1 chapter 01
The howl of the cold wind flies across the city with a frozen aura . She rubs her small fingers together in a attempt of gathering some warmth .
The brown little dress made out of a potato sack , she wondered very curiously how her mother had even made such a thing out of a simple sack .It was hardly any warm and more cold than ever . Oddly so, why was she given a potato sack has dress her mother wore something much more than a potato sack .
She was supposed to stay inside but curiosity got the best of her and she ventured out of the hut with a flat roof.
She rubbed her hands harder in a attempt to get some warmth but the attempt was a complete failure . She stared left and then right full green covered her vision starring at the crops . The small portion of land covered by houses . They were not very big each one a mere white square with a rather flat roof they no bigger than two to four rooms . Families were all around the farm gathering the harvest but what was not right about the picture was she was the only one there the only child , where had the others gone certainly they were there yesterday . She had played the game of catch with them.
The sun is bright but the wind is cold the feeling isn't right .Her mother smiles and walks towards her , she smiles in return "mama I'm so hungry and cold" her mother wearing a white top with some lace borders on the long sleeves, the sun shining on her brown skin nothing less than the angel of cocoa , her floral skirt flares in the left direction has the wind blows she holds on a basket filled with harvest , happy that she has gained the attention of her mother, she walks towards her mother happily and then she skips all the way "mama" and her mother smiling all the way a few meters before they can approach each other she stops skipping and starts walking , she pouted her mother hasn't called out to her or said her name she just smiles .
Her mother suddenly walks past her and then she goes behind her "mama I'm hungry " ignorant to protesting, her mother keeps walking "mama" she calls out to her mother . Her little brown gumboots crunch onto the flaky dry soil mixed with twigs. Her mother approaches her neighbor "mama " she calls out her mother doesn't hear her "yerial how are you " my mother ask the lady in a brown skirt and blue top looks at my mother worried her hands tremble
"I'm worried Martha there's no cure , they are so scary they..." Her voice trembles and suddenly the words are caught in her throat and her blue eyes widen .
The little girls curly hair flies in the wind her caramel skin glistening under the sunlight and her doe blue yellow eyes with brown flecks shimmers. She wonders why her mother ignores her and why aunty yerial looks so scared "Martha look it found her " The sunlight vanishes quickly and there is whirl wind around them swishing so fast it bugged the little girl out and made her stumble her steps backwards the farm vanished all the crops gone nothing but dried hard soil covered the place and her mother and aunt yerial look behind her , the sky dark and dull like storm brewing ice more cold than ever , her mother turns around and sheer horror covers her face and she gets in the motion to run "RENYAKA" the little girls smiles at her mother but confused has to what is happening why things are changing ,
all she wants to do is go in her mother's arms , her mother eyes wide she runs past the little girl and aunty yerial following behind the little girl finds this weird because 'Renyaka' is her name so why is her mama running in the other direction , she turns around see everyone gathered , people move around in fear she can't see much but she can see her mother running towards two men dressed in blue black armour and something like a tail swishes from the other side but the little girl doesn't care she starts to run behind her mother "maaaammaaaaa...." She screams but it falls to deaf ears ,I'm right here so why are you leaving me and so she wondered and then screamed once more putting in all the effort to brign the scream out of her core , she takes a deep breath and stump her feet on the ground clenching her tiny five year old fist with great might and she brings out the sheer scream of terror "MAAMMAA"...
A sudden shake and I jolt up covered in sheer sweat , my mother looks at me worriedly , my chest heaves fast and my heartbeat so erratic that in the quietness all we can hear is the fast beat of anxiety I guess , the dream it felt so real like I was there and I think I might be crazy , I have had the same recurring dream for a while now, and no I have not said anything to my mother . Why ? Would I say anything anyways she would just think I'm crazy , tell anyone anything out of the ordinary and they are bound to think your odd , and quiet frankly I don't need any more weirdness in my life , I think I have enough of that for this lifetime.
I don't know what exactly defined me as a outcast , well since I can remember one day everything was great and suddenly when I woke up the next day , my friends wouldn't want to play with me , the neighbors would runaway from me , it was unsettling .
Back to the moment now the dream yes it's been happening alot lately and Everytime it's Abit more than what it used to be but then it's less of what I understand , does that make sense and if didn't don't worry I'm confused myself .
"Renyaka what is it dear this is the fourth time in a week you have had this , tell your mama " I look at the wrinkles that have formed around her eyes old age catching with her . She's got some white hair now but still she smiles , that same smile the one she ignored in my dream .
"Nothing mama just a bad dream that's all , must be the fritters of turning 17 " she smiles but this time it doesn't reach her eyes . "I wish you could be 5 again oh how I wish " this time I truly laugh from deep within , I sigh this sweat has got me sticky some fresh air would do a great deal "just give a minute I will open the window " I get up from the bed slightly only to be forcefully pushed down by my mother her hands pressing into my shoulder .
"No no absolutely not you must not open the windows just..j...just go under the blankets " jeez mother I'm breaking a sweat instead of opening the window and handing me a fresh towel to wipe off the sweat your pushing me under the blanket if I wasn't weirded out then I certainly weirded out now.
My mother's hands quivering and sweat beads breaking out on her cocoa coloured forehead what is going on ? Why does she act so odd sometimes ? These questions start to swirl in my head and it causes the mild drum of a headache , these questions have been here for years , they are like doors with no keys , the questions with no answers.
"Mama please I'm sweaty " she stops shoving the blanket on top of me and takes a deep breath "I..I'm sorry dear it's just ....oh forget it let me get you a towel" she dumps the blanket in a huff and walks to the small drawer in my room and pulls out a towel .
A cotton towel in a lavender shade to be exact. It's feels cool and dry against my sweaty skin. I take the towel and wipe my arms and then behind my neck as soon as the towel catches on to my skin a sharp burning sensation goes into my body , like hot needles piercing through .
I gasp for air as my whole body convulses I can't breath my chest hurts everything pains in the most brutal way , like my bones are crashing to pieces .
I feel like I'm in a cloud and then my body hits something solid somehow I realised I'm starring at the same roof only from a lower angle which means I'm on the floor . My teeth clatter together sweat breaks out "YERIAL YERIAL COME QUICK " my mother runs out from the room screaming her lungs out, I can hear her footsteps running to the door screaming for aunt yerial who I'm sure must be well asleep.
Suddenly everything stops no pain , no buzzing I'm standing in the same place my black boots on the dried ground , I'm not five years now I'm almost seventeen , the image replays once again my mother and aunt yerial running I step aside and let them run , they are running towards the men in black and blue armour I walk slowly and cautiously I take a moment to observe my surroundings .
The field which I saw was once filled with bearing crop now it's a desolate place of hard soil for acres of land . The sky is dull very dull almost dark as it could be but bright enough that you would realise it is still or afternoon rather I may say , everything so barren I look back to scene and approach with caution I see my neighbors but I don't see me , where am I, that my mother is running so crazily , everyone is walking backwards but looking at the scene mother's holding the hands of their children , father's standing protectively over them guarding the from something .
I see fear , I feel fear suddenly I feel something wet on my white vest I look down and I see blood on my vest, it is covered in red fresh blood scorching pain in my stomach I lift my vest to see deep claw cuts and the flesh seperated the red shiny liquid just oozing out . The pain seeps deep within and I gasp and I fall flat my face hits the ground my soft cheek smashing into the the hard soil and then I see , the horrifying stare it's eyes those black yellow and white stripe eyes somehow like we are the same yet so completely apart and then i understand I gasp in fear and the everything swirls like a tornado of blur ...
I blink my eyes and I'm brought back to the moment I was in my home on the floor only now mother and aunt yerial are looking at me crazy . "Yerial it's happening im afraid" what is happening? "Martha not yet there still time " time for what? , has she not told me something , that something might be very important right now!
"Just focus on breathing renyaka " aunt yerial screams in my ear , I'm convulsing I'm not deaf.
what is it with old people!
Slowly with hard concentration I imagine myself breathing and I can feel a calmness spread out inside my body after a while the convulsing subsides and my breathing normalizes .
"Mother what's happening " she looks at me and then at aunt yerial "shhhhhh renyaka it was just a dream shhhhhh keep this a secret it was just a dream" and she hugs me to her chest . My breathing still somewhat heavy . What kind of dream is this , if it wasn't real they why must it be kept a secret.
"Shhhhhh it's a secret sleep now it's a dream just a bad dream and secret shhhhhh" and I close my eyes in trust but in wonder of what in world is going on certainly it's must be a big secret or why would mother be so frightened.
