CHAPTER TEN

I was so happy when I got my admission letter from a university I had applied to. I even got my dream course; Pharmacy. I was so excited, too excited even. I had my parents pay for one of the female hostels, I dreamed of staying in a female hostel, not literal dream any way.

Two weeks into the university life, i found my roommate's incessant snoring the most annoying sound in the universe, even if I shook her, she would not stop snoring. I couldn't sleep for some time, then the weariness from the lack of sleep had me sleeping everywhere. Finally, I could not bear with it any more, I decided to head back home, have a fulfilling night's rest during the weekend and come back for more after the weekend, if only I could exchange my roommate.

My parents laughed at my dead enthusiasm for the hostel, but they didn't understand. They were not the ones sleeping with someone that sounded like a dragon.

I slept peacefully the first night, it was so refreshing I almost thought of staying home for good, but I was not going to waste my education because of some weirdo.

I was sitting outside of my house, listening to the current gist of the compound, when I heard screams, people were screaming from every angle, I turned to the girl that was gisting with me earlier, she too was screaming and she ran away. I looked at her in confusion. I looked up, I saw the largest snake I had ever seen in my entire life, it was very huge, half of it's body was on the floor, the remaining half, the head part of the body, was rising above all our heads, it was taller than my building, fear gripped my soul. Tami and I were the only ones outside, and it told us to run, yes it spoke.

I didn't have time to consider the fact that it spoke, I ran. I ran holding on to Tami's hand as we both ran. But the strangest thing happened, any turn we took, it's head would poke and tell us to run. I felt fear like never before. We ran blindly, not worrying about the roads we took.

There were smaller, normal sized snakes of different colors on the floor, we had to avoid those and still out run the biggest one. I don't think I had ever felt the fear I felt then, in my entire life.

"Where.. where is mom, Terra, and Tia?" I asked Tami as I was panting heavily.

She took her time before answering, I knew the fear didn't want to let her speak.

"They are still in the house." She said.

I stopped abruptly, the giant snake was not here anymore, it was around our house then, my dad had gone to the office, and only mom, Terra and Tia were at home.

"We are heading back!" I said in finality.

I was very scared, terrified even, but I was not going to let some snake harm my family.

Tami didn't object as we ran, dodging the hissing snakes on the floor. We got back home, in time to see my younger, Terra, being carried by my mom, with tears streaming down my mom's face. My heart stopped beating for two seconds, then it pounded hard in my ears.

"She got bitten, I tied it up, but we still need medical attention." Mom told me.

I nodded, and checked Tia, she was fine, except for a scratch on her cheek.

We ran together, dodging the tiny snakes, we headed towards a private clinic owned by my mom's old school friend, we hoped it was not too full, and someone was there to attend to us.

Terra shouted out, we turned to look at her, a tiny snake had bitten her again, my mom cried harder, but I just ripped a part of my shirt and tied it up, while Tami hit the snake with a stick, we didn't stay to find out if it was dead, we ran.

The huge snake's head came again, chasing us this time, I told Mom we should split, and meet at the clinic, I offered to carry Terra as she looked tired.

I ran with Terra in my arms, and Tia by my side. We got to the back door of the clinic,

"Someone, help!" I shouted.

A nurse ran out to meet us,

"what happened to her?" The nurse asked.

"Bitten, twice." I explained.

The nurse nodded and took her from me. I looked at Tia and held her hand, praying earnestly that my mom and sister were safe.

I woke up gasping for air, the fear was still in me, my spine cold from the scary dream I just had. It was in the afternoon, I checked the floor for tiny snakes, finding nothing, I sat back down on my bed. What was this dream, it seemed so real, it felt real. I rubbed away the goosebumps that had spread across my arms.

I tell my sister Terra about the dream, she looked scared. I hugged her, to reassure her, I got her.

"Don't worry okay? I am here for you, I am your eldest sister, I will be your personal prayer warrior, like the Merlin to your Arthur." I tell her.

She kind of laughs at the Merlin part. But nodded her head. I tried to reassure her, but I myself was scared. I prayed, but still was not satisfied. That evening, I met our pastor with her in tow, I explained the dream to him and tell him about my earlier dreams.

We pray together, for my sister. I felt relieved now, nothing was going to happen to her.

"Snake dreams mean satanic attack." My pastor told me.

So I organized a praying thing, the one where we, the pastor and I would meet to pray for my sister, at least two days in a month.

I was not going to let anything harm my sister, like I told her.

I was her personal prayer warrior.