ZILA THE OUTCAST TWIN
Episode 6.
As I finally got there, it was getting dark, every where was quiet, I quietly went round in search of Zila, no sign of anybody, there was a firewood fire burning, with a very big pot on it, I wonder what could be inside the pot, I hide in a crowded bush and watch while scanning for any sign of Zila,
I started hearing a sound, I looked at my left side and saw lots of cage, I slowly moved close, human beings where in the cage, men, women, boys, girls and children.
In different cage, I quietly started checking to see if i can see Zila,
As i search anytime i hear a noise I will quickly hide, a horrible looking men passed by, they were three and speak a very strange language, while demonstrating with their hands, they have a very long ears, blood shot eyes, their teeth were shooting out from their mouth like vampires, they were not pleasant to look at, the rumors were true about them, they are horrible and forbidden from normal people,
they marked their bodies with white clay, and has only their manhood covered, the rest of their body was bare, their head were covered with clay powder, I became even more scared myself, but I need to find Zila without being noticed,
I looked for clay powder which was scattered around the bush and rub my head and face, I removed my neck and hand bead, I removed my weaved shirt and rub the clay all over,
I looked at myself again, my leg was bare, no native leg bead as I saw on them, I don’t have ferns or long ears, but I know it will take a second look from them and i will be caught and probably stuffed into a cage and await my death,
I quickly started looking from cage to cage, there was no much time for me, every cage I look the person in it is either sleeping or lying down weak, I was about giving up on finding Zila, after I was about rounding up with the search,
I saw her, she was in the last cage, just to signify that she was the last person to arrive the forbidden clan, she was lying down and probably sleeping because her eyes were both shot,
I whispered her name quietly twice, she opened her eyes, and saw me, immediately, I heard another group of ugly looking men passing by, I kept quiet and hide back in the bush, I thanked the gods for the fast approaching darkness, which is covering me from being detected,
Zila shut her eyes as she saw them and pretend to be asleep, after they checked all the caged people, they stop over at Zila while speaking an unknown strange language, probably the huge pot on fire was dinner, they are cannibals, they feed on human beings, maybe it was Zila’s turn to be used,
Immediately they left, I hurried up to Zila, and called her name again she opened her eyes and asked me to leave or I will be killed if I’m caught, she said her fate has already being decided, she was to be used for dinner tonight,
I told her I was there to save her and i will, I asked her to show me how to unlock the cage and she did, we worked very fast on the cage and it was open,
Zila quietly came out of the cage,
a fierce looking man came out from a small hut, he made a funny face and looked round, he stood and widen his nose as if he perceived something, maybe a strange being in their midst,
He spoke something strange and others came out, I was hiding with Zila, they lit up the whole darkened place with a burning stick,
After which they moved close to the cages and and terrifying noise could be heard as they noticed Zila’s cage was open, with nobody inside,
I dragged Zila along the bush path as we try to escape, she showed me the right way to follow, we started running so fast,
They noticed our movement and ran after us, some were flying on the trees like birds, they have strange powers, they pursued us, but we ran knowing well our lives depends on it.
I was loosing strength but I kept running, urging Zila who was also running behind me as fast as her legs could carry her,
I ran like I have never done before, I was hitting off the over grown bushes, clearing way for Zila who was running with all her might, some sharp grass has cut my vein but all I care about was for us to get to safety,
I heard them from behind coming with full speed after us, I began to wonder why I even came down to the forbidden side, the most wicked cannibals on earth, all the stories that we were told about them were all true, they are fierce looking creatures and they feed on humans, why didn’t Zila just stay and listen to father and mother who warned her to stay off their rot,
I was still in my angry thought when suddenly three hefty looking creatures jumped in front of us, we try to run back but another set was also behind us, they rounded us, laughing with a long teeth pulling out of their mouth, I knew we were doomed,
my pah and mother are going to loose two of their children to the outcast, indeed the constant saying that a stubborn fly follows a Corp to it’s grave is actually true, father said it was a journey of no return, a deadly journey, now i see he was right, I know mother will die quickly if she realize that two of her children are gone,
As the strange looking beings pounced on us I screamed and landed hard on the ground in my own pull of sweat
It was all a dream, darkness was everywhere, as I looked round, there was a man sitting down with a small set fire two trees away, I started shaking as he stood, he stood up and started walking towards me, I began to scream and shut my eyes, he held my hands and said quietly
“Keep quiet or you will attract the unseen, Mbazi why are you shaking and shouting like a child that saw a ghost, your father was looking for you and i came here to get you because i know this is your relaxing place,
I saw you sleeping and struggling in your sleep I allowed you, you needed the rest because of the recent happenings, everybody is so tensed, nobody gets enough sleep anymore, because of your sister’s disappearance, maybe the gods were revealing something to you and i don’t want to interrupt,
I set a fire to keep watch over you, waiting for you to awaken, it was until you fell from your nest and landed on the floor like a bag of potatoes, I knew you must have had a terrible dream, now let’s go home, your pah is worried sick about you…
I looked up at him again, Riko stood a head tall in front of me holding my shaking hands, a small knife was tugged into his waist belt, I wanted to be sure I was fully awake, it was a Terrible dream, as i thought of Zila again,
I told Riko what I saw in the dream and also told him about Zila’s deadly mission, he said it was just a bad dream because i allowed the fear of the outcast to crowd my mind before i slept off, he said the outcast are not as terrible as people paint them,
Riko seems to know a little about them which he never spoke or discus with anybody because it wasn’t allowed, he told me that my sister is safe because the outcast are not cannibals they feed like we do and they look like us, I should forget about all the rumors that we hear, they are not horrible looking things like the rumor says, those rumors are not true, Riko encouraged me not to be scared but I still have doubts comparing to what i saw in the dream
I told him of my plan to go and rescue Zila, he encouraged me to go if i really want to, he volunteered to walk me deep down the wood, so that i can continue the remaining journey on my own, he said I should find something to tell father of my absence so that he won’t be worried about me if i happen not to return on time
The following morning i told father I was visiting a friend of mine in another tribe and i may not be back the same day, I told him I will probably spend a day or two there before i return,
father said okay that I should be safe, he even joked with me that I have probably seeing a young girl over there that i want to marry, he told me to make sure I brings the girl home, whoever that got my heart,
I smiled and assured him that when i finally meet the right woman for me he will be the first to know, we joked a little more before I left
I picked few things into an animal skin bag, and held out to the wood with Riko who wanted to make me feel at ease before I face the outcast and bring Zila back to mother and father,
I pray to the unseen god of our land to protect and bless my journey. Only Riko knows of this our quest with the outcast and i trust him to keep it a secret.
Despite everything that Riko was doing to help me ease off the fear, I still have fears growing in my veins, the dream still look so fresh in my mind, i hope it was only a dream nothing much to it as Riko assured me.
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