CHIBOK (COMPLETED)

CHAPTER TEN

I believe we are all getting the thrill of the world cup. May the best country win!

JULIET...

Light flashed on the canvas, sifting through to tents. Vehicle engines rumbled in the distance and Juliet was wide awake. Light blazed her direction and men stepped in rudely rousing the sleeping girls. Ali was with the men pointing at which girl should be taken away and which should be left behind. He pointed at Lucia, and two hands held her weeping body, chivvying her through the crowd outside.

Juliet followed, and watched from the distance as Lucia as well as many girls was being forced into the truck till they could resist no more. Four men grabbed the cross bar over the columns of steel that made the entrance. The truck rumbled to life again and rolled away.

Lucia was shrieking on the top of her voice, her shrilly voice was evident, but she couldn't come out of the truck despite the spasmodic resistance she offered. Juliet watched as the light diminished into pinpricks in the distance. Her heart sank as she dug her fingers to the sand crying her eyes out once more.

The feeling of loneliness took hold, Lucia was gone, and so it seems for Raliat and Aminat. Her best friends. Gone.

From the darkness behind came a muscular grasp smouldering her, another pointing a gun at her head, she couldn't tell who it was till he jerked her head in such an unnatural angle she could hear her bones protesting. The leering face was familiar. She had seen him in the camp before. Juliet heard a shot and her head exploded, or so it felt...

Juliet woke with a start, her body dripping wet with rivulets of cold sweat, she looked around. Lucia was fast asleep beside her, she sighed. It was a dream after all.

Early the next morning after the night when Raliat was taken away, Juliet was restless, she obeyed the routine because she feared the consequences of refusal,but was absent minded throughout. As soon as she disposed off the last chunk of trash, she attempted to run over to Raliat, wherever she was.

The question of who to ask was settled by Lucia, Few of the girls did know Abubakir's tent, they gave them direction, each also cautioning them not to mention their names should the attempt boomerang.

It was the same long road they'd taken the first day when they were presented to their commander. The same road they took when they were staged for video coverage with the high commander. A video which she heard had made its way to the internet. How humiliating can it get?

They hardly made it out of the tent before a voice called, "You," he said, pointing at Juliet, she looked back, the bottom of Juliet's stomach gave way, Ali was standing with the same man he came with the night before, the man in her dream, "follow me." Ali said.

She looked back at Lucia, who looked just as frightened and confused as she felt, she took a step back, uncertain about what to do next. The second man raised a brow; dread held her in place.

The two men rounded them, one gripped her arm and one the other lifted her on amidst the cheering crowd, Lucia was crumpled on the soil, her hand to her face as she sobbed. Juliet trashed her legs, she were barely touching the ground, the strain made a dull pain arise in her lower abdomen—the stitches—she had no choice than to let them drag her on.

She knew the destination before they got there, having visited the sick bay before. It was still the way it was except for the fact that it had more men waiting before the tent. They shove her through the curious crowd to the room where she was attended to the last time, as a patient. Now what? She asked herself, afraid to even think of an answer.