CHAPTER THREE
1166 Words
When the sun was out, Lena and Ava went to their land. They were met with nothing but destruction and flames from the burnt houses. No living organism was found in the land. Ava cried as they examined the ruins.
"Let's get out of here quickly," Lena said to the crying Ava.
"Okay," Ava nodded and wiped her tears.
"Ava, you have to be strong. You shouldn't cry easily. If you want us to build our land again then you have to be strong," Lena said.
Ava didn't respond. She just walked beside Lena with her hands in her jacket pocket.
Lena walked with a distant look. Her eyes were emotionless but her heart was crying. She wanted to be strong for Ava that is why she wouldn't cry out.
"Where are we going now?" Ava inquired.
"Anywhere we can find shelter," Lena replied.
"I think I know where we can go," Ava said.
"Where?" Lena had a questioning look on her face.
"A friend's land. I'm not very sure if she would accept we stay with her but we can hope," she answered.
"Okay. We can never know until we try. How did you meet her?"
"I met her about six moons ago when I went to the general market alone."
Lena only nodded and began to walk faster as the sun was setting down on them.
"Let's run. We are two lands away from there," Ava suggested.
"No need. We can spend the night in one of the lands we have to go through. It will be more reasonable if we go to her in the day than in the night," Lena replied.
"Okay," was Ava's response.
They were passing through a space whilst using the woods to cover themselves when they sighted a young handsome man looking out of the window. His handsomeness was so mesmerizing that even the strict and always focused Lena couldn't help but stare.
"Run," Lena commanded when she noticed the man was looking out as if he had seen someone.
Ava and Lena took to their heels. They stopped running after they had left the land.
"He might have been of help," Ava said.
"Stop dreaming, Ava," Lena said, "We should be concerned about where to stay for tonight."
"We can make a camp near a river," Ava suggested.
"Okay. That is a good idea," they began to search for a river.
They found a river and decided to camp there. Ava went in search of food while Lena sat at the bank of the river after setting up the fire.
The shining moon made her reflection visible in the water. She smiled at her reflection and palmed her face as if removing dirt. She was still staring at her reflection when she remembered the face of the handsome man they had seen.
"He might have helped," she thought.
She was smiling foolishly as she kept on playing the face of the man in her mind.
Moments later, Ava came back with a big kill.
"Wow! Your hunting prowess is amazing. Only if you can just stop your crybaby attitude," Lena said peeling off the skin of the animal.
Ava smiled at Lena's compliment.
"I will be strong. I am strong," Ava declared.
"That is my girl. She is a fighter. She is a winner," Lena placed the skinned animal over the fire.
"I've been wondering what if George is still alive," Ava said as she sat beside Lena.
"We can't just conclude on that. We need to see him first. What bred this thought?"
"I can't say but you know, it was his men who were throwing fires."
"So are you insinuating that he might have ran off when the fire battle began?"
"Yes. Let's lay low for now. We will go back again," Ava turned the meat over on the fire.
Lena lay down on the sand and closed her eyes.
"Wake me when the meat is done," she said and soon drifted to sleep.
Ava prepared the meat and set up a stool before waking Lena.
"Here. You should eat," she handed Lena's portion of the meat to her.
They had their supper and went to sleep tired on the river's bank.
The ray of the sun highlighted two sleeping beauties' glowing skin. The sun couldn't stop its ray from radiating more on these skins. Their beauty must have bewitched the sun.
A young maiden with a pot used for fetching water was seen walking down the path that leads to the river. Her waist moved in syntax with her waist bead. She soon got to the river and met two sleeping beauties.
She placed her pot gently on the floor and looked wondering at the sleeping body.
"Did mermaids get washed off the river?" she wondered as her hand touched one of the ladies' hair.
Lena felt someone touch her hair but laid still. She didn't want whoever it was to know she was awake. She wanted to know what whoever it is was up to.
"Wow. Fine hair. If I have a hair let this, I will be the most beautiful maiden," the young maiden said still caressing Lena's hair.
"Do mermaid not feel people's touch?" the girl wondered aloud.
"They pretend not to feel sweet people like you touch," Ava replied startling the young maiden.
She jumped up and stared at Ava who has a smile plastered on her face.
"Are you that jealous that you made her stop caressing my hair? How much it brought solace to me," Lena said facing Ava who was now grinning.
The young maiden was too shocked to do anything.
"Mermaids talk like us. Mermaids talk like us. Mermaids talk like us," she kept screaming in her head.
Ava stood up and helped the too-surprised-to-do-anything young lady fill her pot with water.
"Here," Ava handed the pot of water to the lady.
She then walked to the river and dived in. Seeing what Ava did, Lena held her laughter and did the same too. The maiden ran to her land happily.
"I saw mermaids. Not one but two. Two beautiful mermaids," she shouted as she ran off.
Lena and Ava swam out of the river. Lena burst into laughter.
"Mermaid Ava," she teased.
Ava smiled, "Let's leave now or we won't be able to find our way once that lady comes back here with all her villagers," she said.
The duo left the river. They spent two hours on the road before getting to Ava's friend's land. They asked around till they were directed to Ava's friend's house.
"Good day here," they greeted when they got to the house.
An old woman came out from the house.
"Hello, my daughters. How are you?" the woman asked with a smile on her old wrinkled face
"We are fine, grandma," it was Ava who responded.
"What or who do you seek?" the old woman questioned.
"Lea," Ava responded.
"Lea left for her village already," the old woman said.
- Writer
