Under the moonless night, a van lurched along the rough roadway in the wilderness. Inside were two men — one middle-aged, wearing a police uniform; the other, an old man dressed entirely in black with a black bowler hat.
The old man checked his interior mirror and saw the officer glancing at his watch, sighing in dismay. The driver couldn't help but ask,
"Please, son, what's wrong? Is something bothering you?"
"Oh, nothing. Please, driver, how long will it take us to reach Nungua District?" the officer asked.
"Driver? I'm sorry, but I'm just an old man returning from a funeral. I couldn't let you travel through this forest alone, not at this hour and not in these terrible times. Something is clearly wrong, but don't feel pressured to share, dear," the driver advised.
The officer pressed his handkerchief against his cheek, bottling his sweat. The driver handed him a bottle of water to calm him down.
The officer took a shaky sip.
"By the way, I am Nkansah Agyemang, a veteran officer and founder of the God Is Great Orphanage," the old man introduced.
"I'm Amankwa Stephen, and I'm deeply sorry for my indistinct behavior earlier," the officer replied, sounding exhausted. "Actually, there's been an influx of appearances of unknown monsters. Our work has gone from bad to extremely worse. And now I have to deal with my wife's anger for missing her birthday because of all this."
He leaned forward, eyes wide with hope. "Mr. Nkansah, do you know how to deal with such situations?"
"No, I don't… but as a former husband, I'd advise you to pray that she's asleep, or we could find a shop still open to buy her a gift. That might at least give you an excuse and a chance to apologize, though it may not be enough if your wife's a socialite or party lover," Mr. Agyemang answered, knowing very well that his wife's guests might have noticed his absence — something that would certainly make any lady upset.
"Yes, you're right. Let's grab some gifts at a convenience shop, please," he agreed, then rested on his seat with relief. He looked out the window, admiring the thousands of fireflies illuminating the night.
After a while, they came across a small shop that was still open. Mr. Agyemang tilted his head, staring blankly at it as if something was off.
"Please wait for me. I'll return soon."
Mr. Amankwa, oblivious to the old man's weariness, got down and jogged toward the shop.
"The shop isn't closed yet? Strange. They usually close early… it's already 11 p.m.? Something's definitely off."
Mr. Amankwa exited his van, eyes scanning the surroundings.
"Phew!" he sighed. "I guess I was overthinking stuff," he assured himself. But suddenly, a flurry of gunshots shattered the silence of the night.
Mr. Agyemang froze. He wanted to rush in but realized he needed a weapon; otherwise, he'd only become another dead weight and defenseless as well.
He quickly checked the trunk, grabbed a sharp machete, and rushed into the shop.
"Hey! Officer! What's wrong?" he shouted as he entered — only to find the officer about to be devoured by an eight-foot-tall monster. It had a human-like structure with a long, protruding occiput and a reptilian tail. Its translucent skin revealed faint veins beneath, and its glowing red eyes made its presence terrifying. It roared, revealing a bloody maw lined with sharp canines that could scare even a lion.
"Old man, leave! Please, leave!" Mr. Amankwa pleaded as his leg was yanked away, blood dripping onto the ground.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" he screamed, using all the strength left in him. "Please go, sir! There are many more here! If you don't leave now, you'll die too!"
"Hang in there!" Mr. Agyemang shouted, clutching his machete.
"You bastard!" He lunged forward at full speed, shifting his weight and grounding his foot before swinging — the blade cleaved the monster in two. Crimson blood gushed out uncontrollably, splashing on both the officer and the old man.
Mr. Agyemang kicked it, freeing the officer.
Mr. Amankwa's face was contorted with shock and disbelief as Mr. Agyemang tore a strip of cloth and tied it tightly around his leg to stop the bleeding.
"Let's get out of here," Mr. Agyemang said firmly, lifting Mr. Amankwa onto his shoulders. The wounded man, still in shock at the old man's strength, could barely speak.
"With one strike! He killed it with a machete… a machete!" he muttered weakly.
Mr. Agyemang escaped the shop and threw the wailing officer into the car before speeding off. But behind them, four more of those terrifying creatures emerged, sprinting after the van.
In his mind, Mr. Agyemang wanted to stop and run them over, but he snapped out of it, knowing it was too risky.
The rough, uneven road made the ride bumpy and dangerous, as if the van could flip over at any moment. Mr. Agyemang glanced back. They were still pursuing, relentless, showing no sign of exhaustion or slowing down.
"Damn those bastards!" he cursed.
Dizzy and in excruciating pain, Mr. Amankwa managed to speak between gasps. "Sir… please! Use… agh!" he wailed.
"I'm sorry, but you'll need to hold on!" Mr. Agyemang urged, pressing harder on the accelerator. Finally, the van gained some distance.
"It's a shame," the officer murmured, voice breaking. "As a policeman, I'm the one being saved by a civilian. How shameful is that?…Please, sir… throw me out of the car. Use me as bait and escape." Tears streamed down his face, his voice trembling before being cut off.
"Damn you!" Mr. Agyemang barked, with the rage of an African father. "You don't deserve to die yet! Your wife needs you — you live for her sake! There are many things you need to experience before death. It is not your time yet! You hear me? Dying is not an option when I'm with you!"
This made the officer chuckle in amusement.
"Do you have any reason to live, old man?" the police officer asked faintly.
"Yes," Mr. Agyemang replied. "I have a grandson, a boy with great potential, who needs guidance. Until he's ready, I cannot die yet."
Mr. Amankwa smiled faintly. "Well… I've never seen a grandfather love his grandson that much to refuse death for his sake. I wonder what his name is… how tall he is… what his ancestors did to earn such a man as their son. I hope that child prospers… and becomes the man his teacher wishes him to be…"
"Hey, Sir. What's your grandson's name?" he asked.
"It's Nkansah Agyemang Amoah," Mr. Nkansah Agyemang answered.
After he replied, the police officer smiled. "What a wonderful name… Amoah…"
His voice trailed off as he finally lost consciousness from blood loss.
Mr. Agyemang looked back in alarm. "Damn it! I need to hurry!"
Then came a familiar roar.
All of a sudden, the car somersaulted violently as a giant monster appeared. A massive hand struck the vehicle, cleaving it in half. The van exploded, and an arm fell — flames lighting up the forest.
Mr. Agyemang was thrown out, badly injured, rolling into the bushes. Through blurred vision, he gazed at the burning wreck, tears streaming down his face as his eyes slowly closed.