She walked closer and I to the wall of the hole, feeling the dirt against my back, she lifted the axe up and I closed my eyes.
I felt bad not because I was about to die, but what was about to kill me, Mom's help had back fired.
I heard the sound of the axe as it landed on the ground, the sound it made from the strike sent the hairs from my neck down to my feet, standing.
"If you ever go out without my permission, or spend longer than 10 minutes outside, wether I am awake or asleep, I'll make sure I send you to your mom, and trust me, just like her, you won't be in one piece", she said and left the axe sticking to the ground, "now answer my questions, where are your clothes?", she said as she put her walk stick in her right hand, "..I...I left them by the stream", I replied, "why?", She asked furiously, "I saw an old man", I replied, about to further explain when she shut me up shouting, "because you saw an old man you decided to leave your clothes in the stream", she said, "but...but..", I stammered and was interupted with her stick on my head, "shut up! Your clothes is your business, at night when you get cold make sure you keep quiet about it, because if I hear a word you'll be sleeping outside", she said and hit my head with the stick again, "where's my water?", She asked, "I...I ..left it.. too", I said slowly as I close my eyes, "you better not repeat that rubbish and go back there to get it", she said, "but aunt Vera", I said really scared to even go out left alone to the stream.
"Leave!!", she yelled raising her stick and I quickly but reluctantly climbed up the ladder, I looked around for a couple of minutes, longer than I normally do, and then got out of the hole.
I walked cautiously till I got close to the stream, I stood and observed the area for a while, there was nobody there, I slowly walked closer, my clothes slightly away from the stream's shore close to a tree, I walked there and picked it up, and immediately turned to the water bottle which wasn't so far from the tree either, I was grapled by a net, which closed me in and took me up.
I began to struggle to get out of it, "it's okay, little man!", I heard a voice as the old man walked out from behind the tree, "let me go!!!", I yelled at him, "why?", He asked, "so I can go home", I replied, "home?", He said and paused, "yes! Home", I replied.
Then it came to a realization that I had a knife strapped to my leg, I quickly brought it out and began to cut the ropes binding the net, "what a clever little boy", he said, I ignored and continued cutting the rope with all concentration, "what's a young man like you doing alone in a place like this?", he asked, I said nothing, after successfully cutting a rope, but not without stress, stress so much I contemplated cutting the next rope.
"Aren't you hungry?", he asked, to be honest, I was kinda hungry, but if I follow him, aunt Vera's going to kill me, "just say yes and I'll let you down, and we would go to my house and get you something really nice to eat. Don't stress yourself with those ropes, they are too thick for you to cut them all in a day even", he added, and I rested in it quietly, consedering his offer.
Suddenly, the net started coming down, "I don't want to hurt you", he said as I and the net finally arrived on the floor, "what do you want?", I asked less scared but in an hustile manner, "I just want to know a little more about you, that's all", he replied as he gave me a hand to stand up, I looked at it for a moment and then at his old face, "trust me", he added, I grabbed his hand and he pulled me up, "what happened?", he asked looking at my wounded shoulder, "it's nothing", I said trying to act strong. I wore my clothes and took aunt Vera's water bottle as I followed the old man, "why is it upside down?", he asked, "It's broken", I replied, "let me see", he added as he stretched his hand towards it, I gave it to him and he began to look at it strangely, "let's get home, I'll see if it can be amended", he replied, "amended?", I said obviously doubting, "don't worry you'l see", he added as we kept on walking.
"Shhh", he hushed and bent down, pulling me down as well, he brought out the stick he bent with the aid of a rope, and then brought the sticks he kept in the cup like bag strapped to his waist, "lay low", he said as he fixed a stick on the rope that bided each end of the longer stick together. He pulled the stick he had fixed on the rope backwards, and the rope went back with it, I carefully watched the act, bewildered, and in a moment I began to hear the sound of their growling, and I wondered how he knew they were around, and the direction they were going to be coming from.
In a moment 3 showed their ugly faces, and with a speed I have never seen in my life, this man let go of the rope and the stick, and the stick alone flew towards one of the monster's eye and went through it's head, it held it's head and fell back to the ground.
What I saw amazed me, unlike mom's gun not a single sound was heard, he turned to the other and did the exact same thing in an abnormal speed, the final one was closer, this time he brought out a cutlass, one had strapped to the other side of his waist and striked this one's head, and it splitted into two.
I watched in awe still on the floor, this old man just killed 3 of these monsters without breaking a sweat, he picked me back up and gave me a warm smile, "sorry you had to see that", he added as he pulled one by the leg, and we continued walking.
We walked a litlle further and arrived at the man's house, the same house I had earlier seen, one which had the old lady in it, we walked closer and the smell of something nice and edible got a lot stronger, but I was reluctant to follow the old man in, he turned to me seemingly noticing the resistance I was putting up, "don't be scared, come with me", he said, walked to the door and opened it, "Claire it's me", he said as we both walked in, "of course it is, how many times do I have to tell you that the zombies don't know how to open the door", she replied, "it's the young man from before, how funny fate is", she said and stood from her chair walking towards me, "what's your name?", she asked, "Derick", I replied, "what a nice name, you can call me Mrs Claire", she added as she walked a way, "Claire dear, bring something for the young man to eat", he said aloud, "on it!", she added, "let me go take a look at his water bottle", he said looking at the water bottle, "make yourself at home", he said and walked away.
On sitting down I had a clearer and more open mind, I began see and take note of things I usually did not; I realized that the house wasn't so big, but was kind of like the houses mom use to show me when I was little, "Derick!", Mrs Claire said as she came in witha plate of something steamy hot and smelling tasty, "I hope you dont mind the heat", she said as she placed it on the table, I honestly can't remember the last time I ate something hot.
I held a fork for the first time as I stared at the food, mom never thought me how to use this, it was either a spoon or our hands, but I believe the same principle applies, "having any problems?", she asked, "no", I said as I stared at the food, leaves and small chunks of meat cut all over it.
I took the fi
rst bite and noticed the indisputable difference between it and the food I have been eating all my life, it was perfect; I know aunt Vera's is going to kill me after this but any death I get after eating this is worth it. In a few minutes I was done and the old man was back with my water bottle filled to brim and no longer leaking at the bottom, "thank....you", I said and stood up, "I have to go", I said to them, "go where?", the old man and lady chorused, "home", I replied, "where's your house?", the man asked and looked at his wife, "I don't want you to come", I said and ran out of the house so I won't be chased, "at least let me help you treat your shoulder wound", the old man said aloud from the door where he stood, I ignored and continued running off.
I got back to the hole with the water bottle fixed and filled to the brim, I stood in front as I imagine what aunt Vera was going to do to me when I get down there, but no matter how long I wait she would still do what she wants, probably worse if I stay out longer.
I was about going into the hole when I saw someone coming out of it, I walked back shocked, "you must be Derick", the dark and really thick guy said as he walked out with a headless monster on his shoulder, it must have been the one I killed, "why would you leave aunt all alone?", he asked as I stared at him confused, "I...I...", I stammered as I looked at his big arms, "go in, she's been worried sick about you", he added.
I went down as I was told, still wondering how this guy found our hideout, all though it's quite open, am not sure mom thought this totally through, she probably had plans to get us out of here after a period of time, or make a door, that seems to be the case, from the things she had stored here, it seems she planned to make this a permanent house.
I got down to aunt Vera, "kneel down!", she said in very husky tone, "you are way too stubborn for my liking", she said as she walked closer to me who was already on his kneels and shaking, "Vera!", the guy said as he came down the ladder, "yes?", aunt Vera replied in a slightly higher pitch, quite polite. "What's wrong?", he asked, "it's this good for nothing little boy, who keeps getting on my nerves", she replied as the guy finally got down from the ladder, "I sent him to get me water, the first time he broke the water bottle, the second he came back empty handed and now he has wasted more than an hour", she replied in a childish manner, not sure why she was doing that, "is that true Derick?", the dark guy asked, "isn't that true Derick?", aunt Vera asked looking at me in the eyes, "I..I..", I stammered as always, scared to say a word that would make aunt Vera kill me, "that means aunt Vera's right, and I don't like stubborn boys", the dark dude said and took the stick from aunt Vera and walked towards me, aunt Vera smiled devilishly as she looked at everything, I guess aunt Vera's has got her own guardian demon.
to be continued.....
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