Beyond the Cotton Fields

Chapter 29

The other tribe members seemed to feel the tension in the air as they all became silent. Koi and Lucy looked at The Chief, their faces contorted with different emotions. Lucy's face showed worry and fear, while Koi's face was stoic and slightly angered. Koi put his arm around Lucy and directed her behind him.

"Father." He stated, firmly, stepping forward.

"Koi. You have returned. I see you have brought the girl back, as well. The girl who killed your own kin."

"She did not kill Apenimon. He killed himself. He had done a lot of heinous things during his time on Mother Earth's ground, and she finally did away with him as how she saw fit. Apenimon met his fate and Mother Earth saw fit that Lucy introduce him to his fate." 

"How dare you involve our Mother Earth in your lies about Apenimon.  Has this young nigger done away with your mind? Your sense of family?"

"I will not allow you to talk about Lucy in such a way. I still have my mind and my sense of family. That is why I brought her back. We love each other and the child she is carrying is a symbol of our love."

"My mind has not changed since she was last here! I will not allow her or that child in my tribe!"

"You have no choice, Father." Koi growled. The Chief looked at the young couple and made his way back into his hut. After his departure, the tense air still loomed over the tribe members.

~~~

Koi and Lucy laid on the fur hides in Koi's hut, asleep. Lucy laid with her back against Koi's chest as he wrapped his arms around her stomach to his best ability. The sound of crickets chirping and owls hooting provided them with a tranquil lullaby. 

Lucy groaned and blinked her eyes open for two reasons: the baby she was carrying began to kick and move more than usual and her ears picked up on the sound of cackling wood. She lifted her head and looked to the center of the hut. She swore Koi put the fire out before they went to sleep. She looked into the fire pit, seeing the even the hot embers from the fire cooled and were no longer glowing. She looked past the fire pit, an orange glow catching her eyes. Her heart stopped when she saw fire at the entrance of the hut, slowing moving around the walls of the hut.

"Koi! Koi! Da hut's on fire!" Lucy yelled, shaking Koi awake.

He, slowly, sat up and looked to where she was looking. He caught sight of the flame that were slowly engulfing their hut. He jumped up and grabbed Lucy, quickly looking for a mode of exit. He saw how the fire started from the bottom of the entire hut and began to go up, slowly but surely. He saw a part of the hut where the fire was still small and ran over there with Lucy. He began kicking in the wood-made walls with all the strength he could muster. Soon, the walls began cracking and gave way. The hut began to fill with thick smoke as the fire spread.

"Shield your eyes and hold your breath, Lucy!" Koi shouted as he kicked down the hut walls. Lucy did as he told, keeping ahold of Koi's hand. His eyes began to water and burn from the black smoke and he began wheezing and coughing as his lungs took on smoke. He continued to kick at the wall for 2 minutes until the hole he made was big enough for them to escape. He pushed Lucy out first, making sure that the fire didn't touch any part of her and then he followed suit.

He collapsed to his hands and feet, coughing out the tainted air that filled his lungs and breathing in fresh air. He rubbed his burning eyes, trying to gain his vision back and make the burning stop.

Once he could breathe again and see in front of him, he felt his lover's arms encircle his neck. He knew she was crying. He stood them up and rubbed her back. He walked them to the front of their hut, trying to figure out where the fire came from. Sure enough, he saw his father and the two men Apenimon came with, standing and looking at the fire. The two men had starter stones in their hands.

"What is the reason behind your madness?!" Koi yelled. He let go of Lucy and walked over to the three men.

"I refuse to let tainted blood into our bloodline!" His father yelled, after overcoming the intial shock of seeing his living and unburned son.

"So, you will kill your own seed to keep your line pure?! You are surely sick!" 

"You may not care about blood, but I do! We come from a long line of strong men, and I refuse to let black into that pure line. If that comes with the price of killing my own son to preserve the bloodline of my father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, then it will be so!"

With that said, the two men charged Koi and Lucy. One man held Lucy with a knife pressed against her throat, while the other had his arm wrapped around Koi's neck. By this point, tribe members began exiting out their huts, looking at the scene in front of them with horror.

Koi knew he could easily kill the two men, but with one of them holding his beloved's life in their hands, he had to limit himself.

"Nixamich! What are you doing?!" Shimasani asked her husband, beholding what was in front of her.

"I am saving a legacy!" He shouted back to his wife. He looked to the man holding Lucy and nodded, and before the man could slice her throat, he fell to his knees, grunting as he held his manhood grazing Lucy's neck with the knife. She stepped away from his grasp and Shimasani quickly pulled her towards her. Seeing that Lucy was safe, Koi began to fight off the man holding him back. Other men from the tribe came to his aid, keeping the other man down and fighting the first one, ridding Koi of him. He looked at his father, his vision red with anger and hate. He walked over to his father, ready to ring his throat and rid the Earth of his existence.

Before he could take another step, one of the women screamed. Koi turned and looked back, recognizing the scream. He saw Lucy, falling to the ground and holding her stomach. Shimasani was at her feet, her hands up Lucy's dress.

"Koi, the child is coming." She said, looking at her son.