In just a night

HANNAH'S POV

Standing with my hands against the wall in fear, I watched the savaged way the soldiers beat up my parents and clan. We've been on the run for months now and not even for once had I imagined that Ivah Mac would fish us out following the discreetness of the clan.

Indeed, the tales about him were true, a tyrant that has ears and eyes all over the place.

"Join them, traitor!"

That was the next shout I heard from behind drawing me back into reality, the Soldado pushed me to the ground harshly in accompaniment with a serious whip that left my entire body trembling in total pain, It was like he used a teaser on me, my blood stopped flowing for a moment and the thought of the otherworld flashed through my mind in a split second.

It was the most frightful sight I have ever seen since I came to know the pack, children below the ages of 4 to 0 were thrown into pits, pregnant women were mercilessly killed with their unborn children, while young teenagers of my range were raped painfully, they left out mournful screams which made me quiver.

I prayed the soldiers touches me not. crying on the floor, I saw my parents and the elders of the clan tied to trees and, terribly whipped like criminals in the Roman ages.

Whoever tried to play the hero by turning into a werewolf was beheaded with a silvery sword that flashed under the sun scaring even the users.

I watched the pain, the tears, the wail, the blood, and the whipping I could bearly breathe, I tried again and again but my breath was totally stocked. I just lay on the bare floor receiving several lashes, it was so severe that blood gushed out of my body, and I couldn't even hear my voice, I was totally weak and drained of strength.

You can now relate how savage the plunder was.

It's been 27 years since then, and every moment flashed in my head up till now, even my night rests had never been peaceful and void of nightmares not even after my marriage and giving birth to my sweet Paula, the only crucial reason I haven't committed suicide like my fellow clan's people. The feelings and nightmare even grew worse after and the incident remained fresh in my mind, I was only secure and less frightened when Paula was around me, her sweet comforting voice sent peace to my disquieted soul.

Due to this, I was drowned back, always crying and terrified at any sound of fear or sorrow. In the town where I stay, people think of me as a traumatized wife and mother because of my weak nature, in addition to my non-involvement with them. Anything fun or festival was a big disturbance that made me remain in my room till the end of the celebration.

The most of it was when I gave birth to my sweet Paula, I got terrified whenever I heard her cry, and in that instant, the memory of the past rushed in like a flood in greater measures. I'm so grateful that Paula didn't take that part of me, she is so brave and strong that sometimes she needed no defense nor help with her chores.

. . . . . .Who would have defended her in the first place, my weak self or my ever-away husband? Funny.. .. . . . . She already learned self-defense early in life with the town boys.

In addition, I couldn't live like every other wife or mother, my husband kinda understood the situation and my daughter loved me despite the aftereffects even as she knows nothing of the past life.

The morning wasn't pleasant, it created meido in my heart, the sky was cloudy like rain was going to fall in no time, the wind blew harder than any other day and darkness never ceased to showcase itself in a frightening situation like this.

I didn't know when tears fell off my cheek, I could bearly see, the night of doom flashed in my head severely and I couldn't move my feet, I stood in the doorway lost and staring so hard into the dark to see what was coming this time.

I heard my neighbors shouting and wailing, at once I knew the devil was in our mist again with his anvil and hammer to wreak havoc.

"What again this time?"

Like the elements heard me question, they cleared the fog before me and darkness gave way instantly. At once I saw what took me to my past in split seconds, I shivered in fear, my hands were frozen hanging loose by my sides, my mind was blank and I could hear my heart beating faster like ritual drums.

Our farm products both crops and animals were ferociously cut out unbelievably. The animals were cut into halves, spreading blood and flesh all over the place like fallen winter leaves. It was a frightful one again, the place was painted blood and not red, and the snow that fell last night contributed immensely to the fierceness.

I looked at my husband in the eyes, his gray eyes looked so weak and angry at the same time. He couldn't say anything and the only thought I know that runs in his mind was the loss of his farm products.

You know, he had descipated a lot of energy into this year's product to beat his fellow farmers in the yearly competition and now the worst that he never imagined or may have seen coming but refused to believe had just happened. He stood giving me a weak gaze that suggested where I was thinking of also, he would have loved to console me but he needed that as well, he just stared and left to the other men standing afar off.

"Maama, what's going on", Came Paula's question distorting my thought.

In a way she takes my pain away, her voice most especially. Despite my hate for my world, she is surely the light that listened up my darkness.

I was still fumbling for answers when I felt her rigid push, she brushed me roughly struggling through the tiny space I left at the doorway.

I didn't want her to see the savaged town and the fear within, such a memory might not leave her head forever, I can testify to such a barbaric experience.

She gripped the hem of my top, moving back gently with shaky legs in fear, she was in tears already, I heard her sobbing quietly and I couldn't even do anything, so foolish of me!

I wanted to pull her to my breasts and hide her face from the massacre but my hands refused to move, like it had the will of his own. Tears, tears, tears, tears, and tears that was all I could feel falling down my slim chin.

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