Sun Stealer. Hidden Anomaly. (5 page)

             
My two dark demons were walking right beside me. They were now my companion, my protection, my salvation. It was the embracement that released me. The embracement that set me free. I knew they were strong enough to climb the valley’s walls. I just did not believe, they were my ride out. All I had to do was overcome my fears, confront what scared me the most and see what was really in front of me. And then, just embrace it. embrace the good and the bad. The hurt and the healing. Now, that I have embraced them, they have become part of me. A part, I was never letting go.

              “Stop it! You are hurting me!” the little voice cried.

I
looked around, trying to understand where it came from.

             
“Stop it!” I rushed my steps, following the little voice. It came from behind the trees, where the grass was tall enough to hide what was happening. I moved the grass with my hands and found where the voice came from.

             
It was a little wild girl harassed by two wild men. I grabbed the little girl with my hands and took her away.

             
“You know your way home?” I asked her quietly. The girl looked straight into my eyes and nodded.

             
“Run that way and never look back” I whispered in her ear.

             
The girl ran fast down the road, as I kept looking her way. Both men got up from the ground and walked toward me. I could feel their eyes on my back, just like the blind mouse could feel any obstacle on it’s way.

             
“Sweet girl… we’ve never seen you before …who are you?” asked one of them, while the other one was scanning my body with his eyes.

             
“I am lost.” I answered and kept looking forward.

             
“lost…?” They started laughing. “Well, we just found you, so it must be your lucky day… and ours…” they kept moving closer and closer to me, like an animal following it’s prey.

             
“Where are you from?” the second man asked.

             
“Hell”. I whispered and stabbed one of my sharp stones into his throat. The blood kept flowing like a giant water fall, as I kept looking straight into his eyes. Finally, he fell to my feet, stealing his last breath. I did not notice what happened to the second man. I guess, the sight of his friend becoming a prey, was unbearable for him. But not for me. I was no longer a victim, no longer a prey. No longer a civilized one. I was the hunter. I was the wild one. I was the stealer. The sun stealer.

             
At that moment, as I was standing next to the dead wild one, my hand covered with blood, my two demons staring proudly at their new trophy, I felt something coming close to me. I felt this vibe before. I looked up and saw a big owl flying straight at me, lying on my shoulder. I looked into his big yellow eyes and knew: these were the yellow, small circles of light, I used to see every night on top of Didam Valley’s walls. Those far away eyes were now breath away. We kept looking into each other eyes and only one thought came into my mind:

             
‘Humans… They just don’t understand.’

              The road to the wild zone was long and exhausting. We were walking on a bare soil and the sun, I was so yearning to feel again, started to burn my exposed skin and turned into a constant drag. My demons were exhausted and thirsty. I had to find a water source for them or at least a shady place for them to rest.

              “They look tired” said the familiar voice “You better water them soon before they will dry!”

             
I turned my head and there he was. He was no longer the bleeding boy from the top of Didam Valley. He was a young man, well built, as a real wild one should be. His long black hair was blowing in the wind. I could see his skin was traditionally marked. I could understand all symbols. I could see they were trying to cover not only his exposed bruises but his hidden pain.             

             
“We are heading to the wild zone, I believe there is a lake of sweet water over there” I said.

             
“I am heading the same way” he said with a big smile, I could see he did not recognize me, as the little civilized girl with the white tiger. I was now a dark wild woman, with two dark demons by her side.

             
“Where are you coming from?” he asked, handing me the opening shot to my cover story.

             
“Bira Amikta” I said and kept walking ahead of him.

             
“Bira Amikta?” he asked and stopped for a moment “I thought that village was completely destroyed. Nobody survived the last bloody battle against the civilized zone.”

             
“Well… somebody did” I said and turned to him. “I need a place for me and my cats, just to gather some strength before we move on our way.”

             
He came close to me and lifted his hand toward his chest, where his heart was.

             
“The wild zone is your home now. The wild ones are your family. It would be our honor to accommodate the last survival of Bira Amikta’s village. Stay as much as you need.” he said with a soft voice, trying to express sympathy for my loss.

             
“I believe you had a family…”

             
“There are all gone” I cut him off and turned our way.

             
“I am sorry to hear that…” he rushed after me “I am kujo” he introduced himself, hoping I would do the same. But I didn’t. Not until we got to the wild zone.

              We arrived at the wild zone, when the ground was slightly kissed by the sun. There was still enough light to see, what I could only imagine as the wild zone.

             
I remembered my father used to talk about, burned ground, dark bleeding people and demons cats. The resemblance between the least, I managed to see and my father’s stories was remarkable.

             
There were not enough trees on the ground, just large areas of bare soil. There was a small lake at the north part of the zone. Sapron and Narnegi  did not wait for my sign and ran fast to water their thirst. On every corner, I could see a little fire, the wild ones lighted in order to make themselves warm, when the sun would leave for the night.

             
I saw wild women, half naked. I saw barefoot children walking around freely, dancing their childhood to it’s fully. And I saw demons, thousands of wild dark cats.

             
The center of the wild zone was named ’Shab Square‘. That was where all the wild leaders sat together every night around a big fire. When kujo and I arrived, they were getting ready to their traditional gathering.

             
“I brought a guest” kujo shouted and made all wild men at Shab Square look at me. They were all tall, built, dark skin men. But all the darkness in the world could not cover their cuts and bruises. They did not live in peace with their demons. I had a feeling they did not met anyone new, outside their zone, for a very long time.

             
“A guest …?” asked the deep voice.

I
could not see who was speaking until everybody moved to the sides, making a way for him, to walk right at me.

             
“And who is your guest…?” he asked while his eyes glided along my entire body.

             
“I met her on my way back, she is from Bira Amikta, the only survival!” kujo said with pride.

             
The big wild one, did not take his eyes off me, as kujo kept talking and telling everybody, what he knew about the last battle over my village.

             
“Does your guest have a name?” the big man asked.

             
“Everybody has a name…” kujo answered with a slight of embarrassment, since he did not know mine.

             
“It’s Almas” I said with a sharp voice “The name is Almas”. That was my new name.

             
“Almas…What a beautiful name” said the big wild man “but not as beautiful as it’s owner.”

             
Everybody laughed, and I sensed kujo was a little uneasy.

             
“Almas” kujo said “Meet our leader, Dark beast” he pointed the big wild one.

             
“It is so nice of you to let me and my cats stay at your zone” I said to the dark beast.

             
“I never said you can stay here” he answered and kept looking into my eyes with an evil smile. He kept chewing something in his mouth while speaking to me. Chewing and spiting as a sign of disrespect. He was about twice my size. Bald head, dark beard and big dark eyes. His dark body was huge and well built. It was traditionally marked, just like kujo’s and every other wild man’s bodies. But his symbols were different, I could not understand all of them. They covered his big wide chest, his big arms, his back, all the way down to his waste line and into his hidden low area, like a never ending story. I could not help but stare at his symbols.

             
“See something you like…?” he asked and looked around to get a reaction from his crowed.

             
“I am sorry” I said “but I understood from kujo, I could stay here for a while.”

             
“You can stay, Almas” Kujo hurried to answer, when the dark beast suddenly raised his right arm and made everybody leave the place, including kujo.

             
Dark beast waited until everybody left and then looked at me for a moment. I stood still and did not move. I had no fear in my heart and kept looking straight into his eyes. I could see that made him angry. The next moment, he grabbed my waste and lifted me up with his big arm, till our eyes met and were at the same line. It was the first time I ever felt a man’s body this close to my own. First time, a male chest was so close to mine, I could feel his heart beat like it was beating inside of me. I could see that moment affected him yet, he tried so hard to be tough.

             
“Do you really think, I would believe a woman with yellow eyes like yours, to be a wild one?” he whispered in my ear.

             
I could not blame him, all wild ones had dark eyes, why would he believe me. The intensity of his hold and his will to dominate me, did not prevent me from noticing a young woman looking at us. she stood behind us and had the same bright eyes like mine. she held a little baby in her arms.  Dark beast noticed something drew my attention and looked back.

             
“Oh, I see you noticed Daria” he said and released me from his hold.

             
“That is right. Daria has bright eyes. But she is not a wild one. Not a complete wild one.” I could see his words had hurt that young girl’s feelings, as she kept her head down and said nothing.

             
“You see Almas…” he kept explaining with a cruel smile “Daria’s mother was a very friendly wild woman. Too friendly, if you ask me. Especially to the civilized ones. That is how Daria came into this world. I decided to let her stay here with us. As a good gesture… where else could she go…?” he asked with a mean voice, passing his hand through her long hair. We kept looking at each other. Daria and I. her eyes where like an open book, telling it’s story of pain and loneliness.

             
“So that makes her half wild. What does it say about you?” He asked.

             
“I know exactly who I am!” my firm answer angered the wild leader. he opened his big eyes, froze at his place and…

              A sudden call was heard. I was saved. That was the wild call, Sia taught me at the valley. It was a sign from The wild women to the wild men and children to gather around the fire. Food was ready and so was I.

             
As we were eating, I noticed the girls were passing a coconut shell between them. Every girl took one sip of the liquid and passed it on to next one. My turn arrived:

             
“What is it?” I asked

             
“A drink from your leader.” they answered.

             
“I am not thirsty” I said and made all the girls laugh. They laughed so hard, they made the wild men, who sat apart from us, look to our direction.

             
“What is it?” the dark beast asked.

             
“She refuses to drink the potion” said one of the girls.

Daria
came close to my ear and whispered:

             
“Drink it… drink it now…”

The
dark beast got up from his place and walked towards me. Kujo rushed after him.

             
“So you do not wish to drink it… why is that?” he asked.