The After - End 09

"I killed him, and my father"

Maybe…So, what they have said is true, I now know what I was but I'm nothing like that now. The high priest

has said that our past does not matter but the present is. Brother, I'm sorry, Father I'm sorry. I don't understand what's happening but I will get to the bottom of this.

Swear it! The voice spoke catching him unaware.

I can't swear, it isn't good to swear, but my yes will be yes and my no will remain a no. I must get to the bottom of all this. What could I have stolen? Whatever it is, has to be mine. I can't take what isn't mine. I'm sure of it.

He cut a piece of cloth from his head cover and wrapped the strands of fabrics around the dagger blade. Afterward, he inserted it into his knee-length laced-up gladiator leader sandal. As he does not have his sash with him.

Moving along, he hiked through the snow, whenever he got tired he leaned on the trees, sat on any boulder he could find, and then begin again. The temperature had dropped and his breath came out in warm steams. He rubbed his hands together to rekindle heat. Feeling uneasiness in his throat, he coughed and spat the yellow sputum to the snow. He heard a wolf howling not too far way, he perceived the wolf location from where he was and moved in another alternate route.

He kept moving until he reached the cliff of one of the frosty mountains, he couldn't move forward because there was no way he could jump to the next one the distance was too wide. The only option was to climb down the Cliff then to the next mountain and he did. He dreaded going back though a strange fear crept up his spine.

The surface was slippery but he kept on. After a while, he reached the mouth of a cave and some strange flying

bat-like creatures flew out and perked him with their flat but pointed beaks. He lost his footing and fell

off.

"Hah!" He screamed at the top of his voice.

At numerous times, he tried to hold on to something but he couldn't instead his hands and wrist had

several little cuts. The cold air slammed his face harshly and brought tears to his eyes.

He stopped in the mid-air abruptly, his screaming ceased too. He dangled high up from a sharp

extension of a rock which served as a hook for his garb. He knew no one could save him unless a

miracle occurred.

My brother could have saved me.

He screamed for help anyway, then the snow started falling but ended as soon as It fell. He heard a tearing sound, he realized that his garb was tearing from its hold. He tried to keep still but the tearing continued.

"Oh, god!" He yelled

He can't save you now, no one can. The voice spoke into his head

"Help, help, help!" He screamed again trying to keep still even though it was difficult to do so.

The mountain started shaking, it seemed a volcanic eruption is about to happen. Then the snow started falling again, large and larger amounts continued to fall in full force or so he thought. It was like an avalanche.

It's an avalanche! His head scream at the impeding doom. Taking in a big puff of air, the receding snow covered him up. He couldn't see anything other than the color of the sleet. He felt wet all over his body and he began to shiver while his eyes released hot tears.

"Help, help, help!" He screamed again.

After a long while, when he became aware of the calmness around, he dunged out his body from the avalanche with his hands. He felt a pull from his cloth and remembered how he had dangled from a rock earlier. Though he was extremely cold and he shivered uncontrollably, his hands were numb and he found it very difficult to climb but he did anyway. When he got to the mouth of the cave he fell from earlier, he climbed in and checked out the cave to find out if those creatures were still there but he found none. The cave was dark and the daylight illuminated the inside a little. Lying in a fetal position, he could something fruity instead of the usual dirt or choking smell that accompanies caves. Several nests woven from dry leaves, palm fronds, and dried twigs littered the floor. He sat on the dry floor and removed his shoes. He turned it upside down to let out the water in it.

As he moved further into the cave, he was surprised at how warm it was. He laid down to rest as the coldness he felt ceased.

The light blue clouds danced to the breeze as the birds in the air did. The green trees with golden leaves waved from side to side. The grey clouds were nowhere to be found everything was bright and shining. Then a rainbow appeared, it extended from the beginning of the sky to the end there of. Tiny colorful flat birds flew in multitudes and circled the rainbow. They flew above the trees and seas, fishes and blue dolphins with white bellies jumped out and dived in again. A gigantic whale floating on the sea sprouts its water out of its blowhole. It was so beautiful.

This is heaven. He thought.

He laid on the green grasses and stared at the sky. A little girl in pink overalls loomed over him blocking the sun rays from radiating in his face. He adjusted his eyes and gazed up at her.

"Papa?" She said as she opened her hands wide he hugged her and began to sob childishly. His sob echoed in his mind but no tears fell from his eyes afterward, he started laughing hysterically.

A man in blue overalls like the color of the sky and golden sash stood afar off and said "It's time to go"

His voice was clear and resounding. He stretched out his hand to the girl and repeated. "It's time to go"

The little girl grabbed the stretched arm and waved at her father as she took the hand. He tried to follow her buth couldn’t take a step. He felt his body was held to the ground by some unknown forces. Perceiving a number of invincible hands in his head, shoulders, and feet. Fear gripped him, He tried to call her back but he could not speak. His mouth had been sealed.

Don't go, please. Come back! He screamed with his mind for her not to go but she had already left.

His tears fell and went to his ears. His eyelids grew heavy, he shut them and opened them again. The blue

sky had vanished, in its place were the stalactites in the cave pointing to the ground. Slowly, his senses returned. He wiped the tears on his face. He knew he had to leave before those creatures came back. At the entrance, he discovered that it will soon be dark as the moon has changed

its color again. All he saw was grey emptiness, he assumed the view had been covered by the thick fog,

as he could not see anything other than the grey mist. He couldn't climb downwards again but walked

on the snow towards the next mountain. He surged on with more intensity and vigor than before. When

he got there, the grey mist had cleared away to reveal two ancient statues of the Wolf Totem. They

stood opposite each other.

When I heard the wolf howl, I went the other way but it’s strange that I’m here.

There will be wolves here, he looked back and then moved forward contemplating whether to go or not even though the journey back was next to an impossibility.

All of a sudden, he heard the howling of the wolf in echo. This time it was very much behind him.

Then, he took a step forward making his decision.

The totems looked bizarre, and they are composed of a large tower of stones with a wolf shape carved into the center. The first totem on his right had a white wolf shaped at the center, the mouth of the wolf opened and gave out white fumes while the second totem had a black wolf shaped with the red tail but its mouth gave out a red fume instead. Both fumes moved and covered the entrance. Their faces had the most horrific and scary expressions that he had ever seen on his journey so far. The large tower of stone had ancient lettering on it, these lettering radiated a shiny red light as if to hypnotize him. He glanced back, debating whether to continue.

After sometime he concluded, I have to move on.

He went through the mist and he was covered up. The mist suddenly faded making the entrance very

clear but he was nowhere to be seen.