The Fox in the Village

The "End Game"

And, the master actually did as he told me. I wasn't able to sleep. I guess I also chose not to and, at dawn, I visited Lucas' nipa hut where I saw that there were really images of a moth. The images of a moth coming near and near the other drawn image of a candle flame. Regrets and conscience hurt me because I felt that these images were like his signals of his upcoming death that I wasn't able to see and stop. It's as if he was also losing his mind there day by day. It kills me.

As morning came, I wasn't really able to see Lucas and Frolly. The final signal that tells me this must really be the truth. Raffic and Tara came to visit me and brought me some food and herbs to take. I pretended to thank them and promised to enjoy all this. My lies were no different to how they'd lied to tell me that Lucas and Frolly were just away dedicatedly doing research and because they were afraid I might pass out again, they just left without bothering me. My fury raged even more because the truth is, I collected all the things that Lucas and Frolly would be needing once they decided to proceed with the scheduled activity for their research today, making me even mad, for there were no signs of Lucas and Frolly wanting to take these. Death.

As darkness eats the rest of Amara's village, so is my heart and mind. I wanted to kill that old man. I wanted to plot revenge on Lucas' and Frolly's lost lives. When Aram arrived, he brought me the things I asked him to give me. As expected, he reminded me of his plans. He told me I must take the way that's outside of the guarded one while he took the way that can is observed by the guard so that it was going to be him spotlighted but I decided to take a different path, the one I have planned overnight. I went towards the quarter of the old man. It seemed to be just a normal nipa hut too, yet another path down under was open. I decided to move towards it and saw an underground tunnel. Inside, it was dark, creepy and cold with only the light of the candle as its light. There, I saw different books together with the different animals preserved in a jar located on the book shelves next to each other. I picked up and took one of the candles on the other side of the room and as its light shone on this part of the room, human body parts preserved in a jar came to my sight. I was so shocked that I tumbled and lost the sword in my hand. Terror even crawled more all over my body when I saw Frolly's hand in one of the jars. It was definitely hers, tattooed with her mother's name on it. Just when I was about to shout, cry or lose my mind, I felt someone's footsteps coming near and near to me. As I turned my head, I saw his face, visible through the candle he was holding. A face not fearful nor shocked at my presence. It was the old man.

I don't know if I'm feeling furious, shocked, or scared right now, as I'm closely lying on the ground looking at the old man I hated ever since my arrival here. He smiles grimly and seems to claim success as he looks back at me. He's got the aura and the look of an old guru and a tribe leader with his hands holding a brown cane made out of a tree branch and a wolf's skin and head as his coat. His inside clothes were all white, as if his heart and desire were as pure as its color, but it's his foxy coat that defines him. "Thou can never change Amara's fate, Samantha. They have been faithful to me ever since and they shall believe and do as I say. For more than a decade, everything here has been thine and will always be. They are thine forever. Now, so thou are," says the old man in a calm, firm and rest-assured voice.

"This is the end." he shouted, then tried to strike the sword upon me, but I was quick to escape it. I tried to crawl away from him and reach for the archery tools I had at my back but he came after me and swung his sword towards me again. He was able to cut the rope that keeps the archery tools attached to my body. Now, the only thing I had left was the gun. He ran after me ready to claim his success, but I was quick to get the pistol and point it at him. "Oh, our almighty fox!" he said as he raised his hands upward holding the sword, now in a horizontal way, holding it from end to end through his hands as if he lost his mind. As if he accepted his defeat over me yet happy over it. He was smiling, then he added, "Let us all rest. Come to me thy bounty, power and strength. Claim our prayer of rest and peace." He looked at me again then tried to position his sword back but before he could swing the sword towards me, I shot him with the pistol. I finished all the bullets in his chest while his blood splashed on me.

I stared blank for a minute but then came a clap coming from a person walking towards my direction. Aram came before I could stand on my feet trying to move away from that disgusting old man. "Well, done," said he while smiling and clapping his hands. Then, came the other villagers. I stood and tried to remove the blood on my face and clothes with confusion and before I could speak, I saw the rest of the villagers coming in towards the room with candles in their hands and a smile, filling all over the room's space. Much horror crept into me when I saw Frolly and Lucas come out from the villagers and came to me on bended knees with their palms put close together like they were praying to me. I wanted to understand what was happening. I wanted to ask what was happening or how Lucas and Frolly are able to get through things but no words came out of my mouth. They continued to kneel, as if both of them were worshipping me, and while they continued this, not a single word came out from them. I looked at them, seeming to be lifeless yet moving. It felt like I had been standing there for quite a long time since they all came, like I was stuck. The blood of the old man chained me in this place, in this tribe. "My darling Samantha, you've made your two friends rise again from death. You are really my blessing. The promise of the almighty fox. I am actually the fox in the village. Your future husband. Welcome to Amara, your new home." Aram spoke in a gentle voice while smiling and putting his arms around me as the other villagers stared. I tried to run, but as if my foot were glued to the floor by the old man's blood. "I know. I'm such a sly."