Omomarayeeee." Ayo sang the girls name.
Clenching the sheets,Maraye snapped "Enough!"
Ayo's smile faltered "sorry," pursing her lips she apologized.
Turning away, Maraye closed her eyes shut in frustration. She hated how her voice always sounded harsher than she meant. But softness had been beaten out of her long before she learned how to hide it.
Silence dropped over them again—farmiliar, annoying, heavy.
Ayo's eyes wandered round the room as she thought of ways to make things less awkward. Maraye just stared into the void, but anyone could tell she was deep in her own thoughts with the way she clenched the bedsheets.
'why did I even come here?' Ayo muttered, tugging at her braids in fustration.
"I see your patient is up" Ayo's mother stepped in. She moved the stool closer and touched Maraye's neck who flinched.
"You are no longer burning up, that's a good sign." She murmured.
"Still. You are too lazy to still be alive and breathing" she suddenly said, shocking both girls.
"Uh?" Maraye sat up. The woman's words hit strangely.
The bed was starting to become sore after laying in bed all day, but the woman's words were the real disturbing thing here.
"Listen, I can't tell you much but…" she paused, wondering how to put it, before continuing.
"Whenever you feel the most tired, that's when you should fight hardest, or it will consume you."
she warned not bothering to clarify. Yet watching the girl like a hawk.
Maraye frowned, the words punched straight through her chest. Too farmiliar, too close, like the woman had reached into the dark space itself and pulled something out.
'does she know about it?'
Maraye wondered, she turned towards her wanting to ask questions.
"Do you know about the dark space?" She leaned forward, curious as to how she got there and why she returned back there for the second time.
Her nails dug into the sheets. If this woman knew anything —anything at all, then Maraye wasn't as alone as she feared… or worse. Someone had been watching her all along.
"...It is not my place to tell you." once again the woman seemed to be holding back.
"You do know about it." it hit her like a shock she knew was coming.
"... it's not my place to tell!" Firm, Ayo's mother stood up, not wanting to spend another minute with the curious child.
"Maraye, you'll find answers to all of your questions, but it won't be from me" she turned around to walk out.
Maraye just sat in bed, stumped. More than being hunted, she hated being left in the dark. And most especially, this weird feeling as though something big was coming and she knew it wasn't good…it irked her to no end.
…And the woman knew her name?
Even Ayo squinted, as though she suspected her mother knew the girl's name all along.
Have they met before?
'What dark space were they talking about?' Ayo wondered.
Wiggling gently, Maraye could confirm that her wounds had closed up even though they still hurt. She could move around now, taking in deep breaths the gears in her head started turning.
All of a sudden she heard a sudden cute yet annoying voice.
"your braids…they are rough."
Ayo pointed out.
"Do you want me to fix it? I can braid them for you." She suggested, but the look on Maraye's face told her she had crossed the line. Her smile wobbled.
That was the one thing about Maraye. One glare and her whole chest tightened like she was a child again, bracing for a slap that never came.
"Or maybe not…" she bit her lip, frowning at Maraye's cold glare. "I just thought I could help."
The thought of someone else apart from herself touching her hair made Maraye angry. She had a lot to hide, especially the strange colour of hair strands that laid tucked away amongst the black ones.
The hidden strands shimmered like metal when the light hit them. One wrong touch, and someone would notice what shouldn't exist.
She sighed, her eyes fell on the girl who wouldn't leave the room. She had introduced herself as Ayonna, Maraye remembered the girls name, not because she wanted to but because the young girl before her was the first to have heard Maraye spoke without telling a lie.
'I should have followed mother out' Ayo hissed in regret.
She looked up only to see Maraye staring at her. Her eyes widened. She stumbled backwards, tripping over her own feet—not forgetting the small demonic possession that happened earlier.
Chuckling nervously she cleared her throat for the second time.
Maraye just watched her get flustered and jittery. Before glancing away towards the window.
The sun was starting to rise, ….. it felt uncomfortable, like it was ready to shed light and uncover whatever hid in the dark.
"Keeeere ooo! Keeeere ooo!"
Maraye stilled at the shrieking voice of the town crier.
The call sliced through her thoughts like a blade.
Her breaths, they came in sharp, uneven cuts. The walls suddenly shifted, the air thickening.
Memories she buried clawed their way back up like starving beast.
"Oh the town crier is here!"
'The royal result is out!' Ayo flared up in excitement, storming out like she was about to miss the most important news.
Back in the room, Maraye's head was bent, her expression hidden in the shadows making it hard to read.
The room turned cold. Reality tilted.
Maraye braced herself as though waiting for something.
"A THEIF WALKS AMONG US!!!" the call sliced through her thoughts like blade.
Her ribs lit up with phantom pain —the same place the blade had kissed her the night everything changed.
She panicked, her eyes darting left and right hastily.
With trembling legs Maraye took one painful step forward.
Her vision blurred. She struggled to stand, hands shaking
'This can't be happening again' she grabbed her pounding head as if to push the pain back down. Darkness started closing in on her. It felt too familiar, yet so estranged.
Her shaking legs gave out and she crouched over to the darkest corner of the room.
The fear and loneliness felt like stone stuck in her throat, she swallowed hoping it would go away.
A ray of light caught her attention, and Maraye glanced towards it.
And just like that very day, she saw it again. The same shape, the same angle, the same promises of freedom that had betrayed her once before.
A window…
***
Outside the small physician house, Ayo ran happily towards the wooden gate to see the town crier.
Many other neighbours were also outside and gathered, some perched on their balcony to see what news the man had brought.
The town crier after managing to capture the audience finally announced.
"Keeeere ooo! The royal result is out!"
A roar of cheers erupted, drawing more crowd outside.
Everyone began rushing forward to peek at the golden parchment where their results were on display.
There was a lot of pushing and shuffling, but that didn't discourage Ayo. Her small height was a blessing at the moment.
Squeezing herself through the crowd, she immediately began searching for her name. It didn't take long at all, and her expression lit up in joy.
Rushing out of the commotion, Ayo ran towards her mother who stood outside the compound.
"Mama! Mama!..."
Breathless she continued "I passed!" She screamed hugging her mother tightly.
"I knew you would," The older woman smiled, an expression crossing her face, one that seemed like relief.
"And now…you have to pack your bags" she added, her voice gentle as she patted the girl's back.
Turning stiff, realization struck Ayo as she eased out of her mother's embrace.
"Oh!" She muttered.
"Right. I have to…pack" she said, every ounce of happiness leaving her voice.
Her mother just nodded, patting her head as though she hasn't seen her daughter's Change of expression.
Ayo forced a smile, before nodding. Just as she was about to walk into their small mud house…a sharp whistle pierced the neighbourhood.
Ayo stiffened, glancing towards her mother to see a frown. Her mother's jaw flexed, just once —before her face went blank again.
The crowd on the other side of the street too froze, before scattering away in fear.
"The mages are here!" They muttered frantically as they scattered in all directions.
They were about five in number which was huge for a village, Ayo had only seen two so far parade their small village.
Shaking as though already knowing where they were headed, Ayo swallowed.
The mages, with their swords unsheated stormed into their compound.
It was early in the morning with the sun already out, but their presence casted a dark yet cold atmosphere.
Inspite of it all, Ayo's mother stood unfazed, strong and commanding in her compound.
Silence settled along with the dust as they stood staring down at the woman before them. Then one of them spoke
"We've received information that you dare to nurture a stranger from another land!" The leading mage spoke without wasting time, his firm muscles alone were a terrifying presence.
"With what evidence?"Ayo's mother retorted. Her sharp voice could peirce confidence. Her stance of one who had absolute power.
"I ask you young men, of. What. Evidence?" She repeated, tilting her head sideways.
The mages stood unfazed. They had seen people like her. Confident, unapologetic, until evidence was presented before them.
But for a case like this, evidence wasn't needed, only a witness!
" We don't need one. We have with us a witness"
Both mother and daughter whipped their head towards the speaking Mage.
Dread slipped into the atmosphere. The neat and breezy compound immediately felt hot.
He didn't speak any further, only signalled to his men and they immediately understood.
Ayo extremely worried and trying to hide her nervousness, she glanced towards her mother who still stood defiantly blocking their way.
She watched the men step aside as if to allow someone pass and her expression changed to one of pure shock.
Someone did step out from behind the mages. Ajuma, her nosy neighbour.
Ayo's stomach flipped. Of all people, Ajuma. The girl who borrowed salt every morning yet carried poison in her eyes.
'Had she been hiding behind them all this while?' Ayo panicked, sweat covering her immediately. If Ajuma was a witness then it was most likely that she had seen something and reported.
She was staring directly at Ayo, as if to show her intentions, and they definitely weren't good.
Ayo saw her mother frown, but she was so sure it was one of anger—one she fear was filled with malice.
Ajuma had definitely crossed the line. If her mother was frowning, then things were likely about to go awry.
"Speak" The mage commanded, and so she did.
"I saw the mother and daughter carry someone into the house" She confirmed with a bitter expression, ready to see them suffer.
Ayo's mother sucked in deep breath, closing her eyes as though in dismay. The mages stepped forward immediately, having confirmed it with a witness —they wasted no time and pushed the woman aside.
With brute force they barged in.
One mage standing outside, his sword pointed towards the mother of the shivering girl.
It was all happening too fast, leaving her with no time to think clearly.
'This is it!' Ayo thought to herself.
She was definitely going to jail, and she wouldn't be able to work in the palace anymore. They would be forced out of the village after a release if they actually ever were released.
Her eyes burned but she refused to cry, not in front of Ajuma.
Disregarding the fact that the guarding mage could strike at any given time if she stepped out of line, Ayo's mother turned around to walk into her house, curious.
The very one the mages were currently searching. It hadn't even been up to a minute and the mages stepped out.
"Cease them!" The tall mage ordered once again and his men pounced on both mother and daughter, much to Ajuma's satisfaction.
"No wait please!" Ayo pleaded, her eyes turning blurry.
Dark clouds suddenly gathered as though troubled at the sudden turn of events.
The crowd had gathered again, this time to watch the quiet neighbours being humiliated. It was quite a sight, as they never caused any sort of trouble.
"It's about to rain" someone muttered in the crowd and quickly, thunder stuck as though listening, enacting a flinch from the crowd.
The tall mage crouched down to the sight level of the pinned down mother.
"You dare to go against the king's orders. Where exactly did you hide the intruder?"
He questioned. They had found concrete evidence that she had indeed been hiding someone from another land.
As soon as Ayo's mother heard this, relief flickered in her eyes. Maraye was gone. Safe.
She smiled, mirth shined in her eyes. She could finally act without consequences.
Ayo had seen that look before, only once. Right before her mother did something irreversible.
" I have something for you…" Ayo heard her mother speak to the mage…