[Part 2] Their Lives Were Perfect… Until The Mysterious Package Arrived I African Folktales Mystery

there's an African proverb that says when the god gives you a child they do not tell you what it will become If you have not seen the part one of this story just go watch it first before watching this part two because it will be more enjoyable that way Now let's continue with the story Ty thought the nightmare was over She had burned the C door She had said the prayers and now she had even brought a child into the world The child that she had longed for for so long But evil does not die It only waits It changes form Even though she had burned the door she didn't realize that the true cause was never about stopping her from having a child It was about what the child would become after being born The day of her delivery finally came Femi drove her to the hospital while she groaned in pains as the labor pains hit her Rain lashed angrily against the glass and lightning flew across the sky It was a storm unlike any tile had ever seen The kind that made the elders shake their heads and murmur The spirits walk abong tonight They got to the hospital In less than 30 minutes and after an hour of groaning and pushing Tio finally gave birth Inside the maternity ward all was calm It was warm safe Ty lay in bed exhausted yet filled with an overwhelming sense of love In her arms wrapped in soft white cloth was Kurid her miracle child His tiny chest rose and fell with each peaceful breath Fem sat beside her beaming as he stroked the baby's delicate fingers "He's perfect," he whispered Pio should have felt nothing but joy And yet something was eaten at the edges of her piece A strange weight pressed against her chest a feeling she couldn't name She glanced at the window where the storm still raged And that was when she noticed it A shadow dark and unmoving stood at the foot of her bed Ta's breath stopped It was an old woman dressed in black her face hidden beneath a deep hood The room felt colder The baby stared in her arms his tiny lips quivering The woman leaned forward her voice barely above a whisper You think this is over A mother always pays her deaths Taio's heart pounded The words were cold and sharp like the knives against her skin And just at that moment the door of her room swung open A nurse entered humming softly as she checked the ivy dripped Ted her head back towards the foot of her bed But the old woman was gone The air felt normal again The room was warm Femi was still smiling oblivious to what had just happened Tio forced a shaky breath Maybe it was just exhaustion Maybe it was a med medication But deep down she suspected the truth The cost was not over It had only just begun They say when a child is too quiet the ancestors are listening At first Taio tried to ignore the feeling Maybe she was just being paranoid Maybe the exhaustion of new motherhood was playing tricks on her But as the days passed the unease in her chest grew heavier like a storm cloud waiting to bust Kurid was a perfect baby In fact he was too perfect He never cried Not when he was hungry not when he needed changing not even when he accidentally rolled onto a toy and bumped his head Tio had seen other newborns scream at the slightest discomfort But Corid only blinked up at her with those deep knowing eyes A baby that does not cry is either too full or too cost her mother had once warned T shook off the thought She was being ridiculous But then the whispers started again It happened late at night when the world was asleep She would lie in bed staring at the ceiling exhaustion pressing down at her like a heavy blanket Then from Kurid's nursery she would hear it soft mus like someone was speaking just beneath their breath It sounded like a lullaby But when she rushed to his creep the room would be silent Fei never heard anything "Tao it's your imagination," he said yawning as he rolled over "You are just tired." T couldn't argue But then Lucy their loyal dog changed all of a sudden Since Ked's birth Lucy refused to step into the nursery He would stand at the doorway his ears flat a low growl rumbling in his throat One night Ty even tried to coass him inside with his favorite treat but the dog only whimpered and backed away He still between his legs Tot thought Dogs see what humans do not see Her hands trembled as she shut the door quietly But the worst was yet to come One evening while brushing her hair in front of the mirror she saw something Just for a split second a shadow flickered behind her reflection It was a tall thin person watching her She spun around her heart hammering but she saw nothing The room was empty She turned back to the mirror and her own reflection stared back at her But she couldn't shake the feeling that something had been there watching her It was at this point that Ty admitted to herself that something was wrong with her son Something had followed him home Ty woke before dawn the next morning Something felt wrong And she had learned to trust her instincts Sleeping out of bed she tiptoed down the hall to Corid's nursery Her heart quickening with every step She pushed the doors open slowly her breath catching in her throat That was when she saw it The rocking chair beside Kurid's creep The chair that had always been empty but now something sat in it A doll But not just any doll the same door the one she had burned Ta's legs turned weak beneath her Her mouth opened but no sound came out The fabric of the doll was burned Its limbs were blackened and shriveled like dry leaves in a fire But its eyes those cold glassy eyes they were open watching The chair that the doll was sitting on creaked softly rocking ever so slightly Tio screamed a loud scream Femy's hurried steps thundered down the hallway He bust into the room his eyes wild "What What is it?" Tio pointed her hands trembled violently "The doll It's It's here," she said looking at Femy's face But when she turned back she stopped The chair was empty The door was gone She blinked rapidly She held her head as if she was going crazy Femy's face softened Tio you need to rest No Fei It was there It was right there she said pointing But Fei was already shaking his head rubbing his arms gently You've barely slept Tio You've been so stressed It's just your mind playing tricks on you We have burned that door remember Ta's stomach twisted Was he right Was she just exhausted or was something playing tricks on both of them Because as Fei led her back to bed neither of them noticed the faint scent of burnt fabric lingering in the air Our elders say that when the drums beat too loudly the dancer must listen for the hidden song Tion knew she had to see by finally again So 2 days later she set out to see him As she drove there her mind was racing with questions fear and the growing dread that she could no longer ignore The doll had returned The nightmares had worsened and Kurid her son never cried Femi had refused to come with her He said it was all in her head But Tion knew there was something locking beneath the surface of her life something she couldn't see but she could feel it in her bones As she packed outside Babai Fine's house she stepped out her heart pounding and she approached Babai Fine's shrine The old man sat cross-legged on a woven mat his sharp eyes studying her before she even spoke "You have returned," he said his voice as dry as the Hamatan wind Ty knelt before him her chest rising and falling rapidly "Baba the doll it came back I saw it Babai find his face darkened He ran his fingers over the beads on his wrist as if counting something unseen You burned the body he murmured But not the spirit T's stomach twisted What does that mean The curse was never placed on you he said slowly It was placed on your womb Ta's breath caught She felt the words settle over her like a heavy stone Baba I don't understand We thought the door was meant to bring baroness but by fine he continued But no my child it was never about stopping a birth It was about what would be born Uh-uh How come babe didn't say this before Cold fear crawled up your spine her son Corid She could barely speak What does that mean Babai found his side his eyes weary You are asking the wrong question my child Then tell me the right one to ask Dio asked The old man looked at her for a long moment Then he leaned forward and whispered "Who sent the cause?" T's lips parted But you told me before that it was someone close The Wi-Fi nodded And now you must see what you have refused to see Taio's hands trembled Baba please just tell me who did this The old man's gaze darkened Your greatest enemy is not outside It is within The words sent a chill through her bones She thought of the storm the night Corid was born The woman in black The whispers in his room Her son who never cried And suddenly she was terrified to ask the one question she had been avoiding all along What exactly has she brought into the world Go home my dear and think Pray and God will guide you With that babe dismiss her H the elders say the child who does not know the story of their ancestors will walk into the traps set for them Ty drove home deep in thought For the next 3 days she fasted and prayed asking God for light and guidance Every day she would see her mother in her dream just staring at her So she decided that her mother knew something about this The next day her hands shook as she gripped her phone The call had barely connected before she blotted out "Mama I need to see you I'm coming now." Her mother didn't ask any questions She only sighed heavily The kind of side that carried the weight of secrets too heavy to hold for too long An hour later Tio sat across from her mother in the dimly lit pow of her childhood home The scent of jalof fries filled the room mixing with the familiar aroma of the rose perfume Her mother stirred her teeth slowly her eyes staring at the swelling liquid as if looking into the past "You are afraid," she finally said Tio swallowed "I need to know the truth mama about our family Her mother set the tea down and folded her hands in her lap There are some truths my daughter that once spoken cannot be taken back T clenched her fist I don't care I need to know why this is happening Why Cor Why my son is caught in this Her mother inhaled deeply then looked up her gaze sharp This is not about you Ty This is about a debt owed to something ancient A debt Her mother nodded slowly Your grandmother was a powerful woman She had wisdom that could bend nature to her will But she offended the wrong people Tio's breath tightened She made a promise long before you were born A promise that must be paid P's heart pounded against her ribs Mama what promise Her mother hesitated Then with her eyes full of sorrow she said "A child." The room fell silent The walls seem to press in on tile the air thick with the weight of those words She shook her head "No no no no That doesn't make sense You had me and I have Corid now." Her mother's face darkened "No Ter not just any child a firstborn son Blood calls to blood thath has waited for generations and now gurid is the price Tio's world tilted her fingers dug deep into her knees No no she whispered This can't be true I won't let it be true But deep inside she already knew This was why Keday never cried Why the shadows clung to him He wasn't just her son he was theirs as well After seeing her mother she decided to go see Bai Fi again They say when the wind blows it does not blow for one tree alone Pio stood outside Babe Fi's shrine her body trembling The heavy wooden door creaked as she stepped inside The air smelled of burning incense and old secrets But by far he sat cross-legged on a mat staring into a small fire His face was carved with deep lines of wisdom and sorrow "You have come again," he murmured without looking up Tired dropped to her knees "I need to know how to stop this How do I save my son?" My wife he picked up a handful of cowry shells and tossed them onto the floor His eyes followed their scattered pattern and a deep sigh left his lips There's only one way to break the curse forever Tio leaned forward desperate Tell me Vapa His gaze met hers but it was dark and unreadable But it is something no mother should ever have to do What do you mean She asked Rabbi Fine's voice was grave A child born of darkness can never be raised in the light You must make a choice What choice Papa His next words shattered her To save Cor's soul you must offer him up to the spirits Huh The room swayed No no no no I can't do that But I find he closed his eyes Then find another way to pay the debt But know this debts of blood demand blood in return Pyro's heart with rod in her ears There must be another way But by exhaled his face shadowed by the flickering flames There's another way but it comes at a price P's hands called into fist Tell me Baba His gaze burned into hers You will give your soul in exchange for his Tio sat down defeated She had waited so long for this son and now she did not want to give him up But she had no choice She nodded weakly and by finally said "You must bring the boy here for the ritual." Again she nodded weakly stood up and left her heart heavy within her The sky was dark when Tao returned to Babai shrine Kurid wrapped tightly on her back Her feet were tired Her heart was even more tired She placed her son gently on the mat and faced the old spiritualist I'm ready she said Tell me what's but tell me what I must do Babai didn't speak at once He stared into the fire Then he made some incantations over the boy After the incantations he then whispered to Ter You must return to where the promise was first made the sacred forest He pointed to a cab staff beside the wall At midnight stand in the center of the circle Carry the child Call the spirits They will come Thio swallowed hard And then what You must offer payment He said "The cost was never yours but the blood runs through you If you want the boy to live you must carry the price." "What price?" she asked "Either you give up the child or you give up yourself." Th's heart dropped But by fine leaning closer A child born of a broken vow carries the shadow But a mother's love can silence the spirits if it is strong enough to let go Back home Ty told Femi everything Femi shook his head slowly tears in his eyes There has to be another way There isn't she said This is our blood our fight and I will end it That night just before midnight Pio walked into the forest holding Corid tightly She followed by Fine Markings until she reached the center of the sacred cycle All around her tall trees whispered with the wind She lit a fire Flames danced in a wide ring She stepped into the center barefoot her baby in her arms The chanting began on its own Voices low and ancient rising from the earth The air grew heavy the trees trembled Then they came Dark shadows with no faces cold and watching the spirits We are here they whispered You owe us Ta's voice shook and she said I know The spirits circled her getting closer and closer The debt must be paid The debt must be paid they said She looked down at Guri His eyes so wide so still He still did not cry Not even now Then she said the words "Take me not him." And then the wind stopped The spirit asked "You offer your soul?" "Yes," she whispered her voice crackling "Take my life Take my body Take what you must But leave him alone Let my son be free." The fire flared bright white The spirits let out a cry that shook the ground And then there was silence Tired dropped to her knees clutching Corid He moved and then slowly he smiled His first real smile His body felt warm and light She looked up tears running down her face "Thank you," she whispered But when she walked to the nearby river to rinse her hands she paused She looked into the water and gasp Her reflection stared back at her But it wasn't her The eyes were different They were too dark too still as if someone else was looking out from inside her That night a mother gave up everything for her child The curse was broken but something else was awakened As an old African proverb says when the gods eat from your pot you will never taste your soup the same again Tio saved her son but the spirits never live empty-handed Some debts are paid in blood Some are paid with the soul And sometimes the person who returns from the forest is not the one who went in The elders say that the rivers may forget the footsteps but the spirit never forgets the promise In the dance between love and sacrifice some others give more than life They give themselves Would you do the same if you were in Tai's shoes Thank you so much lovelies We have come to the end of this story and if you want to watch part one it is right here on the screen Thank you so much for watching Until next time take care and bye