2026-09-25 07:56:09John
I had him up and with a victorious shout of my name echoing into the sky, I slammed him to the ground.
The dust did not even settle had before I had the feeling of the outcome. It was obvious that he is definitely paralyzed for life.
It might sound brutal but it was necessary because Alpha level dominance required drama especially when it had to do with fist.
Some tall stranger stepped forward like a movie villain with his coat flapping in the wind. "Does anyone else dare challenge the great John?" he asked the crowd.
Everywhere was silence and not a single soul's hand went up. It was obvious that without stress, I had just earned my birthright.
He raised both hands and declared, "By the honor of this pack and the ancient laws, I pronounce you alpha of the clan and ruler of the realm!"
Jubilation filled the air as a lot of people had been aspiring for the day to come. Something hit me hard on my shoulder, and the whole scene shattered like glass.
I groaned and blinked only to see the face of my stepsister Amelia with a bat in her hand. She was so annoying and looked ready to slap the rest of my dream away.
"Don't not dare!" I yelled, as I rolled to the far end of the bed because I knew her rhythm.
She usually gave me a slap then another comes immediately before she begins to yell. I already mastered her and it was always in that order.
She called me a scaredy cat as usual besides, I was already used to the name and then she crossed her arms like she owned the morning.
"Get up loser, before I kick your sorry butt." She threatened me. I was going to say that it was not a threat but a warning because she does exactly what she says.
Sure I was a bit terrified of Amelia, Everyone was as well but the way she ruined the dream which I did not want to wake up from was unforgivable.I glared at her with hate as I was still half-draped in blanket and said, "One day, I will definitely be your leader and you'll have to bow before me to speak."
It was a bit much maybe but I didn't care, she was fond of making life a living hell for me so, I guess she deserved even more.
She stared at me like I had just confessed that I was an alien then with her pride slightly bruised, she stormed out slamming the door hard.
I grinned feeling the rare satisfaction of surviving a morning without bruises from Amelia.
I made my bed, cleaned up, brushed my teeth and stepped out into the sun with the kind of energy that only came after narrowly avoiding violence.
Outside, I spotted Uncle Josh and a handful of kids already stretching for morning trainings. I strolled in with no pressure as all eyes turned to me.
"Morning training, archery warmup first but before that everyone should go find a strong stick in the woods. Get something sturdy y'all" Josh announced.
"What for?" I asked with my brows furrowing. I really didn't need anything that was going to take even a little energy from me.
Uncle Josh squinted at me and responded, "Just get the stick, John."
That was never a good sign and then I glanced over at Amelia to see if she had any inside info, but she gave me a warning to stay away with the looks on her face.
I wandered into the opposite direction of everyone else and eventually, I returned with a stick that was maybe too fancy as though it came with it's own history.
We lined up and then uncle Josh said "Now with one strike, break the stick across your forearm. If it breaks easily know that you chose weak but If it holds, good. Do not stop till it breaks."
I felt exhausted already without making any attempt. I asked myself what good it was going to do for us. I could not think of anything positive rather we were just going to get ourselves injured.
I started scanning for any exit strategy as usual because I hated engaging in harmful activities. My brain flicked through possibilities but nothing reasonable came out.
I even thought of playing dead because I was so desperate to avoid the dangerous activity ahead of me. Then it hit me, the only solution was to fake an injury.
I clutched my leg and collapsed "Aaah! My leg!" I cried passionately. It might have worked if Amelia had not blown my cover.
She rushed over, picked me up, and stood me upright. "Really?" her eyes said without speaking.
Josh clapped his hands and said. "Nice one Amelia! That's a protector of the realm right there!"
I choked hearing him call her Protector of the realm and asked immediately the reason why he called her that, barely hiding my offense.
"She just saved your little life John, you should be thanking her." He responded.
I looked at Amelia as my face twisted in disbelief. I was not jealous but I was mildly infuriated.Uncle Josh who clearly misunderstood my looks asked immediately, "You good?"
"Uh... I think I hurt my leg," I said dramatically as I tapped back into my acting reserve.
"Take a break then, sit and watch "he said".
I smiled as I began glowing from an unexpected win while I sat on the grass and watched others worked.
Amelia stole the spotlight for the rest of training. Every punch she threw, every arrow she fired, every spin she pulled off was met with applause. I started off bitter but over time, I leaned into being her hypeman.
"Go Amelia!, that's my one and only sister!" I shouted still clapping hard.
I was faking my limp throughout but I didn't care because that was what could help the situation.
Training ended with everyone laughing and uncle Josh telling us stories about his own messy training days like the time he accidentally threw a spear into his instructor's foot.
As we walked home, I caught Amelia staring at me. "Do I have something on my shirt?" I asked nervously.
"No, it's just that you've changed your limp" she said.
I froze as I never expected that she would take notice, it was obvious that I failed to believe that she was so observant even after a lot of proofs.
I was a bit confused about how she got to know which made me pretend as though I did not know what she was talking about.
She rolled her eyes and said again. "Cover it better before someone else notices."I started faking the limp again instantly to cover all traces.
She smirked and said "Scaredy cat."
I did not reply because there was no point, she had already won the training and she had gotten the nickname war.
But I had one win that day which was no bruises, no breaking of stick disasters and a front row seat to training with no effort.
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The blood trail
Ukaria I kept grinning as memory of yesterday continued to dance in my mind like fireflies even after I had woken up, stretched, and rubbed the sleep from my eyes. It was a crazy and exciting day of a lifetime. I felt as though I should have heard this story from someone else. However, I was present, I witnessed it and I inhaled it. The sound of drums reverberated throughout the clearing, the smell of smoke from the roasted meat, and the excited shouts of boys who now walked like warriors. And we were all taken aback by John.To tell the truth, I still didn't think it was real. The John I knew was cliched, cunning and always talking big while doing little. A boy who relied on his sister to organize activities for him and his friends to execute, and who required assistance tying his hunting belt. John is lazy, he is funny and definitely not a leader. Nevertheless, in some way, he had entered the forest and emerged triumphant. The warthog was seen by all and everyone applauded him.
It was not my Victory
JohnAfter Dad's motivational speech the previous evening, I never imagined that I would still be afraid when hunting. He had filled me with tales of bravery and purpose, speaking to me like a true warrior. Amelia had even weighed in, advising me to remember who I was and to have faith in myself. I felt ten feet tall when I went to sleep. I therefore took the lead like a true alpha in training when we ventured into the woods that morning. I reassured my friends that there was nothing to fear. I sounded like a leader like Dad, shoulders back and chest out.Then I noticed it, the warthog it was more muscular and menacing than any I had ever seen and stood between two towering trees like a demon on duty. I told them to go, that I could manage on my own. I had called it a "Piece of cake," and I think that was the dumbest thing I've ever done. Like a fool attempting to start a fire with his bare hands, I chased it at full speed. The warthog kicked up dirt and leaves as it darted thr
The betrayal
AaronThat night, I did not get much sleep. My mind wouldn't stop racing even though my body was motionless. My father's words played in loops, his pain, his regrets and the betrayal that broke our family. I kept playing back everything he said, imagining it as if I had experienced it firsthand. My dreams were troubled when I eventually fell asleep. In slow motion, I witnessed my grandfather's fall with blood in his throat. Once strong and proud, I saw my father kneeling in shame and and Jason untouchable, crowned by betrayal, standing above it all and My jaw was clenched when I woke up. The sun had barely risen, but I got to work; cleaning the cabin, preparing food and boiling herbs for Dad's pain. Instinctively, my hands moved but my thoughts were elsewhere.After finishing, I grabbed my bow and went into the forest. Hunting for food and possibly gathering herbs for Dad's medication was the original plan but I had a storm in my head. I wasn't paying attention and I had no idea whe
My one in a million
PeteLife has not been good to me. For years, I told myself that the only way to move forward was to fight for what was mine. But now, as I lie here in pain and regret, I know that fighting Jason was a bad idea. I am not the same person I used to be, and now I am just a burden to my fifteen-year-old son Aaron. Aaron is a boy with the strength and will of a thousand men, but his body is too young to handle so much weight. It breaks my heart to see him take on responsibilities that no child should have to deal with.Sometimes I feel sorry for him because he's out there in the cold, fighting beasts and dangers with only a spear and his own instincts. But feeling sorry for us would not feed us, and feeling bad about what happened won't fix my legs. So, I do the only thing I can which is I pray to our ancestors and ask them to take care of him. Just as I finished my last silent prayer, the door creaked open. Aaron's voice rang out in the shack. "Hey Dad, I'm back."He came into my ro
A beautiful mess
JasonWhen John knocked on my door that night, something stirred inside me, it was something warm and heavy at the same time. I was happy to see him of course but the timing made me uneasy because it was really late besides, was not the type to come knocking unless something had gone truly wrong.Still, I did not rush him with questions because I didn't need to rather, I made him feel as if I was pleased by seeing him.I opened the door then I stepped aside and let my son in like it was the most natural thing in the world."Make yourself at home," I said as I was already settling to play the role I knew he needed me to play at the moment.I didn't play the role as the clan's elder neither did I play the role as a warrior rather I played that of a father.He stood for a moment before sitting. It was as if he was caught somewhere between trying to be strong and not falling apart. He looked like someone who was carrying a storm inside him so, I did what any father would do, I went ahea
Prepare for the Hunt
JohnIn my imagination, I was a hero and he crowd's cheers was so loud as I lifted the warthog above my shoulders. My parents were standing proud and the entire pack bowed before me and acknowledging my greatness. My hunting crew where also happy and part of the victory. It was epic but then reality knocked because in truth, I hadn't hunted anything, I had not even stepped outside yet. I was still in bed, under my blanket like frightened and staring up at the ceiling as though it could give me an answer to my questions. The Hunt was tomorrow and I was far from prepared. My stomach was tight and mind would not slow down even sleeping was impossible.All I thought about was negative and I was just asking myself questions. "What if I mess up, what if I get lost, what if I get eaten and what if I am one of those who needs rescuing?"No matter how I tried to calm myself down, nothing seemed to work. The panic was real and loud that nothing I did could calm it down.I got out of bed as
