in the rise of the dark

scabs

I opened my eyes amid a sharp pains around my head and neck, as if a bull is sitting on my head. I couldn't move any part of my body, not to talk of moving my head. Somehow I felt like going back to sleep, but then I remembered that scathed beings are heaped on the top of me. Forgetting the rope tied on my legs, I jumped up, and as soon as I saw myself up, I found me again splatter on the floor, the survival instinct in me made me fight to getting on my foot, when I could not, realizing that my legs were tied up, I calmed, sitting down gently, I saw two faces staring at me entertained. Frightened, and I tried wriggling out, but wobbled no balance and again come crashing.
- who are you, and what did you do to them, that wants to kill you? You must be evil for such a beautiful girl to hit you with such a venom -
They are scavengers, they live right beside the refuse dump.
The man should be in his mid forties, while the girl should not be more than twelve or thirteen years. They said they witnessed everything, they are from Isiobodo, two towns away from Ede-ukwujiafor. His wife died few days ago, a speeding driver ran over her while she was crossing the road moving her scraps.
The man told me of how they saw Sarahdina struck me with a pestle, they kept their cool, to avoid the wrath of the guy.
- you have been here for more than 24 hours, my daughter have been the one taking care of you. -
Though they live in dumps, but they are happy, they gave me a loaf of white bread, served with beans on it. Is good the beans was served that way, how would I have rejected their good served in the kind of dirty plate, hanging over all corner of their small thatch building.
After narrating my story to them, the man bow before me, he was highly elated to meet with me.
- you mean you are the son of Odinike -
I know the grunting sounds, I signalled them to be quiet, they did for a second.
- relax my friend, those pigs are regular here, you know, pigs and dirt are two of a kind -
He laughs as if mocking his statement, he was yet to complete it, when the roof caved in, and it a scathed, it bit a good chunk off the man neck, blood popping out like water from a hose. My legs were still tied up, how on earth did this man tie the rope? The scathed was concentrating on it prey, there's no way I could free myself, it then raised it head up to my direction, it rose from the man, I was drifting away on my back, the scathed rising from the man, dropped at me. I folded my legs to form a spring, while it mouth dropping to my neck side, I shifted sideways, making eat to bite at the dirt on the floor, that was when it done on me that I have not eaten for two days, because I could not set off the spring I formed, no energy to power off the beast on me. At this point I was seeing my father, I couldn't move those legs, I saw three more scathed enter, the one on me had bitten a lot of refuse into it mouth, that it could not spat out, cause it doesn't know how, and could not eat cause they are plastics and other dirt and not flesh, it kept scrubbing it on my neck, trying to push it tooth into my neck. The other three that entered rushed at me, and the hunger to live revitalized me, that I could not place it where the new flow of energy came from, that forced up a power in me to be able to sprung the ugly thing off me, it flew away from me colliding with the three, they fell away, then I began to hop as if on a sack race. Seeing a broken bucket, I picked it and began cutting off the rope with it edge, and four scathed had became over ten of them, and this thing is not cutting. I pulled off  one of  the stick buried to thatch the house, making the small house to fall on good number of the scathed, the others ran gingerly toward me to attack. The first one I broke the stick on it head hopping, then dug the chest of the next open, dropping it. I continued to hop away while they followed. Then I saw someone coming before me, it wasn't moving like a scathed, on a second look the young girl showed up with a scythe. I used the scythe to cut loose the rope, and watched as the girl ran away again, I do not know where she is going to, but night is fast approaching. I bent to dodge the attack of a very plumpy scathed, pushing it with much tenacity it fell face down, the hand of the next one on my shoulder startled me to fear, I shove it off me slitting off it head, the separated parts of it head and body was charging at me, not knowing the danger that head can pose, I used the scythe to destroy, pushing the next one away with my left leg, I stabs at the chest of the dismembered body of the beheaded scathed. The little fire that the man and his daughter was using in their thatch house had became big, getting a help from the thatch on the roof. The scythe wasn't good a weapon for this fight, it's short and slowing my movements. I need a longer weapon to be safe from a swifty scathed, then I began to dance around the fire they would not enter, and one after the other I was taking them out. Though the man body did not move, but when I got to where it was laying I stabbed hard on it chest, I was shocked with eyes wide open when it grunted after I stabbed at it. I saw the girl coming back, this time walking gingerly coming at me. No, not this one, not you my darling, I felt paralyzed seeing her walk that way. What has happened to her? Raged with so much anger because of her, I discovered the part of me I never knew. Swerving swiftly like a real warrior, generating more energy and powers from where I do not know, killing close to twenty scathed at a snap of the finger. Fired up with so much rage from the anger of the little girl, I cried keeping an eye on her, she kept coming at me, but this time not gingerly.
- are you okay my baby -
- am fine -
Oh my goodness, I was relieved, though carefully and reluctantly went to her, with a soft voice she said a thank you to me, and hugged me.
.          .          .          .          .
I need to try and get my bag if I could. Some theories by Mr Salahadine is becoming a revelation, or should I say, prophetic. Visiting his office, the day I did with Sarahdina, the day he revealed to us who he really is. He slipped a very tiny metallic object into my breast pocket, secretly from the knowledge of Sarahdina. He then scribble something in a paper and squeezed it into my left hand palm. Both the paper and the metallic object, I wrapped in my wallet, as we were coming out of Mr Salahadine's office, I stretched the two stuffs to Sarahdina, so that she would keep them for me, but she did not collect them, she had moved ahead of me, I could recollect vividly her exact choice of words.
- what a place, what a office, what a man, he is surely a gamer. -
Then she whispered to herself what I have always taken for granted until now.
- hope he is ready to play -
I must return to the building, now, the bag I drop anyhow, anywhere is calling on me desperately.
- What is your name my friend? -
- Ebere -
- Ebere! Are you with me or you have a place to go? -
- you are the only family I know -
I took her with me, explaining what am going to do, and what I want her to do. We came across a small stream, almost the size of a gutter, it doesn't really matter all this while, but now we have to bathe in it. I washed her dress while she bathe, it stinks like death, so hazardously worn out. Ebere is actually a fifteen years old girl, dark in complexion, as she poured water on her head, the dirt and muds covering her looks revealed a glossy beauty, covered up by life frustrate, hidden by poverty. Then I saw this scabs on her back, I pulled them up, while she giggled and knelt in the stream crying, I pilled off the scabs, watching the bloody surface clean. Then the word of the sage came to me like a bomb, the day I went to submit mine and Sarahdina's experiments.
- a day is coming, I hope you'll not be in your grave then, when you'll remember what am going to say to you now, and you'll, and would've cried so much, because love is sweet and good, but can also be sour and bitter. On that day, your emotional heart would have been pierced, and tortured, but pay attention not to pill off the scab and the skin, because after the scabs there's the skin, your skin will heal, when you let go of your scabs. -
As I poured another water on Ebere's back, I began to cry. She walked out of  the stream, wore the wet dress.
At this time its already past midnight, my major challenge is not getting the bag, but entering the building. Two guards stood by the gate watching over it from inside the compound. The worries of the people now is the scathed beings and no longer criminals. Nobody gives a damn about criminals anymore, but after securing themselves from beasts in human flesh. The front light reached the bend of the street, and the guards are alert manning the gates.
- can you scale the fence? -
- how do I do that with this men? -
Ebere left me, even when I tried calling her back she refused to answer me, instead walked to the gate to meet the two guards. She  was saying something I did not hear, but one of them climbed down the platform they stood on. The other looked away to the opposing side to where I was, I got the trick and ran off to the fence, through the backyard I scaled the fence. Through the back door I sneaked into the building. Norbert sat on a double cushion, watching football, while Sarahdina rests her head on his laps laying on the long chair. They'd slept off there, only the slight volumed commentary from the television can be heard, everyone seem to have slept off.
I tiptoed upstair, the door to the room was not locked, I sneaked into it, I went straight to the bag and searched out the reason I came back.
I carried the bag and almost fainted, when I saw someone standing in front of the door.
- I know you are coming and have been waiting for you -
He walked in the room, handing my spear over to me.
- they brought it back with them, they said you slipped into the hands of those creepy things, and they couldn't help, but I know better, I know they were up to no good and followed you guys up, though the two guys sent back saw me on the toad and insist on my returning home with them. -
I hugged Uche after collecting the spear from him, and was walking away.
- wait for me -
Uche went in picked something he pocketed, he banged at Lotanna's door, who rushed out asking what the problem is, on seeing me, he went in picked his spear, and his bag, he was planning to runaway from the place before then. Emeka has been staying with Lotanna since Amaka moved in to Baba's room.
Robert is a terrible sleeper, he didn't even come out, Norbert had woken, standing away from the chair, Sarahdina hiding her face behind him. They were looking like one who has seen a ghost as I walk past them. I looked up and saw baba looking on, standing on the front of the door to his room, I waved my head in disappointment, looking at Sarahdina I asked her.
- taw'am? -
We walked away, and getting to exit of the building. I took another look at Sarahdina, and saw a flaming tears escape her eyes. Amaka ran out of Baba's room, and followed us. Though Amaka was flirting with baba, but she has no explanation to give to anybody Ebere's been waiting outside and was glad to meet with me.