Deprived

Chapter 22

Maize had no idea what time it was, but she guessed it had to be around midnight.

Mario still slept soundly. His breathing was deep and comforting. She was relieved to see him resting and getting back his strength. The journey to the village to get their family and onwards to the west would be a rigorous one.

Maize couldn't sleep. She kept thinking she was hearing dogs barking. So she stood up to keep watch.

Her father was still with her, and she was happy that he was, but what they were doing was extremely dangerous and could cost them their lives.

Mario muttered something inaudibly.

Maize bent over him.

"Mara."

He was muttering her mother's name. Seven years without being with your soul mate—Maize could only imagine what that would be like. She was with William only a few days, and already she was worried sick about him, wondering if she would ever see him again.

Maize returned to her spot on the ground. She drank the last of her water and laid the bottle by her side.

She wished she could take a bath and change clothes. The smell of stress and sweat clung to her gray uniform. But a bath was another luxury that would have to wait.

All of this because the evil president Aberdeen and his followers were determined to live forever and they didn't mind killing villagers to get what they wanted.

Maize leaned her back against the wall and closed her eyes. The coldness from the wall seeped into her back, cooling her down.

She stared at her father. Their reconciliation went better than she had ever imagined. Maize always planned that if she ever saw her father again, she would use her words to strip him of his manhood, so he would know how she felt all those years without him. She had planned to dismiss any excuses he might have made because there was no excuse for abandoning your family. But he came and saved her life and explained and gave a reason for leaving, and she somehow understood. Somehow she empathized with him and was glad she did. Life was too short, and there was no room in the heart for holding animosity. The rooms of the heart should be filled with adventure, love, kindness, and grace.

When she forgave her father, a warm blanket had come over her heart, and it was putting the broken pieces of her heart back together again.

She lay back down on the bed, closed her eyes, and dozed off. Her body strolled into sleep.

In the darkness where sleep resided, Maize heard a school bell ringing.

It wasn't a drooly sleepy ring but a ring of urgency.

She opened her eyes and looked over at her father, who was sitting up on the bed.

"Not good, let's go!"

Maize sprung to her feet. Her head felt woozy from hunger. "Dad, what's wrong?"

"You hear the bell, that means they've found the tunnel we're in, and they're heading our direction."

Maize could hear the dogs barking in the distance.

Her father abandoned the old light stick, which had grown dim, and pulled a new one out of his jacket pocket. He slammed it against the wall to activate it, and white light burst into the room.

He took off down the tunnel, and Maize took off behind him, staying close to his heel. His stride was strong and sturdy.

They walked for about fifteen minutes until they could no longer hear the bell ringing or the dogs barking.