THE DOLL IN THE MARSH__1ST NOVEMBER DAILY PROMPT

they found it in the marsh

They found it in the marsh.

It was not supposed to be there.

The village people had been looking for Chike for three days. He went to set trap in the bush and did not come back. Everybody thought maybe snake bite, maybe he fell inside pit.

The hunters went in group. With dogs. They passed the normal forest path and entered the old marsh behind Ugwu Nkwo. That place no one goes to. Water is black. Smells somehow.

One dog started barking. Not normal bark. Like fear bark.

They saw it.

Chike's red cap was floating on the water. But Chike was not in water. He was sitting on a small dry land in the middle of the marsh. Sitting like someone that is thinking. Eyes open. Not moving.

They called his name. He did not answer.

When they carried him out, his legs were full of mud but his body was dry. Like marsh did not want to swallow him. Inside his hand, he was holding something. Small wooden doll. Nobody in village ever saw that kind of doll before. Eyes were cowries.

Oldest hunter said, this marsh don keep something for long, and today it decided to return it.

Chike did not speak for two days after. When he finally spoke, he said "the woman in water said I should give it to her daughter".

Till today, nobody knows which daughter.

IMAGE USED IS AI GENERATED