When Death Come Knocking

The next more, Catherine and her father packed their things and went back on the road, cutting through the jungle the wines and bushes made it harder to look around for directions their best bet was to reach the village before night "Are you sure about this route?" the old man asked from the front of the horse wagon Catherine in the back replied "yes, back at the medical school a friend of mine showed this way just straight ahead and we will avoid any check posts" the old men nods his head in yes and whisper "if you say so…"

back at the wagon, Catherine is taking care of Benedict he is still unconscious, and his fever is getting worse, catherine tries to hold it together, but she can't hide her sad feelings as she prepares another medicine, she hears Ben whispering in his sleep, "I…I…kill…him…..I…kill them all…" Catherine quickly hold his head giving ben a warm touch of ease a touch of love to feel safe "cat…..Catherine" he whispers all of a sudden his expressions changes from anger to guilt as he feels that he betrayed her "I….I. Am…sor.." ben tries to apologies to catherine but before he could say anything else she pats on his head and says "its ok…..it's alright you are home , you are safe", after so many years they finally have a moment with each other that moment was everything to them but their reunion cut short as with a big bump the wagon takes a stop "What happen??" catherine asked her father but didn't get an answer suspicious of something wrong has happen she arms herself with a scalp, she slowly reach for the wagon door as she was about poke her head out to see the door wide open and a hand grabs her by her hair and pulls her out of the wagon on the ground, "what do we have here??" says a man with a false eye and big beard as he circles around catherine looking down at her, she takes a quick look around and saw his father tied up and surrounded by 2 other bandits, she quickly get up and try to reach her father "father…..father you are alright???" she asked "I am alright sweetie" the old men replied "oh but he not for long" the bearded men says "you all must be really dumb or might be really wanted to take this route, so whatever you stole we will take it from here" the bandit leader walks towards the wagon just before he could open it catherine jumps in "we don't have anything on us right now, look" she quickly pulls out a paper out of her pocket and show it to the bandit leader "see I am a doctor all we have a sick patient back there not valuable for you, we are going back at the village where he will be treated and we have very less time so please I beg you let us go" the bandit leader says nothing but just look at her for a minute then he slowly rubs his hand at catherine cheeks and says "well….if you don't have any think valuable how about we settle this other way?" this enrage the old man who tries to hit the bandit leader "stay away from my daughter!!!" but the leader easy counter him at knocks in out on the ground "no !! dad!!" catherine shouts right then she pulls out the scrapple and cuts the bandit leader in the face "AH!!!!" the leader check on the cut "Oh dear you should have done that!!" catherine then again swings the scrapple but this time the bandit leader stops her hand and knocks her on the ground "oh dear….I was thinking on going easy on you…but now maybe I have to soften you up a bit" the bandit leader then started to kick her mercilessly and his 2 other accomplice just watch him do it, after taking that much breathing she was slowly drifting into darkness her ears gave up and her eyes were set up on the wagon before slowly closing she whispers "ben..." the bandit leader saw this and then he gets on his knees on top of her he then tries to unbutton her top but suddenly the wagon moved on its own "what was that!?" the other bandit asked the bandit leader got up and says "that must be our patient, go on boys bring him out" one of the bandit then walks towards the wagon he opens the door "alright you sick freak come on out" as he tries to drag benedict out benedict snatch the knife out of his hands and stab him on his throat , the bandit then wabbles for a distant before falling to his death "WHAT THE HELL!!!!" the other bandit screams upon seeing the croups of his partner right then benedict jumps out of the wagon "who the hell are you!" the bandit leader shouts but benedict says nothing he just looks at them with murder in his mind "kill this fucker!!" shouts the bandit leader, the other bandit lunges at ben but just to get killed in 3 hits upon seeing the brutal and quick kill the bandit leader grabs catherine and put a knife at her throat complete frighten and sacred he says "hey!!! Stay back or ill fucking slit her throat open!!! I will do it!!" but benedict was unfazed he keeps on walking towards him, sacred the bandit leader again shouts at him "stop!!!!!" but before he could do anything the old man struck a big log at his head made him fall unconscious, then the old man continued his assault on the leader by kicking him on the ground "don't….you…ever….touch…my daughter" after the kicking the old man picks up Catherine "oh…baby…to alright you are ok now…" as he move towards the wagon a unfazed benedict just stand there in silence "don't just stand there help me kid" benedict take Catherine in her arms and get back inside the wagon looking at her face makes benedict remember some memories some familiar voices he can hear in his head voices of children playing , voice of making promises he don't remember anymore but it's all coming back to him "you kids alright Back there???" the old man asked "yes…." Ben replied "where are you taking us??" ben asked, the old man smiled and replied "home kid…. I am taking you home"

later that day the wagon enter the village, it wasn't as cheery as the old man or Caterine remembered but it was still standing with hope inside of the wagon ben and catherine were resting into each other's arm ben was holding her like he's protecting her even in their sleep as the wagon stops ben opens his eyes and arms himself with a knife expecting another trouble but to his relief the old man knocks on the wagon "its ok kid you can come out now" ben walks out of the wagon with catherine in her arms, seeing her hurt all the nearby villagers gather around her trying to take a look at her, thinking the crowd might hurt her ben tries to move away from the crowd but it's no use the a older women walks through the crowd she was the elder doctor of the village "oh my dear…what happened?" the elder tries to pat catherine's forehand but ben moved away from her "its ok kid…she is just trying to help" the old man explained ben then let her touch catherine "take her to my ward quick" she said, some men then tries to take catherine but ben wouldn't let go and went with them left behind in the crowd the elder women asked "who is this man??" the old man replied "that's ben.." 

This revelation shocked the entire crowd as Ben was the only person who had returned from the kingdom after so many years "Ben!!! What happened to him?" the older woman asked "They did something to him…. I couldn't imagine…"

Later that day, Catherine slowly opens her eyes and sees herself in a hospital bed. She looks around and sees Ben sitting next to her feet "Ben…." She tries to get up but her injuries didn't let her "don't try to move just yet you need rest" Ben said his voice feels cold like a murder's but concerned for her health she looks at him tries to figure out what happen but couldn't get anything out of patience she asked "what happen to you Ben?" she asked Ben looks at her and wonders "what do you mean" he asked in response "you killed those people without hesitation or remorse you could have sedated them but you didn't even bother" ben moves his eyes away as if he felt guilt but again he replied in cold "it them or us. I did what I had to" his response breaks Catherine's heart she is losing hope to save his friend "that's not what I mean …. what happened to your ben? …. who are you??? Do you even remember me?" she asked in desperate voice with tears falling from her eyes, those tears made ben's heart move he replied "you look familiar…. I don't know who I am, what happen…what I am….", "then why did you help !?" she shouts at him as she is fed up with all this "if you don't remember me why do you save me!? Why stay here!? Why didn't you just go away!?" she keeps on shouting at him hoping to get a reasonable response but to her disappointment ben stays cold he replies "because you made the voice go away" this response was not what she expected but it was something "voices??" She asked "It's nothing…you should take some rest I'll come by later" he tried to brush her off, but Catherine wasn't going to let him go this time she wobbly got up off the bed and grabbed his hand "Let's go..." she drags him out of the hospital "Where are you taking me?" Ben asked, "You said you don't remember who you are…I know exactly a place to make you remember"

Catherine drags Ben to the little stone sanctuary they used to call home at the cave entrance. Ben asks, "What is this place ??" Catherine looks at him and replies, "You said you don't remember yourself…go inside, you will have your answers" Ben looks at the cave and asks, "Aren't you coming in ??" Catherine replies, "I'll be right behind you" Ben steps into the cave, unaware of the revelations he is about to find. As he walks in a straight line, he starts to voice children playing and running around soon; he starts seeing kids painting the walls and all as he stumbles on some painting brushes, he picks them up and sees the biggest painting on the wall it is Catherine and his child self together, for a long time ben had identity crises he can't decide what is happening he was at a cliff that painting was the push he needed.

As he recalls his memories, he shouts his lungs out, a mighty roar that shakes the entire cave inside and out as he runs out of breath. He breathes in and out uncontrollably and starts weeping. The drops of his tears fall on the ground, and he falls on his knees and starts crying soon Catherine comes she pats his shoulder he looks at her and jumps his arms around her, holding he tight, hugging her like it is his last time "shh…. it's ok…you are back…. war's over" she comforts him, but he didn't let go "what happened to your ben, what they did??" as he asked this ben eyes changed to anger and grief, he remembers everything and is now decide what he has to do next.

Years ago …

Just after Ben and the other villagers were sent off to work on the castle,

A few weeks were quite nothing dangerous or out of the ordinary; days were long and backbreaking, but it was all good for Ben as long as he got the wages. Ben often finishes his work early and earns a break time before other workers, which he uses to watch the soldiers' training. No matter how he, despite being a solider for the king, their valour and training grow a fancy of him, and he begins to take a liking to what he observes In the day, he practices at night, although this should affects his other performance he was gifted he manages everything, in the long working and only days Catherine's letters keeps him motivated they communicate through latter, but they also take weeks to deliver everything was fine until…

At the end of every month, the gates to the kingdom open, and a battalion of elite soldiers walks in from an expedition everyone welcomes the brave heroes with open arms as they are the brave ones who travel through mysterious unseen lands for their kingdom, just like every other month the gates open but this time instead of brave hero's marching while singing their song of the kingdom an unsettling silence was there it was winters time the mist made it hard to see everyone in the gates grew suspicious as they were about to close the gate a voice came from distant. It was one of the soldiers singing the song of their kingdom all of them felt joy, which soon turned into horror as they saw a single solider bald, stripped naked, his eyes were pulled out, and his arms were chopped off with a bull cart attached to his waist walking towards the gates he was sings but not with joy but horror and the bull cart attached to his carries his dead comrades who were killed in most gruesome ways the last solider walks to the gates and falls in the ground and dies this scene left everyone scared to their wits. 

This matter soon reached the top table, and the royals discussed it some believed that these were the deeds of an inhuman enemy which were described in the old books, but not many agreed others thought it was just a fairytale to scare children at night those who disagree suggested to send out another team to the last known campsite of the dead battalion where they probably got slaughtered this idea seems to be reckless and dangerous, but other royals agreed except the in charge of war and arms he says "I will not send out my men to be butchered just so we can know more about the enemy" not all of them were happy, but they have no other options just then the grand minister suggest "why not send out the workers make them look like the army" this was inhumane sending out innocent men into live warzone but who weren't they to disagree with the grand minister they all agreed, and the very next day Ben and some other worked were send off to the unknown.

A few days went by we arranged our stuff and settled in we haven't got a single order in a while that's when I started to grew suspicious but the other guys were just happy to have a break from work one night I walked outside although we have given strict orders not to leave the quarters but there was no one to check on us, I walked at corridors for a while that's from one balcony I saw something a little girl, wounded and hurt in the woods I called for but she ran away from me I ran after her she was quite fast an agile for a little girl but I caught up to her at first she was afraid of me thinks I might want to hurt her but I assured her I meant no harm I tends her wounds give her food at first she didn't say anything but suddenly she was on guard like she heard something but not me…the only thing she says to me "You need to leave" and she storms away, at first I felt weird but I didn't give much thought to it I walked back to quarters at first it was too quite but then I hear noises, I stormed inside and saw all my fellow worker getting slaughtered in their sleep one by one for a moment I was froze I don't know what to do all my brain is telling me to do is run and I ran and I didn't looked back I don't know for how long but I kept on running as long as I could I ran till I collapsed I fainted right there in the jungle when I opened my eyes all I wished for this nightmare to be over but fate has other plans I was surrounded by those savages they were all around me laughing and mocking me "look at this coward , thinks he can outrun us", "you are in our land now boy" , "enough talk …lets gut him" I was scared I thought I was done for right then In a blink of an eye they all are dead, they just , one moment they were laughing the other they just drop dead, I however was still in shock still on the ground a man walked up to me he give me his hand and says "it's alright son, you are safe now"

Who is this man…and why did he save me? I didn't know, all I know is that I am still alive…

To Be Continued...