Chapter five

Epic

I believe I did sleep for quite a long time, I overheard Aunty Lucy discussing with him how I didn't sleep throughout the night and kept muttering "mummy". I was still weak so I slept back.

******

I could hear the voices in the hallway, but I couldn't make out what they were saying as I rubbed my eyes tiredly. The door creaked open, and I saw Aunty Lucy walk in, followed by Mr. Ken. He looked exhausted, his clothes rumpled and his hair dishevelled. He smiled weakly at me and sat down next to me.

"Hi there, kiddo," he said. "You feeling any better?"

"A little," I said. "Aunty Lucy gave me soup."

"That's good," he said, reaching out to ruffle my hair. "I'm glad you enjoyed it here"

After a little while, I started to get moody,

I wiped away the tears that had gathered in my eyes as I thought back on memories of my mom. I started getting a headache, and my vision began to blur.

"Hey..." Aunty Lucy said in a soothing voice, as she helped me up from the bed. But I couldn't hold back the tears anymore, and they began to flow freely down my cheeks.

"You need a cold shower," Aunty Lucy said, leading me to the bathroom. But when we got there, something was off. The bathroom was muddy, and I could smell the scent of pine trees, the same scent as the men from the mountains who had murdered my parents.

"I'm so sorry about the bathroom, it was a total mess. But don't worry, I'll clean it up in a flash." Said Aunty Lucy.

“Who are you?”. I managed to ask while getting terrified.

“What?!”. She muttered surprised but then Mr. Ken walked in.

Mr Ken's appearance seemed to surprise Aunty Lucy, and she seemed a bit unsettled by his sudden appearance. I shivered, a little frightened by the tension in the air.

My heart leapt when I saw Mr. Ken come into the room. I was so happy to see him, and I couldn't help but run up to him. I clung to his trousers, my small hands clutching at the fabric. I whispered, "I missed you," feeling safe in his presence. I could tell "Let's go home son," Mr. Ken said, and I felt a surge of relief. I could tell he wanted to leave quickly, and I wasn't about to argue with him. I just wanted to be home, with my toys and my familiar surroundings. I relaxed in his arms as we walked out the door.

As we drove home, I noticed Aunty Lucy's face in the rear-view mirror. She looked worried, and I couldn't help but wonder why. I snuggled closer to Mr. Ken, trying to push my worries out of my mind. I wanted to just enjoy.

Aunty Lucy's face was a picture of concern as she watched our exchange from the rear-view mirror. I could tell she was upset. But my fear was too strong, I just snuggled closer to Mr Ken, trying to block out the world around me.

All I could think about was the people who had killed my parents, and the possibility that they might come after me next. I felt like a target, like a piece of prey that was being hunted. I didn't know what to do.

“Don't leave me with Aunty Lucy next time”. I muttered but he looked at me surprised.

“Why? Did she beat you?”. He said but I shook my head.

“No, I don't trust her”. I whispered

"I don't understand why you don't trust Aunty Lucy you barely know her," Mr Ken said, looking puzzled. "She's been nothing but kind to you, and she's done everything she can to take care of you. What reason do you have to mistrust her?"

I looked at him, not sure how to answer. I knew Aunty Lucy had been kind to me, but there was something about her that made me uneasy. I couldn't put my finger on it, but I knew I couldn't trust her completely.

"I just don't feel safe around her," I said, my voice barely a whisper.

Mr. Ken paused for a moment as if he was trying to process my words. "I'm sorry you feel that way," he said, his voice gentle. "But I'm sure Aunty Lucy means well. She just wants to help you. I promise I won't leave you alone with her again, but I need you to at least try to be civil with her. Can you do that for me?"

I bit my lip, not sure what to say. A part of me wanted to be stubborn and refuse, but I knew Mr Ken was only looking out for me. Reluctantly, I nodded

“Meanwhile, let's discuss something more important, I need you to disguise as a girl” My eyes immediately widened as I looked at him surprised

“A girl?!”. I exclaimed shocked

His words hit me like a ton of bricks. He wanted to disguise me as a girl? But I was a boy! How could he even suggest such a thing?

I felt panic rising in my chest like a tidal wave threatening to sweep me away. I couldn't do what he was asking, it was just too much. I started to feel light-headed, and the room began to spin around me.

"I can't," I said, my voice barely a whisper. "I can't do that."

Mr. Ken looked at me, his expression a mix of concern and frustration. "I know it.

“I know this is a hard one, but I need you to trust me, not just to trust me, but to help me as well, my life is in danger, just as yours is in danger and the only way to reduce this is by listening and obeying any instruction I give you”. He said

“I'm hungry”. I let out instantly while disrupting him, he noticed and took in a deep breath while trying to cheer me up.

“Okay, but do you agree with what I said?!”. He let out but I ignored him.

“They are from the mountains”. I opened up but he looked at me surprised

“Who are from the mountains?”. He asked

“The people that murdered my parents, they are from the mountains, I saw them”. I mumbled but he found it rather funny and laughed over it.

“You must have dreamt too much, malaria should be contributing to it as well”. He said before taking me to the bathroom to wash off after we drank a hot tea and I slept off.

My heart pounded in my chest as I saw the figure in the hallway, its features obscured by the shadows. I could just make out the mark on its face, the same mark that had been on the men who had killed my parents. My legs trembled as I backed away, but my feet felt like lead, refusing to move. I stood frozen in place, unable to run, unable to scream. I could only watch as the figure drew closer, its features coming into focus as it stepped into the light. As the figure stepped into the light, I realized with shock that it wasn't a stranger. It was Mr. Ken! I was suddenly jolted awake, my heart still pounding in my chest. I looked around the room, trying to calm myself down. It was just a dream, I told myself. Just a terrible nightmare. But the terror I had felt was all too real. I shivered as I lay back down, trying to fall back to sleep, but I couldn't stop thinking about the strange mark on Mr Ken's face. It took me a long time to fall back to sleep, my mind still reeling from the nightmare. But eventually, I drifted off, my mind a jumble of thoughts and images. Suddenly, I was back in the same dream, standing in the hallway, watching Mr. Ken approach me. I knew it was a dream, but I couldn't seem to wake up. I was trapped, frozen in place, unable to move or speak.

Then, I heard a voice. It was deep and rough, like the sound of rocks grinding together. “You know too much,” it said.