THE MASKED (Sequence 1)

CHAPTER 7

I heard people screaming and rushing around us. We were being shoved and Shilla gripped my hands tight so I don't let go. I try to push my way through to the classroom. I catch a glimpse of teachers and students running out of the school. My heart starts hammering in my chest. What's going on?
My brain begins to assimilate the situation. That sound is not the normal call out meeting for people to gather in my town. They were shots being fired, I mean real shots.
"I don't think those were the normal call out shots for meeting, Shilla" I tell her.
"I think we're under attack. "
She gasped in fear, unable to utter another word.
Another round of gun shot is heard followed by the screaming of people around us. Shilla grips me hard as people push pass us violently trying to rush towards safety. Honestly, I don't know where to run to because some are running to the left while some are running to the right so I just stand to think of the next thing to do. This is chaos, just like the world war. But this time I don't even know who to run from and what we have done to deserve this. This town was a peaceful one, why all this now?. Then it hit me to run to my parents to inform them if they've not heard so we can flee. So we headed for the house.
As we run home the shock of everything hit me because I see people lying on the ground, bleeding. This is very serious. Houses were on fire and people were running haphazardly.
The sight of my house from afar brought a little hope but it disappeared as quickly as it came. My house was on fire. I increased my pace and ran into the house in spite of the smoke I could clearly see. Everywhere was scattered as some items were already burnt. I left for my mum's room while Shilla checks the back of the house and nearby places for them. I kept calling out for my mum and dad. Checking from room to room if I can find them not even minding the smoke everywhere and the gunshots I hear outside.
A log of wood fell across me and was burning. I felt trapped by it because it cuts across the room. I was just trying to find a way to cross it when I heard Shilla wailing and screaming from the other side of the house. I don't know if I jumped or climbed across the burning wood but all I know is I ran as fast as my legs could carry to were I had the sound from. What I saw was not something to behold. My mum was lying on the ground bleeding, while my dad was lifeless not far from her. Someone should wake me up please. Just tell me it's one of my numerous nightmares. No one was willing to wake me so I pinched myself and when I saw it was real I screamed at the top of my voice.
"Dad, mum what happened to you??
Everything faded when I went to my dad's lifeless body. I was just lost in my own world. How did my life end when it hadn't begin. How???
Shilla was rolling on the floor, wailing and hitting her self on the ground. Seeing that there was nothing I could do because he is dead already, I rushed to my mum's side with the determination to save her life. But she was hesitating and at the same trying to pass a message to me. Her behaviour of resisting help gave me great concern so I bend down to listen to what she had to say
"Run..."
Was what she said in a whisper. Why would she tell me that. As I wondering why she told me to run, I felt the sound of gun shots close to where we were. Then my mum spoke a little
"Don't die My Princess"
"Promise me you'll make it out alive "
Immediately I said yes she breathed her last. Her death was more painful because I helplessly watched her die on me...seeing my parents dead body made me feel like I was dying. i called out silently
"mum open your eyes"
"Am here...please don't leave me like this.."
I sob loudly shaking her
"Anna we need to leave. Our people are being slaughtered mercilessly "
She says dragging me away from my parent's corpse. Now I see why I had those nightmares. It was meant to prevent my parents and the whole clan from dying but I didn't heed to it. Now I have to fight to be alive. I already promised my mom that. Hearing the sound of close gunshots we increased our pace. I didn't even know we were surrounded until a man pointed a gun towards our direction.
"Bend down"
i yelled. She was quick to move away but i wasn't lucky enough. It pierce through my stomach i gasped in pain.....
"Anna hold up to me"
"we need to get out of here alive..."
Shilla says supporting me. We ran toward the forest struggling to escape alive..dodging from bullet and explosion...the people that were once full of life were being killed or burnt alive without guilt...I was beginning to feel the massive pain in my stomach.
I fell on the floor crying. Shilla quickly pulled her shirt and tied the stomach for me..
"please get up we need to run..."
I continued crying cos I was feed up with ideas of where to run..
"Anna please stand up we need to run. You can't give up now especially with the promise you made to your mum"
"No, i can't continue"
"Ann I really can't continue without you"
I heard the gunshots getting closer so I decided to make a move. Just as I was about to stand up, I heard a loud noise.. what's that?
Shilla who was supposed to be helping me up was on the floor with blood spilling all over my face.
"NOOOOOOOOOOO...THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING...NOT YOU..I CAN'T LOOSE YOU....SHILLAAAAAAAAAA"
I cried out loud. Whoever is responsible for this must pay. They must pay with their blood. I will make sure I see to it that their families dies one after the other. I was still crying when a bullet hit me on my shoulder..dodging the other one I kissed Shilla goodbye and rose to my feet... i won't give up... my dream is really happening but the death of my people is a motivation to stay alive and make these people pay with their lives. With the promised I made to my mum, I continued my race even when I was losing so much blood and in great pain...
"Nooooooooooo"
i cried out in pain when a bullet pierced through my legs. This made me weak as I fell heavily to the ground. I knew they were approaching me because I heard close footsteps. One of them spoke up..
"little girl... you gave us a hard time tracking you down"
"You've got a strong will power to survive..."
"But too bad,am gonna kill you"
"please sir...don't kill me"
i begged him
"so touching but goodbye"
he smiled at me as he pulled the trigger....

What do you think is next??
Who do you think is behind all this??
And how is Anna going to fulfil her promise...??

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