✍️ When the Pen Whispers – Episode 2

Opening Greeting:
Hello my wonderful Steemians 👋💫
Welcome back to Episode 2 of When the Pen Whispers. First, let me thank you for the love and support on Episode 1—i really appreciate, let's continue to make storytelling sweeter.

Today, we’re diving deeper into the mystery of Ada and the stranger with the restless dreams. Get ready, because this one carries suspense mixed with a touch of destiny.

[Gemini]

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The Stranger’s Secret

The morning breeze swept through the market square, carrying the smell of roasted corn and fried akara. Ada stood silently, her eyes still fixed on the stranger’s drawings scratched into the dust.

“Who are you?” she finally asked.

The stranger hesitated. He looked left, right, then lowered his voice.
“My name is Chike… but people in my village call me The Dreamer.”

Ada blinked. “The Dreamer? Why?”

Chike’s fingers tightened around the stick in his hand. He drew another shape quickly in the sand—this time it was clearer: a large tree with its branches stretching wide, and beneath it, a shadowy figure standing alone.

“They call me that because what I see in my sleep… always comes to pass.”

Ada felt a chill crawl down her arms. “Always?”

Chike nodded slowly. His voice cracked.
“Three nights ago, I saw fire. The big iroko tree in this very village was burning. People were running, shouting… and in the middle of it all—I saw you, Ada.”

Her basket of yams slipped from her hands, thudding against the earth.
“Me?” she whispered.

Chike’s eyes met hers. They were dark, intense, almost pleading.
“Yes. You were holding something in your hand. A pen. And you were standing between the fire and the people… like you were the only one who could stop it.”

Ada’s heartbeat drummed louder than the market noise. A pen? She had never even owned one, except for her late father’s old biro hidden in a box under her bed. How could she stand against fire with a pen?

Chike leaned closer.
“Ada, your name has been written in my dreams. I don’t know how… but I believe your story and mine are tied together.”

The crowd around them carried on as if nothing unusual was happening, but for Ada, the world had tilted. The dreams, the drawings, the fire—it was all too much.

She took a step back, her shawl slipping from her shoulder.
“If what you say is true… then something is coming. And I must be ready.”

But deep inside, one question echoed louder than all others:
What power could a simple pen possibly hold?

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Closing Note:

Thank you for reading Episode 2, dear Steemians 🌸. Things are starting to heat up—literally! What do you think Ada should do next? Should she trust Chike and his dreams, or should she run from the mystery before it swallows her? Share your thoughts in the comments, I’d love to hear them.

Stay tuned for Episode 3—it’s going to reveal a bigger twist!