CHAPTER 5: BREATHE

FLASHBACK

The diviner's hut had been burnt to the ground 5 months ago, but the animals were yet to return. Five months after the diviner had fled the village after doing the unthinkable, the heavens let loose. It had rained so much, so hard, and for so long that it felt like a flood was in the near future. Thunder and lightning punctuated the rains, it felt like the sky was alive, angry, and weeping.

The rain was met with mixed feelings and not the usual joy that swept through the village whenever rain fell. Were the rains a sign that the gods had finally decided to have mercy on the villagers, or was this a sign of even more disasters to come? The villagers were beyond restless, their patience had run out. So once again they stormed the chief priest's house and demanded an answer.

The chief priest had anticipated their arrival and was armed with a solution, but first, he revealed everything he had earlier deciphered based on the current state of things in the village.

At first, he thought that the wild animals would have disposed of the diviner, but that was not the case because the gods were still angry. There were no animals in the forest; which meant that not only had the diviner survived, but she had also given birth to the abomination she carried. She had given birth on the day the sky cried, that was the god's response to the continual defiance and existence of the diviner.

The people were in shock and the revelation sparked mixed reactions. Some people still believed that this was a fever dream, and others believed that it was only a matter of time before the gods caught up to her. But first, the gods most likely wanted to play with her, much like a lion plays with its prey. While a small group of people believed that by doing what had never been done before, the diviner had put herself on the same pedestal as the gods, hence the god's delay in punishing the diviner. After giving the villagers a couple of minutes for the information to sink in, the chief priest revealed what the gods upon consultation had decided. The gods told him that the only way the land would return to normal was if both mother and child were killed, only then would all be forgiven, and the land be cleansed.

The child in question had a head full of long white hair and two different colors of eyes; you cannot miss her. The crowd dispersed with mixed feelings; some wondered why the gods had not struck the diviner down the moment she even conceived the idea in her heart, and others wondered why the chief priest waited this long to reveal this news to them. While others wondered what type of child is fully developed and born within 5 months after it was conceived. What they were sure of was that such a child should not be allowed to keep existing, and neither should its mother. Lest other people would be tempted to follow her foolish footsteps and wreck even more havoc, thus angering the gods further. But who would bell the cat? Who would kill the child? How does one even go about killing such a filthy and dangerous thing?

A number of them set out to different parts of the earth in search of the elusive mother and child duo. As they did, they took along with them the story of the diviner and her daughter, as well as what they had done. Soon enough, every being on earth knew them and everyone wanted blood and the possible great reward. The story of the diviner became a cautionary tale; most people forgot that they were in fact real and not just made-up characters for the sole purpose of giving the people hope.

The chief priest grew worried when no one who embarked on the journey came back. Quite some time had passed, and it was like both the men and the terrible duo had vanished off the face of the earth. But the dystopian world he now woke up to every day was a resounding indicator the duo was still alive. The villagers stormed his hut once more and demanded answers; where were the countless men that set out to kill the duo, and where were they still stuck in this nightmare?

The gods were consulted once more and a team of five men from different areas of the world was created.

PRESENT

Today is wash day, I have finally found a spot safe enough to somewhat let my guard down, as well as blessed with a river nearby. Usually, the presence of a stream means that there is civilization nearby and I would not do this on a normal day, but I need to bathe and the bushes surrounding it provides a great cover.

I wash my clothes and then dive into the water for both a bath and a swim; closing my eyes and sinking to the bottom, I drift back to a less lonely time. To a time when my mother was around, at least back then, it was us against the universe and not just me.

This is such a lovely break from the usual routine of fighting, running, hiding, and repeating the entire cycle over again. When my mother taught me these life skills, I never thought that there would be a time when I would have to use them alone; it was supposed to be the two of us against the world, the same world we turned on its head by her defiance.

FLASHBACK

"Again!" the diviner screamed at her daughter before tossing her back into the river. This was the tenth time she was being thrown back into the river, and it was not even noon yet.

After what seemed like forever, the diviner pulled her out of the river.

"The people after us think you are a mistake and will stop at nothing to kill you. I have already lived my life before I brought you into this world. So, I can die happy anytime. But for you, your journey is yet to begin" she said whilst staring at the shivering child. Who was clenching her teeth in a bid to prevent them from chattering, and her tiny palms clenched into tight fists at her sides. Although she was chilled to the bone, she would neither wrap her arms around herself nor request for even a strip of warm clothing; she would rather freeze to death than appear weak.

"I will teach you how to survive; how to live. I will not let my sacrifice be wasted, I did not make a mistake bringing you into this world, and you will not prove me wrong." She said to her daughter whilst taking in her small form; from her full head of white locs down to her little toes, which were currently tightly clenched and digging into the wet soil beneath her.

"Seeing as you can now hold your breath underwater, I am going to throw you into the river again, but this time with your arms tied; first they will be tied in front of you and afterward I will tie them behind your back. I'll continue tying you up in different ways and throwing you into the river until you are an expert at getting yourself out of these situations" she said calmly while observing the child before her. Any other six-year-old would have cried or thrown a fit or begged to take things easy by now, but not her daughter; she was too proud to not take up any challenge thrown at her. Her daughter was a warrior through and through.

"Your sixth lesson is this; your body is only as strong as your mind wills." She said whilst making the knot in the ropes that bound her daughter's hands together tighter than before, once the knot was secured, she looked her straight in the eyes and pushed her back into the river. "Again!"