Lettie woke up to a gloomy, misty, and cold morning. Despite the unpleasant weather, it was a school day, and she had to jump out of bed and get ready. Her parents woke up 15 minutes later and prepared for work. Before leaving, they gave Lettie her transport fee, citing the bad weather as the reason to avoid the forest path to school.

Lettie finished getting ready and joined her friends, Lucy and Kate, at the taxi stop. “Today, we’re taking a taxi to and from school,” they agreed. “The weather’s too bad, and the forest isn’t safe.” Normally, walking together across the forest wouldn’t faze them, but today, they opted for caution.

As they walked to school, passing by the forest, other students looked on in surprise. Everyone feared the forest in such weather, but the trio showed confidence and courage.

After school, the girls decided to brave the forest despite initial reservations. Halfway through, they heard whispers. Alarmed, they stood still, listening intently. The silence that followed reassured them, but suddenly, shadows loomed, and footsteps echoed behind them. Lucy glanced back to see two menacing men armed with machetes and other weapons.

The girls sprinted away, screaming for help. Lucy and Kate blamed Lettie for the attack, shouting her name in panic. Small machete knives whizzed past them as they fled with racing hearts.

Fortunately, they escaped the brutal attack and found a safe haven. Breathless, they vowed to keep their ordeal a secret.

This was written by our contributing writer, Duet Mlotshwa.