Abstract

The branches of the strange tree in the middle of the playground swayed gently as midnight approached. One could hear the distant peep of the late bus.  All passengers who had fallen asleep were right away awoken by the scream of the driver and his mate calling them to wake up and get off his bus. "Everyone get off ur bed at home is calling, off...off ..get off la..see call that lady .. mama we reach oo u for get down". One could hear the sleepy murmur of the passengers as they slowly made their way down to meet the people from their various homes who had been woken by the arrival of the noisy bus and it's driver. Some could not sleep because they were waiting for the arrival of their people. This is  normal on every Saturday midnight. Not very long from now the c**k will crow and the village will be totally lively. She pulled the hoody tighter over her head as she alighted. No one was waiting for her as no one expected her to be on board that bus. She moved with the crowd and changed routes when she was sure no one was looking. She reached the middle of the playground and tapped on  the truck of the strange tree ta, tata, tata, tatata, ta, 1,2,2,3,1. A doorway was opened at the foot of the tree and after glancing around once more, she ducked and entered.  She was aboard that bus..he could sense her. Her aura had not changed just musked by the faint rustic smell of blood... again. He followed her to the foot of the tree and lost her again. He dared not move right behind her even in his invisible form. What had she been sent out again to do? Why did she seem weaker than before? He definitely wouldn't had dared come this close to her were she in perfect condition. He used his senses to feel the trunk of the tree for traces of human life. There was none except the faint humm of warm energy in the tree.  He smiled to himself as the first rays of sunlight approached. A figure squatting atop a tall tree further away sneered and flew away as sunlight approached. He had been able to follow her to this point but had lost her. At least he knows she would be in this town. This is a small town, if it becomes necessary, he would flatten it and bring her to his master as a present.                                    *.                                              **.                                                    * She drank in the nauseating feeling she always gets anytime she moved into the base. She relished in the feeling of being back home. She nods at the old lady sitting in a daze at the foot of the mountain house and goes in. She takes a pill from the mud stone in the center of large living room and walks into her own stone room.  She empty the backpack she had on her and stared at the strange objects. She picked up the fragile glass like device which lit up once it was picked. And the long while thing attached to the glass thing made no sense to her.  That man had tried doing something with it as she approached but well...hehe The people outside are strange, she thought and quickly placed the things in the backpack. There was another picture on her only mud table. She picked it up and sent it close to the fire at a corner then stilled.                                   *.                                               **.                                                        * "What do u mean by no trace? I thought you were the best among the hackers.." "Doesn't mean I can perform miracles, no signal, no trace, nothing." "I can't believe this". He rubbed his bald head and adjusted the police uniform that was tight over his Potbelly. He was sweating profusely and his tiny eyes had gone red. The tiny room could barely contain the three of them yet he had insisted on going in. How could he, criminal detective Mosse Dzinya not be where the most wanted criminal is being tracked. Seems like contrary to his view, his presence does not change anything, the result is still as it was six years ago. The suspect had gotten away again and looks like he can do nothing about it. "We should visit where the signal was lost", this was said by the assistant of Mosse and the hacker laughed. "It's a dead end, now could you both respected individuals please create some space", he said gesturing towards the door. "Tsk tsk, people like this , hah". He picked the mobile phone on the computer table and a voice could be head from the other end. "I owe you one". "Good you know"  With that the line went dead and a grin appeared on the hackers face.