Both returned home. With a grievous expression, lost in their thoughts. In front of their door, Keith opened the dialogue, asking.
"Could father have protected us?"
"Yes, but he has already done 'that' to me. Same as the hunter. He was... possessive."
His mother was staring in the middle of the air, then on another precise point, as if she was remembering past events. She unconsciously patted her belly.
"Why is he gone then?"
"He decided to abandon us. He went to the great city, Varanasi. It's a very ancient one, and it's a thousand times bigger than Seoni." Replied his mother.
'Is this even possible? A city can't be this huge. If I ever try to find him, It will be a hard task. I want to understand him.' He thought.
They sat in their living room. They both stank sweat. They waited for the village chief to come in silence.
The chief was a good man, he inherited the title from his father who educated him to take care of his village. Harkening his villagers, from complaints to hearsay. He could even manage trade or be called to settle conflicts.
The stair's steps creaked and they heard someone knocking on the wooden door.
"Come in, Leton." Said Raima
The man pushed the door. He had to lower his head to enter without bumping his head. He had a tanned skin and thick arms. Muscles could be easily discerned all over his top body. He worn simple white clothes and a tight red turban that would make any perfectionist dream. His beard was completely shaved and he gave off a smell of fresh tea leaves. He looked noble.
The second he entered, he laid his eyes on Raima, and even when closing the door, he did not blink.
"What happened? I was deeply concerned by your disappearance, and his as well."
Raima told Keith to go in the bedroom and sleep. He went in the next room and sat on the mattress. It was still humid.
'I'll listen to their conversation, I don't feel sleepy. I'm so hungry I could eat a bull.'
He put his ear to the wall. Being very thin, it was easy to distinguish words.
Leton sat next to her, Raima took a deep breath and explained.
"Yesterday morning, as planned, we went to Seoni, fetching some water. Past noon, a stranger came out of the forest. He was tall, very tall. He had long hair and looked more like an hermit than the hunter he pretended to be. He proposed to accompany us, and help carry the heavy wheelbarrow."
Her eyes were filled with tears, soon dripping on her cheeks.
"I had doubts, but I was exhausted from the first trip. So I accepted his help. He said he had business downhill and had a bunch of animals to hunt. He told Keith a few stories as we went deeper in the forest. He knocked my son down and attacked me. I got raped, I fainted quickly. Keith woke me up later, at night time we slept on the spot and came back this morning."
Leton was flabbergasted. His eyebrows climbed halfway of his forehead.
"Are you injured?"
He asked. Raima stared down.
"The baby I was carrying for you died."
Leton hid his face behind his hands, breathing loudly. He lifted his head and asked with a serious look and asked.
"Would you accept again, for the same reward?"
"I would, but not before a few nights."
"I understand. How old was it?"
She thought for a few seconds before answering.
"Maybe four moons. But it wasn't big. Maybe you could give us more food to nurture it better. The... The hunter spilled our water and took away the food. We have not much left here. Could you bring us something soon?"
"Surely. I already brought you this."
The chief opened his leather bag and took out a big sack with rice, nuts, and dried fruits in it.
"What happened is awful, but I'm glad you came back. I'll talk about this to my second. I don't think we will end up with a manhunt."
"I would prefer this to remain discreet. I don't want my shame to spread through the villagers."
They had a long talk. Trivial matters for most. Keith was bored behind his wall, he saw something crawling in front of his face and he slammed it hard.
The two in the other couldn't miss the loud bang. With a rough tone, his mother said.
"Sleep already! We're not talking this loud! If you are not happy, sleep outside."
And they continued to speak.
Keith hadn't moved, he was surprised by his own reflex. He smashed something. His hand was moist and there was a sticky sensation around his pinkie. Moving away his hand, he saw a small thing moving, it fell on the floor and picked it up.
'A tail? Did I just kill a lizard?' He thought. At the same moment, his stomach grumbled, and he mechanically put the tail in his mouth, he chewed it. Then he licked his hand as if he was in a trance.
And he snapped out of it. He blinked a few times. Shaking a little.
'There is something totally wrong going on right now.'
He felt a cold sensation on his shoulder and turned around. He saw it. He felt relieved. 'I see, that's all a dream! Thank the gods!'
Next room, they had finished talking, Keith wasn't even listening any more. Leton nodded to Raima. He got up slowly and exited the house. The woman heaved a sigh and began tiding up the room after her guest's departure.
Keith spoke with his, which had just appeared.
"Welcome back, you. I wanted to give you a name, I had chosen 'Ow' first, because you're kind of a shady shadow. But then I thought! You are big! So you are a grown up. Also I haven't seen you in plain light, I don't see you often. I'll designate you as Mister Show from now on, how is it? Do you like it?"
The shadow approached. It neared the wall with the lizard's stain. The thing's head split open vertically, white tooth emerged from the inside, multiples rows of it. And on the middle, a long and pointy tongue. It licked the wall languidly, as two dull sports appeared on his head, looking ad Keith. He was disgusted and quivering, terrorised.
"You're not sleeping? You should be in your bed."
His mother's words made him jump. He panicky looked at her.
"I.. I was ...!"
He turned around, there was no Mister Show, nor stain on the wall. Keith's thinking spun more and more.
"I think my head is sick. Since Ned attacked us."
"Stop calling him that, maybe that's fake, he don't deserve to remain named after what he did to your dear mother. What are your symptoms?"
She didn't express an inch of worry as she spoke. Just anger, always anger. Keith eyes were teary.
"I see very bad things around me, I cannot explain them, they don't even look real. The man in the forest, I think he did the same thing to you and me, because I woke up naked too."
She gasped. The upper part of her ribcage sank at the same time. Her facial features distorted. She was shocked for real. She calmed quickly and said.
"There's nothing we can do. Because we are weaklings. We can only rely on the village chief. I asked him to defend us."
She cried. Hugged her son tightly.
"You don't have to worry from now on okay? It'll be alright. Let's sleep. I'll be with you tonight, and the night after too."
Keith hugged her back. His eyes were still searching for Mister Show, but he was nowhere to be seen. He felt an uncomfortable sting in his gums. After digging a bit with his tongue, he spat with a long flow of drool, a tiny shard, a bone shard from the gecko. His grip tightened.
'That's not real. That's not real. Mother is protecting me from him. Mother is protecting me from them.'