Towards the Light

Chapter 20

  [Warning. Things get darker and messy.]

Hunger.

Hunger when you woke up. Hunger when you fell asleep. Hunger in the noon. Hunger in the night.

You weren't used to feel hunger, you always had something to eat in the cave, later your companions never let you strarve. On your way through the forest you picked up some herbs or roots, but it wasn't enough. Any fruit was long gone, either because of people or the drought.

You reached a city. You saw a rotten and burned wood, and ruins of the buildings. A smell of smoke floated in the air. You caughed, but it didn't help. The fire continued in some buildings and no one of the people cared to put it out.

You reached next city, and next, and next. And the fire and the smoke was your constant companion. Starving people on the streets, dead bodies scattered around, beggars and orphaned children were no new sight to you. At first you were terrified, but after so many towns looking just the same you went numb.

You were so hungry, you even looked through the rubbish. You threaded your fingers through the stinking mass, unable to find anything.

''Give it to me!" you heard a scream. Your horse snorted and cleared the view. There stood a man, in his thirties and an old lady, clutching somethig in her arms. She was shaking her head, as the man started to pull at her. ''You damn old hag! Give it to me!"

''It's for my grandkids!" she wailed back.

You noticed the granny had a bread in her arms, and was shielding it from the man. An anger boiled inside you. How could he steal from poor old lady. Half of you wanted to turn back, leave the city and stop caring about such things. The other half wanted to march up to the man, and tell him to stop, even in such times nobody deserved to be robbed, especially not from food.

And that other half won.

You walked to the man and glared at him.

''Let her go," you said. The man looked at you, and pushed you back.

''Mind your own business, girl!" he snarled and turned back to the frightened old lady. He punched her and reached for the bread.

''Stop it!" you shouted at him. He kicked the old lady, she cried in pain. You felt your nails digging into your hand. ''Stop!"

You created a blade from the wind and glared at the man. You didn't want to attack him. You wished he just stopped, right there and let go of the old lady. He turned to you, pulling out a blade from his pocket. His eyes were dripping in madness as he looked at you.

Kill him.

The voice said. For a split second you closed your eyes, and saw a man in a turban before the White Doors. He was looking at you with his blue eyes, that reminded you of a dead fish in the river.

You shook your head.

Kill him.

''No," you said aloud opening your eyes. But the force of his voice was overwhelming. Calm and familiar, yet rought and forgein.

K I L L H I M.

And you felt your feet taking a step forward. And another. You tightened your grip on the Blade and with your eyes wide open, you made another step. The mad man shot you a twisted grin and took a bite of the bread. The old lady wailed. A few people gathered around, whispering to each other, pointing fingers.

You were numb.

The man deserved it. He was a scum, that shouldn't be walking on the same earth as you. He was thief, he was murderer.