The forbidden river

Chapter One: The Warning In the village of Aiyetoro, surrounded by thick forests and red earth, there was a river no one dared to touch. It was called Odo-Aye, the River of Life. Yet, despite its beautiful name, the elders forbade everyone from going near it. Children were warned with stern voices. Hunters avoided its banks. Even the bravest farmers took longer routes to their fields rather than pass beside it. “It gives life,” the oldest elder, Baba Olanrewaju, would say, “but it can also take it.” No one questioned him. Except Tunde. Tunde was sixteen, curious, and restless. He had grown tired of warnings without explanations. Why would something called the River of Life be forbidden? One evening, as the sun melted into orange behind the trees, Tunde made up his mind. He would see the river himself. Chapter Two: The First Encounter The forest grew quieter the deeper Tunde walked. Even the birds seemed to watch him. After an hour, he heard it—the soft, steady sound of flowing water. Odo-Aye. It was more beautiful than he imagined. The water glowed faintly, even though the sun was almost gone. It shimmered like liquid glass. Tunde stepped closer. Suddenly, the air grew cold. He heard a whisper. “Why have you come?” Tunde froze. He looked around, but saw no one. His heart pounded. Yet curiosity was stronger than fear. “I only want to see,” he whispered back. The river rippled, though no wind blew. “Many who came before you said the same.” Tunde stepped back in terror and ran home without looking behind. But the whisper stayed in his mind. Chapter Three: The Secret of the Elder That night, Tunde could not sleep. The voice felt real. The next morning, he went to Baba Olanrewaju. “I went to the river,” Tunde confessed. The old man closed his eyes slowly. “I knew one day someone would,” he said. He motioned for Tunde to sit. “Long ago, the river was a blessing. It healed the sick. It fed the land. But people grew greedy. They took without respect.” The elder’s voice grew