I'm sorry

Adeola twisted and turned, her sleep was disturbed by the noise of the crisp crackling of dry branches being snapped. As she opened her eyes to the first rays of light, she was welcomed to the sight of Walter gathering more sticks for another fire. She stretched herself as she sat up.

"Where're you going?" She asked, getting up.

"To get food."

"Right! I'm right behind you. Let me get my sickle."

"Stay there. I'll be right back."

"Nope."

"I said I'll be right back."

"No you won't. Look what you caught yesterday. I'll help you out."

"Suit yourself."

"So…how long do you plan on staying here... The waste land... Hunting different animals and roasting them?"

Walter kept walking, scanning the forest without answering her.

"Not too long from now the cannibals are going to find us." She continued, "There are wolves everywhere too."

"Keep quiet." Walter said, bringing out his bow and arrow, "stay right here."

"Never tell a lady to keep quiet. Never ever do that."

Walter arched his arrow once again, and aimed with unwavering focus at something.

"What are you aiming at?" Adeola asked while standing very close to him as he aimed.

He ignored her, still trying to get the perfect aim.

"Show me so I'll know if what you're aiming at is edible." She said, trying to look in his direction, while holding his hands, preventing him from shooting the arrow.

He pushed her hand away and shot the arrow anyway, missing his target, alerting the deer , making it run.

"Shit!" He yelled, "What exactly is your problem?"

"I was just trying to help!" Adeola yelled back.

"Well, how did that turn out?"

"I should be asking you what your problem is. You've been acting all weird for God knows how long. You've refused to tell me what I've done to get this treatment."

"Stop playing dumb! You see, that's what gets me even more pissed. You're acting all innocent...Like you see me as anything but a tool to be used for your stupid war."

"What are you talking about?"

"You see! Right there! You're doing it again! Your family is so good at acting like they care just to get us to do what you want. I hate it so much. It's disgusting."

"Do not insult my family."

"Just stop! Stop it! I've been stupid for so long! Realizing all your family has cost me just gets me angrier by the minute. I let my stupid emotions control me and look where it got me."

"All these harsh words, Walter, you won't understand."

"Have you ever tried to understand me? Do you understand what it means to be in my shoes?"

"Walter...Nariah brought you here alive."

"Stop making it sound like that's a bloody favor. She snatched me from my family and into hell, and into a war that I know nothing about. Not only that, your original plan was to do the killing yourself, am I right? To kill me to set a group of nobodies free from the underworld. Countless lives, ruined. And everyone is complaining about King Will. I'm beginning to see why he doesn't give a jot about the lives here. You all are just so selfish and wicked."

"Walter" Adeola called.

"And you? I thought you actually cared about me. I was beginning to think you were better than Nicole. I was beginning to see you again like an actual human being. A person who has empathy. But all this time, Adeola, you just wanted to make me a warrior so I'll fight for your people. Another totally selfish and messed up thing to do... You never even asked if that is what I really wanted. All that training, you made me feel like you were teaching me to defend myself because you cared. All along, it was because you wanted me to fight for your people. The same people who were on the verge of taking my life from me, the second time."

"I'm sorry Walter. For me, and my family."

"You're not sorry. You're just a bad friend, and a piece of shit. Please just leave me alone. I know you keep following me because your family needs me, not becauee you actually care."

"Do you feel better?" She asked in a low tone. "Does saying all these words make you feel better?"

"Don't even play victim on me because that shit is not going to fucking work! There's so much to say. I hate you, Your sisters, your mother. I hate your town, all of you... and Nariah, even more for playing with my feelings. All you guys did was steal my life, and make me feel deathly sad while you were at it. Standing here talking to you about how depressed you have made me is even getting me more infuriated. It's not like you can bloody understand how it feels. I've played a fool for too long. I'm leaving. Just don't follow me." Walter waked away, leaving Adeola who stood there face-down in remorse.

Walter walked away without second thoughts and did not bother turning back to check on Adeola. He just kept going and just like that, he was gone, disappearing into the thickness of the forest.

Adeola stood there, thinking about all Walter had said and wondering how he found out about their plans. She clenched her fists in regret, and turned back, walking towards the sea to head back to her town to see what happened.

As Walter kept heading forward, he also began considering whether what he said was too much.

They stole my life from me. Why am I feeling guilty? I'll be fine, he thought to himself.

On walking a few more meters being completely lost in his thoughts, his awareness of the environment around him faded away as he kept going. Thinking about where to go, and how to get back to earth. He kept walking aimlessly, not noticing the underbush thickening around him until he took a step on it. He fell right into the hidden ditch before him.

On falling into the ditch, he began hearing laughter from above, and right then, he looked up and the cannibals surrounded the ditch with spears in their hands.

"Not today. Not today." Walter said, rolling up his sleeves in anger and clenching the fist -the mark in it.

As he did so, a massive whirlwind blew the cannibals away as a wind blows a feather from the ground. A split second after, the explosion erupted like a nuke, its colossal force shattered through the forest trees as a blinding light spread through the forest, visible as far as the seashore, making Adeola squint sharply. The explosion pulverized everything within its range as its quake shook the ground, catching everyone's attention all the way to the camouflage.