CHAPTER TEN

We scanned each other, looking for any weaknesses but it was like I couldn’t read him. The silence around us was haunting and it predicted nothing of what was to come, all we could do was watch each other before we clash.

In a blink of an eye, he vanished from his spot making me tense as I quickly scanned the area but got no sign of any life around me “Stop this game you’re playing!” I yelled not liking what he was doing, whatever it was “You still think it’s a game? You have killed a Malien soldier and destroyed an Elite android. You took away a good man, a good father and a friend. For that I will end you” his voice echoed around me making me turn in all directions.

Something hit the back of my legs making me stumble towards the ground, his laugh boomed around me making me feel angry at myself for nothing, I looked behind me but no surprise that there was nothing. I made a move to get up but a force at the back of my head making me tense and at this he chuckled before he stomped my head forcefully into the ground causing everything to go black for a minute. That even I thought I was dead.

My head mostly the back and my forehead throbbed, burned and stung “damn it!” I cussed myself as I willed myself to stand up against my body’s pleas “You’re a child, a big dreamer at that and a naïve brat” he said and I scoffed “Been called worse” I stated holding my head to stop the dizziness and headache that had started to form.

“And you take pride in that?” he asked circling me like a lion playing with the rabbit, in that case being me. I felt like I got a slap to the face with that question, but I could not open my mouth to form an answer, I felt sorry for myself. He did not know I thing! I will take pride in everything I’ve being through because I was standing in front of him! He knew nothing!

Suddenly I was soaring through the room like a ball, my back forcefully collided with the wall leaving a dent on it, I screamed out in pain. Even though I told myself I would not show any pain, there I was screaming like a woman in labor. Weak. I was still weak.

I thought that if I stood tall and fight, everything would be different, but no, it was all the same; I still could not defend myself, I could not fight like I wanted, I could still feel the pain, I was still being tortured, and I could still feel like l I was beneath everyone.

What was I thinking? Why did I have to go through all this? Why couldn’t I just have a normal life like everyone else? While kids my age where going to school and wherever they wanted to go, I was locked up in a room like a prisoner or a pet. Did I do something wrong that I had to go through every scar that was engraved on my skin?

My body was unmoving as I laid there, looking at everything yet at nothing. I was about to accept whatever fate had in stored for me, whatever destiny had written for me. I was tired of everything. I was tired of existing. I did not want to exist anymore.

I heard him before I saw him, his black boots came into view and I felt him place his foot on my head and I awaited what was coming. He stomped my head to the ground, three times in a row, I could feel the blood and tears mixing under me, my skull was burning as the flesh was ripping and opening, and I could taste and smell the blood coming from my mouth and nose.

He stopped resting his leg on my head “and here I thought you were different, but yet I am proven wrong. You are just like a black sheep in a herd of white sheep, thinking you are special and mighty all because you look different from the rest. Yet you are all the same, stupid and dumb” he said circling me once more, every blink felt like a call to a deep sleep. I was tired.

“This is a world for predators, the weak perish and the strong exceed. It’s a world for beasts not for lion cubs that just roar but don’t fight. I wondering why you did what you did, what has made you be here at this moment breathing your last breathes?” he asked and my eyes opened all the tiredness vanished into nothing.

Leon.

Lizzie.

Renzo.

Stacey.

The beast of a man.

The masked group.

All their faces flashed through my mind, everything they said and the pain they put me through rekindled a new fire within me putting shame to the one before. I lived for one purpose. I breathed and thrived on those words. I said them every night like a prayer. I fought for one thing. Myself.

“I kill those who hurt me” I whispered making him stop walking “what?” he asked squatting in front of me, and I noticed that his eyes stopped glowing “I said I KILL THOSE WHO HURT ME!!” and I quickly pushed my thumbs into his beautiful blue eyes causing him to scream and thrush as he stood up, but I was not going to let him.

I tightened my hold causing my thumbs to go deeper and enough to draw the dark blue blood. He screamed and wrapped his arms around me trying to bring me down but I still held on to him even though he squeezed me to the point of breaking some of my ribs, I ignored the pain and thrived in the agony I put him in. In his screams of pain.

“Stop!!!” he wailed causing me to laugh not caring if I looked like a mad girl, it was accelerating causing someone pain “Stop?” I asked him adding my pressure that I heard his skull start to crack “Stop!” he screamed and I joined him “Stop! Stop! Stop!” we screamed together but for different reason, his was pain and mine was gain and amusement.

I started getting tired or was it boredom, so I leaned towards his ear as he laid down on the ground with me saddling him, he kept on whispering stop under his breath “I’ll make it stop,” I trailed off causing him to start shaking under me and I noticed the dark blue blood under us and his skin changing to the dark green “I’ll take all the pain away, until you feel nothing. It will all stop and you’ll rest now. Do you want that?” I whispered into his ear with a gentle tone.

He nodded his head and smiled at me “I’m tired” he whispered, I sadly smiled at him with my thumbs still in his eye stocks. I started to apply pressure in them as I felt electricity in my hands and fire engulfed us as he screamed in agony. He shook beneath me and I screamed in his face as he breathed his last

“Tell the beast, Rose sent you!”

I ignored the pain as I packed my bag quickly, blue blood dripped to the ground and some of it stained the clothes I was packing, but I did not care enough to clean it up. I had to get out of there, I had already put them in danger and I could not do that to them for a second time.

It was only a matter of time until whoever sent that Malien soldier would notice he was not coming back, and send out a search party to find him.

And I did not think it would be wise to stay there seeing that as soon as everyone saw the disaster in the hall, I would have been crucified or be-headed. So, the only option was to leave.

I changed into black clothes and walked out of the room back to the hall which was till empty, I looked at the ashes of what was a beautiful man and to a boy I called friend.

I sighed and looked away forcing myself to walk to the hole in the wall and I was welcomed with the sight of a large black coat with the Malien crest on the back, and a levitating yellow motor bike.

With Omega’s help I learnt how to operate it and I zoomed out of the empty town never looking back, afraid that I would cry if I did. I continued riding for a day getting weird and fearful looks from those I passed by. I had to find a place to rest and repair my arms and face.

I sighed as the motor bike started slowing down causing me to look at its screen that flashed with a big ‘empty’ “There is no gas in the tank” Omega said and I sighed again, after dragging it with me for a distance, I came across a scrappy shop with its name dangling like a vine in a tree “Zed’s repair shop. Android only” it read and I smiled.

Let the game begin.

Somewhere in Area seventy- eight, five people sat around a circular table; two men, a boy, a woman and a girl. Their golden masks laid in front of them as they planned their next move against the Malien government “I say we attack the main base weakening the others who get support from it” John, one of the men, said eagerly, Esther scoffed at this as Red rolled his eyes at his cousin’s stupidity “Don’t be ridiculous. We neither have the numbers nor the weaponry for that” Danteli said with an eye roll.

Jenny was oddly quiet as her crimson eyes seemed dazed, anyone who would have seen her could have thought she was blind, but those who knew her knew that she had visions. She was what you would have called a seer.

“Look for Ezekiel and tell him to find a girl with red hair who goes by the name Rose!” Jenny demanded silencing the pointless bickering, without question Danteli stood up grabbing his mask as he walked out the door.

“Who is this so called Rose?” Esther inquired getting approving nods from Red and John who wanted to know as well. The smile on her face made those around her lean forward in anticipation.

“Our lucky Charm to winning this war and getting back what belongs to us”