C24

THE SCHOOL AND THE LITTLE BOY

A little boy stood by the big iron gates, looking up at the huge school building in front of him. The school looked old and grand, with tall, dark towers reaching into the sky and walls covered in green ivy. It felt like the building was alive, whispering secrets.

The boy, named Oliver, was small and thin. His school uniform was too big for him, hanging loose around his body. People hardly noticed him. His parents called him "the boy," and others used to call him "the runt" or "the shadow."

But today, the school seemed to notice him.

The heavy gates opened by themselves, and Oliver walked slowly up the stone path. The air felt thick, and he could hear the sound of distant laughter, although he couldn't see anyone.

A voice said, "Come in, little one," but no one was there.

When Oliver thought about running away, the gates suddenly slammed shut behind him. He walked up to the big wooden doors, which opened as he got close, and he went inside.

The school seemed to swallow him up.

Inside, it was even colder. The long hallways had pictures of old headmasters and headmistresses, whose eyes seemed to watch him as he passed.

"You're late," said a voice from nowhere.

Suddenly, a gust of wind pushed him into a classroom, and the door shut behind him. The students there looked strange, with very pale skin and glassy eyes, moving stiffly like puppets.

"Welcome, Oliver," said the teacher, a tall, thin woman in a black dress. Her face was sharp, and her eyes glowed red.

"Take your seat, boy," she said.

Oliver sat down at a desk in the back. The chair felt ice cold. It seemed like invisible hands were holding him in place.

The lesson wasn't about math or history. It was something darker. The teacher spoke in a strange language that hurt Oliver's ears and made it hard for him to think. The other students wrote fast, their heads moving together.

TO BE CONTINUE!!!

Title: The Fire and the Ashes

In the small village of Ikoto, the air always smelled a bit like smoke. The villagers were known as "coal makers," but making coal was their family tradition, passed down from their ancestors.

Ikoto was surrounded by two rivers and deep, dark forests. The trees were the village's treasure. Long ago, the villagers made a promise to the forest spirits: "Only take what you need and respect the rest." This agreement had kept things balanced for years.

However, things were starting to change.

Cities nearby were growing and needed more charcoal. The demand meant the villagers worked harder and the forests became thinner. Chief Olagbade, who managed the trade, saw this as a chance to make money. He believed that trees were only valuable when burned to support families.

Tade, a young man in the village, worked as a charcoal maker. Every day, he and his friends went deep into the woods to cut down big trees. The older villagers noticed the forest was quieter, but Tade didn't worry about it. To him, a quiet forest was a controllable one.

One day, Tade and his friends found a new part of the forest with very old, huge trees. It felt different there—the air was cooler and even the birds sounded quieter. Tade's friend Sanya wondered why they had to go so far for wood. Tade explained that they had to follow where the work was because the trees closer to home were already gone.

They worked quietly, cutting down trees. They then built kilns from the wood, covered them with leaves and soil, and lit them on fire. The smoke from the burning wood filled the sky.

That night, a strange sound woke Tade up. He saw shadows moving between the trees and the ground shaking slightly. Then, he heard a whisper calling his name but saw no one. He walked to the forest edge, drawn by a mysterious force.

There, under a giant tree, stood a woman with skin as dark as coal and tangled hair. Her eyes glowed softly. Tade was startled.

TO BE CONTINUED

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