in the rise of the dark

harrowing harum-scarum

We all have slept on, is been days of sleepless nights, and torturous sleep if when by chance any came up.
It was about few minutes past 10am. I wasn't prepared to wake up yet, but did, couldn't help it the noise was boisterous. I was alone where I laid, I know something was definitely wrong, I stood by the door, wondering what it could be, I soliloquize the line, "what's going on" hesitantly opening the door gradually, when the door was bursted open by the boy with our soldier friend, the twin.
- what is the noise all about? -
- the dead creatures are here? -
- the scathed? -
- they are everywhere -
- where are the others? -
- I don't know -
- wait for me -
I picked my spear, holding the boy by the right hand I jumped out, pulling him along, we ran into the crowd, while shuffling people off the way. At a point, the people by themselves were excusing off the way. Ubaha-afor, is so populated, and the people seem to have decided to live together. But I think that, this once dreaded people as they call them, and want us to believe, have over the years became feeble. They stood and was watching, Sarahdina and others fighting the scathed beings. They would not do anything, while the scathed beings attacked them. The scathed was jumping on them, chunking them up, slitting them, and would torn them to two when dragging at any they caught, they are so strong. A incident swept me off my reasonings, and the shock left me looking like a moron. A man was running, escaping from the scathed with his child on his back, the man was running zigzagging his way through the people, I can't recognize anybody yet, at a point, I wanted to ran back, so to be able to escape at least alive with the twin, when a hand grabbed at his right leg, while falling, the child flew off his back, he fell and another grabbed at his hands, they dismembered his body from each other in seconds. I screamed so loudly, that it caught the attention of the two scathed beings. That scene was so familiar, I was left with mouth agape. The scene at my father's coronation started to play back in my head. My father was such a strong man, that he can take out men alone, but he couldn't wrestle himself off the grips, when the person coming before him grabbed at him. He was struggling with the grip, fighting to separate himself from the guy. I stood by the entrance of the building, wondering what was going on, when another grabbed at his head, as if fighting over who's it is, they pluck off his head. A million and millions of thoughts occupied my brain at the same time, I can't believe what my eyes have seen. My legs couldn't move from where they are standing, all my joint became weak at once. I would have remained there, imagining for years to come, what exactly was it that just happened. Somehow, it all disappeared from me the second Lotanna came to the scene, to meet with us at the entrance of the building. I was like thinking of what just happened, then the news and the cooks scene.
I must have stood there remembering babu's death for a while, because I knew Lotanna had popped out from nowhere, with his spears killed the two scathed coming before me, but I could not move myself, he was shouting my name, but my attention was lost, his calls will not wake me, then he gave me a wicked slap, that left bells jingling in my head, as if recovering from hypnosis, my mind began to call back. Savaged by memories, and fired up with rage, I squeezed hardly at the spear in my hands, and stabbed multiply at the one laying before me. I searched round me, and could only lay my eyes on Lotanna and the twin, the little boy was making use of his brains hiding around Lotanna.
- where is Sarahdina and others? -
- I don't know, they are not in the building -
This scathed beings are the strong ones, though they are definitely physically stronger than a normal man, our saving grace with them, is that they are not endowed with the use of reasonings. They don't have that ability to think like a normal human being would, but sometimes they can guess against your first thought and action, and most a times, virtually all the times fails on the second.
To my rude shock, four of the dead scathed stood, their chest was pierced on, but what could have happened? Out of fear and not thinking straight at what to do, I stabbed through the neck. My first reason, was to disable the functions of it tooth. Still the four of them were coming at me. I took off the legs of the first, leaving it at my mercy, the second took a big leap toward me, which I dodged, and as it was landing, with the spear I disabled the legs one after the other. The other two stood groaning, looking at me, probably, thinking of what to do. With a strike Lotanna slit off their heads from their neck. Then we struck properly at their chests. At their killing, I screamed very loudly, then howled so very loudly like a wolf. I was frustrated because of the fact that, in the middle of this things, they showed that a blow to their chest, is not always enough. As it is, our main challenge is how to handle the wild ones. But where is Sarahdina and the others, we are not safe, if we cannot give account of their whereabout.
- Lotanna! Where are the rest? -
The soldier's voice, was it that drew our eyes up the hills, she and Sarahdina was running down the hill, crying for help, with the experience we had earlier, the scathed not dying to a stab to it chests, we believed they could also talk. We must strike them, was what we agreed, then they said to us that, they are coming. They ran past us, still we couldn't see what was after them. The villagers who were standing on our way, dumb at what was going on has disappeared. Sarahdina and and the soldier woman was the only ones we saw behind us when they ran past us. Number of them laying dead on the floor. We ran after Sarahdina and the woman. Hitting hard on the gate, at first they refuse to open, then we heard the head of the family arguing that I and Lotanna are their daughters children, and so the gate must be open to us. They opened the gate, but I stopped us from running in.
- if we ran in to hide ourselves, what ever it was that was coming after you will get here, and in their numbers over us, they devour everybody -
- so what do you suggest we do? -
That was Lotanna's question and others chorused it.
- before our very own eyes, we witnessed how the wild and strong scathed beings submitted to third. We can use them against themselves. We'll use the villagers killed by the scathed against the coming wild ones. -
- how? -
- where did you see them Sarahdina, and they are not here yet -
- we went up the hill with a girl, she offered to show us places, while you guys were still asleep -
- so? -
- Amaka, saw the aimlessly walking of some people coming, the tree sometimes changing their direction, she pointed it out to me, so gently we took off. -
Within me I was bittered, we are not here for sightseeing, we will address that when the time is right, I said to myself, then I heaved a sigh of relief.
- we will strike at their heads to kill them this time around -
- why their heads and not the usual chest -
Sarahdina challenged. Then we saw them standing like an over slept baby, so I whispered because noise attracts them, while smell attracts the attention of the second and the third grade.
- smack the heads, when they die to rise again, they will help in subduing the wild and strong ones. -
Baba showed up from the building.
- good idea -
His voice was enough to draw the attention of the scathed. One by one they raised their heads, as when answering a row call. I signalled all to be silent, and so the scathed beings were not able to determine where the noise actually came from.
They became grim seconds after, wandering about. There were about ten of them, going up the hills some more may be found. On a second thought, we will welcome the attention of the one far from here, endangering us and causing the weak ones at home their lives, so since there are just ten here we kill them, then quietly go to the hill, to executing our plans. I ran my hand across my throat, meaning we go for the kill. One after the other and quietly, we killed them.
- why the change in plans? -
Baba asked furiously. I told him what I have in mind, and he approved it as excellent. We picked woods that can distort their heads, giving them the death we need them to die. And surprisingly Uche emerged from the building with two pestles.
- am going with you guys -
He looks so smart and handsomely dressed, he gave me a pestle, I looked up at the head of the family, who look down casted, shook his head and sadly went inside the building.
.          .          .          .          .
Ten of us left the building, Uche was quick to say to me.
- onye isi! Nangwa, duru anyin baba -
His declaration surprised everybody, and took me unawares. He just called me the leader, despite being the youngest, asking that I should lead them on.
The people locked themselves inside, deserting the village square up to the hill. Getting to the square, fifty meters away, we could see them roaming about, their eyes seems glittering. We planned attacking them in circle, everyone remaining together, and the plan remains striking the heads, to drop them dead and thus giving them their second death, alerting  the wild ones to come over knowing that they'll bow to this ones and be eaten up by them. As we are about launching attack, Uche whispered to me that some people are coming to join forces with us.
- how do you know that brother? -
- you must start believing me -
- they are not coming with us, they'll wait here. Should any escape us they would take care of it. -
Uche agreed but asked me to be ready for their worse. Lotanna whispered to me that some guys are coming from behind. I looked at Uche who was right beside me, and heard what Lotanna said, but he did not return the look. I met with them, and paired them in twos away from each other, telling them what the plan was.
The ten of us left and quietly was entering the scathed beings, they were more than fifty in number if am not wrong. I sensed trouble when I heard their leader say to them.
- kedu ihie ndia si  hana ezuzu eba? -
Thank goodness, I understand my Ibo language, when I heard his next statement, I signalled that we should retreat. The guys were more in numbers than us, and as it is they are not ready to follow our plans.
They have been following, not waiting behind as instructed. He had said to his people, what is it this rubbish, that me and my people are doing, then he said that they too wants to be heroes.
On the top of their voices they attacked this beasts, they are carrying with them pestles, woods, cutlasses. On the first strike, they hauled the scathed down, they then advanced into them, in just a few seconds, their numbers has reduced to just three men, their leader was one of the first to go. I refused that we help them as far as am concerned, it just but a suicide mission that am not willing to make us participate.
This type of the scathed does not eat, but just to kill, just the first bite and first suck. Its as if they are working solely for the other. I then told my friends that its time we do it our own way. I believe what happened earlier made them follow the plan as thoroughly agreed. At the process those boys too woke, we included them, we don't have choice but to do it. The next move was to allow them arose, then keep them busy with their, slave prey, then their final execution we will give to them. But on a second thought why stressing our muscles when we can make it easier for ourselves. I told them that we could burn the scathed while they are preying on their slaves. Kerosene arrived, and we would lit them up while they are feeding.
Me, Uche, and Norbert, because of speed will alert the ones over the hill. We must do this, if not, they will eventually find their way to the village, and who knows what the result would be. No one expected this meaning we will have to build obstruction to halt them moving in.
Lotanna, Amaka the soldier in our midst, Robert and Okorie are with the kerosenes, while Ubadinanwa and Nso will do the lighting. We ran into them getting up there, wow, I almost swallow my tongue, I thought they caught us, we'd jumped like about seven meters of the hill before the run, screaming at the same time to alert our weapons down the hills, and truly they began to come up the hill, getting to them we glide off under them, and true to our plans, they submitted themselves to their superiors. We watched as they spread the kerosene. Ubadinanwa though scared us when he slipped and fell, we laughed at him, asking if he drank on his way coming with the kerosene. We then left when the fire covered them up, the fire will definitely burn their hearts. It was a long day, we retired to our rooms, Sarahdina did not bother seeing me today, not even to say a simple hello. She didn't even check on me, she found a new companion in Amaka, I was feeling very lonely in the room, my best mate was no where. I thought to myself that I would have disobeyed my father, and marry Sarahdina at Morocco, when the chance came. But babu insisted that as a about to be crown prince I'd rather wed in Nigeria. Everyone had gone to bed, so I decide to check on Amaka room, and possibly make Sarahdina come to my room. I saw Sarahdina, Amaka, Norbert and baba discussing outside the building, within the compound, I thought we all had gone to bed, moreover is past eleven o'clock. They urged us all to go to bed, baba and Amaka. What really pissed me up was how Sarahdina rested her head on Norbert's lap, and he in turn caressing her, stroking her hair down with his fingers, they got up to leave, I rushed to my door to peep at what's going to happen. That depressed me, Amaka went with baba to his room, and my heart was broken when Sarahdina went with Norbert into his room, Norbert is the head of the family's late son's child, his mother died giving birth to Nso, Norbert and Robert are twins. Ubadinanwa is the head of the family's last child, from a woman he married at old age, she was pregnant with Ubadinanwa when he married her, and after giving birth to him she eloped with his driver and his car and some money.
Norbert locked the door after entering, and behind my door I cried bitterly, sleeping off in the process.