To the Land of Green

Chapter Seven

We have been walking for hours now. I don't know what time it is and I am starving. Heck, I don't even know what today is, I only know that I am in the year 1898. I still can't believe I am here. I need to get home soon. Juan and Rosalinda are probably worried right now.
"Well, at least I know I got Ractro here with me and they must never find out about him until I know how their sister got to my world and where is this remote control that they used to open the Lobo," I mumble.

"Who must be hidden?" Nando says next to me, shocking me to the core.
"O-Oh, I am talking about my stomach. Yeah, my stomach. It has been grumbling again," I say, flustered.
"Here, have some bananas. I grabbed some this morning before we started walking," Nando says.
"Thank you, Nando," I reply.
"No, problem and if you want more just call my name and I will give you some more," he says. "Ok," I say, smiling a little. Oh gosh, I hope he didn't hear about Ractro. I must not mention him or think about him for now before I accidentally say his name out loud again. José and Andres might use him in order to find their sister and I can't allow that.
"Wait, hold on," José says.
"Huh? Why are we stopping?"
"Shhh," he says turning around and putting his hand over my mouth.
"Hey, let me go!" I try telling him but from the outside, all you can hear are muffled words. "Someone is here," he whispers. Everyone's eyes widen.
"What do you mean?" I whisper. I don't see anyone.

Then, out of nowhere, five guys start attacking us. They are wearing old clothing that must have once been white. Their outfits are covered in dirt, making the clothes look brown and they are wearing fisherman hats. Before I can react, José starts barking orders.
"Nando, take Marie with you and run!" José yells.

"What?! No, I don't want to go!" I say. For some reason, I don't want to leave. It's like my gut is telling me something bad will happen if I leave them and I don't want history to repeat itself. I will not let anyone around me get hurt again.
"Come on, Marie. Let's go!" Nando yells, reaching for my hand.

"No!" I say. "We have to help them!"
"They will meet us later! You are more important right now! You are our savior! So please let's go?" Nando says.
"Savior? What do you mean savior? What else are you guys hiding from me?"
"Not now, I will explain on the way! We have to go, José has told me where we can go so let's go!"
"No, we have to help them. They are outnumbered," I say.
"I--No, we can't. When José says we have to leave, we must leave now."
"So you're going to be one of those people who will follow what their friend says and not try helping them at all? Like what kind of friend are you?!"
"Look, Marie, yes, I am that kind of friend because if I stay now, I won't be able to help the other people we will be meeting soon. The people in the camp. I don't know how it goes in your world but here some people need to sacrifice in order to save more people. I learned that while I was locked and enslaved in the city. You don't know what it went for all of us so you don't have the right to judge us!" Nando says. I see rage and pain in his eyes.

"I know, I wasn't here but you guys are not the only ones who experienced those types of things, a lot of people in my world did too, and you know what, as time passed by, I learned that if I try even just for a little while, I can save more people. So I don't know about you but I need to go and help them," I announce, as José and everyone start fighting.

I run toward José and everyone else. Then, I hear someone behind.
"I still disagree with what you said but since you're being stubborn, I will help and because they're my brothers," Nando says. Hearing this, I smile. He's such a good person. Any person could have stuck to their answer and just leave, but he did not.
"Let's go help them," I say
"What are you two doing here?!" José says.
"We're here to help, brother," Nando says.
"I told you to protect her, we need her alive," José says. Hearing this, my cheeks turn red.
"She needs to be alive in order to help us," he continues. Ouch, I thought he meant what he said. He just actually wants to protect me because I am their "savior."
"Watch out," I yell to him. José turns around and grabs the gun from a guy. Looking at the guy closely, I can tell they are definitely Spaniards.
"Marie!" Andres calls out.
"Huh?" I say. Then a guy, with no gun on his waist, grabs my left arm with his right hand. I grab his left arm with my other hand and duck, twisting his arm and causing him to let go. He yelps and tries to grab my bag with his left hand. I grab his left hand with my left hand and use my right hand to make his head bow down. Then, I raise my right knee meeting his face with full force giving him a good blow. He wobbles while holding his nose. I stand behind him and kick the back of his knee joint causing him to fall over. Then, I whispered to him, "Lo siento mucho,

pero tengo que hacer esto (I am so sorry, but I have to do this.)" I say knocking him out with a rock I find nearby.
Looking around, I see Nando and Andres fighting a tall figure. Eman and Manoy are fighting with two other Spaniards. Then, on the other side, José is fighting with a man bigger than him. He seems to be losing since José is starting to wobble backward.

"José!" I yell, about to go next to him, but then he grabs something from behind his waist causing me to stop. It's a stick. A bamboo stick. He attacks the Spaniard causing the Spaniard to fall and lose his balance. He then bent over and grabbed his shirt. However, all of a sudden, a gunshot goes off causing everyone to stop. Turning around, I see a Spaniard with a mustache, wearing a white uniform. He holds a gun upwards and yells in Spanish, ordering his comrades to surround us.