am back at the clearing, and the statue has been raised again.

As I stare at the still full moon, I wonder if I will ever see the sun again. I wonder if a rescue party has been raised. I wonder how worried my parents are. How Tunde must feel. Do my siblings sleep easy or are they awake with sun shining on their dark bodies, combing through the forest, looking for any sign of me.

I hope not. Better I die here alone, than others become trapped because of me. Still, as I think those thoughts, some part of me is praying endlessly, hoping for companionship in this increasingly scarier place. Praying that I may be rescued by those who love me.

* * * * * *

The statues eyes began to glow earlier today. A bright green glow. The sense of malevolence has also increased significantly. Something is waking up, and for some reason it wants me here.

I haven't stopped trying to get away from it but the time it takes for me to get back here is getting shorter and shorter. But some part of me doesn't really care anymore. Let something come out from the statue. Let the statue come to life. It doesn't matter. At least I will have companionship then.

* * * * * *

Today is the third or fourth day. I haven't eaten in days but somehow, I am not hungry or thirsty. Energy is something I am not lacking. Or tears. As I stare at the full moon, I can't help but fantasize about the village, imagining playing with friends, laughing with family, and more. A tear streaks down my face. I had been such a fool to not listen to Tunde, the adults knew why this place was prohibited yet I didn't listen to their advice. This is all my fault. No wonder no one has come for me.

* * * * * *

Day five. The statue is almost fully out, but I might not last long enough to see it in all its glory. I want to die. I am tired of being alone, tired of the constant fear, and tired of the voices that had begun speaking in my head.

* * * * * *

On the seventh day, I decided to end it all. I found a very tall tree and considered how I would end it all. I would climb to the top and jump down headfirst. At this point I am sure no one is coming for me, and I'm not surprised, only an idiot would enter a place like this. An idiot like me.

I put a hand on the tree when a voice sounds out. "What exactly trying to do?" The voice is a strange one, speaking in a language I had only ever hear a few times in my life, and all the times it was from the same man. Uncle Ade. I ignore it though, ever since the voices started a few days ago they never left, and they came in all forms, accents and languages. I would have continued with my actions had I not heard something else. Footsteps.

I turn around to see a man wearing purple robes with glowing white patterns on them. I blink blankly. His skin is strange, fair where mine is dark, and very smooth, as though he had never seen a day's hardship. He has smooth silky dark hair, and on his face is a smile that promises relief to all those who believe in it. I immediately recognize what he is. An oyinbo - a white man. I heard a lot about them from Uncle Ade, he fought amongst them in the war. Some of them were good, some were bad, just like any other human being.

He looks me over. "Are you okay? What exactly are you doing here?"

I don't understand what he is saying, but I can hear the concern in his voice. Having been deprived of human companionship for so many days, I break down once more into tears. Silently, the man pulls me into a hug, and I cry harder. When I finally stop, he pulls away from me and looks me dead in the eye.

"I know you can't understand me, but I'll fix that in a moment. Just, try to relax, okay?"

I have no idea what he says, but when he reaches out to touch my head, I let him. For some reason, I feel like I can trust him, even with my life. The next time he speaks I understand every word.

"What is your name?"

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"Ike." I answer.

"What exactly are you doing here, there is a… great evil in this place."

"I know," I almost break down in tears saying these words. "I can feel it. They warned me but I stupi… stupidly entered here."

He taps me gently and flashes a bright smile. "Well, have no worries. I'll take care of everything. Have you seen anything strange here?" I nod. "Okay, take me to where you saw it."

I begin leading him to where the statue is. "Are you one of the Orisha's envoys?"

"Ori… what?"

"Orisha. The gods."

A strange expression crosses his face. "Not exactly, but I am part of an Order, dedicated to ridding the world from evil."

That is enough for me. Soon we get to the clearing. He homes in on the statue before I even have a chance to say anything and motions for me to stand back. He moves toward it, a stern expression on his face, then he stops. The next moment a terrifying pressure emanates from him as his power fills the clearing. I take a step back. He spares me a quick glance before focusing once more on the statue.

He raises a hand, and a small white sun appears above his head. "Out! You foul spirit." The sun behind him shines bright, its light clearing the darkness around us. In the sky, the moon cracks and then disappears and the next moment I see the sun. I fall to my knees, gratefulness filling my heart even as a horrifying roar sounds out. Somehow, I know he will keep me safe.

He begins to do battle with an invisible being and a few minutes later he stops, a triumphant smile on his face. He listens to a soundless voice before quipping. "God my ass, so even weak Fasurus like you dare claim godhood. Well, mister god, get ready to spend the rest of eternity in the Abyss."

He reaches forward and his hand disappears into thin air, then with a grunt he begins to pull them apart. At that moment my eyes open, and I see the great evil he is fighting. For a moment terror fills me, then it disappears. With that man around, I am safe.

Space is pulled apart by the man, revealing a great expanse of darkness with bright stars dotting the insides. The evil fights as it is pulled, but ultimately it is too weak and it is sucked into the darkness. With that, my ordeal is over.

As the darkness of the Abyss fades, the man turns around to me and holds out his hand. "Let me take you home." With a smile, I reach out and take his hand.

The world twists around me and when everything clears, we are in the village square. The white man turns to look at me. "Is this your village?" He asks. I nod and want to start moving home when he holds me back. "Hang on a second."

I don't understand why he wants me to wait but I don't refuse him, falling back to his side. I look around and find a maiden staring at me, her mouth wide open as they focus on the man beside me. Then her eyes shift and meet mine, before widening in surprise as she recognizes me. The next moment she takes off screaming at the top of her lungs. "Ike is back! Ike is back!"

Not too long after the entire village surrounds me. My parents pierce through the crowd, grabbing and hugging me, checking to see if I am okay while also profusely thanking the white man. Somehow, they knew he was the one who rescued me. He accepts their thanks with a graceful smile.

Not too long after, the crowd quiets down as the three most important people in our village appear. The Leader, the Ifa diviner and the priest of Sango - god of thunder and fire.

The man who rescued me starts talking. "My name is Zarel. Nice to meet you. There was a spirit problem in one of your nearby forests, and while fixing it I found this child. You people need to be more careful with you kids."

"So, you're the one who banished the spirit," the Ifa diviner says. As an envoy of the god of knowledge and wisdom, he is usually the first to speak in situations like this.

"I am. Next time, it would be much appreciated if you could take care of things like that. Fasurus feed off things like fear, and the longer they are around the more damage they cause. However, if your 'gods' are too weak to do so you can always find those like me."

His last statement manages to rankle everyone in the village, especially Sango's priest. "Who do you think you are?" The priest asks. "To dare insult our gods."

"Your gods are nothing more than parasites who feed off you. They don't see us as anything more than food and yet you put your life and the lives of others in their hands."

The Ifa diviner manages to calm the priest down. "Why won't we worship them? They keep us safe from our enemies, make our lands fertile, and so much more. It is only natural we worship them."

"So, it is natural that they treat us as nothing more than servants? To farm and feed off us while we just watch helplessly. To them we are nothing more than prey. You are nothing more than prey."

This time the priest is furious. "This is the last straw. Since you have no respect for the gods, I'll beat it into you." He mutters an incantation and the next moment he freezes. His eyes shine green as a great aura rolls off him. Then he speaks with a voice that is not his. "Laen. What do you want here?"

Zarel takes a deep breath. "Nothing much. Just to help out, and also to take this boy with me." He nods at me.

"Is that why you challenge us?"

Zarel smirks. "I was just speaking the truth. Most of your kind are filthy."

A double axe appears in the hand of the Orisha. It is not hard to figure out what has happened. Sango has possessed the priest. "Choose your next words carefully," Sango speaks with a threatening tone.

Zarel turns serious. "I'm not here to fight. I have no doubt the Eldest left you alone because you are not completely evil. Just, next time, don't allow such a dangerous being in your background. It does not befit your status and it puts your subjects in danger, something you of all people shouldn't want. Also, the boy here has great talent in the arts, I would like to make him part of my Order."

Sango turns to the Ifa diviner, whose eyes have started glowing green at some point. "So, you want to take our child? My heir, and teach him your ways? Alright, but it is his choice."

The diviner turns to me and almost immediately I realize that they are asking me to make a choice. To be honest, I want to follow Zarel and learn to be like him but at the same time I don't want to leave my family and I say so. Zarel quickly assures me that my family will come along and with that my doubts disappear. I agree.

The diviner moves in front of me, his eyes still glowing, and places a hand on my chest. "The Laen may have your mind, but they do not have your heart. Do not forget your home little one. I will come for you when you are of age." I feel something flow from his hand to my chest, and though I do not fully understand his words, I still take them to heart. The diviners are people to be taken seriously, but this is not just a diviner but Ifa himself. The eyes give it all away.

Just like that everything is over. The Leader calls for everyone to go to their homes. Except my family. They will be coming with me.

Before he leaves, the Ifa says one last thing to Zarel. "You Laen have a great enemy. Be wary of him, or you will fall."