Curled from the book Bonded by Chris Dahi
In the last lap, he pulls the Oji off the ground, takes a horse stance, with the left foot in front, and with two hands holding the short spear, and the tip pointing at the grave; he shouts “Onyenmuoh now come out!”
Slowly the half dry clay soil of the grave started to crack, then suddenly, it is as if it erupted from within, as earth and sand go flying up in all directions and cascading down in a shower all around Isiburuekperi. He does not blink or move a muscle, as out of the hole climbs out a terrible looking entity. That it was Azu, is obvious, but the catch word is was. It has a bloodless hue. Only the white of his eyes show. It has no pupils. His teeth are bared and brown. The hair all over the body are flat on it. Its movements are jerky.
On sensing Isiburuekperi, a growl had emanated from the dead thing and it makes to get at him but could not cross the line on the ground. It is like an invisible force line is holding it back. The growl this time is most horrendous to hear. A lesser mortal would have experienced fear.
Isiburuekperi then holding the tail of the metal spear Oji, making sure his hand does not pass the circle on the ground, he pierces the head of the living dead thing “You are an forbidden thing” he declares. He holds on to the Oji as the not human ting struggles at the other end trying to pull the lance from its head; growling and making terrible animal noises. Slowly the sound dies as the struggle subsides.
Eventually it ceases, and Isiburuekperi holding on to the end of the Oji swings it so that the thing at the other end falls out from within the circle. Fetching an odd looking knife, with a twisted and curved blade, and carved wooden handle, he cuts off the head of the entity. Then hefting the head with the aid of the Oji still embedded in it, he puts it in a very old calico sac of odd patterns and stains. After pulling out the Oji he ties the mouth of the sac with fresh palm frond leaves.
The chief priest then gathers wood, dry twigs and leaves and makes a pile of these. With the aid of his Oji and some strong sticks he places the headless corpse on it. He puts his Oji on the wood in the pile, and in the dark one could see the Oji glow, as fire flows through it on to the wood which instantly catches fire.
Putting the Oji through a loop in the palm frond knot he had made on the mouth of the sac he picks it up, places it on his shoulder and heads off in the direction of the evil forest, where the head will be ritualistically buried. After which he will ritualistically bathe himself in the river, by dripping himself four times and saying incantations of ablution in the middle of the night. The acrid smoke from the borne fire, spralled thickly skyward, and in no time a heavy rain ensued. Within minutes, the sludge of mind, sand and ashes from the funeral pier all poured into the empty grave. As soon s the hole is filled and flattened, the rain stops.
