I continued to blink, jittering; I shrink into my fears as the lights went out. For a moment I realized this was no such thing as a dream or a fairy tale as they say will be over in a moment like an illusion common to men. Soon the noise became intense and my heart beats appeared more pronounced as I gazed upon the dark-framed image approaching my right corner.
It occurs to me I was never going to make it out of here unless I take the left passage leading straight to Pasto from Quito. Within half a second of decision, my feet moved swiftly towards the bright light before me with no less than a thousand promptings in myself to realize I was being tailed by that old aged white haired killer who will stop at nothing to see us all wiped out.
Making a dash and smash between the ground to my feet, I ran in a zigzag manner as quickly as possible. All the while I kept thinking about Sam and wished he had listened to me. I had nothing left in my pocket: no money, no card, and no cell phone. By the time I approached the western gate, everything became clear as crystal to me, I was beginning to obey the voice of Hannah our very good friend; nevertheless, it seems I lost sight of Miller as they call him.
The moment I was secure amidst day lights beam and darkness gloom, here was another giant to conquer and I have no choice than to make a u-turn back to where I started or decide to perish for lack of water.
It’s been three days since we saw daylight and since we had anything to eat or drink; we were as good as dead, but death turned out to be more closer when they started picking us at random one after another to an unknown location.
As I pondered upon my watch, the protector before me shook three consecutive times and to my greatest surprise, Hannah was before me trying to get the right key to the padlock.
“Shit Hannah, you… how did you?”
“Don’t make this anymore difficult for me now; shut the fuck up until I get you to safety alright!”
In no time, the gate swung open and she left me no choice than run after her coupled with the fact that Miller’s footsteps were gaining on us but his image was not yet in sight.
Hannah pulled a great stunt to have found me and I wondered how she go to know our way about. I pondered moving in a hurry to get into the van parked in front of us getting ready to move out the minute we were in.
“Shit Hannah Sam is gone, I mean he is dead, it’s all my fault!”
“What part of be quiet do you not understand?”
The vehicle zoomed off like a bullet and frankly there was no sight of Miller or any so called guard within the area.
As we drove off, the dust rose like one carried by a whirl wind of any desert and the Sun as well shone in full strength as though smiling because his beloved has been rescued from doom.
Sudden silence filled the space within us all, for no one was willing to say a word. Peter suddenly reduced speed limit when we entered the major road leading to Neiva, then turned on the radio for a moment and with an uncontrollable tear, turned it off again.
Everything was as though going back to the usual order of silence when alas a voice broke the tension in the room from behind me.
“He was such a bad ass.”
“Yeah he was Carl, yeah he was!” Peter responded as though his head was beginning to get messed up a little.
“This would have been a good time to smoke it all out mourning him don’t you think Peter?”
Hannah quickly dropped the pistol she’s been holding so firmly to her grip inside the briefcase; slightly turning around slowly, shook her head as she goes. In a remorseful manner she said
“No Carl, I am not letting anyone of you change with the changing situation at hand. I know it’s unbearable to live without him, but not on piles or any form of pain killing mechanism. You are both going to go with the wine instead.”
“But why not smoke?” said Carl as if getting feed-up of good behavior.
“Why not smoke? Because it will kill you slowly, not only will it affect your health, your attitude as well Carl!” Hannah screamed at the expense of her composure and ability to bear anymore word.
“Shit, we use to be good kids back then!” Peter spoke slowly as though waking up from a deep slumber.
“We still are Peter, we still are good people and nothing, I mean, absolutely nothing is going to change that. Got it?”
“But Hannah, Mum left us no choice than to rule the world in blood when she passed on” Carl replied folding his hands and leaning backwards to his seat again after a long while of staying bent full of thought.
As time went by, I kept my cool since I was all to blame and no one seems to be eager to hear my voice. Of what use are my words to broken hearts seeing I am a portion of the cracking rock fragment upon a stone cold glass hearts resulting to cracks and shatters within their hearts?
As I thought consistently on what to do to resolve the tension in the air already, the van stopped with the voice of Peter humming sadly the hymn blessed with goodbye lyrics.
Every one left the vehicle as though in a hurry to get something done at once, leaving me all to my thoughts as I pondered within me the mess I have just done never to deserve their compassionate care. I was reluctant to move for a couple of minutes seeing them all in pain sitting side by side each other on the cyclic bar block with no motion detected on their lips to say for a word.
I summoned courage suddenly within me as though nothing ever happened because I felt by the way, it was screams that followed each time anyone was taken out of the region we were kept back at Quito and nothing essential to note for sure to draw conclusions that they were killed by those who held us captive.
Subsequently, I started getting memories of the events that took place back at Quito after taking at most five cups of water earlier and having my brain chill out a little from the tension and fright. Then I got out of the van too hurriedly and full of enlightenment as if been motivated by the world’s greatest speaker that ever lived.
As I got towards them with boldness and well packaged attitude clothed with much elegance, I discovered they were all humming the same song; however, I showed up as one who would stop at nothing to see salvation come upon the weary.
I know I have got something for my friends and they too immediately grasp the presence of something different about to happen as I came five steps further to meet them.
“Sam is alive! I declared eloquently.