CHAPTER 17

"You are a spy aren't you?" The missing toe woman asked.

The hoarseness in her voice was soul-piercing and could almost chase one's skeleton out of their skin. If Ejima remembered correctly, the coldness and rigidity in the woman's voice bore a resemblance with those of the Dibia back in the village.

"And you are the creature with a missing toe?"

"Missing what?" the woman's brow tightened, "I can see you are the talker. Wait until we meet the chief, I would gladly shove my spear through your throat and cut out those stupid tongues of yours. Now move." The woman bellowed, nudging her spear and pointing them to the narrow road.

Ejima grumbled but obeyed as if the woman had placed a yoke on her neck. Her index finger was no longer bleeding, but the pain was by no means ebbing away. They were still burning and pulsing as though they wanted to draw out her veins.

"I will make sure you suffer great discomfort," The woman said.

Ejima licked her lower lips. She needed a plan and fast. If only the woman had not ceased her sling, that would have given her the leverage to afflict some severe damage. But now she was armless and at the mercies of this ruthless creature. How can she possibly get away?

No light sat on the heavens. The sun was already resting on the other side of the world by the time they finally broke out of the forest. Torches were being lit and the voices of the children blended with the serenity that was kicking in. The birds had retired to their nest, leaving the cricket and the frog to continue the endless night song.

"Mother, look," Someone shouted and held close his cloak to keep warm from the growing harmattan wind.

It was a boy, no older than twelve. His dark hair was tied behind with a red ribbon, contrasting with the yellow armband on his wrist. Beside him stood a skinny-looking woman whose hands held a torchlight, hoping to get a glimpse of what her son was pointing at. Her eyes widened however when they finally fell on Ejima, and with her free hands, she pulled her son back to herself, dragging him behind her. That must have been the signal because the rest of the villagers were lifting their heads in their directions. Each of them mumbled some silent words that would only pass for a whisper. Some of the men went for their stone spears or swords. From the glare of the women and children, it was obvious that they didn't get visitors often.

The walk into the village would have been a quiet one if the villagers were not abandoning their homes to follow them.

It was a small village, probably consisting of five or six households. Compared to Ame, these people were lanky and could need proper nutrition.

"We are here," Ejima's captor said when they came before the biggest building in the little village. Trees and leaves grew out of its body, either for fashion or for support, Ejima could not say. At each edge of the building, white stones were used to create creatures of different shapes and sizes. It was a written language, one which Ejima could not decipher. The aura about the building also portrayed the authority and the power it housed.

Ejima gulped. Maybe this was the seat of the chief whom her captor had talked about initially, or might as well be her prison. If it was the latter, then she was going to wrath here, and nobody in Ame would notice her sudden absence.

She shifted her weight to the other feet, scanning the area like she would a lion's den. She would not let them drag her into that building. Never.

Some two men were standing on the entrance, with their arms folded on their bare chest which was vibrating like the current of a water wave.

"Who is this?" One of the men asked. His eyes were dark, but the glint of the amber glow from the torchlight made him look like a wizard who could predict the future from the past and present.

"Caught her in the north wing," Ejima's captor said. "This one can read details."

"I see. A tracker then," the door guard hissed.

"A spy!" Someone yelled from behind.

That threw the little crowd into upheaval as they started speaking simultaneously. It was hard to discern what they were saying, but before the noise died down, Ejima could pick out a few things. Some had suggested that they burn her on a stake, others had said beheading her would be best. But none of their suggestions gave her back her life. Not one of them.

"We have lived peacefully on this island." The man that had spoken initially said. His heavy hands were resting on his waist, on the hilt of his sword, which was glimmering with the light of the torches. "We would not tolerate an alien or anybody who wants to distort that peace."

The little crowd cheered in approval and went off with their chatter. Some threw rotten tomatoes and other rubbish at Ejima, laughing and cursing under their breath.

Ejima cursed when a solid object hit her head. Her world spun, drawing tears from her eyes. These men were worse than barbarians. At least flesh eaters could have given their kill some level of respect. But instead, these men were doing the opposite.

"She will suffer" the door guard shouted and again the crowd shrieked in delight.

The guard had a long gush under his eyes, too visible to be a scar. The lustrous lights on the torch and moonlight were dancing in his eyes, but they were not powerful enough to unveil the frigidity and the hate that masked itself on the other side of his expressions. His hair was braided and held some cowries here and there. It was a flaunting of wealth. Back in the village, only the nobles of nobles wore cowries on their hair. It was a rare tradition among people, but one held with great respect.

"Burn the spy."

"Burn the spy."

The chorus continued until the entire community was shouting in one voice.

Ejima tried to swallow, but there was not a single fluid left in her mouth. The fear in her stomach had already erupted and was clothing her skin with a chill that made her feet and hands numb. She looked in every direction, hoping that some kind of messiah would set in and save her from the inevitable. But her hopes were shattered. She was alone as always and the feeling terrifies her.

Buff.

Came the sound of an inferno that had been set up by some villagers. The way they had arranged the woods in a little amount of time remains a mystery. The rest of the people cried in delight as the song of death echoed through the night, gulping the sound of the cricket and the brooding frogs.

"Ihe ojo ga anwu n'Oku! (Evil will die in fire.)

Oku! (fire)

Oku! (fire)

Ihe ojo ga anwu n'Oku! (Evil will die in fire)

Oku! (fire)

Oku! (fire)

Some older women were already dancing in circles, holding up their animal skin to cover the skin flap that once stood on their chest.

Ejima searched the crowd despite the fear that rooted her to the spot. She didn't have a plan. She was just looking for an opportunity. Anything that would save her skin.

And she found it. It was an opening at the far end, just amidst the women dancing in circles.

Without waiting, she dashed her head on the face of her captor, breaking the woman's nose. And as if one with the wind, she reached for the space, running with everything in her.

The villagers had made a mistake in not tying her hands. Well, Ejima was grateful for that, at least, it made everything easier.

The wind sang in her ears as she ran blindly into the bush. The songs of the women had stopped and had turned into a yell. Ejima did not pause to look behind, not for a moment. There was no time for that. She continued her blind run into the night, giving no thought to the thorns that tore her skin. Her lungs were burning and her throat was as dry as the face of a desert. Swallowing was agony, but she dared it anyway and was grateful for the little saliva that lubricated her thirsty throat.

Time faded in her rumination when she finally stopped running. Swallowing again, she let her coppery eyes search through the night.

The forest was bare and the hooting of the owl was the only noise that traumatized the silent peace. Nothing moved for miles. The forest was like a cemetery. Even the harmattan wind that hung on the treetops was not enough to cause the slightest noise.

I must have lost them. Ejima panted, glad that the fear in her chest was ebbing with the silence. She leaned away from her knees, searching her head to decide her next move. Going back to the village would not be a good idea, but she needed to get back to her rafter. She needed to get as far away from this island as possible. Maybe when she was safe on the other side of the river, then she could decide what to do about the children whom the missing toe creatures had been feeding on.

About a hundred children. Ejima shook her head. How could she be so foolish? Well, what difference does it make? The people of Ame had abandoned the children in the forest, they would still be dead either way.

Breathing in, she started on the path, hoping that the surfacing guilt would remain at bay until she got to the other side of the river. She was not ready to cry her heart out. Not yet.

It was a calm night or should have been. But for her panting breath, nothing perturbed the peace. Her walk out of the forest took ages, but she was glad when she finally burst out from the forest.

The cold sand on her feet was welcoming and the smell of the river reminded her of the near-death experience she had encountered. She was never going to return here. Never again.

" Looking for this?" A hoarse voice came.

The perception that she was not alone made her feel a sudden burden on her head and it took all of will's power to keep her spirit from running out of her body. She could feel the cold on her skin. It was sudden and had nothing to do with the moist air.

Turning behind, her heart raced when she saw a silhouette hovering in the shadow cast by the moonlight.

"I made a promise." The voice said again as it stepped out from the shadow.

It was the woman that had captured her initially. No amount of moonlight could have revealed the square-shaped face. Her features were sturdy, almost as if they had been carved out from a rock.

"And I will not let you go until I fulfill that promise. I will cause you great discomfort. For spying on our village, I will make you suffer."

Ejima gasped and without arguing, she turned the other way, running as fast as she could.

She was more flexible and fast enough to outrun the woman. But she cursed when she bumped into something. It was...a man.

"Going somewhere?" He asked.

"Huh, please…" Ejima wanted to say, but the solid object that slammed her face sent her consciousness to that valley of total serenity and peace.