The Mystery Behind The Dark Water - S01 E08

Story 1 month ago

The Mystery Behind The Dark Water - S01 E08

Read Story: SEASON 1 EPISODE 8

Story By AFP.

The Mystery Behind The Dark Water.

The spear flew through the air like a silver flash of lightning. Jidenna saw it coming and felt his heart stop for a second. The guard with the scar had thrown it with a lot of power. Jidenna knew he could not run fast enough to get away. He was trapped between the sharp iron tip and the edge of the high riverbank. Behind him, the Great River was roaring. The water was as black as the bottom of a coal pot. It was bubbling and churning, looking more dangerous than ever before. Jidenna looked at the spear and then he looked at the black water. He had to make a choice. If he stayed on land, the spear would hit him. If he jumped into the water, the dark river might swallow him.

Jidenna took a deep breath. He thought about his father, Zaki. He thought about the Outcast woman and the story of the two brothers. He felt the birthmark on his shoulder glowing so hot that it felt like a warm hand was pushing him. He chose the water. Just as the spear was about to touch his yellow shirt, Jidenna threw himself backward. He closed his eyes and felt himself falling through the air. He heard the spear hit the ground with a loud thud right where he had been standing. Then, with a giant splash, Jidenna hit the surface of the Great River.

The water was cold for only a split second. Jidenna expected to feel the heavy, stinking liquid fill his mouth and pull him down. He expected to struggle and kick like a fish in a net. But something very strange happened. Instead of feeling like he was drowning, Jidenna felt the water wrap around him. It did not feel like wet ink anymore. It felt like a soft, thick, warm blanket. It was as if the river were a living thing that was hugging him tightly. Jidenna opened his eyes in surprise. He realized that he was not choking. He was not coughing. He opened his mouth and took a breath. To his amazement, he could breathe! The water was giving him air just like the wind on land.

Jidenna looked up. He could see the surface of the water far above him. It looked like a ceiling made of black glass. He could see the blurry shapes of the guards standing on the bank, looking down and shouting. They thought he was gone forever. They thought the dark water had finished what the spear had started. But Jidenna was not dying. He began to sink deeper and deeper, but he was not falling fast. He was floating down slowly, like a feather falling through the air on a calm day. The further down he went, the more the blackness began to change.

The thick, sooty color of the river started to clear up. The water became as clear as the finest crystal. Jidenna could see everything. He looked around and his jaw dropped in wonder. He was not at the bottom of a muddy riverbed. He was in a world that no one in the village of Omoni had ever seen. Below him, there was a giant city. It was not made of wood or mud like the village above. This city was made of glowing stones. The stones were every color of the rainbow. There were blue stones that looked like the sky, green stones that looked like emeralds, and white stones that glowed like the moon.

The houses in this underwater city were shaped like giant seashells. There were long paths made of shimmering pearls.

There were gardens filled with plants that looked like moving fire, waving back and forth in the gentle current. Little fish that looked like they were made of pure gold swam through the streets. Everything was beautiful and bright. It was a place of magic and peace, hidden right underneath the darkness that the villagers were so afraid of. Jidenna felt all his fear go away. He felt like he was exactly where he was supposed to be.

As Jidenna landed gently on a path of white sand, he saw a great building in the very center of the city. it had tall pillars made of white bone and a roof made of silver scales. Sitting on a throne made of blue coral was a man. Jidenna recognized him immediately. It was the man he had seen in the reflection of the water. It was the ghost of Ekene, the betrayed brother from a hundred years ago. Ekene looked very tall and very wise. He wore a crown of jagged white bones, and his long robes flowed around him like mist. His eyes were not scary anymore. They were kind and filled with a very old sadness.

Jidenna walked toward the throne. His footsteps made no sound on the soft sand. The ghost of Ekene watched him come closer. When Jidenna was standing right in front of the throne, the ghost stood up. He was so tall that Jidenna had to look way up to see his face. The ghost reached out a hand. He did not touch Jidenna, but the boy felt a wave of warmth pass over his body.

"You are the one I have waited for," the ghost said. His voice did not sound like bubbles popping anymore. It sounded like a beautiful song played on a harp. "For a hundred years, I have lived in this city of light, waiting for a child of the true line to return. I have watched the world above turn dark with the lies of Okoro’s children. I have seen the black soot of greed cover the clear water of my home. But the river has kept the truth safe down here, waiting for the one who carries the mark."

Jidenna looked at his shoulder. The birthmark was glowing so brightly that it lit up the sand around his feet. "Are you my family?" Jidenna asked in a small voice.

The ghost of Ekene nodded. "I am your past, and you are my future. Your father, Zaki, came to me once, many years ago. He wanted to fix the village, but the darkness was too strong for him. He gave his life to make sure that you would grow up and find your way back to this place. He knew that only someone with a pure heart and the mark of the water could break the curse of the black river."

Jidenna felt tears in his eyes. He finally understood that his father had been a hero. He hadn't just died; he had been protecting a secret that could save everyone. "How do I stop the black water?" Jidenna asked. "The guards are hunting me, and Chief Obina is very angry. The village is shaking, and the people are scared."

Ekene’s face became very serious. He looked up at the black ceiling of water far above. "The blackness is a mask," he explained. "It is the lie that the leaders tell to keep their power. To wash away the soot, you must bring a piece of this light to the surface. You must show the people the truth that is hidden in the depths. But the spirit of greed will not let you go easily. It has felt your presence here, and it is trying to lock the gate."

As soon as Ekene said those words, the beautiful city began to tremble. The glowing stones started to flicker like candles in a wind. The golden fish darted away into the shadows of the shell houses. Jidenna felt the ground move under his feet. He looked back toward the path he had walked, but it was disappearing. The water around them, which had been so calm and clear, began to move in a circle.

The clear water started to mix with the black soot from above. The light of the city was being swallowed by a giant shadow.

Jidenna felt a strong wind under the water. It started as a small breeze, but it quickly grew into a roar. The water began to spin faster and faster. A giant whirlpool was forming right in the middle of the city. It was like a massive vacuum, sucking up the white sand and the glowing pearls.

"The whirlpool!" Jidenna screamed.

The ghost of Ekene reached into his robes and pulled out a small, glowing stone. It was a deep, ocean blue. He pressed it into Jidenna’s hand. "Take this! This is the heart of the river. Hold it tight and do not let go! The whirlpool will take you back to the bridge. You must face the Chief! You must tell the story!"

Jidenna gripped the glowing stone. It felt heavy and powerful. But the water was spinning so fast now that he could no longer stand up. He was lifted off his feet and pulled into the center of the spinning funnel. He saw the city of glowing stones spinning away from him. He saw the ghost of Ekene standing tall, his white robes waving in the storm. The noise was like a hundred thunderclaps happening at once.

Jidenna was caught in the middle of the violent whirlpool. He was being tossed around like a leaf in a hurricane. He couldn't see anything but streaks of black and blue. He felt like he was being squeezed by a giant hand. He squeezed his eyes shut and held the blue stone against his chest with all his might. He knew that the whirlpool was taking him back to the world of the living, back to the bridge where the guards were waiting with their spears.

The mystery was reaching its most dangerous part. Jidenna had the heart of the river, but he was trapped in a storm of water and shadows. Would he make it back to the surface in one piece? Or would the whirlpool crush him before he could show the village the light? The Great River was screaming, the city was fading, and the boy of the cursed line was spinning into the unknown.

Why do you think the river can give Jidenna air to breathe but would drown the guards?

What do you think will happen when Jidenna shows the glowing blue stone to the villagers?

Ekene said Jidenna’s father, Zaki, had been to the city before. Why do you think Zaki didn't stay there to be safe?

Is the whirlpool a trap made by the Chief’s greed, or is it the river’s way of sending Jidenna home?

Follow the Mystery with Movies by AFP!

Jidenna has found the secret city! He has met the ghost of the betrayed brother and holds the heart of the river in his hand. But the adventure is far from over! He is currently trapped in a violent whirlpool that is tearing the underwater city apart!

Can Jidenna survive the journey back to the surface? Will the blue stone be enough to stop Chief Obina and wash away the black soot? The ultimate battle for the village of Omoni is about to happen on the bridge!