chapter 9 live

Darkness...Nothing but darkness then...

efe opened his eyes and saw a roof over his head one that looked strangely familiar he sat up and looked to his side as a tall frame loomed over him

"Hurry up we're going hunting for the feast remember?" he could tell by the cowrey necklace

it was his father who said

Efe got up and carried his bow and arrows he internally screamed

why can't I move or say anything? Oh, she did say something about memory I think but what could it be? something but I don't know what...

He walked out walking alongside his father

I remember hunting with him today we didn't see anything for hours then...

Efe saw it in a clearing, a gazelle light fallen on it as though nature was showcasing a golden opportunity efe crouched and slowly pulled back his bow holding his breath he let go and watched as the majestic creature fell to the ground efe reared his head in excitement and looked at his father, a smile of pride on his face he gushed back to his home

"is it time to cook it yet?" efe asked

"be patient your brothers will be here shortly," his father said

He looked on jumping in anticipation and ran up to the approaching figures and fell on his back holding a chicken in his face desperately clawing

a boy caught the chickens and firmed his grip as he held it with the others

"Sorry," he said a free arm around efe

"olu give him here," one said placing efe on the cow he sat on

"don't cry it's okay," he said while another laughed with the bleating of the goat he was pulled by a noose

"ike stop laughing "

"demi get off your cow and make me "

"That's good my sons but it seems your younger brother has brought home the catch of the day" pointing to the gazelle

He watched as his younger self and his brothers sat together trading stories. He always paid attention to the stories of places he had never been to and wanted to visit especially Egypt which Eniola spoke at full length about from the food to the culture

"They have these large pyramids they are so big they dwarf the entire village they are used as resting places for their previous Pharoah"

"How are the women there like" Demi asked

"I would love to tell you but I would not want tomorrow's bride raining curses on why I tempted her groom" He grinned looking at Olu

"There are still three days left"

"More than enough time to run away without getting noticed but who knows it can be worth it, " Demi said

"You always did tend to think with his loins after all," Ike said

"At least he can think," Efe said

"What's that supposed to mean?" ike stretched closer

Efe slowly got up

"Some people are nothing but space" Efe darted out Ike behind him although he was fast ike was closing the gap with every step he took. Efe looked on to an upcoming hut nothing but a short slope behind it He pulled all his strength leaning forward and went faster ike went around and stopped he spun his head to the voice behind another hut and slowly crept up behind no one was there, his eyes desperately raced around and looked at behind to see efe pushing a three-wheeled wheelbarrow down the slope. Efe shook violently as the wheelbarrow attempted to throw him off he leaned back.

'Ike added to the two wheels because I always got thrown off with one he carved some firewood into wheels and fitted them into logs and tied it and even put so much adhesive to keep it on it took days to wash off the adhesive' his older self recalled

He continued to watch as his younger self put all his weight to the side tilting and avoiding the incoming girls ahead and pushing his weight to position it back he hit a bump and swayed left and right and hit another bump and flew out abruptly falling into a stream the wheel borrow followed hitting him over the head everything faded away as he lost consciousness.

'That was

There was a throbbing at the back of his head he slowly opened his eyes and coughed up the water

he held on to the tree root that kept him from drifting off and pulled himself to land

"Ike!" he screamed at the top of his lungs for hours on end as he roamed the forest. His blood got cold and he started breathing unsteadily.

"IKE!" a tree rustled in the distance he ran towards it

"Ike!" he screamed happily he saw someone facing his direction from the top of the tree

"Ike" the man took a step forward and stop midway rope around his neck his legs wriggled, he gagged

efe stood unable to cut him down to scared to move he watched his body stopped moving and slowly swing from side to side he kept staring at the foaming mouth, the glassy eyes frozen in fear. His breathing became uneven and his vision began to blur, sweat trickled down his face and he slowly took steps back, with a shriek he ran and ran calling out for his parents, his brothers, anyone but he was met with echoes of his voice

will no one find me? Will I die?

he tripped on a branch and rolled down the path to the river

"if I follow it I will get back" common knowledge even a child like him understood. He ran upstream the thick forestry lessening he began to feel hopeful as he ran forward he saw a familiar face poking out

"Chioma!" he called out to her with all the breath in his lungs as soon as finally got within earshot

he closed his eyes and screamed

"Chioma" he opened his eyes to no one the place was covered in thick trees again he spun around and spotted at the corner of his eyes a tree root but not just any tree root the one he used to pull himself out of the river earlier a branch fell on his head and he reflexly looked up and saw the body that was previously hanged and another one behind it he ran upstream and tripped over he stood up and saw more bodies hanging off the trees and kept running more and more spawned he tripped once more this time he would not stand he shut his eyes closed and curled into a ball but the images were burned into his mind the man's death played on endlessly in his mind. He slowly sobbed unable to do anything other than sob but was promptly brought back by a tap on his shoulder

"Ife" a familiar voice called

He opened his eyes to a blurred image of a woman and a man

"Ife" the man called

"Eni?" He called

"yes, it's me," he said he turned his back and bent a knee. efe jumped onto him without hesitation and fell asleep. he felt a weight on his chest and found difficulty in breathing he pushed against it and heard a thud he turned to face the source of the noise and saw ike lying down beside him covered in cloth and reeked of medicinal herbs and ointment.

"He looked for you for the two days you were gone," Eni said

"He took many injuries from the animals there"

"They were more beast-like than animals" Ike whispered

"Is it yet time for the wedding?" Ike continued

"No, it was moved one day so you can rest from now to tomorrow," he said and walked off

"I'm sorry," Ife said

ike clicked his tongue

"One day, you will be your own man but before that and after you have a family you can always rely on" he yawned and turned over, a moment of silence then a soft snore was heard, ife turned to the side and slept off. He could not get the images of the bodies out of his head coupled with voices pleading for life the bodies grabbed him and begged for another life, smothering him... He sprang up from his mat drenched in sweat

"Are you fine?" ike asked his face covered in worry dimly reflecting off the lantern that illuminated the room

"I am fine I am just thirsty," he said

. The horrific dream replayed as he left for the hut in front of theirs where the water was he had misgivings with a stone and looked up to curse the heavens and saw a bright red flash soaring down into a hut. There was smoke then fire ife confused screamed

"Help! fire" and looked up as if to beg the heavens for help and noticed bright red then glimmered across the sky he was frozen in place the glimmer coming closer and was pulled into a hut by ike and watched the red rain down ike shook his senses back into him

"Ife" He pointed to the back window and helped him climb out and climbed out with him a sword in hand the neigh of a horse approached them ike swiftly turned swinging his sword a splash of red followed and a disgruntled horse was heard ike caught the reigns and steadied the horse ife hopped on to the back and held tight to ike's waist letting everything sink in as he heard screams drowning his ears until they were all behind him.

a loud bang rang out and he was sent crashing down everything blacked out. he woke up and felt a sting around his hands his vision obstructed by something on his head

"Everyone stand" a voice bellowed before he could reach for it he heard loud bangs and felt something splatter on him. He hurriedly got to his feet

"Good! Now listen you all are now slaves under us to be sold to some very important benefactors we are known for high-grade products and to ensure its only quality that gets sent down we will have a method of elimination as such if we think anyone as you is slowing the others down instant death. if you get sick death, complain death, you will be entitled to sleep and water once a day is that clear?"

"Yes"

loud bangs were heard with a spine-chilling thud

"they could not reply fast enough do not be like them now move" he felt a tug at his wrist and started off more shots being taken

"Move"

The day dragged on his feet burned and bled as he stepped on foreign objects on the floor his mind was strained only kept active by an occasional gunshot then finally they were stopped.

"Here's good to camp men" rustling

The sack over his head was pulled off and he gasped for air an ear of corn and a skin of milk tossed to his feet he hurriedly drank and ate and got a better look at his shackles they were bundled with everyone else is and were pulled by riders on camels they're faces the only thing visible as they're light armor softly glowed in the campfire and felt a tap on his soldier and smiled with tears looking at ike. this was short-lived with the sound of crying

"my son"

"my daughter"

"my father"

"my mother"

they were quickly drowned out by the sound of gunshots

"If you want to meet third-rate disgraces like them wail" a man sprang out to the man talking and was met with a sword to the head

"you want a new parent? a new family?" some of the men grabbed some of the women

"there problem solved" the women were stripped and slept with in front of them and branded with a branding iron

some others grabbed some men and like cattle were crudely castrated. It was a message to each of them they were powerless and at their mercy, for days on end that's how the party went each day the party thinned out. Another night when the men moved the festivities to their tents after giving each of them a thorough beating. There he was, muscles sore, starved and parched. He saw ike dragged off it was his turn to be... no he wouldn't think of it but if it came to that and death, he prayed for death. He lay as still as possible and drifted off to sleep he woke up and was greeted by the sounds of screams from the camp and was snatched off the floor.

"Ife don't worry it's all going to be alright" he drifted off to sleep and awoke in a field of grass. He looked at himself and noticed his larger hands and taller frame

"You have grown so big you know" a voice called he looked up and was left wide-mouthed at the sight of the former king

"What?" ife said

The man chuckled and put a hand on his shoulder.

"do not worry all will be answered but first help your friend she will lead you to your answers start with a simple question

'why are you here?'

"

Ife sat up vision clouded

"Finally, seems like it was intense"

ife felt for his face and touched tears.

"How did it go?"

"at the very least, it helped me learn something I had forgotten"

"Aww"

"we're still stuck here I see"

"yes, I have had no luck but it seems you know about this place"

ife paused and listened to the river nearby

"Did you happen to see a tree with a long root by chance?"

"Yes, I did"

ife lay down.

"I have to come to terms with it right?" he muttered,

"let me guess you have history here?"

"not a good one"

"oh sorry"

he clicked his tongue

"I see anyway, why are you here?"

"The fuck?"

"No, I should have found it odd coincidentally we met and once I talk a bit about things you decide to help me?"

"kind heart?"

"I call bull"

"Okay, okay you're right I got captured on purpose but meeting you that was unintentional" she sighed,

"There's this mask I need to get it's hidden somewhere deep and if I can't "

"say no more I'll help you" ife chimed in and got up

"let's get going"

"do you have a course of action I'm not seeing because there are many paths"

"Don't worry about it it's the easiest way to chart ourselves" he walked downstream of the river

"Isn't it the other way around?" she asked

"I sort of know it's this way, I sort of know a lot of things now"

she sighed and picked up a sword off a guard

"wherever you want to go"