Chapter Two

Mornings were usually peaceful and  quiet around here but today was not like every other day. The sobs and loud cries coated with lamenting kept me awake all night. The birds werent singing the humming of insects couldn’t be heard and even the wind whistling around the trunks made the air seem more toxic.

Many curled up with their family having ther last Goodbyes with tears streamed down their eyes even the greatest broke down and shattered into pieces.

 It was only just a matter of mintues before families were going to go there different ways leaving one of their own to die because of a stupid Traditions which has managed to be made supreme over all, crippling the hands of many and forcing them into total defeat over a meaningless superstition. How the thought of this sickened me but I had to admit I myself was scared nevertheless not about the fictitious beasts but the lingling question on my mind on why none of the girls never came back home but I guess I would have to find that out by myself since I was picked for the sacrifice.

“Nola.” 

Sam called out to me with almost a whisper, his voice was a bit brittle. I knew he was tired after crying himself to sleep by my side.

“Go back to sleep,” I patted his head softly while he protested weakly.

” Sleep..” 

I whispered softly and he slowly closed his eyes and went back to sleep. The hardest part of this was having to leave him but I promised to come back. There was no beast or no wolf and I would escape the hands of the brute government. This wasn't my end, I was sure of that. I wouldn't fall that easily.

The sobbing outside began to turn into screams and cries of pleading and there were attempts by other family members to hold back their unfortunate loved ones who were picked for the Chosen. They wanted to fight them away from the hands of the guards, but obviously overpowered.

They were here for us, for me and nothing or no one was going to stop them. It was only a matter of time before they started pounding furiously and fast on the door demanding to take me away like I was a property, used as their disposal and discarded when they felt like it.

I learned closer to Sam and kissed him goodbye and silently comforted myself that it wouldn't be the last. I walked out of the room to meet my aunty and uncle.

“Oh, Nola!”  She broke out in tears as she moved towards me and engaged in a big hug she squeezed me so tight “ Why do they have to take you away from me?” She  kept crying and I kept squeezing her so tight as I forced back the tears that threatened to fall from my eyes.  I couldn't be found weak, at least not in front of my family. Kayla walked downstairs with Sam in her hand,  I guess he had woken up because of Aunty’s  cries.

My hands were being tight with chains, we looked like slaves was the third to be put into the chariots. My emotions felt more heavy as it dawned to me that every minutes that passed, I would be farther  away from my family and the fact that some people had already considered me dead even when I was still alive hurt me. We were like the walking dead, six girls chained up in chariots.

“Ahhhhhhhhhhh!”

The high pitch voice stunned me like a bee and I immediately looked at the direction of the loud scream, It belonged to a girl who was literally carried all the way and dump to the car and chained like a dog, she was crying profoundly while struggling with the chains and obviously her efforts were void but that didn't stop her, I actually had to smile at her relentless, encouraging her.

We arrived what looked like our destination and the mansion was all concrete and tall glass windows that gave the view of the mountain, a chance to relax and take in the change of the season  from the comfort of an easy chair. Ironic how I was thinking of relaxing when my supposed demise was close.

Allegedly so, we were supposed to wait here till Midnight before we were brought outside for the sacrifice of the beast. Impassively, I scanned the place as we were pulled in by yhe guards and if I was not being too irritated by the rough handling of these guards on is, I would appreciated the place a bit better.

“Watch it!” I warned one of them when one of the girls, Amelia, got pushed too hard. “She has a wounded leg, so be careful. I get that tonight is our last, but spare some sympathy and don’t be an asshole.”

If he heard me, he pretended well not to. I didn’t care of he did. I just wanted to get my message avross and I was glad that I did. At least that grumpy muscular guard was more tender while handling Amelia.

The mansion was a big majestic place and I  was surprised at how efficiently the government put in effort into making the place look so good. It was gold and honey brown with streaks of silver and I made a note to self how these people were more concerned about creating a perfect home for a killer beast who terrorized the village, than actually being there for the people.

“Asshole!” I cursed at the guard who shoved me last into the empty room, with the other girls.

Great. We have a mansion as large as this, and they still choose to make sure we are treated as church rats. Great!

Not long after we were thrown into the room, sobs were all around me filled my ears and dampened my spirit. I couldn’t cry even if i wanted to. It wasn’t easy for me to. So, I sat there in the midst of these girls and watched dead into space as their voices like wails from hell filled the entire room and resounded everywhere.

And for that moment, I felt lost and confused. Tears brimmed at my lids but never fell. I thought about my family and I thought about Sam. I imagined that like these girls who bawled their eyes around me, Sam was doing the exact same thing.

Were we really going to die? I chose to always think that all of this was just a scam and in reality, there was no such thing. But with each passing second of this reality, I came to an existential crisis. I knew not what to believe anymore and what not to. All I knew was that I was going to miss my family. And they were going to miss me too. Whether the beast was real or not, I was being held captive and my return was unknown.

“It’s okay,” I started to comfort the girl who sobbed by my left. One hand went to my right to hold Mary and she cried on my shoulders. These girls surrounded me crying and like some protector or hero, I let them.

“We will get through this,” I said to them. It was a promise. “Don’t lose hope.”

It was also a promise to myself. Together, we stayed in the dark and they all cried till it was the mid of the night. The doors burst open and I was dead and unmoved as the guards pulled us out aggressively. The girls were screaming and shouting and crying, but I barely reacted. It was dark and wherever they were taking us to, I had not a clue. 

They bound us together and tied us to a tree, making enchantments and callings and rising their voices as the wails of the girls increased by the second. 

“This is it,” I thought to myself. This was really it.

I closed my eyes and accepted defeat.