Nevertheless, the process of getting her body out had to be the same as coming here as spirit. She called her name in her mind, Anyanwu Sunny Nwazue. She grasped her shoulders, giving herself a hug, and she glowed a strong sunny yellow.

She took a deep breath, one last one, then slowly she turned to Death. Just before she faced Death, she shut her eyes. And just as she did, she kicked herself back as if she were in water.

She heard the angry growl of Death as her body shot away. Her momentum slowed and she felt herself falling to the ground. Oh no! she thought. Then she plunged into water. She flailed, shocked by its wetness and weight. Her body was glowing like the sun, piercing the aqueous darkness. She turned and came face-to-face with the surprised eye of the lake beast. She looked right into it. Then she grinned. Her body was still glowing a yellow white, blinding the great water beast.

She kicked with both her legs, swam at the lake beast’s eye, and buried her fist in it. She felt something burst, and the lake beast roared and began to thrash in pain. It spun, slapping around with its tentacles. Then it twisted, pulling all parts of its body into a huge tight ball, and then shot off into the depths.

Sunny flailed in the water. Still glowing, though the glow was fading. She felt pressure in her chest. She needed air. She swam to the surface until her head broke it. She threw her mouth open and inhaled deeply. Then she sputtered. The closest bank was at least forty meters away.

“Sunny!” she heard Orlu shout.

Sasha leaped wildly into the water. Sunny had always been a strong swimmer, but she was tired and overwhelmed. So she did what she always did when she got tired in the water; she floated on her back. She looked at the morning sky. So clear. So alive. She blinked and coughed a tired laugh. There was Grashcoatah, hovering in the treetops near the lake.

“Are you okay?” Sasha asked when he reached her.

“Yeah.”

He was swimming with one of the large empty water bottles in his arms. Keeping the bottle between them, he linked his arms through hers from behind and began to swim with her backward toward the bank. “I took some lifeguard lessons two years ago,” he said as they swam. “Just relax your body. I’m not tired at all, so I can carry you.”

Sunny was glad to do so, and in no time, he had her out of the water. Orlu helped her to dry land. “What happened?” he asked.

Sunny was about to speak, but then she noticed the old farmer standing beside Chichi. She looked at Orlu.

“That lake beast knew you were coming,” the farmer said in Igbo. “Seen it here before, but now I know what it was waiting for.”

Sunny’s mouth fell open.

“He helped us fight it on land,” Orlu said. “Oga Udechukwu is a third leveler. We’d be dead if he weren’t.”