Fireflies in the Dark Continent. Chapter 16

feekayo (58)in #novel • 9 years ago

Chapter 16

I woke up feeling sick. Everywhere smelt of smoke and rotting flesh. My mouth tasted like soil. I spat repeatedly trying to clear the dreadful taste. I felt woozy as I stood up.

The horizon was black with smoke. The whole area was eerie silent except for the occasional crackling of smoldering embers.

My whole stomach hurt; for two reasons; I was famished and my abdomen still hurt from the burns I had suffered the previous night.

My grandfather’s mansion was now barely recognizable. Its grandeur lost forever. Looking around, with my head still buzzing I saw puddles of blood everywhere and the faces of men, women and children who were now ghosts.

I headed back to the metal door at the entrance to the house; I was much more careful this time. I carefully fondled with the handle to make sure it was not hot; it was lukewarm, I squeezed it but the door would not budge.

I was very emotional and frustrated; tears flooded my eyes. Out of frustration I kicked the door feebly with all the strength I could muster. Surprisingly, I heard a crack followed by a squeal as the mighty door started falling straight toward me.

The fire had greatly weakened the door’s hinges I felt my heart skip a beat. I had to think very fast and move in fractions of a second. The door stood at the height of one and a half men. I couldn’t cover the distance in such limited time. I promptly jumped sideways as the door crashed straight on my previous position.

The mansion looked nothing like in it did in its heyday. Everything had been laid bare and burnt to the ground. On a positive note the place smelt only of wood and stone not of burnt flesh. At least I knew no one died in the house.

I spent a long time wandering from room to room. The girdles that recently held the roof were creaking and buckling quite fast and it soon started raining wood. It was not safe in there

I wandered around the city for hours and the only living thing I found was a rooster drinking from a pool of blood. I had almost given up when I heard a lone pipe playing from somewhere up north. I didn’t have the strength to run, so I walked at a steady pace toward the sound.

My stomach turned and churned due to hunger and the acrid smell in the air. The whole area was stacked with dead bodies in all directions as far as the eyes could see, it had been a bloodbath. I believe it was because the armies wore no distinct uniform and thereby couldn’t distinctly identify enemy ranks.

From where the sound played, I found no jubilant victorious army; only a few dozen men covered in blood, looking sullen and downtrodden. They didn’t even notice me walk amidst them. They were scattered around all face down except for the piper.

I walked toward the piper; he sat alone on the rubble of a broken wall at the corner. I remember feeling my heart skip a beat when I realized that I had never seen his face before, I scanned around and didn’t see a single familiar face. I don’t want to brag, but I had at least a vague knowledge the face of everyone Oride (it was not a very big town). It was too late for me; I had walked right into their midst.