"It's too dangerous!"
She whisper yells as the men approach us. We are panicking and it's consuming the little time we have.
"We have no alternatives. This is the only way out. If we don't do this. They will take hold of us and lock us up in that hellhole. Do you have any idea of what Reed will do to us."
I speak in one breath and she looks at me. I can see all the fear bundled up in her eyes.
"We came way too far to back down."
I add.
I look at the men who are running like their lives depend on it. Which they do.
I take the lid off and spill the content as we both run the same direction. I know I shouldn't have brought this container with me if I knew it would land us into so much trouble but I had other motives. I told Reed I wasn't going to leave her standing and I never put my tongue to shame. I meant every word.
"Light a fire. Let's give them a light dinner."
I said calmly and we both step back, looking at the men who are a few feet away. If they are smart, they would turn around and leave.
Owetu does as I instructed and her enthusiasm light up the village.
"Run!"
•••••
Worthy
"What are we doing?"
Pop asks me the same rhetorical question for a hundredth time. We are currently on Reed's property. My father persuaded that Pop and I, leave at once to fetch the girls we marked.
"Going to get our girls."
Pop halts in his tracks as a dumbfounded look displayed on his face. Yeah, I know what I said. I mug him and proceeded walking.
He catches up to me and stops all of a sudden.
I follow his gaze.
"Fire?"
I hear screaming and shouting. My mind drifts off to Xaya.
Is she okay?
I see people carrying whatever they have in their hands possibly to put out the fire.
I begin to register that nothing happened to the house, but the field is entirely destroyed.
"What do we do?"
He asks, baffled by the sight in front of us just as I am.
"We look for Oleya. She should take us to the girls. My only prayer is that, they are fine."
I follow the narrow path heading to the now bleak burnt field, not seeing if Pop is behind me. I carefully cross over active facets under the bright moonlight.
No one really heed to our presence, since the field determines their lives.
We enter the house and there was no sign of Oleya.
"They had a container with them. Before we could get them, they had set the field on fire."
Pop and I, eavesdrop at the two men's conversation. I try to walk up to them and Pop hesitates by grabbing my arm. I look at him and he releases his tight on my arm. I saunter over to them so that I could hear appropriately.
"I'm sure Reed must have found out about the incident."
Curiosity has my tummy tied up.
Did they have anything to do with it?
Xaya would never go to an extent of starving people.
"Could it be them?"
Pop whispers faintly in my ear.
"I have no idea."
Xaya
"Where are we going? You said it's not far from here?"
Owetu asks for the tenth time and I kept walking. I'm sure she must be exhausted from the long run.
"I don't know why we are taking this long to get there."
I say more to myself.
I finally halt and look behind us. I can still see the puff of smoke hovering around just behind us.
I can see the thick bushes from a distance. They look enormous compared to the previous time I was here.
I dawdle and wait for Worthy to hold my hand but nothing. There is nothing. No sensation. No tingles. Nothing. Am I in love with him? It wouldn't hurt to contemplate these sentiments. As long as I'm the only one that has access to them.
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