HENRY’S POV
The night appeared and crept like a slowpoke. And departed the sky undisturbed. The room was totally quiet, except for the snoring Lucy; the room was serene but my mind wasn’t, and I found it arduous to sleep.
The salty water from my eyes called me a doormat. A coward that hides under girl identity to be safe. I have been waiting for the time when I would drop this fake personality but the day seems far away as war conflicts into another. The day looks like a rainbow that shows only in the rainy season when I feel like am in harmattan season.
I glanced around the room, listening. Gazing at Susan. If not for her vitality, the commander of the princess’s guards would have slaughtered us. She wasn’t like me. The coward of all time.
And I abhorred myself for sleeping that vivid night when Sophia sprint away, looking for me. Looking for a coward and careless man who was busy sleeping at her side.
Not long after, the door was unlocked and Alice walked in. “I knew already. I knew you won’t sleep. Anabelle-”
“Don’t call me that name again,” I said, looking at my toes.
“I understand you, but you have to endure. ”
“Till when?”
“Till we saw her.” She sat at my side. “You don’t sleep, do you?”
Lucy sifted her legs and then opened her eyes. She takes a glance at us, snoozing. “I thought I heard Henry’s voice now.”
My eyes held Alice’s. We paused, listening. And I felt my heart punching fast.
To avoid being caught, Alice looked at Lucy. “Are you dreaming? You might be dreaming.”
“But I don’t think so,” she said, “anyway, wanna sleep back.”
“Can you please beg Annabelle to sleep, before you sleep?” Alice asked Lucy.
“Anabelle, why?” Lucy asked.
“I’m having stomach pain,” I said.
“You are in your period?” Lucy asked.
“No.”
“When-”
“Stop asking her questions,” Alice said, “Just beg her to sleep. Look over there.” She pointed her hands towards the clock at the wall. 5:15.
“Anabelle,” Lucy said, “please sleep.”
“Okay okay,” I said as I laid down with my eyes shut but my ears weren’t. And Alice sighed, paces toward the door, and then closed it.
I feel Alice went to her Jackson to see him as he played piano in the sitting room, and then I assumed that nobody cares as I do. And in my sleep, my brain begins to visualizing Alice telling me that, “You just close your eyes in pretense. Why don’t you sleep?”
“Why should I? When I haven’t seen Sophia,” my brain talks to itself as if it was mumbling with Alice.
Not long after, Lucy arouses and tapped Bella to stand up.
“What happened?” Bella said, irking.
“We are in the morning,” Lucy answered back. “Come on. Get up.”
Someone unlocked the door after knocking on it. And I heard the voice of Jackson, saying, “Good morning everyone. Wanna tell you guys that Reuben is waiting for you outside.”
“Where are we going again?” Lucy asked.
“Maybe, to find Sophia,” he said.
And from here, I stood up hastily and say, “Let’s go.”
Lucy stares at me. “You don’t-”
“Ssshhh” I cut in. I knew what she wants to say. “Reuben is waiting for us.”
And I hurried out and I meet Reuben sharpening his swords as John, and Alice is glaring at him.
“Good morning,” I mumbled.
“Morning, Anabelle,” Reuben said, “hope you have a wonderful night?”
I take a look at Alice. Wishing for her to keep quiet. “Sure and you?”
“Yes, dear.”
I waved to John and Alice. “Morning.”
“Morning,” John retorted but Alice ignored.
Lucy, Bella, Jackson, and Susan walked out of the room. And Lucy and Bella start yawning. Bella’s eyes were red and I could see that she is still feeling sleepy. They all greeted us.
“We can’t just waste our time here,” Reuben was saying now, “I tracked Sophia’s footprints with Benjamin here.”
Everyone stares at him, listening. And Benjamin sauntered out of John’s room, yawning.
And Reuben continues, “Not knowing that she is still in the desert.”
“Desert?” We all chorused.
“How does she gets there . . . ”
“Sophia is so stubborn . . . ”
“What is she doing there . . . ”
Reuben signaled us to quiet for a while and then continue speaking, “Titanic told me that she fell into a pit, but when we get there, she has left. And we saw some blood that was shed on the dries grass.”
My heart jumped up. “Sophia is dead?”
“No,” Reuben said, “the blood wasn’t human. Mere looking at it, it was a wild animal’s blood. Maybe some people attack them.”
Susan looked at Reuben and says, “There were indigenous people in the desert.”
“Really?” Reuben inquired.
“Yes,” she said, “They might have brought her out from the pit. Guys.” She faced us. “We need to win against numerous powerful warriors there, especially Owen.”
“How do you know all these things?” Lucy asked her.
“They killed my dad when he was attempting to save my life,” Susan said.
And we all glance at her with emotional eyes.
“We should go on time before they killed her,” I declared and everyone looked at me.
“I won’t allow everyone to follow us,” Rueben said, “It’s only Jackson and Susan that would follow me there ”
“I will follow you too,” I said, “please.”
“Anabelle.” Reuben looked at me. “It is dangerous. Indigenous people are so fucking bad. They can eat a human being.”
“Oh my God,” Lucy said, “really?”
“Yes,” Reuben said, “it will be wise if you guys wait for us at home because you can’t fight.”
“No,” I said, “I shall follow you”
“You can’t follow us,” Jackson said.
“I can’t stay also.”
“Anabelle,” Ruben said, “I promise that I will bring Sophia here safely.”
“I can’t stay. Please try to understand me-”
“Alice cut in, Anabelle, you have to stay. And why do you wanna go? What do you wanna do there? Can you fight? You have to stay. We want to follow them too, but we have to obey what Reuben said because he can’t be fighting them and still be protecting us at the same time.”
“Okay then,” I said, “I will stay.”
Alice cuddled me as I wipe away tears. “Don’t worry. I understand you the most. They will bring her safely.”
“We should left now,” Reuben said, facing Jackson and Susan. “Get yourself prepared.”
“Wait,” I said, darting into the room and then filling many empty bottles with water.
Lucy walked in and gave me her backpack, “Put them there.”
Not long after, I hurried out with it and called “You guys would need water in the desert.”
“Oh thank you,” Reuben said.
I handed the bag to Jackson. “Please don’t drink it all. Help me give Sophia too.”
“Okay,” Jackson.
Alice hugged Jackson “Please come back safely.”
Reuben chuckles saying “Oh I miss my wife.”
And everyone laughed, except me.
“Bye,” They said.
“Bye,” We chorused, glaring as they left us alone in the room.
The day looked dreary to me. Alice cooked alone, and then she hurried to me and says. “Anabelle, I need your help in the kitchen.”
“Leave me alone,” I said, “call Lucy or Bella.”
“No problem then, I will go cook it by myself.”
After a long time, she appeared to serve us the portion of food but I refused to eat. All of them beseech me but I said, “I won’t eat until Reuben brings Sophia here.”
And they exchanged glances. Horrified.
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SOPHIA’S POV
I couldn’t sleep through the long night. My eyes have lost their backbone as my chest is pounding up and down.
Here, the room was quiet and was filled with darkness. I couldn’t see anything, including myself too. And I was scared as someone knocked at the door, suddenly. I paused, listening. And the door was opened ajar. “She is still there.”
“Tell her that it’s time for the wedding,” The prince said from outside, “bring her out.”
The guard walked in. “Your highness, it is time for the wedding. You need to get up.”
“Don’t touch me. Don’t dare to touch me,” I roared
The guard was stunned and darted out.
And not long after, the prince darted in, giggling and say, “My queen. Good morning. Get up, it’s time.”
“For what?” I asseverated.
“To wed. Are you not happy.”
“I told you that I’m not going to do any rubbish wedding with you.”
“Don’t tell me that again.”
“You better listen,” I said, “I can’t do it. Period.’
“Don’t let me threaten you to the knifepoint.”
“Kill me then,” I blasted “I won’t do anything.”
He looked down and his face change. Devilish.
“You think am scared of you?” I yelled, “I’m here, kill me. I don’t love you. And I can’t love.”
The prince banged my face and forced me out and I saw the crowd waiting for us, before the king.
“Leave me alone, I don’t love you.”
Everyone exchanged glanced
“Everyone is the bloody fool here. I can’t accept this.”
The king said, “where did you think you were?”
“Who do you think I am too?” I roared and the crowd was astonished. I looked at them. “You are all stupid. You don’t care about your health. You don’t bathe this morning. And you want me to join you. I’m ready to die. You are all fool, including the dog that pushed me out and your King too.”
He threatened me to sit down and the king brought a cup of blood mumbling, “If not that my son loves you. I would have eaten you alive.”
“Is this love?” I asked “If you don’t know the right thing. It will be good to ask me. You are all fool.”
The prince banged me but this time, blood gushed out of my mouth. And here, I fell, coughing on the floor.
“My son,” the King said, “she has to drink this lions’ blood if you want to marry her.”
And here I was forced to drink it, and then I spit the blood out into the prince’s face, coughing.
And then the kind joined us together. In the presence of the crowd, people were dancing, two fighters fight and slaughtered themselves. But my mind is not here. My mind is worrying about how I can get a knife, to kill myself, or to kill the prince. I don’t want the prince to have intercourse with me.
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The night darted her so soon, and I was pushed into the prince’s room.
And here, I sat, quietly, waiting for him. I glance around, stood up, and start searching for a knife or a sword. Surveying for a spear. Something for power. And then unexpectedly he opens the door, smirking, smelling of blood.
“My queen. I’m happy. It is time.”
“Don’t dare. . . Don’t dare to come,” I growled.
He peeled off his wrapper and I shut my eyes screaming, “Don’t touch me, don’t come near me.”
He stepped near and when he was about to ascend the bed, I jumped down and saw a sword that fell from his wrapper.
He jumped down, flinging me on the bed. I screamed.
I don’t care to look at his long penis, and I don’t care to bang it with my leg.
And then I instantly jump down as he fell, suffering pain, and his face changed. Devilish looks.
I picked the sword quickly and jabbed it into his chest and then he cried, bleeding out, dyeing my clothes, sprinkling upon my face and my hair.
I was frightened and I can’t believe that I do this. I take two steps back as he stood up and fell again.
I looked around to find somewhere to run to before he gets up again. And I remember that the securities were at his door, safeguarding him.
I unlocked his windows, jumped down as his guards rushed in. I sprint to the nearby fence, climbing it, and escaped back into the wasteland. Into the desert.