SLC-S30/W2 | Expressing Myself Through Writing - Topic 2 : Legends of My Country

Hello steemians,

In many North African countries, especially in Tunisia and Morocco, there exists a famous supernatural legend known as Aicha Kandicha. According to traditional folklore, Aicha Kandicha is a mysterious female spirit who appears late at night near rivers, forests, abandoned paths, or isolated countryside roads. People say she has the appearance of a breathtakingly beautiful woman who charms lonely travelers with her voice and presence. However, behind that beauty hides something terrifying. In several versions of the legend, it is said that beneath her long dress she hides the legs of a goat or a camel, revealing her true supernatural nature. For generations, elders have shared this story not only as entertainment but also as a warning for young people to be careful when wandering alone after sunset.

_{Illustration of the legendary spirit Aicha Kandicha}

The following story is an imaginary tale inspired by this traditional legend.

It was a quiet night in a small village surrounded by olive trees somewhere in the Tunisian countryside. The moon hung low in the sky, casting a pale silver light across the dusty road that connected the village to the nearby fields. The air was cool, and the soft sound of the wind moving through the branches created an atmosphere that was both peaceful and strangely unsettling.

Karim was walking home after spending the evening with one of his friends who lived on the other side of the village. It was later than he had planned, and the night had already swallowed most of the familiar shapes of the landscape. The road ahead stretched into darkness, illuminated only by the weak glow of the moon and the occasional flicker of distant house lights.

As he walked, memories of his childhood came back to him, especially the stories his grandmother used to tell when the family gathered outside during warm summer nights.

“Never walk alone near the river after midnight,” she used to say with a serious tone.
“That is where Aicha Kandicha waits for careless travelers.”

Back then, Karim would laugh along with his cousins, convinced that such stories were nothing more than old myths created to frighten children into behaving properly.

But that night would make him question everything he believed.

As he approached the old stone bridge that crossed the river, a faint sound reached his ears. At first, he thought it was simply the wind echoing across the water. But when he stopped walking and listened more carefully, he realized it was something else.

It was a voice.

A soft and melancholic singing voice, delicate and haunting, drifting slowly through the night air.

Curiosity pulled him closer.

He stepped carefully toward the riverbank, his footsteps crunching quietly against the dry soil.

There, sitting gracefully on a large rock near the edge of the water, was a woman.

Her long dark hair flowed down her shoulders, reflecting the pale moonlight like strands of silver. She wore a long white dress that moved gently with the night breeze, giving her an almost unreal appearance, as if she were part of the mist rising from the river.

She seemed to be staring at the water, lost in thought.

Karim hesitated for a moment before speaking.

“Excuse me… are you alright?” he asked cautiously.

The woman slowly turned her head toward him.

Her face was beautiful, almost hypnotic, and her eyes carried a mysterious sadness.

“I’m lost,” she said softly, her voice smooth and strangely calming.
“I’ve been trying to find the village, but I don’t know the way.”

Karim felt a moment of hesitation. Something deep inside him whispered that something was not right. Yet, at the same time, he felt sympathy for the lonely woman standing in the darkness.

“The village is not far from here,” he replied after a pause.
“I can show you the way.”

She stood up slowly and began walking beside him.

For a few seconds, everything seemed normal.

But then Karim noticed something strange.

The sound of her footsteps was different, heavier and uneven, almost like the steps of an animal rather than a person.

A cold shiver ran through his body.

He slowly lowered his gaze toward the ground.

And what he saw made his blood freeze.

Under the long white dress there were no human feet.

Instead, there were dark twisted legs that looked nothing like those of a human being.

His heart began pounding violently in his chest.

Suddenly, his grandmother’s words echoed in his mind with terrifying clarity.

“If you ever see Aicha Kandicha… don’t look back. Just run.”

Karim took a slow step backward.

The woman stopped walking.

Her gentle smile slowly disappeared, replaced by a cold and unnatural expression.

Her eyes glowed faintly in the darkness.

“Why did you stop?” she asked.

But her voice no longer sounded soft or human.

It echoed with something ancient and hollow.

Karim didn’t answer.

Instead, he turned around and ran as fast as he could down the dark road, his breath becoming heavier with every step. The cold night wind rushed past him while fear pushed him forward faster than he had ever run before.

He did not dare to look behind him.

Not even once.

Only when he saw the warm yellow lights of the village houses did he finally slow down.

When he reached his home, exhausted and shaking, he found his grandmother sitting outside as she often did during quiet nights.

She looked at his pale face with concern.

“What happened, Karim?” she asked calmly.

He struggled to catch his breath before answering.

“I think… tonight I saw Aicha Kandicha.”

His grandmother remained silent for a moment.

Then she slowly nodded, as if she had expected this answer all along.

“Now you understand,” she said quietly,
“why some legends are never forgotten.”

From that night on, Karim never walked alone near the river after sunset.

Because sometimes… legends are born from something real.

_{The mysterious night near the river}

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Moral

Legends may begin as stories passed from one generation to another, but they often carry warnings hidden within them. Listening to the wisdom of elders can sometimes protect us from dangers we do not yet understand.

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I invite @chant, @bossj23, and @lunasilver to participate in this challenge.

Best Regards
@kouba01