Stowed Away

Chapter Nine

The events of morning passed by in a blur. The usual dropping of the food outside the doors, bath time, Arena time and socialising, which was the depressing part of the morning. All the abductors were made to sit together on the cold floor and socialise, as though they could think of anything more than what they were going to do. Maybe it was a way to get them to think, to get their brains working for what was to come. Whatever it was ticked Eno off so greatly that one of her most recurring fantasies was sitting one of the abductors and hitting repeatedly with a rock. After the Arena time, they had all gotten into their van and zoomed off. Eno suspected the whole place was still crawling with security. She couldn't see any. It was just a feeling. A strong one that oftentimes sent the hair standing in a path along her back.

"Hey, Eno," Pauline said, her lips curling in a smile. A smile Eno didn't think was appropriate for something like this. "I should go in now."

They had been sitting on the rocks overlooking the forest for about an hour now. The past hour was spent on Eno trying to convince Pauline and shake the idea out of her head. "Do you still want to go, though? We could spend the day staring over the rocks, and go back inside feeling as though we tried."

Thinking was trying. And Eno had done enough of it over the night, that she might as well have gone ahead with the task instead of Pauline and be done with it already.

Pauline's hand lingered over Eno's for two heartbeats. "Eno, I'll just pop in and be right out. I promise."

Eno watched her go. Down the rough, rocky path to the forest. Her frame became smaller and smaller as she went farther down the path and into the forest. The white overall with the number "eight" inscribed on it blurred out entirely when she walked right into the forest. The dark, imposing figures of the trees and the shadows they made left an impression that she was swallowed by the forest on Eno.

She dragged her knees up to her chest as she waited. Unsure of what to do now that Pauline was gone, she turned inward and tried to make sense of where she was and who she was at the moment. The lines were blurry in the past, and right now, they still did not make any sense. She did not know who she was anymore, that girl that longed for something to hold was lost somewhere in the chase for a meaningful life. She tried counting, but got lost in her thoughts around the number ten. She lost interest when it dawned on her that it was similar to counting down to her own death. With the way things were going, anything could happen.

A rustle in the small bush close to where she was sitting, pulled her back out of her thoughts and back on the rocks, to the wind slapping her locs out of her face.

A child, who couldn't be aged above nine years, walked right out of the bush. Her afro was matted, and twigs peeked from them. She had on her a pink and white dress, that looked like it was pulled out of a dump. For a while, Eno was certain she was having a vision or seeing an apparition. It wouldn't have been a surprise if the mansions was a meetingplace for ghouls. In fact, it would be very reasonable.

"Hi," the girl spoke up first. Or it. Eno didn't think one could judge what an apparition was until it revealed what it was.

When "it" inched closer, Eno was sure her soul was somewhere in the heavens. During her soul's trajectory, it wrenched a scream from a mouth that sounded like it didn't belong in her throat or her body.

The girl tried to calm her down, pressing her hands down, as if pumping or putting pressure on the earth. "I'm one of the abductees too," she appeared to be saying. Eno wasn't sure anymore. "I was abducted a few weeks before you were abducted. I escaped from the van."

Eno finally calmed down and let the words wash over her consciousness. "You were abducted?"

The girl inched closer, and Eno let her this time. Not without shifting back herself. "Yes, I was abducted," the girl said. "I escaped from the hostels and have lived here since then."

Eno was still sceptical. There were loose ends to the thread of stories she was spinning. Was she crouching in the bush while she talked to Pauline? How did she survive the forest all by herself? Was this some kind of trap?

How did you survive? Eno wanted to ask. Maybe something not quite, but similar to it. Something that didn't sound like she was expecting her to have died in the forest by now. "How have you been surviving?" she asked instead.

"I've lived off leaves and fruits that looked like food for a while now. " She added, chuckling embarrassedly. "Well, and the bins. I sometimes get fresh food."

The conservation came to an abrupt stop when footsteps clicked closer. Someone was walking towards them, and was not being loud about it. Either the person just had a habit of dragging their feet or their shoes were filled with rocks, and it made their steps drag after them. There was someone approaching. The girl disappeared into the bush as quickly as she came out of it, leaving the bush rustling behind her.

The mystery person was Bade from the Arena. He tilted to the side when his eyes landed on Eno. "What are you doing here all by yourself? And did I hear you speaking to someone? I'm pretty sure I held two people talking"

Eno wasn't sure if she should let him know about the girl. He looked like someone she could trust. There was a softness to him that made her think he was the type that would listen to one's stories and offer them a cup of beverage.

She pointed at the forest. "My sister is in there. And you were right, I was talking to someone. Some girl popped out of the bush and said she was abducted. I probably sound crazy -"

Bade cut in sharply. "I'm sorry, what? Your sister is where?"

The anxiety and fear she had at the back of her mind somewhere rose to her throat in her rush. They came back, like they were looking for an opportunity like this to rear their head. Her stomach twisted in fear, and she felt the red-hot burn of tears tickling the back of her throat. Damn him. "I don't know what I was thinking. Hell."

He cleared his throat in unease, probably realising that he had opened a door he wasn't ready to step into. His hand hung in the hair for a while, before he dropped it. Eno wished he had touched her. She needed that touch.

"Um, " he started to say. "She'll come back."

"She had better."

She turned to look at him. He had locs like she did. Only his was shorter and dyed brown at the end. They fall to the side of his head, moulding his face, as though they were always part of his face. She tried to imagine him without the locs, but couldn't.

"Why are you out here?" she asked.

"I just came out because I could. You know how they aren't here and all of that. I figured I could take a walk, clear my head and see if there's getting out of this s**t hole. "

He turned to look at her. Stunned to see her already staring, he laughed nervously. "Do you want to go inside now? They'll be back soon."

The anxiety came back in a rush again. "No, I'm waiting."

"I'll wait with you."

They sat in silence. With Eno wondering what was going through his mind, and who he was. She had several speculations. Speculations which she would love to discuss with Pauline when she comes back. Men with locs were known to be a little daring in the dating world. She wouldn't know, she hadn't dated any guy with dreads. She also wondered if she had tattoos under the sweatshirt and what they were if he did.

A scream tore into her thoughts and through the forest. She jumped to her feet, ready to risk everything and dash into the forest. Bade held her back. He tried to get her attention by saying "Hey" over and over again and snapping his fingers. When that didn't work, he shook her by the shoulders. "Hey, look at me. Eno, you can't go in there."

"What do you mean I can't go in there? Somebody just f*****g screamed."

She tried again to slip out of his hold, and was pulled back. "Eno, Eno. Listen, it's too dangerous. The abductors, they will be back soon and it is late. Look, it's dark already."

"Leave me alone, or I swear by God and every being that joined hands together to bring me to life that I will end you. My sister is there, I have to go. I can't go back inside when she's out there."

He steadied her by her shoulders. "Breathe, Eno. Take deep breaths. Your sister will be back, okay? We have to go back inside. What if someone did happen, Eno, what can you do about it? Go get yourself into whatever it is?"

She took deep breaths as instructed. One, two… She got impatient at the third count, and shrugged his hands off her shoulders. It was restricting the urge she had to pace back and forth "Okay, okay. I won't go in there. Can I at least tell the abductors?"

"Tell the abductors, Eno?"

"I don't know, I don't know."

They walked back to the mansion. Eno knew she could turn around and make for the forest now, but she walked on instead. Everything would be fine. Maybe?

The abductors arrived in their van immediately after Eno and Bade entered the mansion. Although there was a small part of Eno that was appreciative of the efforts the man put into getting the building before the abductors, there was a larger part that was angry at him for the efforts he put into dissuading her from going into the forest. Pauline was in danger, she could feel it. That large part turned back when she got to her door. She had just waved Bade goodnight and was just about to turn the doorknob, when she retraced her steps back outside.

One of the abductors was standing guard in front of the mansion, a lit cigarette in his hand. He cursed under his breath when he saw Eno standing in the doorway. It was something Eno made out as "Mother of God."

"Go back inside," he thundered. He rose to his feet, and aimed the gun right at her. "Inside," he repeated.

"Please, my sister is out there,"she said. "Help me find her, please."

The man lowered his gun and hissed. "You really think I would go find your sister? What did we tell you about roaming around? Just go back inside."

Eno returned to her bed with her heart heavy in her chest. The moon was hanging low in the sky now, like a fruit ripe and due for picking. She wondered where Pauline was, and if by anyway, she was safe and could see the same moon as she did.