Femi's eyes fluttered open, his mind foggy from the sudden loss of consciousness. The dim light in the room made his eyes squint, and the air was thick with the stench of mold and decay. He tried to recall what had happened before his death. Yes, he had died. The realization hit him like a ton of bricks, making his chest feel heavy and his breath catch.
"Ah, my enemies have finally succeeded," he thought, sadness swelling in his chest like a bitter taste. "They have killed me using jollof rice." The memory of the scalding hot rice and the market came flooding back, and his stomach growled with hunger.
As he struggled to piece together his memories, Femi gazed down and took in his surroundings. The rough, unyielding floor pressed into his paws, the chill seeping into his bones and making him shiver. He found himself in a cramped, dimly lit space with stone walls and floors. The air was still, oppressive, like a weight pressing down on him.
"Where am I?" he muttered. His hands instinctively went to his face, but what he felt made his heart skip a beat. His fingers brushed against an unfamiliar snout. He looked down at his arms, and his mind reeled at the sight of four razor-sharp claws and dark fur. His body was not human.
The fear began to settle in, making his heart pound and his breath come in short gasps. But before Femi could succumb to it, a voice boomed, deep and menacing, its laughter sending shivers down his spine.
"Welcome, Femi. You have been chosen." Femi's ears perked up, trying to recall where he had heard that voice before. It seemed familiar, yet he couldn't quite place it.
The voice continued, its tone dripping with malice, "All you have to do is survive this night, and a gift awaits you. Find your way out of the first floor of the Wicked Dungeon."
The voice laughed again, the sound echoing off the cold concrete walls.
Femi stared into the air, his mind reeling with questions. What is this place? What was that voice? And what do you mean survive the dungeon? The silence that followed was oppressive, weighing heavily on Femi's spirit.
He shook his head, trying to clear his cobwebs. "Ah, even the devil has come to torment me," he muttered, half-wondering if he had lost his mind.
The darkness seemed to close in around him, making him feel trapped and helpless.
A low, rumbling growl vibrated through the air, and Femi's heart skipped a beat, thinking it was more trouble, until he realized the sound was coming from his own stomach. The hunger pangs gnawed at his belly, making his stomach churn with a dull, aching sensation. He hadn't eaten in...he couldn't remember how long. His favorite jollof rice and fries flashed through his mind, and his mouth began to water at the memory of the spicy flavors and crunchy textures. The scent of sizzling meat and spices wafted through his imagination, teasing his senses and making his stomach growl louder. "Ah, I'm hungry," he muttered, his voice barely above a whisper.
Despite the darkness, Femi's vision was surprisingly clear. He looked around, taking in his surroundings. The cold, grey stone walls of the cell seemed to press in on him, making him feel claustrophobic. The air was thick with the smell of mold and decay, a damp, musty scent that filled his nostrils and made him wrinkle his nose in distaste. A faint, flickering light came from beyond the small, barred door that led out of the cell, casting eerie shadows on the walls.
Femi took a step forward, his bare feet scraping against the cold stone floor. The sound echoed off the walls, making him feel like he was trapped in a cavernous space.
His mind wandered to his mother, and he could almost hear her voice, tough and reassuring, urging him to stay strong. What would she do in this situation? She was always a tough lady, hard and rugged.
But now, he was alone in this cold, damp place, wondering, "Ah, why me?" The question hung in the air, echoing off the stone walls, as he stepped out of the cell, drawn to the flickering lights embedded in the walls.
The soft, ethereal glow cast eerie shadows on the cold stone floor, making him feel like he was walking through a dream. At first, he thought they were bulbs, and his mind wondered where the electricity could be coming from. But as he drew closer, he realized there were no wires in sight.
The light seemed to emanate from the stones themselves, as if they were naturally luminescent. The gentle hum of the luminescent stones vibrated through the air, creating a soothing melody that contrasted with the eerie atmosphere.
Femi's footsteps echoed through the corridors as he continued on, his mind a jumble of thoughts and emotions. He couldn't shake the feeling that he was losing himself, this body he now inhabited felt foreign, unnatural, the thought made him shiver.
What was he going to do now? What was this place? Was it hell? Was he being punished for not attending church for the past three months?
His mother's words echoed in his mind, "Femi, you must go to church regularly, or you will face the consequences." He had ignored her warnings, and now he wondered if this was his punishment.
As he walked, the hollow growl of his stomach echoed through his empty belly, reminding him of his hunger. The damp earthy scent of the cold stone floor filled his nostrils, a morbid contrast to the savory aromas of food he craved. His stomach churned with anticipation, growling louder in protest of the emptiness that had been gnawing at him for what felt like an eternity. The sound of his own hunger was almost deafening, a constant reminder of his vulnerability. His dry mouth watered at the memory of juicy meat and steaming hot rice, the recollection taunting him like a cruel tease. He wondered when he would next eat, his hunger pangs growing more unbearable with each step, his senses heightened in desperation.
---
Femi continued his walk through the corridor, his hunger gnawing at his belly like a restless beast. At least he had a moment to calm down from the initial shock. Noticing his gait, he realized he walked more lightly now, his body feeling almost weightless, as if he were floating across the floor. He glanced at his arm again, his eyes fixed on the razor-sharp claws that gleamed in the dim light.
"What kind of creature had he become?" Part fox, wolf, or maybe even a lion? He chuckled to himself, thinking it would be cool to be a lion, or at least that would be better than being a rabbit.
The sound of his laughter echoed off the stone walls, deep and rumbling, as if it belonged to someone else.
Femi paused, taking a moment to assess his new form. He raised his clawed hands, turning them over in the dim light. The dark fur that covered his arms was thick and coarse, and his claws were long and sharp. He flexed them experimentally, marveling at their deadly precision. His legs were similarly covered in fur, and his feet were now paw-like, with pads that softened his steps against the cold stone floor. He glanced down at his body, noting that it was covered in fur as well, though one could tell how lean and malnourished he was, seeming as though he hadn't eaten anything in days. Yet, despite his weakened state, his senses felt heightened, sharper than they had ever been.
But what struck him most was his height. Or rather, the lack of it. Femi had always been on the shorter side, standing at 5'5" in his human form. Now, in this new body, he felt even smaller, more compact. He reached up, as if to measure himself against some invisible mark, and sighed. "Ah, even in this form, I'm still short," he muttered, a wry smile tugging at his snout. But there was a strange comfort in it, a reminder that some things, at least, hadn't changed.
The corridor stretched out before him, lined with cell doors that seemed to march on forever. Femi's curiosity got the better of him, and he wandered over to one of the doors, trying the handle. To no surprise, it was locked, the metallic clang echoing through the corridor.
Undeterred, Femi moved on to the next cell, trying the door again. It, too, was locked, but he couldn't help but wonder what lay beyond the cold, metal barrier. He pressed his face against the small, barred window, peering into the darkness within.
The cell was dimly lit, the only sound the faint whisper of dust motes dancing in the faint light. Femi's eyes adjusted slowly, and he made out the shapes of broken plaques scattered across the floor. It looked as though someone or something had smashed them to pieces.
Femi's gaze lingered on the destruction for a moment before he moved on, continuing his journey down the corridor. He passed by more cell doors, some of which he glanced at briefly, while others he ignored altogether.
The corridor split into two forks, and he hesitated, his steps faltering as he weighed his options. Finally, he took the right path, the cold stone walls seeming to loom over him as he turned. A long, ominous shadow stretched across the ground, cast by the dim light behind him.
After taking the right turn, he entered another corridor, the air thick with dust and the stench of age. As he walked, the corridor stretched out before him, disappearing into the darkness. But in the distance, he saw a glimmer of light, a rectangle of brightness at the end of this corridor.
He quickened his pace, his clawed feet slapping against the cold floor. As he drew closer, the light grew brighter, illuminating the entrance into a large chamber.