The After-End 03

Leaving the forest of green trees, he landed on an open clearing, it was filled with soft loose sand, tiny but smooth stones. The clearing was surrounded by a large transparent stream, the only outlet was the waterfall which is at the end of the stream. He walked into the clear water and searched for fish but found none, feeling thirsty, he knelt in the water and drank from it. He spilled it back instantly.

It's bitter, this will only make me more thirsty.

He remembered the hyssop tree he was leaning on earlier, his father had once told him about its usefulness. He went back to it, brought out his dagger from his waist, and cut several small pieces of the bark from the hyssop tree. He carefully placed them in his bag, attached the dagger to his waist and he walked slowly back to the stream. He opened his bag and turned it upside down, the brown barks fell into the water. Some landed at the bottom of the stream while a few of the husk floated away in the slow water current. He threw the bag to the sand.

After some time, he knelt into the water and tasted it. The water was not as bitter as it was anymore but

it changed from being colorless to a dark color. He drank with his mouth from the water. Having drunk to

his heart content, he took his time to freshen up. He discarded his clothes and weapon on the soft sand before jumping into the water. He swam passively to the edge of the stream and back. Then when he finally opted out of the stream, he put on his cloth and hooked his dagger to his belt. Feeling refreshed but slightly tired, he laid on the sand, used his satchel as a pillow. He stared at the sky and noticed that it was getting darker. Standing up, he placed the strap across his shoulders. He walked back to the hyssop tree he had marked and climbed up the tree to pass the night instead of sleeping on the clearing that was close to the stream or by the banks. He feared that the brute might be on the search for him.

As he laid on the big branch, his mind dwelt on the shrouded figure he saw earlier and wondered who the person was, he felt a profane and mysterious aura when he faced him , it was like he wanted him dead. He did not know why anyone would want to kill him, he had always listened to the priest and had followed all instructions and laws. He had tried not to steal from people despite how hungry and pushed to the wall he had been. He kept thinking about many reasons until he dozed off.

His little self stood barefooted at the edge of a hill that was close to his village. He was dressed only in his white shorts. He wasn't more than a boy of seven. He looked down, his pregnant mother was below washing clothes by the river.

"Mama see me!" He said as he waved his two little hands at her

She looked up and smiled at him, shaking her head playfully,she returned back to washing the clothes. In an instant the beautiful atmosphere suddenly turned gloomy as he evolved into an adult while still swimming in the river. At that moment, he caught a glimpse of his mother drowning. Surprisingly, there was no land, everywhere was covered in water, he swam towards her but couldn’t get close to her. It was like an unseen force kept drifting her farther and farther away. She was terrified and cried out for help. He swam towards her again but she was carried away by a mysterious turbulent current. He tried to swim against the tide to his mother but he was pushed away. He felt faint as he felt his hands grow heavy from his shoulders.

When his mother sank beneath the waters, he dived under but he could not see her. He came up for air and yelled for her but she wasn't on the surface. He breathed in and dipped in again into the river, this time he saw her and she looked right at him from a distance. Her long brown hair was floating around her and she seemed to be breathing underwater as bubbles came out of her mouth. Then she said in a resounding voice that was different from her own, it sounded like a legion of voices speaking at the same time.

How could you let this happen to us, we are your family, this is all your fault.

He gasped and patted his mouth a little bit. He tried to suck in a breathe but he inhaled water instead. The water went to his head and filled his lungs. He struggled to come up out of the water but he found

himself drowning instead.

He woke up abruptly, his body was drenched in cold sweat and his joints flaked him with fatigue. He struggled trying to adjust his eyes to the bright light of the morning as his eye lids felt strangely heavy. Successfully opening them, he noticed the tree roots buttressed around him. Feeling the hard earth beneath him, he discovered that he was lying on the ground. He had fallen from the gigantic tree he slept on. Sitting up he remembered his dream and was saddened about his mother's death. It was the Head Monk had said, when the heart is unrest they slip the truth into our dreams. In his case, he felt the guilt and it crept into his subconscious in a nightmare. Then he remembered what the monk had said for the remedy.

He moved towards the tree, leaning on it for support. Then, he folded his legs beneath trying to meditate. Fortunately, the atmosphere was calm everywhere was cool and relatively calm save for the slight movement of trees. Yet his mind was in turmoil.

It's all my fault, I should have tried harder.

I kept on pulling the door.

He paused his thoughts and searched deeply.

I should have pushed

Why didn't I push? Why?

Why didn't I push instead of pulling?

If I had pushed the door, she might be with me now.

I killed her, I KILLED MY MOTHER!

Another strike of guilt stunned him and made him sick, he rushed to his feet and moved away from the hyssop tree, and vomited there. Feeling unstable and emotionally weak, he moved on wobbly legs and staggered on his way back to the river to clean up his mouth, the stream has turned back to its bitter taste and he was too tired to do anything about it. He washed off the dirt on his face and brushed off the mud on his cloth. As he tried to make himself presentable and clean, his mind drifted to what was next.

I need to find my family,

I couldn't save my mother but...I need to find my father I must save him, but who could want him dead?

I must save him and no one must hinder me.

He successfully encouraged himself. Leaving the forest, he finds his way to the next village in search of his father. His father is a bald, tall, lanky sun-kissed yet light in complexion man, he's skilled in the act of compelling concoctions and poultice to heal several illnesses, diseases, and any bone growth dysfunction or dislocation. Due to his father's profession and reputation, he was never at home, he rarely stayed in the village too, he traveled

far and wide gathering knowledge and herbs. There was a time he had a lot of patients in the village, he

almost turned their home into an infirmary but the boil plague - caused by the accumulation of polluted

air and the heat of the sun changed his mind due to his mother off course.