Episode 5
Water came out from Sam’s mouth as a result of the continuous pressure
applied on his chest, therefore, he coughed awake. He raised his head up to
see Charles standing before him. He couldn’t see clearly or talk at the
moment until he finally staggered up looking wet and dirty. Regina, on the
other hand admired Charles’ actions towards him.
“What happened?” Sam asked looking around to see nothing but the two
teenagers, the river and a forest behind him. The speed of the wind
increased to the extent Regina’s hair dangled towards its direction. “Where
are others? Where is Agatha?!” he added.
“We don’t know, but I believe they are safe wherever they are” Charles
replied.
“How can you be so sure?”
“Coz I know my Dad”
“Even my Dad too, he’s very strong to die by a mere water” Regina
interfered.
“Really? well, I don’t know Agatha” Sam said disdainfully walking out of
the shore towards the forest while the teenagers followed him side by side.
“Agatha is just your co-pilot, she’s not your girlfriend or your wife, so
I’m not surprise you don’t know her” Charles glanced at him. “Unless you’re
in love with her” he added.
Sam stopped the locomotion before staring at him from head to toe. He
wondered why such a boy thinks and talks like an adult. “How old are you?”
he asked him.
“I’m twenty-eight”
“What?!” Regina exclaimed sliding her hair backward.
“Kidden! I’m just Seventeen” Charles said smiling and spreading his hands
while Regina exhaled in relief.
“Stop joking around, kid” Sam began to walk again as they followed him.
“This is a serious journey and a pathetic one for that matter. We shouldn’t
even be smiling or thinking about love” he added.
“To me, this journey is fun. It’s like an adventure”
“From what I learnt, the forest of Hoom is not a good place for an
adventure”
“Okay, both of you stop!” Regina exclaimed. They did as she said and looked
at her to give the reason for the interruption. “How are we gonna continue
the journey coz we don’t know the road to our destination?”
“Of course Sam gonna lead us” Charles replied.
“But I don’t know the way” he objected.
“You should have the map ”
“Oh, that’s true” he put his hand in the pocket and brought out the paper
which was very wet, he carefully opened it then located their position and
the next direction to follow. Though they didn’t continue the journey coz
it was already late, so they slept there till the next morning..
:
THE NEXT MORNING
Fred and co also passed the night in the forest after miraculously crossing
the bridge the previous day. Ryanie was still sleeping like it was her home
while Fred had woken up. He hardly had some sleep because he kept thinking
about Charles’ true identity. He sat on the leaves used as bed and placed
his arms on the knees. Agatha, who had woken up too sighted him to see how
broken and devastated his was then approached him in a way she sat very
close to him.
“I know it’s hard when you discover that what is yours is not really yours,
but I also want to tell you that it’s not the end of life”
“On this issue, it is the end of life”
“You mean you are ready to die because of this?”
Fred looked at her then stood up, dusted his butt and said, “I’m not gonna
die, not until I kill Edna”
“Who’s Edna?” Agatha stood up too.
“The woman I call my wife. I should have listened to my parents” Fred
walked out. Agatha saw the seriousness on his face, and he meant what he
said. To him, rescuing Edna from the forest wasn’t his ultimate motive
anymore, he just wanted to see her again, look into her eyes, stab her
stomach open then watch her bleed to death.
Ryanie woke up alongside with Lucky before the journey continued regardless
the singing tone of their hungry stomach. As they walked slowly, Ryanie
began to speak to their hearing. “A proper life lives sincerely, last
longer than a crook and insincere life. What a man sows that he shall rip.
Your actions today determines your tomorrow, that is, the bell of the past
can ring in the present. What is yours is yours, so why committing a crime
to get that which is already yours? Life is not only expensive but also
difficult to have. Therefore taking the life of he who gave you life is
like talking your own life..”
The last statement seemed to be talking about Lucky who heard it and
started shedding tears, thus, making them to stop. Nobody said anything to
him rather hopped he say the reason for the activation of tears gland.
“I was only drunk. I had no idea when I did it” he began. “The love I had
for my Dad made me to kill her. She was so mean to him that she threatened
to kill him, and at the same time slapped me when I came back home drunk.
She broke my head by hitting it on the floor, then I didn’t know when I
stabbed her with a knife ”
Just then, a rock came from nowhere and fell on him, he died instantly.
Before they figured out how it happened, heavy and large rocks began to
pursue them as if they had legs and eyes. They left Lucky’s dead body
running as fast as they could but couldn’t outrun them. Therefore they did
nothing but to dodge from each one that came their way while Ryanie tried
as much as possible to bust each rock with her magical staff. Agatha fell
in the process of dodging from the rocks, and saw two of them running
towards her with speed. She screamed! Ryanie turned to her when she heard
her voice and busted the two rocks. It continued like that until all the
rocked were busted, by then, they had become exhausted sitting on the
ground except Ryanie. Pieces of rocks saturated the arina.
“So, Lucky is dead just like that” Fred said while Agatha began to cry .
“That’s what happens when you take the life of he who gave you life
especially when the person’s soul belongs to the forest of Hoom” Ryanie
replied. “C’mon, lets continue the journey” she added…
*******
Regina and Charles woke up to see Sam at a far distance along the forest
cutting fresh sticks. He was on his boxers alone. They wondered what he was
doing without saying anything. They slept together using several leaves as
bed. Regina looked at him and said, “Charles? Even though it’s only both of
us are in this forest, I’ll never be afraid”
Charles became surprise at her words. “Why would you say that?” he asked.
“Because I trust you” she replied.
“Thanks” Charles held her hand which made her look into his eyes. “As far
as God is concern, we gonna go out of here alive with our mothers and
fathers. I’ll always protect you too” he added.
Regina only smiled at him and directed her eyes back to Sam who dropped
three sticks before them, then looked at them suspiciously.
“It seems both of you are getting along” he said as he put on his clothes.
“I’ve told you, kids, this is not a place to play love”
“And who said we are in love?” Regina frowned.
“Aren’t you in love with Agatha?” Charles stood up. “You must have had an
eye on her, haven’t you?”
“Agatha is a difficult girl” Sam said absentmindedly then bent down to pick
one of the sticks.
“What are these sticks for?” Regina also stood up.
“They are weapons. Now get yours for the journey to begin”
The two teenagers looked at each other with smiles and picked their own
sticks. Charles pulled off his singlet, tored it into two, tied half on his
forehead and gave the other half to Regina to do the same. Sam also found
it interesting, he pulled his singlet too and tied it across his forehead
as the two teenagers giggled at him.
“You know what, Charles?” Regina began. “I’m beginning to concur with you
that this journey will be fun and adventurous” she smiled.
“Now, lets go! For our fathers, mothers and friend!” Charles shouted and
repeated by others before they ran into the forest like primitive warriors.
Grasses flung on their legs as the race continued until they came to the
cliff containing the bridge. That took hours.
“Oh my God, are we gonna cross here?” Regina asked looking scared.
“Yes, we are at the right direction” Sam replied after glancing through the
map.
“Holy shit!” Charles exclaimed looking back. Others followed the direction
of his eyes to see three beasts slowly coming to them….
:
TO BE CONTINUED
