in the rise of the dark

eyes in the bush

The bus puffed for a good number of times, hissing in the process as it at the same time jerks, but we persistently rolls it on. We couldn't muster the courage, to alight from the bus, not with what we went through, narrowly escaping from the jaws of death, luckily remaining together in one piece. I was doing the driving, and I don't want to stop the bus, because, it is expected of a driver to be the one to check on his vehicle. I refuse to stop the bus, managing to push the engines energy harder. All I know is that the tyres are still rolling, and we are not on a spot. I kept on checking at the reactions of everybody, and no one seem ready to say a thing, or complain on the way the vehicle is moving. They all appears numb and interjected, arrested by lack of words, and lost in thoughts. Uche was the one sitting beside me, uncountable of times I was peeping at him with the side of my eyes, but he kept on looking forward, concentrating on the road, like one who is trying to discover something, like a scientist who is running a research on a dead animal. He wouldn't look at me, but I know he is aware of what is about to happen. And by virtue of his concentration on the road, he is aware of my worries, and knew of my silently seeking for a first to say something, but kept his cool. The vehicle continued to jerk, at this time if we decide to walk, we would cover more distance than the bus is doing. But maybe tiredness is making the decision to wait on for us. Ebere, came over to the steering and sat on my legs scratching her head, she rests her head on my shoulder, while the bus strolled on.
- brother! What's going on, what are we doing now, this guy is exhausted of whatever it manufacturers had built in it, or what do you think? -
While the vehicle was still on motion, I picked my bag threw it on my back, picked the spear. Emeka was at this time standing by the center of the bus, in between the driver seat and the passenger's seat. The bus was still moving but very slowly, I opened the door and asked Emeka to jump down, he did. Then Ebere followed him, I then announced to the other guys, in a cool and advisory way.
- we are pleased to ride with you guys, at this point we will like to continue this journey on foot, whence you make up your minds, please don't hesitate to meet with us, we will welcome you, thank you. -
They all burst into laughter, and for the first time in a long while, we found our mood in a cheerful state. For the first time, Lotanna, who has always been looking mean laughed. The bus was still moving, while I jumped down leaving them inside, to meet with Ebere and Emeka, who had past the still moving bus. Uche too humped off the bus, to meet up with us.
We trekked down the deserted road, while the bus continued to move. We are up to a hundred meters away from it discussing, then running into the demarcation of the road, it came to a halt.
.          .          .         .         .
- Amaka! So how are you feeling? -
Lotanna's question broke a long minutes of silence, we've been walking down the road for a while, and no one said anything. Hunger has been trying to initiate us to frustration. The bag I am carrying had became tastefully heavy, am already contemplating dropping it on the road. If not, of what use is it if I drop dead now. I think I should drop the bag anyway, I can't readily think of it importance. This issue of what I should do with the bag was playing itself around my head, when Lotanna asked the question. Taking a few steps, we stopped and looked at each other, then we all burst into a wild laughter, Uche coughed and in his strides strokes at Amaka.
- with all my Olympic prowess, I pushed as hard as I did winning the Olympic medals, still I got here was looking at the back of whom I was trying to help on her foot minutes before, she ran past me with ease. -
We were walking right on the middle of the road, that way we will not be taken unawares.
Ebere whispered to me, that she is very hungry, I pretended I didn't here her, because, am in the same shoes, we all are equally in the same predicament. She came to me again, this time emphasizing on it, that she feel like fainting, she is very hungry.
- I know my baby, but we'll have to be more patient, praying for luck to visit us, okay? -
- that's what we've been doing for two days, can't we also see to turning to left or right, who knows, this luck you talked about may be locking in there? . -
The kids are worn out, and are tired of the road, they want to build their energy on another road. Without saying a thing to anyone, I turned to the left hand side into the bush, through a small paved entrance, that can accommodate only pedestrians.
The path has thick bush surrounding it, different types of trees everywhere. We kept walking farther into it, being careful with our steps, using our hands to push aside the trees that'd grown into the pathway. Some parts of it we'd have to squat to pass it.
It is only when you are truly hungry, that you come to understand that anything that can enter the mouth, through to the stomach, is qualified enough to be called a food even water. We came across this birds of flower, with yellow petals. As we walked into it, Ebere said to me that she know this flower. She pulled out a petal, and suck at it.
- we have this flower in our school garden, try it. -
She pulled another and sucked, and goes hmm. Her expressions are tempting and inviting too. We all were reluctant to give it a try, but she went on with it. Uche grabbed at it and sucked, and then another. The garden have more than enough to go for us. I thought I was the only one hungry here, the way the flower was rushed says a lot about how hungry we are. It was the same Ebere that pulled down a branch of the flower, to pull a petal when a snake struck missing her by the whiskers, she swiftly bent her head causing the long thing to drop behind her. At the mention of snake, we all became unsettled, frightened because we didn't see it. They are very fast and it could have slipped away. At once we picked our stuffs and took off. As we were running into the bush, we realized that some legs were equally running away from us. Did the snake change to human or what? We slowed down, but continued running, it can't be another version of the scathed, they don't run from anything, they don't run away from anybody. We followed the legs and ran deep into the bush with it. What is baffling to me is that we have not come across a single scathed since we came down from the bus.
We ran into what seem like a center square, and saw this lady ran into another path. Lotanna stopped and suggest we don't  run after a person, who most likely is conversant with the area. His point is that we might run into danger, doing so. We followed the path she did, before we could do a fifty meters, we saw a  woman in her mid forties standing before us. At first we were scared at her gut to stand before us that way, again we don't know if it's a spirit because, she is the first person we are seeing.
- I am glad and pleased you guys are here, still I need your help. -
Some guys as she explained invaded their home and took over their properties. She choked, tears fills her eyes, she cupped her face in her palms and was crying. Amaka, went and held her round.
- we even offer to live with them if they don't mind, but that was what they don't want to hear. They stabbed my husband to death. There's nothing we could do, they have cutlasses with them. -
She sat on the floor, and continued to lament her ordeal, she was making reference to we. She paused facing down.
- they make us watch as they raped my daughter right before our eyes, she was sixteen. -
They had raped her daughter to unconsciousness, they were ten of them, but before the six person the girl had fainted. Her husband had transformed to a scathed.
- my husband whom they have killed rose from where he is laying and struck at the neck of their leader. We ran away when the house became chaotic. -
- who are the we madam, you and who please? -
She called on the others to come out, a young fellow of my age and the second a bit younger. The third was a lady in her late twenties. One thing for sure is that they look clean.
- this are my sons, and she is our house help. -
We proceeded to their home, we have a plan to take them out one after the other unawares. The building is a storey duplex smiling down on the road.
- how can we own such a house, and have slept in the bush for two days now, isn't that wicked? -
From outside we could hear, different sounds of the scathed, I told them that we are changing plans.
- with such sounds, everyone of them must have been scathed. Do you know those boys? -
- my son said they are from the next town. When will all this be over, and who are you guys. -
- where are we -
- Cross river -
- Cross what? -
The people have ran away from their homes, when they realized that the scathed would not die, and are increasing in numbers. Every gates here are locked and abandoned by the people. Few that are around locked themselves indoor, we did not and here we are.
- They've been scathed -
They are the wild ones, and it was a heck of a day. We met two scathed outside the compound. As soon as we entered, they turned at us, I was at the front and with my spear, I was going to spear it chest, the woman screamed in an agonizing tone.
- my husband -
I glides, passing under it arms I jumped toward the second one and spears it chest, while the one I dodged, grabbed at the woman, before Uche who was the closest to her could do anything, the thing hungrily took out a better part of her neck.
Me, Uche and Lotanna moved in first side by side of each other, leaving space of about two meters. I should have killed the thing, but her plea was so heart rending to ignore. The boys cried for their mom, I stood for a moment and wondered the kind of mistake I just made. The woman who a little while ago, was agonizingly lamenting the death of her husband. The thing ignored us and was chopping at the woman jealously and with so much aggression. His wedding ring and hers were of the same design. The guy whom I assumed was the younger among them, collected Lotanna spear from him and stabbed it on the back of his father, the scathed. He stood from the mother, advancing at the guy, I finished it off.
We do not want the house get stained, so the plan is that, we will rush in then entice them to come at us. That way we will get them outside, and not have the rooms stained or ruffled. Uche, was the first to enter, we didn't even have the space to think, a scathed jumped on Uche, as his head was coming on his neck, Lotanna who was next to him, dug his spear into the head of the scathed. Uche ran out and was pulling off his clothing screaming, and shouting.
- ojim, ojimeji -
He was sure at the time that it has gotten him. We steak to the plan and that we did. They followed us out and was killed one after the other.