CHAPTER FIFTEEN

‘Who the hell are you?!’ I wanted to ask but I learnt my manners and remaindered myself that I wasn’t Rose at the moment, I was sweet innocent Joy “Excuse me, have we met before?” I asked her instead as I turned around to face her, she stepped closer to me not even afraid of what I would do to her, she was bold. That’s what sent her to an early grave.

Before I could blink her hands were on my face, squishing my cheeks and touching my lips “Wait…what happened to your red hair?” she asked and I quickly grabbed her by the neck not wanting to hind behind the bush, she knew who I was even with the disguise on “Who are you?” I asked my smile vanished like it wasn’t there before.

Fear flashed in her eyes and a look of disbelief plastered on her, she stumbled with her words infuriating me “I –I…I am –am Lindy” she stuttered from fear and the small amount of oxygen she inhaled “And who exactly are you Lindy?” I taunted her, she looked into my eyes and I laughed as her face flashed in my mind “You were that little girl with the dark skinned woman who were to die by the Malien soldier” I said.

Grief and anger rolled off her when I mentioned the woman “She’s died, isn’t she?” I asked letting her go, she fell to the ground in a complete daze probably remembering how she died, at that moment I thought I found someone like me, who could understand my pain and grief that I could not help but ask how she died.

She clenched her hands “A man wearing the same uniform as the Malien soldier you killed was searching for you, he asked so many questions and mother ended up talking too much that he found out what she did and he killed her without a second thought, and left me there saying that I have a way out! I will never forget his face! I will kill him myself!” she spat and once again my naïve self-felt somewhat connected to her.

“Wait, did this man have a colorful gun with him?” I asked and she looked up to me with pure shock “Yes” she said, a smirk caressed my face and I walked to the taps to wash my hands “Too little too late, his gone” I said and she sat there looking at me emotionlessly until she quickly stood up and pulled into her arms.

“Thank you! I am forever of service to you! I will be yours to use!” she exclaimed, I pushed her away not liking the feeling I got from such gentle touches “Why?” I asked not understanding why she would give herself to a complete stranger, she smiled at me with tears rolling down her face like a waterfall “because you have done what said I would do, I have never killed anyone, but you have done it so lightly. I was lying when I said I would kill him; I don’t even know how to” she confessed burning that connection I had with her.

I sighed as the feeling of being alone settled in my chest like a cloud of smoke “okay…so why are you here?” I asked her drying my hands “I have nowhere else to go, I followed the Malien soldier to Area twenty-five but lost track of him, and I saw you at a shop. From then, I have been following you” she said, I could tell she was lying because I made sure no one was following me, but I did not want to think about it at the time.

I made my way to the door when she called me by my name “Rose?” I turned to her with a glare “it’s Joy now. Lindy, I don’t know you nor do I have use of you. It would be best if you stayed far away from me. Goodbye” I said emotionless and walked out hoping she would get the message, but the sound of her footsteps followed me until I reached Neil and Nwosu.

“Finally! I thought you drowned in the toilet!” Neil exaggerated and I rolled my eyes with a smile on my face “oh shut up big baby! You can’t get rid of me that easy” I said walking ahead of them when I counted six footsteps making me glance behind to see Lindy still following me “Ah Joy, who’s the child?” Neil asked pointing at Lindy who was looking at Nwosu like candy “I’m not a child! I’m fifteen...and I’m Ro –I mean Joy’s cousin” she lied and I glared at her of almost blowing my cover and dragging me into her mess.

“Eh…wait, how old are you, Joy?” Neil asked and I halted in my steps causing Nwosu to bump into my back ‘how old am I?’ I wondered and started calculating; I was six when the beast of a man took me, I had stayed with him for three years, I was asleep for one year with him, I had been dead for five years and I had stayed in Area twenty- five for a year. So, that meant I was sixteen years old.

“I’m sixteen” I said after two minutes of thinking, I looked at the three who patiently waited for me to think knowing I had ‘trouble’ with educational stuff “You’re sixteen!” Lindy shrieked causing us to wince due to our sensitive ears, but to them I was human “Yeah…how old did you think I was?” I asked and I looked at each of them; Lindy smiled sheepishly “I thought you were eighteen” she said and I gapped at her, then looked at Neil who bit his lip “thought you were nineteen” I chuckled at that, and then I faced Nwosu who just flat out looked at me.

I matched his stare not willing to back down until he says something, but all I got were a waste of minutes in a stare contest, I groaned through my hands in the air “Come on! Dude!” I exclaimed causing Neil and Lindy to laugh while he just smiled which I must say was totally worth it. I sighed giving up and we continued our tour.

In that moment, I put aside what I was supposed to do and just relaxed with my new friends, but I knew deep down things were bound to break at some point and that is when the universe once again displayed it right in front of me.

I saw her before anyone else could, she looked like a normal student wearing the same uniform, but I knew her too well to know that everything about her was not normal. Even after all these years she still had the same hair style, pigtails, her hair was the color of the clouds on a rainy day, her skin was a rich honey, and her eyes were a pale blue.

She held on to a girl, laughing without a care in the world, her eyes beamed with happiness and her cheeks hurt from her smile. She was always carefree and a helper, I was itching to see her in the state of pain. I found my first prey, and she was being handed to me on a golden plate.

“Lizzie”