Living the lion dream

   You arrived home when everyone had returned back. Your father just came back from his visit to your Brother Jude's at Canada. Ditto to your mother, she got tired of travelling to Dubai. Your brother Alfred and your sister Wunmi returned home from the university. It seemed you all were complete. Your first few weeks were fine. Morning devotions were now held since your dad got promoted to senior pastor. You knew he didn't deserved it. Even your mom didn't like it because she would now be referred to as ‘Pastor Mrs.’ Your family probably wasn't the type to hold a high place in the church because none of you were spiritual. 

   The weeks turned into months, you began knowing some things. You knew your Brother Alfred was a fraudster with the laptops and phones he took all about and never allowed you to touch. You knew your mother was having an extramarital affair with another man with the way she behaved to your dad. And lastly, you knew your father was sleeping with your sister. You saw the way he slapped her buttocks and grin each time she served him tea. Your mother didn't know about this, she was busy with that man friend of hers. Brother Alfred didn't know about it either, he was far too busy duping richer people. You began wondering what role Brother Jude would be playing in your family problem. The last time you called him to tell him of your knowledge, he said that was why he wasn't planning on coming home for Christmas. You knew it wasn't because of that, you knew it was because your dad had already disowned him. The reasons couldn't be said as much as it couldn't be asked. You also knew of the girl you just moved into the street. She was your new crush since Halima moved away.

  No one in your family had time for you. They all had something keeping them busy so you always hung out with Aminat the house girl. You remembered her first approach coming up to you asking why you weren't like them. Your family. You just replied her by saying it was because you didn't live with them for four years.

   “You know,” she said.

  You looked at her thinking she read your mind by rummaging through all the junk that was in your head.

   “Know what?,” you asked tentatively.

   “Your father. Everything,” she answered softly almost in whispers.

  You looked away and nodded. You felt a part of you was exposed, like your big secret was broadcasted on BBC. You got scared. You were afraid of something. 

   “How did you know?,” you asked sweat trickling down your armpit.

   “I read minds,” she said plainly like you were going to believe her that instant.

  You didn't want to believe her because you saw and heard those things in movies and stories. They weren't real. Were they? You got more afraid as you thought she was a witch. You asked her to tell you what you were thinking. She told you. You saw this moment as an avenue to ask her questions about the things you knew. You asked her why your father slept with Wunmi. She didn't say anything.

  Since she revealed herself to you, you two began chatting and playing like besties even though your mother had warned you not to get too close too her. That night before you went to bed, Aminat told you to get ready for some experience. You just nodded. You got on your bed and laid still as you awaited the experience. You couldn't stay awake for much long so you slept off.

  You woke up on wet grass to the clear dark sky that twinkled of stars as you breathe in fresh air of the night. You watched the cloud drift away thus displaying the glory of the full moon. You stood up as a quadruped but you didn't notice it. You felt bigger and powerful as your felt energy surge through you. As you walked over to the riverbank, you stooped to lap water then you saw the monster's reflection in the unstill waters, your eyes glowed yellowish gold like a million suns were crammed in them. You had fur on your face, you had a... You were a freaking wolf. You freaked out as you backed away from the river staring at those big paws and your retracted claws. You heard a howl. A loud one. Your body jolted as you fought your instinct from howling back, you won. Suddenly you began running towards the sound as you brushed past leaves and branches. You were very fast. The night was quiet but your ears caught a lot of things. The crashing waters, the whistling trees, the chirping crickets, the hooting owls. Everything the nocturnal world of nature offered could be heard from distances. But then, you heard something. You stopped and inched closer as you broke through the broad leaved curtains. Immediately you went through, something pounced on you and pinned you to the floor as it growled to your face displaying fangs.

   “Who are you?,” the wolf growled. “You're trespassing.”

   “What? I'm not...,” you wanted to say something but sighed. The lady went off you still locking her fiery gaze on you. 

 You rose to defend yourself but you thought of getting useful information from her before you left without looking silly.

   “If I'm trespassing, where am I?,” you asked subtly. 

   “You're in our territory!,” she replied. “Go!.”

  She wasn't helpful so you decided to take her down. You slowly turned your back on her making it seem like you were going but then you struck from the blues. You swiftly turned around to pounce on her, she wriggled free and let out a howl for reinforcement because she thought you wouldn't go down easily. For minutes, you two circled and growled and clawed at each other until the backup arrived. They came out of the trees surrounding you snarling offensively. They seemed to be waiting for someone. They awaited the alpha. He walked out of the woods into the brightness of the moon that showed his smooth black fur. He was quite bigger than the rest of them and the scar on his left eye showed experience. He was the top dog, the one no one would want to mess with. He walked over to you intimidating you with fangs longer than yours. You whined as your tail fell between your hind legs. 

   “You're not from around here. Are you?,” he boomed.

   “No,” you gulped comparing your shaky voice to his clear baritone. 

   “Then leave,” he growled walking away.

   “Garba please let him stay,” a she-wolf prowled into the moonlight. “Let's see his worth.”

  You just stared as you tried to comprehend what was going on. You looked at the lady you attacked, there was something off. 

   “OK. You may join the pack. On probation.” Garba sighed eyeing you with the corner of his eyes. You watched them retreat back into the trees. The lady didn't. She sat there assessing you until she walked to you.

   “I'm Anne,” she said. 

  “I'm...,” you cleared your throat staring away. “Timi.”

  “I'll show you around,” she turned as she gently slapped you with her tail. 

  She introduced you to the members of the pack that consisted of three adult males, two females and two cubs besides the alpha and his wife. She told you about the pack and its rules, how Garba gained control and some other stuff. She thought you to eat raw meat from creatures you thought didn't exist. The first time you found it irritating, but as you spent more time as a werewolf you found yourself often burying your face in bloody fresh meat. You and Anne bonded for the few weeks you were together. And lastly, it was always night and dark except for the moon that was always round and full and shone like a giant glowing orb. It was always cold that leaves appeared frosty. You hated being around the pack if Anne wasn't there. You didn't always have enough to eat because of the laid down rules. Even the cubs were allowed to eat more than you. It was like you weren't part of the team. In fact, you ceased to be without Anne.

  It was time for a hunt so the pack was spread out in search of prey. You went with Anne as she taught you to move directly downward of prey with your powers. You thought this was the right time to practice what she taught you on how to track with your astonishing power of smell. You spotted a herd of strange looking two headed antelopes that had zebra stripes, the size of a growing elephant. It looked strange that you freaked out at sight but you just didn't want to be look frightened in Anne's presence because it seemed she was falling for you. 

   She howled to summon the pack into action and in minutes you could see them all spread out under the cover of tall grasses. Among the grasses you could see Garba's eyes fixed on you that you got uncomfortable until he barked an order. Suddenly they all ran out barking and running after the herd until it splitted. You watched them separate an injured antelope from it's herd as they took turns in biting at the hind legs of the weird looking goat while it ran that it stumbled and fell then the others came in to suffocate it by clamping its neck down with razor sharp fangs till it gave up. You hurried to the kill to take something and leave but then the mischievous looking guy Anne introduced to you as a close friend whose name was Tunde snarled at you to get back. You thought of fighting your way through even though you knew you might not win. As you growled back for a fight, Garba arrived and took control of the situation sending you off. You got mad that you left telling Anne to come with you. Tunde overheard you and called the attention of Garba and the pack. Garba said he hated you enough to not give his daughter to you. He said Tunde was the only one he had trained and prepared for Anne and that they would start another pack together.

    “Is there any chance I can...” you said.

   “Yes,” Garba interrupted. “You'll have to battle Tunde tomorrow. And anyone who loses gets kicked out of the pack.”

  You got scared. No one had ever crossed Tunde and won in a fight. He was the next in charge after Garba and Diane. He thought of letting Anne go for his life. Maybe she wasn't worth it. Or maybe it was a chance to show your feelings to Anne. 

   It was time. The whole members of the pack were present at distances from you and Tunde. The two of you circled each other snarling as chill breeze blew. He began barking then you striked with a powerful leap sending yourselves tumbling on the grass. You broke free as you circled yourselves for again until you clawed at his face. He did same you as you two rolled on the floor splattering wet grass all over. You continued clawing and biting tirelessly. You got swiped at the neck but didn't seem to feel it because of your fluffy neck. He pinned you to the floor and clawed unremittingly at your face. You tried to roll him over but he wouldn't budge so you kicked him over. Your face hurt. You positioned yourself at his head to bite him but he resisted, jolting and scratching at the same time. You withdrew. You circled yourselves again in the dew as the wind became fiercer on the flatlands. You attacked yourselves in high speed, so fast that it looked like he was strangling you as you two stood on your hind legs. With sthenia, he locked you to the floor then got you on your shoulder with his powerful jaws that you howled in pain. You clawed him away as you staggered to your feet. You were bleeding already. He rushed you slapping claws on your shoulders as he sent fur flying around. From the hip, you swiftly maneuvered from the paws of fury to his side where you bit him at his neck for sweet revenge but got nothing but fur in your mouth. He rapidly went under you between your foreleg to bite one of them. He was successful and got you limping and bleeding more. You stooped low and nabbed him in the ear pulling him up to his feet. He shook free and got his jaws locked in yours and made it look like you were kissing but you bit him as hard as you could and he did same making the two of you bleed. You shook his mouth like a piece of ragged doll to make sure it hurt more. Then the tables turned, he managed to get you to the floor while his upper lip was still caught in your teeth and wiped you repeatedly on your head with so much anger and pain that you let go of his mouth so he managed was able to get you in the shoulder that you bled. You made a safe distance from him whining in utter displeasure as he growled and looped you away until you yielded. He had won as expected and now you were limping away as you heard him bark at you to never return or he would feed you to the vampires. You thought he felt good because he howled a howl of victory at the moon. You walked away lamely hearing the barks that preceded the howl that made you despondent. It made you sick and ashamed of yourself for thinking you could fight and win Tunde. You made a final stare back at the girl of your dreams. She still remained where she was during the fight. Her gaze was fixed on yours and you couldn't stand it so you hurried into the night. You were alone in the forest away from the pack, out of the territory in danger of imps and ghosts that lurked within range. In some minutes your wounds were healed and the bleeding stopped. A strange smell brushed your nose. You heard the rustling of leaves coming from miles away. They were coming fast. The natural and sworn enemies of werewolves. Vampires. You thought of breaking for it but they were already here. At a blink of an eye you were surrounded by bloodthirsty creatures you knew would sink teeth into you. They looked like humans with very pallid skin but they were fast and strong. How strong?, you thought. You launched a lightening fang attack in attempt to put up a fight but the first one caught you in his arms and tossed you away. You landed on your feet growling at the smirking hemovores as you retreated slowly then bolted speedily jumping over overgrown tree roots as you swept past the forest like as shot arrow. You heard them follow you from behind so you kept running till they got tired and gave up the chase. You won. At least you got a chance to keep your life. You stopped at the place where you were to smell something familiar. You sniffed and tracked it till you met a phoenix whose feathers glowed golden in the night.

   “C'mon! Let's go! It's time!,” she said.

  “Who are you?,” you snarled.

  “I'm Aminat. It's time to go,” he answered hastily looking around. 

  “OK,” you said letting your last howl. 

   In seconds you turned into a boy again. The cold was unbearable that you folded yourself waiting for what to happen next. The moon disappeared, the whole place became so dark and even the noise that hovered ceased. You found yourself on your bed in the your room. How? You rose to the mirror on the wall beside your bed to check yourself. No fur on your skin, no snout or whiskers. You opened your mouth glad that your fangs and sharp teeth were replaced with the normal human one. You were happy to be back since everything began going sideways over there. Someone called your name. It was your mother waking you up for the morning devotion. You finished the morning prayers eyeing Aminat and smiling. You told Aminat of what happened in the place that never knew day. You told her of the pack you joined and got kicked out off after losing a battle over a girl you hoped to see in reality. You told her everything that transpired in mystery land and she kept mute. It's like she was reading your mind again.

   “Did you enjoy yourself?,” she spoke finally.

   “I think so,” you replied looking away smiling wishing you could see Anne again but not as a werewolf. 

  It had been a week since you had that werewolf experience and now the urge to see Anne died slowly until one afternoon when you went on an errand down the street to a shop. You met your crush, the one who just moved in. You stood right there beside her but you didn't say anything to her. You could feel her eyes on you but you comported yourself not to make a mess in the presence of your crush. 

   “Hello,” she greeted smiling. 

   “Hi,” you greeted looking at her then away as sweat trickled down your armpit.

   “You're Timi, right?,” she asked pointing at you.

   “Yeah,” you raised your eyebrows in confusion. You had no idea what she was talking about.

   “I'm Anne,” she introduced herself extending her hand for an handshake. You were completely astonished that you embraced her tightly then withdrew when you realized your plan of deportment failed you.

   “I... I'm sorry,” you stood back clearing your throat unable to look her in the eyes you knew once glowed. She laughed at your clumsiness and told you that you had not changed. The two of you walked down the street talking about what happened after you had left. You chatted till you were in front of her home. 

   “OK. Guess I'll be seeing you around,” you said backing away then turned to leave.

   “Wait!,” she called running to you. She turned you to her face and planted a kiss on your lips. She kissed you passionately an deeply that you could feel the taste of her strawberry lipstick in your mouth. You kissed her back then she pulled away. You stared at yourselves until she broke the silence with a goodbye and went through the gate. You still stood there dumbfounded at her action. You walked away from the building thinking of what just happened. You reached home telling Aminat how the strawberry taste still lingered in your mouth as you jumped on your bed excitedly but it was like she wouldn't understand the feeling of being kissed by your crush. You and Anne started seeing each other and began dating. You no longer stayed at home getting your head filled with crazy family stuff instead you spent quality time at Anne's. Now you had learned a good lesson; talking to the house girl solved a lot problems.