AncilChapter 32: HE Reach
We spent quite a while discussing strategy seated around a round webbed table that Anansi had created to replace the broken wooden one. Mama Glow was now fully regenerated and back to her normal self. I learned a lot about Mama Glow while we were discussing strategy. Besides being really beautiful she was also really deadly. Her snake darts were so strong and quick that it could break trees. She had the ability to turn into a snake at any given moment. But that wasn’t the only time that she was dangerous. In human form the liquids in her body were venomous. One kiss from Mama Glow could kill you in a second. She can also spit venom at her victims. The most feared thing about Mama Glow, according to Anansi, was her snake squeeze. In the stories Mama Glow was half snake, half woman. She was a naked woman from the waist up and a snake from the waist down. Her duties were protector of the forest like her supposed love interest, Papa Bois. Mortal men who committed crimes against the forest, like burning trees, fouling the waters or indiscriminately killing animals enraged Mama Glow. When these men went missing it was rumored that they had been taken away by Mama Glow, cursed to be married to her till death. Hunters told stories of meeting a beautiful young woman with silky black hair combing her locks, sitting on the water’s edge and singing silent songs. They would only get a glance before she suddenly disappeared in a flash of green. I did a lot of reading about Mama Glow and I feared her greatly, but my fear for her became suppressed while she stayed in the house, helping us. It was probably the least that she could do after we saved her life.
The day raced on and we spent most of it talking about strategy. It wasn’t easy coming up with a plan to kill someone who couldn’t be killed. Anansi didn’t want to mention the name of the beast that was upon us but based on the description I realized that it was the Lagahoo, the legendary shape-shifting monster. The Midnight Robber didn’t create him to be much of a shape-shifter though. He possessed only two forms that he shifted between. At 12 midnight he would change into a giant werewolf, while during the day he would turn into a mere man who was cursed to carry a giant coffin which was chained onto him. However even in his human form he could be just as dangerous as a werewolf if you let him. As a human he was known to have mastered the art of stealth, with the ability to kill you without you even knowing. Like a ninja he could move in between the trees, toting the giant coffin on his back like a backpack without being seen using his long chains to ensnare anything that caught his attention. In stories, the Lagahoo was known to be cousin to the Germanic werewolf.
As it began getting dark we all set off to accomplish our individual tasks. We were each allocated specific roles that we respectively had to perform in order to hold off the Lagahoo untill morning. The advantage we had over the Lagahoo was that we knew about him and could predict his attack. He usually changed into a werewolf at 12 midnight and changed back into his human form at 6 in the morning. That gave us 6 hours to hold him off. There was no way that we could have stayed in the house because it would have made the job too easy for Lagahoo. We had to go out into the forests and split up into four groups. Sara, Megan and I were in one group. Cornell, Maggie and Mama Glow were in another group. Bookman, Melanie, Saraya and Justin formed another group and Anansi was in a group by himself, remaining in the house. We were all hiding in the bushes with a visual of the house, waiting on the Lagahoo to attack. The first place that he would go is to the house especially with all the nasty smelling farm animals around, masking our smells. The Lagahoo would have to focus his sense of smell a bit more in order to get to Anansi, slowing him down. The plan wasn’t sure to work but it was definitely worth a try.
It was precisely 11:00 am and we all patiently waited, hiding in our respectful positions. Sara, Megan and I were all on the forest floor behind a patch of bush. The house was about 100 feet in front of us and I could see the light from it in the distance. Our goal was to keep the Lagahoo away from the house for as long as possible. The group I was in was called Backup and our job was simply to back up Mama Glow, Cornell and Maggie whose sole jobs were to keep the Lagahoo away from the house as long as possible. They had set up traps all throughout the forest to hold him back. Their group was called Frontrunners. Backup’s job was to help Frontrunners keep HIM away. The idea was to give Anansi as little time as possible with the Lagahoo in the house as possible.
“This is stupid,” Sara said.
“You have a better plan genius?” Megan asked sarcastically.
“It’s obvious that Anansi is trying to get us killed. But I guess you are too blind to see that.”
“It’s not about being blind. It’s about surviving,” I said. “Right about now this looks like the best option to survive the night.”
“We’re out in the forests in the night surrounded by jumbies while Anansi safe inside the house. Genius!! I won’t be surprised if he’s just using us as bait.”
“Anansi won’t do that,” I started.
Sara stood up. “You don’t know anything about these creatures Jed. They are dead and soulless. They don’t know nothing about love or compassion. That big sad story he told us back in the house was probably just to get us to trust him. And all you fools fell for it.”
Megan got up from the ground and pushed Sara down grabbing hold of her top with her fists up in the air. “You know how long I wanted to slap you.”
“Megan stop!!” I shouted.
She turned around to say something to me but before she could speak Sara swung her gun butt at Megan’s head sending her to the floor in pain. She then began running off.
