Hand of God

SECRETS

Roger was hungry. It had been so long since he had last eaten anything. And he thus could not stop the really weird sounds coming from his stomach.

‘Dear God! Would you stop that?!’ May exclaimed, exasperated.

‘I can’t control it! I am hungry. And my head’s killing me!’

May didn’t reply to that, she just whipped the horses twice, urging them to quicken their pace. The horses still trudged along. They didn’t even have any other option, the rising and falling gradient of the land combined with a cart made it impossible for them to pick up speed.

‘I wouldn't’ have brought this stupid cart had it been not for you.’

Even though it wasn’t directly said, Roger knew May was asking him to be grateful so Roger shut up and even May didn’t bother starting up a conversation. There was complete silence except the rumbling of the cart, and the rumbling of Roger’s stomach.

In silence, Roger observed his surroundings. He knew this hilly terrain wasn’t the one that had been before the war. He could spot metallic pieces jutting from the hills, protruding boards, metallic rods, a window, broken door, a half broken jar.

Roger was amazed how a single war made a normal era seem like a lost civilization. Although, just around twenty years in the past, most of the world before the war was lost.

With his eyes open, morbid thoughts in his head, Roger slept again. What woke him was the stopping of cart. May had pulled the horses to a stop in front of a wall of hills. She turned to Roger with stony eyes.

‘If you tell anyone about what you are going to see beyond that, I’ll come and personally kill you.’

All Roger could do was nod.

Roger got off the cart with May, who tethered the horses to a protruding metal rod. Without a word she started walking up the hill, Roger followed.

Roger had thought that the day could not get more weird or surprising but he was proved wrong when he reached the top.

Beyond the wall of hills, the scenery changed completely till the next set of hills rose after hundred metres or so.

‘Valley of Doom.’

Valley of Doom had no hint of green at all. The hills surrounding the valley were stripped bare right down to the remains of the war. This showed the reality. Every hill was a massive garbage dump except it had no garbage but lives. It was a dump of lives and what could not get eroded, evaporated or destroyed was left in dumps.

And right down at the centre stood a worn down two storey building. What surprised Roger even more was that there were people milling around the building, most of them with guns slung on their backs.

All of them stopped whatever they were doing and looked up at May and Roger. Almost everyone drew their weapons immediately.

The sun was coming up, Roger hadn’t even noticed the night passing by. And considering the present situation he was not sure if he was going to witness another night.

‘What the fuck’s wrong with you, May?!’ One of the man pointing gun at them shouted.

‘You have killed all of us!’ Another one joined.

‘Relax, guys. I have great news. You guys are going to go nuts!’ May said. She turned towards Roger. ‘C’mon!’

Following May, Roger started descending. He watched May and put his feet exactly where she did while getting down. By the time they made it to the valley floor, Roger had a few scrapes here and there, but nothing serious.