1.2. Badblood

They laughed.

They reached the river and they sat on the river bank where a big tree stood beside them, its shadow covering the two of them from the sun. The wind now colder mixed with the misty scent of the river. The water below them calm and clear, the fishes swam in freedom.

The river is not that deep, they used to swim and play on it together with Haris. But as they grow up and loads of chores were slowly added on their backs, they stopped doing it anymore. They now only come here to clear their minds and forget everything for a while, a quick escape.

Serra pulled out the bread on her pocket and cut it in half. She handed the other half to Mira in which she received in delight. She munched it immediately like a wolf.

"Good heavens!" she exclaimed as she munched the bread on her mouth. She ate it like she hasn’t eaten bread before. "This is delicious".

She closed her eyes as the cold wind struck her, feeling the cold sensation sink deep into her flesh.

Serra took a bite and felt the flavour explode in her mouth like a firework. It was sweet And creamy and soft on the inside and the crust was crunchy and solid. It would be perfect with a tea, she thought.

"So what are your plans later when Haris arrives?" Serra asked as she leaned her head on Mira's shoulders.

"I don't know" she answered. "Maybe give him flowers? Do boys love flowers?"

Serra chuckled. "Of course!" she exclaimed. The idea of Mira giving flowers to Haris sent a shiver of happiness in her heart. It's always been boys who give flowers to women and it's so good to see women do it in return. "Flowers are for everyone!"

"What will I give him?" Serra could really tell how excited she was in her tone. Haris has been out for almost three weeks now on their trade from Layu Village, which is south from Sirka. They trade their goods with their fresh fruits and other harvest. "Roses? Or how about Lilies? Or Morning glory? Pink daisies?" It's funny how love can make someone so paranoid.

Serra pulled her head back and looked at Mira. "Why don't you make a bouquet of all the flowers you've mentioned?" she said and Mira's eyes widen making it shinier. Is that what love can do? Make your eyes shine brighter, you'll glow up, and you'll smile all day? Serra laughed at the thought.

"Oh yes! That would be nice" she said excitedly, her eyes gleaming; full of love and life.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

They both startled and bolt upright as they hear three loud beats of the drum. The sound only mean one thing, the traders are back.

They looked at each other for a moment and Mira screamed in excitement. They both stood up and ran towards the gate. They were holding each other’s hand as they ran, their hairs flying behind their heads. For the moment, Serra thinks they're little girls again. Playing and just having fun, unaware of the terrors that lurk outside the gate. No Maddy to worry and free. How she wished they can be little girls all the time, but life has to go on and they have to keep up with it.

They passed the fields. The carrots gone, the potatoes ready for next week’s harvest, the wheats are almost ready and the beans just sprouted from the ground. In the distance, they can see the tall gates - which looks like a tiny rectangle from afar - opening and wagons starting to enter. Villagers also start to gather on the gate, blocking their sight. They ran fast, panting as their hearts beat in melodic rhythm like the drum. They passed the Captain's house and then the villager’s cabins that lined up on the left; the roofs and wall neat and uniform. Only Mira's cabin looks colourful as bunch of flowers in different colours lined up on the outside.

They reached into a wall of villagers overlooking the traders as the last wagon entered. Serra saw a glimpse of the outside world. She saw a clearing just outside the gate and beyond that was trees, tall as the sky and green as the grasses below. There were bushes and wild flowers of different colours: red, yellow, white, and pinks, all the colours party in her eyes. It was beautiful. Beyond the trees were dark shadows. She saw flickers of movement which sent shivers to her spine just as the gate closed.

There were 4 wagons on the inside full of goods. The wagons are mechanical, fuelled with oil for faster travel. Around the body of the wagon were fire tubes which spew out fire when there are Reapers, it keeps them safe from their travel. Reapers are afraid of fire and no one knows why and no one bothers to know why. All were happy enough to have something that will keep them safe from the vicious monsters.

But Serra's heart started to hammer inside her chest; her body tensed and felt a pang of pain in her heart. It was six wagons that left for the trade and now there's only four that comes back. She felt her throat dry. Mira was also shaking beside her. The smile that pasted on her gorgeous face was gone. Her heart pounding loudly, Serra could hear it like a whisper. Her grip on Serra’s hand tightens as if like bracing herself for some bad announcement.

The traders started to come out from the wagons and they all looked sad and exhausted. Some were crying as their eyes were red and puffy. Serra and Mira searched for Haris. They searched for a boy with curly brown hair, dark brown eyes, tall and a lean body, but they found none. Their hearts now beats violently, almost ripping out from their chests. They feel a lump on their throats. They waited for all the traders to come out but there was no Harris. Mira's eyes started to blur as tears started to come up on the surface.

"Where are the others?" said the captain who popped up on the crowd. The people parted as he walked forward to the traders. "Where are the other wagons?" The Captain sounded sad and horrified.

The traders didn't speak. They just look at the ground sadly, their eyes droopy and cloudy with tears. There was a deafening silence and even Serra couldn't hear her breathing. All their minds was processing what they are about to say.

"There was Badblood ambush three days ago on our way home" a man on the back finally said, breaking the silence. Serra saw tears streaking down on his cheeks. "They got the last two of the wagons. We expected that they only just seize all the goods but they started to pin them in the ground, so we ran away"

Serra felt like her breathing stopped and the world fell silent. Her heart sank deep to the bottomless ocean and then all suddenly came rushing to her. She felt crushed and shattered. Mira broke down beside her, crying, her hand still on Serra's.

"No!" Mira cried. Her eyes also started to blur but forced herself not to cry. Haris was not her lover but he was her friend and things that hurt Mira hurt her also. Seeing her friend cry felt like her heart was stabbed. She kneeled down and wrapped her arms around Mira. "No, no, no, nooooo!"

She wanted to comfort her and take some of the pain in Mira's heart but she don't know how. She's also dizzy and broken inside on the news. She wanted to say 'It's alright' but stopped herself. It's not alright. It's not okay. She knows it isn't the kind of pain or wound that will heal immediately when you wash it with water. It's the kind of wound that only time would heal, the kind of pain that will drill deep to your heart. She knows and understands such pain because she felt it when she lost her father.

Serra felt Mira's tears on her arms. She's wailing now and others also, the families of the other traders that was taken by the Badbloods. It was a crowd of cries now.

Mira stood up and walked toward the wagons, still crying but still beautiful. "No! Haris!" she cried as she searched every wagon, looking at the inside, at every space. "Haris?" Mira pleaded.

"Haris is one of the occupants of the seized wagons" the same man said, his voice exhausted and sleepy.

Mira looked at him angrily. Her mouth turned to a grin, teeth clattering. "You left them to die!" she said with menacing eyes. Her smile earlier was replaced now with anger. "You should have turned and helped them!"

Another man came to Mira, Rolando, Tufi's husband. He was angry. "Don't you dare shout at us little girl!" he said, pointing his finger to Mira. His voice was spicy. "Badbloods are powerful! They have powers and we have none! We don't stand a chance! Our best option is to run! Do you think we will just leave them there if we stand a chance? Huh?" The man spoke loudly almost like a shout, streaks of saliva flying into Mira's face. "You don't have any idea how painful it was for us watching our brothers there crying in pain and fear"

Mira's was stunned watching Rolando who was breathing heavily. She turned and ran away from him. Serra called her name but she didn't answer like she didn't saw her. She just ran past her. Serra followed.

There was a discussion about the next trade before Serra followed her friend. She found Mira crying on the river bank where they sat earlier. She was sitting down, her knees to her chest, burying her face between them as she cried. Serra sat beside her and put her hand on her friends back, caressing it gently. She wasn't a comforting type of person but she hopes it will at least help Mira. She looked at the river, at its calm water and let her mind flow through it. She saw fishes swimming at the clear waters, their colourful tails wagging on the water. Serra suddenly wished to be a fish for a moment, free and unaware of the horrors of the world. If only she could forget all of it for a while.

Mira looked up, her eyes red and tired. "Haris is gone" she whimpered. There was pain in her voice.

"I'm sorry" was all she said. She wiped Mira's tears with her fingers. Her cheeks were rosy and pink. More strand of curly hairs now hanging in her face. She's still beautiful, Serra thought. How unfair it is to someone who cried and still looks beautiful.

Serra pulled her friend toward her and put Mira's head on her shoulder. Mira stopped crying but Serra knows the pain isn't receding yet. It's still there in her heart, fresh and spicy. They closed their eyes and feel the gentle touch of the wind on their skins.

There was a thud sound like a rock hit a solid wall. They broke off and Mira flinched, grunts in pain. She touched her head as streaks of scarlet blood flow on her forehead. She touched it and whimpered. There was cut on her head and then saw a sharp medium sized rock beside Mira. There was stain of blood on it, fresh and smelled like metal.

"What are you two doing here!" it was Maddy. Her face was annoying as ever, her hands on her hips. "Escaping work? Go help the others unload the goods from the wagons!"

"Did you just hit Mira with a rock?" Serra said angrily.

"Yes!" Maddy raised her brows. "And I will do it again if you don't move!" she said as she bent down and picked another rock.

Serra's rage stirs inside her. She wants to punch Maddy's face so hard right now. She wants to see her annoying and ugly face turned into a pulp as she crushes it with a huge rock. But before she could do all of that, the grasses beneath Maddy's feet started to grow violently and wrapped her. It grows up, wrapping her legs and her waist.

"Wha... What's going on!" she said in panic, dropping the rock and tried to scratch off the vines that grow upward, to her arms.

Serra stood there, stunned and eyes wide open. She was like a statue cemented on the ground, afraid to move. The grasses now reached Maddy's arms, wrapping them and on her side. Maddy cried in panic as the grasses started to choke her as if the grasses themselves were angry of her.

"He...help!" the old woman said, choking off the words. Her eyes bulging largely as if coming out of its sockets. Her face turning red as all the blood trapped on her head.

Serra finally found herself and dashed toward Maddy. She managed to cut some of the grasses but the vines keep growing like they have their own mind. Serra is in panic now, cutting off vines as fast as she can, giving space on Maddy's neck. She hates this old lady, but only in her imagination that she wants to hurt her not in real life.

"Mira!" she called as she cut another grass. “Help!"

Mira didn't answer and Maddy's face now was purple, trying to catch her breath. She turned and looked at Mira. She was still standing on the same space they sat on. Blood streaked down on her gorgeous face. She was looking at Maddy, her eyes menacing and evil, all the anger in the world was in her face. Her jaw set and her teeth clattering. She looks like she wants to kill Maddy. Her fingers were twitching at her sides and she's breathing heavily.

"Mira!" she called again loudly. Mira staggered back, blinking her eyes and she was panting like she's running in a distance. To Serra’s surprise, the grasses started to loosen themselves and shrank back to the ground. Maddy fall to her knees as she tried to fill her lungs with air. The colour of her face was slowly going to back to normal.

Serra’s heart almost stopped as she looks at her friend. Crowd of thoughts swirl on her mind like a hurricane. Their eyes met and Serra could see fear, confusion and horror on her eyes. Her cloudy mind started to clear and a realization started to solidify in her mind, clearing the whirlpool of thoughts. Her heart skipped a beat.

"Badblood!" Maddy said, choking the words out. She stood up and the colors now back on her face but she's still breathing heavily. She pointed at Mira. "Badblood!" Then she ran.