THE SHADOW OF SLEEP

CHAPTER THREE—Cover me.

“Cover me” I shouted.

And I was immediately transported to Jira. I fired with all intensity at two enemies. My partners turned to my sweet 8-year-old son, Joshua; 5-year-old Emma with her bun shouting, Mommy and Matthew heralding them back to my old Toyota.

I could hear their cries. I dodged for cover at the back of the huge palm tree and fired another shot. We had unexpectedly run into the unscrupulous uniformed army men where we had thought to rest for the day before continuing our journey out of Waston. It was either lie dead as the bodies we passed on our way or still breathe and survive. I didn't mind lying dead, but Matthew and my kids must do the later.

“ Matthew, go with the kids,” I screamed.

“No, I'm not leaving you.”

Foolish, foolish. He never listens. We will all end up dying. And the children end up suffering a worse fate than death.

I swerved and shot the enemy behind Matthew. Luckily, there were only four.

“Gather all their ammunition,” I ordered Matthew.

“I would if it were real guns.” Michael came into view, and Matthew faded into the background.

“And thanks for saving my life. I'm certain the color is flowing out of them,” He said sarcastically while giving a lopsided grin.

The worst color in the world, I might have gone too far, in Jira that seldom wins inter-house sports competitions—the green. I had no choice over my color competition preference.

“Who is Matthew?” “I’ve never seen you that swift.”

I chuckled. The others were coming out of the scrubs to where we stood.

“So, you have some use after all,” said Tennyson, smiling.

I knew I had dragged them down in most of the competitions. I was either not fast enough or couldn't go higher, especially when climbing the mountains.

Helen scrunched her face. “Because of this?”

My darling Emma could never be Helen. Self-conceited b***h.

“Can we all just take a moment to consider how Florence single-handedly brought down Red team” Michael said proudly.

“I give it to you but we have to work as a team next time.” Tennyson patted my shoulders. “ You could have been killed.”

“It's no big deal” Helen said dismissively. “Anyone could do that.”

“I’ve found your talent” said Michael as we walked back to the open clearing. He tried to put his right hand over my shoulder but I shifted, not because I didn't want the show of camaraderie but because he was thrilled and probably surprised at my marksmanship, I was in anguish and thought. I was the last to step out of the forest.

We walked towards the green section to return our weapons just as the red group was returning theirs. A round that we had won. Some other groups had returned theirs too. I could see yellow and purple.

Melady, the lady who had inadvertently wrenched the name of our trainer when she won that barrier-crossing game had been shot by the yellow team. Yellow splayed on her apron. Her bunk bed was just beside mine and we were invariably getting closer each day as we knew better about each other.

“No loss, green team” Druig, the silvery-eyed, and won prized possession announced incredulously.

•• ••

“Yes, yes, put more, Mama Jonz.”

She grunted and scooped more into my bowl. I could see the faint lines of smiles on her cheeks.

“Are you pregnant?”

“How I wish I was, maybe they would have allowed me leave out of here.”

“It isn't hard.” She pointed at Druig.

She had noticed too, how ladies were sneaking into the trainers quarters. They had been more sneaking lately since we were allowed to train alongside the males. I had caught ladies from my dormitory more than twice at night.

I shook my head, “ They all need to have their fill” “ Wouldn't it have been worse if ladies were still confined?” I chuckled, “they will soon burn out.”

I carried my bowl of porridge to the seat where I could sit facing the guards more especially Druig, just as I saw Sofie, a roommate of mine coming to Mama Jonz’s stand, a nickname I've given her because I couldn't just call the dear and good-natured old woman Jonz. She was old enough to have given birth to me. She was also amicable and now, observant from my perspective. I might even go ahead to bet that nothing went without her watchful eyes not taking note. She would have a load of information.

She also never fails to add extra for me when I ask her to. You would already have derived that not many liked to ask for extra because of their crush nearby. They didn't want to be seen as gluttonous.

“Extra again,” snapped Helen.

Oh Lord, why do I have to have such a partner? She was wearing my patience down. Not even something my darling Emma and sweet Joshua had been able to do while running all over the house. I rolled my eyes.

“Must we always eat together like this every time?” I raised my face to ask. I preferred when I had the liberty to eat with whomever I wanted to. Now, I would have loved to be eating with Melady.

Michael leveled me with those green eyes. Taking a moment to process my question. His abs bulged through the green uniform. It was designed especially to match his eyes and show forth his masculinity, unlike the other uniforms we wore on regular days when we were not marching forth into the forest that surrounded the mountains.

“I would love to eat with you every single day of my life” He retorted.

I smirked. “ You don't know how many days you have in here, and while I have the chance, I would take it with someone else.” I grinned genially. Michael had quickly become one of the people I could call a friend here. While Tennyson was uptight, always frowning. Michael was the opposite.

He made a face like I had hurt him. I said “puff” slowly and silently with my mouth curving out and eyes thinning. He laughed.

He was my person; I didn't mind eating with him forever, but my forever was somewhere else in agony.

“ It's because we have to plan for the next game” stated Tennyson.

“Next game that we don't...” I saw Druig and some of the guards leaving their post. It was not yet time for them to take a break. I knew because I had watched them for a fortnight already and taken note of all their movements.

“Excuse me, I want to use the lady's room”

I left the dining hall and went out. I saw them entering that damn office where everything seems to be proceeding from.

“ The star of the moment” someone called behind me.

I turned to see Druig with his mocking smile. “ I heard you single-handedly defeated the Reds.”

I smiled, It had never been truer: greatness brings attention, or as Druig would later teach me, doing something out of the ordinary catches attention.

Today is the day I will get into that office.