It always occurred after sunset, or so the Islanders whispered.
Their hearts thumping like wildfire the two brothers huddled under the blankets when an ear-splitting scream rang through the air.
"Is it happening?"
Not one scream sounded the same. Each blood-curdling scream seemed to inch closer and closer.
"Don't" the older of the two whispered as the youngest shuffled around, peeping past the many layers they were under.
"Look Ahmed" The youngest gasped.
The curtains were light enough to see shadows dance. Ahmed, although adamant to stay still, found himself alongside his brother. They saw a figure, bulky and tall, rip through the neighboring houses. They watched as the figure dragged wailing little bodies out. They watched, frozen as the figure grew bigger and bigger. Only when it hammered their door did they flounder to hide, scattering their boney bodies, they laid flat, hoping whoever it was would fail in their attempts.
Thump
Thump
The door quaked with each thump, bursting into bits with one final blow.
Sniff
Sniff
"Do I smell children?"
On the doorway stood a creature covered in dark filthy fur. Its face was pricked with teeth. Drool dripped from the corners of its mouth as it wandered its bloodshot eyes around.
Sniff
Sniff
The brothers could feel it stepping, swaying slightly, stumbling upon the place, destroying everything that got in its way.
"Hah," it exclaimed.
Ahmed's heart nearly leaped out of his chest when he felt a hand grab his foot and haul him out. Ahmed scrunched his eyes shut, fear igniting him. The hand let him go, he fell hard, face-first into what seemed like a goani. Seconds later he heard his brother's screams, and soon he was no longer alone in the dark, confined bag.
The brothers wrapped up in each other's warmth drifted off to sleep.
.************
A smell unlike no other wafted into Ahmed's nose, waking him up. He rubbed his eyes, looking around in a daze.
He was in a room, and so were a dozen more children, all bound with ropes. Shelves of books and frames stood against the walls, in the middle was the most egregious creature Ahmed had ever seen in his life.
The creature was tall, the tallest he'd ever seen with murky fur, and teeth poking out of his face. It was stirring a humongous pot, which Ahmed was sure was the cause of the atrocious smell.
The creature scuttled along with the room, pouring mixtures and powders into the pot. Every once in a while, he would stick his long black tongue out, licking his claws and flip through the well-used book beside him.
The book had pictures of creatures like him, who seemed familiar to Ahmed as if he'd heard of them somewhere as if he'd dreamt of them; one had an extremely long belly button, and the other was carrying a box of ... gold teeth.
"Ahmed!" He heard his brother cry out, struggling to free himself.
"Ahmed, help" the youngest continued to weep.
Ahmed watched as the creature sighed and stood up, heading towards his younger brother. The creature heaved his flailing brother up and neared the bubbling pot.
The cries of the youngest enveloped the room. Children young and old, sat watching squinting their eyes. Ahmed knew he had to think fast, and right then, something clicked in his mind; all the stories his parents had told came rushing back.
"Is that, foolhudhigu handi, in the pictures? "
The second he asked, the creature stopped and stared at him as if it had seen a ghost. The creature's eyes welled up, it slowly lowered the youngest and fell to the floor.
"Bappa" The creature let out a tumultuous scream.
