THE EXCHANGE

10

   The welts on my back ached as I winced. Blood gushed out from a few gashes, soaking my nose with the warm and moist scent. I choked on the vomit that fought to escape my mouth. The smell of herbs flooded through my nostrils as questions ran through my mind. A shudder spread down the length of my back. Fog pierced my line of sight once again.

  Tiredness flicked down my eyes before my limbs pulsed with a dull throb. My eyes drew to the cloth I held pressed to my knee. Hesitantly, I raised it enough to peer at the white cotton material.

It was now red.

  My breathing sped up. Jitters filed an even path down my body. I slapped my hand back but bile had already filled my mouth again. Speckles of black decorated my hazy world. Goosebumps grew down my arms, rough patches of pores jutting underneath my smooth clothes.

  Feeling my way over to where the bucket of water lay, I dipped my hand into it. I was met with the cool liquid that faintly rippled over my aching palms. Puke still threatening to break past my mouth, I quickly splashed some of the cold water onto my face. The fuzz around me twirled back to normal.

  Ebo, the guy with the black eyes, had sent me and Atsu to completely raid another store. My eyes shifted to the gains of our venture, chips, cans of food, some worn out clothes and  chains laid scattered along the bed. The clatter irked me but the pain emanating from my knee was enough to keep me still. I winced again as I applied more pressure onto it.

  A wham broke through the atmosphere. I shifted my eyes to the doorway. Zarkiya, one of the other members,  had her petite frame clad in a light yellow dress. She faltered in her steps when her eyes locked with mine, she looked away even as she trudged on, allowing her long black hair to shield her face.

  My eyes caught onto the first aid box she held tightly. Her footsteps echoed in the room. She laid the kit on the bed before slowly turning to me.

"Ebo talk say you go use that one to clean your wounds then you go come to the meeting room." Before I could answer, she plodded out the door as if in a haste to get out as fast as she could. I took a peep at the bed again.
The glitters of the chains and rings strewn across the rumpled linen tightened my belly as the begging faces of people flashed to mind. I had done my part quickly to avoid Atsu from doing anything like he did last time but I couldn't remove the remorse that came with my action.
  
  I took a deep breath as I latched onto the cool metallic handle of the greying first aid box. With a heave, I pulled it to my side. I quickly wretched it open which let out a dull creak, cobwebs were sprinkled around the sides. My nose twitched as I reluctantly placed my hand into it, swatting away the light silk away. Most of the products looked outdated, either some were expired or some could not perform what they were intended to do. I rummaged through it until I settled on a roll of bandages sealed in a transparent cellophane bag.

  I took it before I gingerly ripped it open and got to work. After five gruelling minutes of trying to keep myself from experiencing a fainting spell, I had finally tended to the wide gash and the other sprinkles of injuries that dusted my legs.  I stood up and almost stumbled back to the bed as a result of the numbness that gripped my leg. I patiently awaited the clamour of blood down my veins.

   "Hey, aren't you done?" I whipped my head towards the doorway once again. Afua dusted her yellow shirt before motioning outside the door. She pulled on the end of her hair which was now red and plaited in neat red cornrows. I nodded, my throat still parched as tension dawdled within me. I walked towards her before she led me down to the meeting room, which wasn't too hard to locate. The crackling of torches with the familiar paper padded walls filtered into my vision.

  Ebo, and the four others sat amongst the chairs around the focal point of the room which was the wooden gritty table. An image shuddered into my mind. Daniella's severed head. My throat strained as nausea washed over me. I fought away the urge to hurl all my guts onto the wooden floor. I shook my head before I strode  to the empty seat at the edge of the  table, the rest of the five were already seated, chatting lightly.