STRANDED 002

STRANDED (Continued...)

By: Okunola Zainab (GreyGray)

I stared at the huge electric fence that served as a barricade, locking us out from the outside world. I have seen nothing else in my life than trees, dirt, mine, field, blood and people who tortured me but this time around, I stared at a different horizon that led "elsewhere".

That's what we called outside the fence for nobody knew what was really out there.

What could be out there? I thought. People like us? The questions kept burning at the pit of my belly. Are we going out there to die?

That could also be the case but I chose to count on red-lady's voice. She said we were chosen and we would be filled in on what to do. Maybe we were going out to work even harder.

I glanced at our commander. He had a stern look on his face. He was tall, dark and every ounce of him was totally masculine. He had a strong body build, huger than that of Twenty. He was the devil himself. The man that created terror in our hearts and thought us how to feel no passion. He was grumpy and in his hands, death rested.

I looked at him closely hoping it was going to be the last time I would see him. I was deeply lost in thoughts hoping lightening would strike him on the spot to cover up for all the years of torture i had received from him that I didn't realise my glance had turned into a stare and that he had caught me staring.

He moved towards me, a deep frown etched in his eyes and I jerked back to reality.

Fear clouded my heart as i watch him took bold steps towards me, grabbed me by the collar and pulled me to the open then used his legs to rake me off the ground.

I lost my stamina and I fell to the floor on my knees and my hands in the dirt.

I looked downward away from him. I had broken the sixth rule. "Never stare your master in the face' but I defied. This was bad for me.

Seeing this, the district commander came over with the red-lady. "Jun ga ga?" He asked which meant "what happened?" In domite language.

"Binu saga tor" the commander responded. I didn't know what that meant but the district commander grabbed me by the hair and tugged it sharply so I could look into his face. But I closed my eyes so as not to get into more deeper trouble.

"You are not out yet and you are already defying us" he croaked, his husky breath touching my skin.

"Should we punish it?" The commander asked the red lady but she raised her hand.

"We don't have time. Chain it. No food, no water till you get there"

Wait... I thought. How long was there?

"What if it dies?" The commander asked

"Give her what the pigs would eat" she said flatly and almost immediately, a truck arrived. Twenty and twenty one were asked to sit at the front while I was thrown into a dark cage. On my neck were heavy chains and on my legs were shackles. I should have been more careful but I guess this was how destiny played its game.

I wasn't given warmth and the cold wind tore my lips apart. I touched the necklace on my neck and muttered a silent curse. Other twelve dome-guards were asked to come with us while our commander sat at the front with the navigator.

***

Well, Elsewhere was far but I never thought it would be so far.

This was our third night on the road and I have eaten nothing. I was totally weak and my stomach was burning. The lights in my eyes were beginning to fade and I began to see eternal darkness looming ahead when, Clang! Clang! Clang! Something struck my metal confinement but I didn't know what it was. I was too weak to open my eyes.

"Food!" A striking voice stung its way down my eardrums and I opened my eyes weakly in a slow flutter and on the bare floor was something seeming like a vomit.

It was food but who cared? I rushed to it not minding the stench, shoving as my mouth could contain down my throat. The burn in my chest worsened and my eyes began to close again and in an involuntary motion, what I had shoved down my throat began to move back the way it came. The food was nauseating and I began to puke everything out. I held my neck like it would explode and my head began to burn. I looked up and I saw a smirk on the guard's face, making fun of me and laughs filled my head.

"Help..." I choked but there was no way I was getting it "help me..." I felt I would vomit my intestine as I held on to the gates but all I received was a heavy jab on the head from his baton making me fall back into the cage and warm blood dripped down my face from my hairline. "Help..." My voice drained and I began to see contrasting colors. "Pl..." I blacked out.