Retribution

Chapter Two

Not even an hour after the incident, Joel had returned to the hut both Ben and I were crouched in, holding eachother for comfort and demanded we get up and go back to our designated huts. Even though he is under strict instructions that nobody was aloud to touch me, Joel had clearly pointed out he could still harm Ben, and he would do just that if I kept objecting and being stubborn.

The time I was with Ben alone, I couldn't help but wonder why I wasn't aloud to be touched. Why would Jaxon care when he murdered someone from my village, infront of everyone and is allowing others to get beaten up and put on display for everybody to see.

To me, it honesty made so sense and put me on edge. Obviously there was an underlying message here of trying to make me feel at ease then crush all hopes of being safe. It is the only logical thing that came to mind, and I had though of it all.

From him to show some humanity, despite the cold dead eyes, or creating a sweet torture for him. He would think its hilarious to see me crumble after I thought I was safe. I may be naive, but I'm not stupid.

There's no way a man with eyes so dead and seeking revenge could ever turn good.

***

I lay in bed that night, the thin mattress on top of the wooden bed frame, a comfortable surface made many years ago by the family who used to live in here. The thin blanket had been tossed to the end of the bed long ago around mine and Max's feet as we lay out on the bed. The heat from the start of summer was already taking a toll on everybody from not yet adjusted to the hot weather.

Max is going on 18 and the other under 18 I'm living with, helping me take care of Nina who is 9 and Brad who is 11.

Max is a black man, skin a very dark shade of black with dark brown eyes and a lovely personality. Despite the state that the village is going through, he manages to stay as positive as he can in a time like this. But that might be because Max has no family left. His been an only child his whole life and about four months ago his parents passed away.

He had no added stress of making sure his family's okay and he didn't have many friends either. Since his family passed, he slowly retreated from his friends and became quite independent. He wasn't a loner by any means, still talking and hanging out with people he knew, he just slowly became anti social.

Luckily, I'm in a hut where the kids we have to look after aren't so little that they need constant care. Nina and Brad; already at such a young age, are independant as children their age can be. They can dress, shower feed and use the bathroom by themselves. They stay together talking to one another in hushed whispers and both are very little so they went heads and tails on the single bed in the room next to Max's and mine.

'How are you feeling?' Max asked quietly, obviously having difficulty sleeping like me. It's around three in the morning and I had yet to fall asleep, lying stiffly on the edge of the bed, careful not to make any contact with Max to make the sleeping arrangements awkward.

'Shit.' I replied, my skin still stinging from when Joel made my body feel as though it was on fire. My jaw has a nasty purple bruise too from where he struck me.

'Oh.'

A few moments passed in silence.

'Is Ben okay?' He questioned softly, knowing how much I care for him by explaining to him the situation earlier on in the evening.

'His a bit shaken up which is a given.' I sighed, running my hand through my hair. The midnight black strands were cut short to just below my shoulders and can last approximately a week and a half before it needs to be washed, something I was greatful for. My hair is one thing I love about how I look. The curls don't frizz unless brushed so I can wear it up or out and it can still look presentable. The strands felt knotted beyond belief from my fingers catching in them, and it felt gross and slightly greasy from the days events.