We have been running for more than 2 hours now and the gun shots have died down, the rustling bushes have thickened into a howling forest.
Slight chills from the gloomy darkness battered me making my eye lids twitch every now and then in fearful expectations, Dave was breathing heavily with his mouth open like a dog but he was still running though slowly this time.
Ebuka and the driver were a few steps ahead of Dave and i there too had hands resting heavily on their head but the legs had to keep moving.
The cold air thicken, stench of trees filled the air and untold cries of the owl pierced through the night.
"Make una stop here make we rest here" The driver turned peering his eyes back into the forest, he still had that normal look like we were in Miss Lola's lounge right now.
I dropped my whole weight on the ground, my legs ached hard and my shoulders threatened to ripped off my body.
the twigs and roots on the ground poked through my body making me very uncomfortable. I slipped the back pack off my shoulder appreciating the relieve of the weight off my shoulder with a sigh.
"You carry the consignment run? " the driver yelled in surprise grabbing the bag and throwing a ghostly look both at me and the black bag that blended into the night.
"At least this mission won't be a total fail" Ebuka chipped in seating down beside the driver who still clutched the bag like a baby.
"what do you mean total fail Ebuka, are we even going to get out of it alive?" i blurted out getting worked up over how calm ebuka seemed in our situation.
"Of course sky we will" he replied still with that confidence i hated.
A snap of a dried tree branch sent all of sprawling like pinched babies scampering mindlessly to get up and continue the run.
"Make una seat down abeg, na bush rat e just pass now" the driver said seating back down from his Standing-seating position.
"am hungry" Dave sang in just as we all struggled to regain our shaken wits from the scare.
"Guy you never serious na hunger be your problem now when this situation is hopeless" i threw at the black figure in the darkness serving as Dave only from the sound of his voice.
"sky you are still alive thank God for that first" He replied in a cold tone.
"What about the bald man?" i blew out to no one in particular, the shaky tune of my voice was un-concealable and my eyes hurt bad.
"Them kill am na" The driver blurted out.
"Haaa Jesus, am dead!!!" I cried out trying to hold back actual cry building deep within my chest.
Ebuka lay down flat on his back hissing slightly, the driver followed suit letting off a heavy grunt as he rustled dried leafs on the ground while he lay down.
"I am very hungry o" Dave came again throwing out an even more obvious hiss.
"All of us deh H so shut up make person here word" the drivers voice rose is a hushy blur, he paused and sighed and continued "make we deh here tomorrow morning we go find way comot thus bush and find food chop"
Dave replied with a hiss and made to lie down ..
The driver offered to be on the look out while we slept. i couldn't sleep. every whisper of wind sounded like a bang in my ears, every dance of trees was like a huge squad of police men closing in on me.
"what will papa and mama think if they find out?" i tasked my mind still trying to hold back tears.
warm stream of tears slid down the corner of my eyes into the dry ground, i sniffed hard trying to hold them back and appear to be as indifferent as the others.
"Sky welcome back" Princess' voice whispered into my ears as i rolled into the school with my bag, the air was fresher and McGonals structures were newer.
Just as i strolled into Hall-B dave and Ebuka were seating right on Ebuka's bed playing whot.
"Ebuka, Dave, when did you guys arrive here how did you escape?" I asked still can't even place how i myself escaped.
"Escaped from where?" Ebuka asked in a surprised tone.
"From the forest" i replied without wasting time…
"Sky go and rest, i don't know what you are talking about" He said and took his gaze back to the whot he was playing.
I mopped at both of them lost at what exactly is happening here, how can they seem so relaxed and not only that they don't even seem to remember but we were trapped in a thick dark forest with dozens of armed police men chasing to kill us just a few hours back.
I shrugged and moved on towards my seat the bag in my hand getting heavier by the minute. I slumped on my bed looking out into the hall, every one seemed busy doing one thing or the other and nobody seemed to even notice me.
I grabbed the bag i came back with, slowly unzipped it and opened it. white package substances stared back and me pricking the very depth of my soul like a sharp uncalled shock.
I threw the bag down on the bed like i was just stung by a scorpion on it mopping at it like it was a bag of unwanted evil.
"Johng, what are you doing with your bag?"
That was mama, how did mama get here. i opened my eyes and i was seated right in our sitting room on papa's usual couch.
"Nothing mama"
I was looking around the house trying to find out what brought me here, how i got here and what exactly is happening to me.
Ugo looked gloomy and the pale taint of his face was haunting, Miracle was curled up on mama's chest sniffing soft sobs .
"Where is papa?" I yelled frantically looking from mama to ugo a tingly sensation of anxiety and abject fear gripping me mercilessly.
Papa walked in looking scared and disappointed, his looks crushed the very fabrics of my soul.
"Nwam what happened?" He asked letting his hand roll freely in the air making to touch my head.
"Nothing papa"
"Nwam why did you do it?" He asked again coldly, chilly feels of a melancholy nemesis surged from his voice.
"Am sorry papa" I said looking down at my foot..
"Nwam wake up, wake up right now" Papa's voice rang like a tolling bell echoing deep into my mind slowly and slightly tuning into a different tone.
"Sky wake up, wake up!!!" I could make out an anxious fearful voice calling me yanking on my arms hard.
The tree roots that poked on my back were registering back, the mucky smell and that of dry leafs filled my nostrils.
the picture was blurry but an ash-fainty environment filled the twilight-like sky.
I slowly regained my wits in response to Dave's calling and yanking. I was dreaming …
"Sky get up its morning" Dave said again tapping my back to get the remaining trace of sleepiness off my eyes.
"Dave i was dreaming about school and then papa and mama" i said immediately rubbing my eyes as the present situation began to register fully back into my mind.
The trees stared back at me and bone breaking cold slapped hard on me..
"Sky we have no time, the driver said he noticed the forest rustling not too far from here meaning the police men are not far behind" Ebuka blurted out as he and Dave pulled me off the ground.
My mouth was bitter, my head was hurting badly and the stinging pain below my eyes had intensified, i was badly hungry and my legs threatened to cave in below me.
The bush behind began to rustle and the dried leafs complimented the rustling bush, we turned sharply as we saw the driver running towards us yelling.
"They are coming!!"
there was no other call for run as we all broke into an frantic run deeper into the forest, the gun shots had resumed resounding randomly at us.
I had my hands clutched around my head in a bid to protect my head from thd gun shot..
"Jesus!!" Came a shrieking voice right behind me..
I turned immediately and the driver was sprawling on the floor with bloody stains all over groaning in pains trying to gasp in breathe.
"Ebus, driver has been shot oo" I yelled out rushing back towards him trying to drag him up which he groaned hard and fell back down, me along with him. My body was stained in blood and he stopped moving.
"Bros! Bros abeg na open eyes" I pleaded at the immobile body yanking at it hard.
Ebuka ran back towards us where i was still kneeling in besidr the driver begging him in tears to wake up. He grabbed the back pack from the drivers hands and the peeled me up in one forceful attempt.
"Sky lets get out of here, he is dead unless you want to join him" He prayed into me delving back into the thickness of the forest, i could make out the sun creeping out through the hazy morning..
I ran alongside ebuka looking back at the lifeless body that withdrew into the distance as we ran further away.