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~JUDITH ~
The chirping of insects and the hooting of owls were the only sounds that kept me sane as I impatiently waited for Kola to return. I could sense the hair on my whole body stand. I couldn’t decipher if it was because of the harsh weather or the eeriness of the night.
“Where’s this man now,” I complained, shifting uncomfortably in my seat.
It was already getting late and I was not even satisfied with where he parked the car.
It was nature’s call. Who am I to complain?
Still, I had somewhere to be before midnight.
My attention was immediately drawn to the swift movement of something from the corner of my left eye. My heartbeat doubled and I instinctively felt a rush of adrenaline in my veins.
My hands suddenly ran cold and my breaths became slightly hitched.
There’s nothing to be scared about Judith. You’ll be out of here in no time.I closed my eyes, reassuring myself that there was nothing to be scared about.
Every second felt like hours and minutes felt like days. I was running out of time and the fact that something bad might have even happened to Kola made me take a bold step.
Not that I affectionately cared for a complete stranger I met minutes ago, if something bad happened to him, I would be the number one suspect and I couldn’t even drive so leaving this area would be highly impossible unless someone else found me.
I decided that I needed a source of light if I was to step out of the car so I searched the dashboard for anything I could use. I shifted some Christmas cards before I saw a flashlight. Thankfully, it still worked.
One, two, three.
I carefully opened the door and stepped out into the cold night. Goosebumps filled my entire skin as I stroked my hands. I exhaled and inhaled sharply, dreading to inhale the cold air that stabbed my lungs. I surveyed the area, thinking back to the route Kola followed because I was faced with two paths; right and left.
“Like he went left.”
I stared at my hand bag for a while before I concluded to take it along. I quietly shut the door and walked towards the left path, pointing the flashlight at every angle.
I walked deeper, cautiously checking behind me in case I was being followed. I started to feel I was being childish, thinking that someone would be out here seeking my life or probably a wild animal would be chasing me.
However, that feeling didn’t last long because I was now sure I wasn’t alone. It was a soft cry, like that of a child. The child coughed and sniffled, resuming the cries for;
Help?
I stopped dead in my tracks.
“Help me,” the child’s voice was barely above a whisper but a silent night like this wouldn’t mask the voice no matter the volume.
The same feeling back at the car resumed. My hands shook violently and it suddenly became an arduous task to breathe. My tongue dried up immediately, seeking for water.
In these kinds of situations, I would have loved to check up on the person and even help in any area, but it was definitely not in the bush I would do such. Not in an area I had never been to in my entire life.
I settled for the next step any human like me would do; run.
I twirled back only to be faced by someone. It was probably the child that was crying because of his petite frame. His back was facing me so I couldn’t get to see him. I didn’t even want to see him. I just wanted to leave this place. His ragged appearance like those beggars one would see on bridges only increased my fear.
“Jesus,” I murmured. I had to get past the boy if I wanted to reach the car, which meant that I had to speak with him or not necessarily. I could just keep going and not turn back to see his face, but he was standing right in the middle of the path, clutching onto something in his hand.
“Wh—what happened?” I wasn’t too sure if that was really what I wanted to say. I inched backward and forward at intervals as I waited for his reply.
“What’s this boy doing here for Christ’s sake?” I said a trifle too loud, just to make him turn back.
What my eyes beheld would taunt me for the rest of my life in mother earth.
His large eyes directly bore into mine, and his mouth hung loose in a silent scream. I couldn’t explain why his ribcage was sticking out of his chest, dripping fresh blood on his ragged clothes.
An obstreperous scream rang out in the air, so loud that I could feel the vibration in my ear. The child disappeared all of a sudden. I almost loosened my grasp on the flashlight as I raced through the bushes, trying to recollect where exactly I passed. Fear was good at disorganizing my thoughts.
“Ahh!” I saw men and women appear before me, their body mauled and battered in different areas with blood flowing from the haemorrhaging cuts.
“Help,” they chorused in unison and disappeared instantly.
“Help me!” I found myself shouting as I finally traced my footsteps to where the car was back. I was once in utter disbelief when the car wasn’t there anymore.
