CHAPTER EIGHT

How far had I walked? I wondered to myself as I was met with a cloud of dust on the face, I was getting tired of the walking and whatever animal I ate was wanting out. It had been a total of six days since I saved those ungrateful humans and had my first kill, I was still processing everything that happened. I remembered how I threatened his in daughter and grandmother.

Funny thing is that I still do not remember why I did that, maybe it was because I wanted everyone to feel what I felt all my life, maybe I wanted someone to be like me; taking away the innocence and love of a parent. But no matter, I couldn’t find a reason for my actions nor could I change it, what was done was done.

The sound of people talking brought me out of my trance, I looked up and saw people walking around while others sold their items. I got a few stares where most of them were glares, but I paid no attention to them. These people were different I could feel it, they were harmless like the woman and girl I saved.

“Humans: have no magical abilities, therefore are not a threat” Omega said, I hummed in response not knowing what to say. I walked getting looks here and there but once again I paid them no mind as I was memorized by everything around me as the big flames in the sky started going down letting room for darkness. Like they formed some type of truce to keep a distance between the them

Trees. I smiled as I saw one for the first time, looking at them now made what Lizzie told me once seem like garbage. They looked rusty yet fluffy, different shades of green and drown mingled together to form beauty, the large dark-brown rough stem that held it all together had some writing engraved onto it.

The thought of Lizzie awakened a fire within me and I was eager to get my hands around her and hear her scream for mercy ‘soon’ I told myself ‘let’s get everything in check and get stronger’. I have all their names engraved in my mind, they were my life’s greatest lesson. Still my greatest lesson.

“You okay? You’ve been glaring at the mango tree for some time now” a squeaky voice behind me asked startling me, I turn around with my hands around my chest as a defense tactic, the boy was no doubt taller than me and older but he had a boyish charm to his face “Whoa! I don’t even know how to fight. Look I’m not going to hurt you” he said defensively.

Omega scanned him for any threats and found none, so did I. I opened my mouth to speak but my stomach growled making the boy laugh and he walked towards me eagerly which made me tense and take multiple steps back.

He raised his hand and I held back a flinch which did not go unnoticed by him, he gave me a small smile and brought his hand back holding some red-orange weird shaped fruit. I cursed myself for been still weak, though I promised myself that I would be strong.

“Here, eat this” he said giving the weird looking fruit to me. I frowned as I carefully got the fruit from him “it’s called a mango” he said getting another one and he bite into it at which I followed. My eyes lit up and my taste bugs danced as the sweet yet sour fruit blessed me with its goodness “It’s good right?” I nodded my head in delight as I took another bite and another.

Once my stomach was satisfied after three mangoes and some water, the boy and I sat under the tree in a comfortable silence eyes on the dark yet beautiful sky, but my eyes wandered to the boy next me and I shamelessly admired his features; his dark brown hair almost black was cut uneven but it looked stylish at the same time, and his green dull eyes lit up like bulbs every time.

“I’m Ignatius but my friends or everyone calls me Iggy” his voice brought me out of my thoughts and I realized I was still starring at him, my cheeks burnt in embarrassment which caused a him to chuckle. He looked at me expectedly making me frown ‘does he want something from me? What should I do? Do I- ‘

“What’s your name?” he asked taking me by surprise and completely off guard “It’s Rose” I said but it was barely a whisper as my thoughts went wild and far “It suits you, the red hair is like the same shed as a rose and you do look like a flower” he said with a cheeky smile, like a flower? He thought I was a flower.

All my life I have been called bad things and names; ungrateful, bastard, a female dog, a brat and a beast. Yet, there he was calling me a flower, something so pure and beautiful dared compared to me. I still could not believe it. But he was wrong, I was not the flower more like the parasite that destroyed it.

He sighed when I did not say anything “Iggy! Bed time! Ms. Nama is furious with you!” a famine voice yelled tiredly, we both turned to see a chubby small girl dressed in a big shirt which was a dress on her “Oh crap! I forgot!” Ignatius cursed out quickly standing up, the chubby girl came closer and looked at me for the first time.

“Who’s she?!” she fumed glaring at me making me frown ‘what the hell you looking at?’ I thought “This is Rose” Ignatius said calmly which seemed to infuriate her “I don’t care about her name! who is she to you?!” she snapped and I realized that she was a weird girl, Ignatius’s face held one of disbelief and fake disgust “Willow! That is none of your business!” he yelled at her playfully. I think.

“That’s not what you said last night when you were begging for more!” she said with a smug look and my eyes went wide as Ignatius choked on air, I looked between them, the girl was no less than ten and Ignatius looked somewhere seventeen ‘there’s no way they could- ‘“I was begging for more rice!” Ignatius shrieked with red cheeks and a look of pure horror.

My mouth opened before I could even comprehend what was happening, I clutched my stomach as tears glistered my eyes. I was laughing, for the first time in two years I was laughing, I forgot about everything that happened and that was bound to happen, and just thought about now. I was laughing, I still could not believe it.

Ignatius and Willow joined in, we looked like a drunken trio; clutching our stomachs with tears in our eyes and smiles that would have scared anyone who saw them “what the hell is going on here?!” a goofy yet gentle voice boomed seizing of laughter in mere seconds, I turned to come face to face with an old looking woman who was surely a heart breaker in her youths, she looked tired and angry.

Her eyes met mine and I could not decipher the look in her brown eyes, was it a glare or pity? But one thing was for sure, I did not like it. She gave me the wrong aura, like a caged dog on the loose “Willow, I told you to find your cousin a long time ago! Yet I find you both talking to a stranger who looks like she crawled out of the garter!” she scolded and I flinched at her voice.

The familiar feeling of been unwanted settled warmly in my chest like it arrived home. I was hurt, she did not know who I was nor what I had been through, she had no idea how the year has been for me nor what I had to do to be standing there. Yet, she had the nerve to judge me! She had the audacity to speak to me that why!

I was angry, but I kept my mouth closed because nothing good would have come from it, only pointless arguments and petty insults. She had the right to talk and I was pretty sure I looked exactly like she had described me. Not having a bath in three months nor a proper meal was clearly showing that I had a rough time.

“Ms. Nama! That’s very rude! You don’t just say that to people!” Ignatius yelled angrily making me look up with a look of pure shock, Willow looked frightened like she was watching the same horror movie for ages “The truth is not rude! She looks like trouble and we don’t need that right now! We are already running low on supplies” Ms. Nama said softly at the end like she was trying to reason.

At her statement, I looked around my surroundings like I was seeing them for the first time; the buildings were covered with metal sheets in some places that had large holes while some where left open like they told a story of war, the road or what was left of it had potholes and cracks that would break at any time, and they only seemed to be not more than fifty trees in the area causing the air to be a pit grey but not too much to not see. This whole town seemed to have had it rough.

I looked back at the two people, Ignatius and Ms. Name bickering like two children, I did not even know what they were arguing about, but whatever it is was a bore towards Willow who clutched her arms around her as the night winds started swirling and howling in the designated road, I did the same as it started to become cold.

“Fine!” Ms. Nama snapped throwing her arms in the air like she gave up, Ignatius had a toothy grin on his face with a look of shock and gratitude on his face “Really! You really mean it Ms. Nama?!” he exclaimed still not believing to whatever she agreed to. She sighed scratching her scalp that was covered by thin grey hair “Yes” she said and turned around gesturing for them to follow her.

I sighed knowing I would have to find somewhere to sleep for the night and find food before moving to the next time, but a warm hand on my wrist made me tense and my eyes widened for a fraction as I turned to see who it belonged to only to meet dull green eyes, Ignatius.

He smiled at me like he had accomplished all his life missions, and I could not help mine from spreading but it seemed to fall as soon as he uttered the next words that I wished I denied.

“You’re staying with us for a while”