The village of Kuguru is located in a forest where the inhabitants worship a giant idol. Every year, they sacrifice five people to the idol, drink their blood, and eat their flesh during their annual festival. The villagers capture anyone who enters the forest, bind them, and sacrifice them at the end of the year. The villagers wear minimal clothing, covering themselves with animal skins or leaves. Women adorn their chests when they become maidens and are married off at the end of the year during the festival. The village chief is a cruel and heartless man. If a woman gives birth to an albino child, the child is cooked and eaten, with the first portion given to the chief.
Tenkwai, where are you? Go fetch us some water from the stream. You know we don't have any water at home, and it's dangerous to go to the stream at night because of the evil things along the way. Lamunde, I'm coming. I'll go with Rama and Aduke. Let's go quickly and not delay. Tenkwai, carrying her pot, walked playfully with Rama and Aduke, discussing the upcoming festival. Aduke asked Tenkwai why she hadn't accepted Ja'e's proposal, suggesting she should since she hadn't found anyone else. Tenkwai replied that she disliked the village's way of life and the human sacrifices. She couldn't understand why they sacrificed their own people and hoped for a savior to come to their village. She didn't trust Ja'e because he was the chief's son and just as heartless. She would think about it and discuss it with Lamunde.
They sat down and continued their conversation about the festival, where they played with fire and snakes. Aduke filled her pot with water and told them about her boyfriend. Suddenly, she saw something in the water and screamed for Tenkwai to look. Tenkwai, brave and compassionate, stepped into the water and saw something that made her scream in terror. The others ran away, leaving her alone, gasping for breath, as she had never seen anything like it in her life.
What did Tenkwai see that terrified her? Follow me to the next page.
