INE

"Ijji, why don't you answer me?"

"Ine?"

Saynab's worried voice kept echoing from the funnel, but I ignored her.

Uneasiness tugged at my heart. I didn't know what to make of my situation. The shock was still lingering in my mind. It had turned my thinking irrational. I couldn't make out a path through the underbrush. I knew I was striding across the woods aimlessly. Yet, I did nothing to stop or tried to get a hold on myself.

"Ijii-"

"Shut up! Will you?" I hissed in anger.

Then when I didn't hear her voice anymore, I felt guilty. I didn't want her to throw some pitying words at me through a funnel. I wanted to see her in the flesh, talk to her face to face.

I halted abruptly. Beyond the shrouded thickets, slosh of water reached my ears. The place was familiar. It wasn't often that I came to the stream. It was forlorn, and I frequented here whenever I felt like one.

I walked down the muddy bank in silence. Dragging my steps over the sand rock bedding, I floundered through the running water warmed by the bright sun. Climbing a boulder I perched over it. My legs were soaked up to the knees, and the hem of my Shwe-shwe dress well. I retrieved the funnel from behind my shoulder and stared at it ruefully. Then, as my eyes wandered over to my hand, the scene back at the cave came back to my mind.

Why did I do it?

At that moment, the only thing I could think of was the hunger and the means of quelling it. Nothing else had mattered to me then.

But what it transpired to be was incredulous.

I tossed the funnel away. Even as I felt lonely and sadder than ever, I was not going to start questioning about it with Saynab. It was too much to handle. Although it seemed like it had been ages in Idanwe, I did not know what I was. I looked so out of place among the creatures here. None of the beings in here looked like me. As though I was dropped into the middle of nowhere and then forgotten.

My thoughts dispersed at the rustle of grass on the bank. I peered through dense spread of ferns lining the water for the source. Closely, there was a light, slithering movement between the bushes. I couldn't see it as its body was of the same green shade as the herbage. Then I saw its protruding black eyes strained on me-a Sarcosuchus.

It hissed, crawling down the last line of bushes to the bank of the stream. I flinched as a grunting sound came between the boulders scattered to my right. Too close to me, scrambling through the rock bed, was another Sarcosuchus.

The realisation hit me. They couldn't see me before this. Back then, when I used to frequent this stream, I'd loll over this very boulder, pelt stones and sticks and play tricks on these Sarcosuchus in order to kill time. They couldn't see me all those times.

But now, I saw clear hunger in their manners. The Sarcosuchus to my right had already reached the boulder beneath me. It flicked its tongue up at me, tasting the empty air. I swung my pike against its long snout, attempting to scare it.

It didn't seem to budge. Instead my actions only got it riled up. It made aggressive attempts to clamber up the boulder. Shortly, the third one appeared, splashing the water all around as it swam in hurriedly through the long trail of water, too eager to have its share.

I crouched down, dizzy in a momen. To steady myself I gripped the coarse surface boulder. If I was to fall, it would be to my death. To be mangled by the beasts' fatal fangs. Letting out a shaky breath, I coiled up into a ball as the second Sarcosuchus thrust its snout up the sloping surface of the boulder. Its head was larger than the other two. I assumed it was the Mother. The Mothers were always resilient ones to be. The thought came to my mind and left in an instant.

The Mother Sarcosuchus kept clawing the boulder, forcing itself up to reach the easy prey, while the young ones waited around to pounce in once I was taken down.

I looked around helplessly, there was no way I could escape this ambush. The Sarcosuchus had hoisted its snout to the top of the boulder now, while I squirmed towards the opposite edge. I yelped as it opened its jaws and flicked its fleshy tongue out. The other two floundered the length of the boulder, baring their fangs, contesting within themselves to capture me once I was slipping down. I was all surrounded.

The larger Sarcosuchus pushed itself up to the top edge of the boulder once again, and gained some more length. Taking a chance, I stuck the end of my pike inside its opened jaws. But my hands trembled. Before I could hurt it, the pike slipped my hands and I watched it topple down to the stream. My eyes darted to the blade.

Suddenly, there was no more urge to fight back. Tears welled in my eyes. I couldn't believe I was giving in. This was to happen one day. It was survival after all-a routine very common in these woods. Funny, that I had thought it wasn't going to be my ultimate fate.

With my trembling hands, I fumbled for the funnel and held it against my mouth. "Saynab..." I called through my quivering lips. If I was going to die, she had to know.

"The Sarcosuchus in the streams... they can see me now... I... I think they'll eat me up soon?"

She'd told me once that she was looking forward to the day to meet me in the lands outside Idanwe. A land where beings like me-like us-lived. And for long, long time after that, I had combed through of the woods to find a way out. Then, had accused her for lying, for I was certain that there was no such land outside these damned woods. However, despite my claims, I'd always dreamt of a place where I could feel warmth and welcome, where I was surrounded by my kind, ones who could talk, laugh, sing like me-a land where I could feel... home.

"Home..." I repeated the new word that had come to my mind in the middle of being torn to death. It left me yearning. The thoughts clouding my mind scattered when I felt a harsh tug on my right ankle. I yelped.

The Sarcosuchus grunted hungrily. Sharp pain shot through my leg. But it dimmed at once when the feeling of being drowned into the waters surpassed it. And in a split moment, the cold engulfed me in a smothering clasp of a devil.

Frightened, I threshed my free leg, gulping down mouthfuls of the water. All three Sarcosuchus' lunged over me. They grunted and hissed, nicking at my skin and dress. Back again, the pain escalated the shock. I felt deep gashes on my arms and legs. Blood pooled out from my skin in ribbons. I tried to scream, but it was voiceless.

At a loud splash, water went rushing down under me in a beat and I gasped loudly. Heaving and coughing, though I could make little sense of my surrounding, I somehow gathered that I was back on the top of the boulder.

Enormous wings flapped over me, sending huge gusts of wind across my trembling body. I shivered under it.

Pain opened up at every little wound the beasts had afflicted on my skin. Coughing, I elbowed the boulder to lift myself up to see the Bird Beast hovering up in the air. Down the stream was back to being tranquil. The Sarcosuchus had seemingly scampered at the arrival of the mighty bird. I winced as I looked into the beast's angry looking eyes.

"Ijji," his voice thundered.

"Imīwi..." I squeaked, squirming in discomfort.

"Looks like you have been too busy."

I dipped my head, feeling terribly guilty and bit my teeth to swallow the growing pain from the wounds.

Staring at the gash on my now numb ankle, where the Sarcosuchus had jabbed its fang before it dragged me into the water, I spoke. "I didn't know why I did it. It was just... instinct."

"I see," he muttered. "You wear a new skin now?"

"I believe I do. It was that of the creature I killed-and I can be seen now, I think."

He sighed. "You are no longer a spirit, Ijji, you must know that."

I cringed. "I don't want it. Make it go..."

"It cannot go back to the way it used to be before. Time cannot be undone."

"Why? Is it because I sinned?"

"Yes, by taking a life you have sinned. The Agogwe you killed was an ancient being of this planet-the primitive."

I choked on a sob. "It was by instinct... I never wanted to kill it. It just happened," I whimpered in pain and agony.

"That is why you must not let your instincts take over your conscience," his tone was taut. "You must be careful, Ijji. Your actions are counted. And you will pay the price for your deeds accordingly."

I looked up at him, tears falling from the corners of my eyes. "I don't want to live here. I'd rather cease to exist."

His eyes strained over my face. They did not betray any emotion. "First, you must swear that you shall not repeat this mistake, ever again."

"I won't, Tilik'i-Wefi Imīwi. I will never harm an ancient, or think about it. You have my words."

"You still need to get hold on your impulses, Ijji."

My shoulders dropped. I folded my hands up at him and made a praying gesture. "I beg of you, Tilik'i-Wefi Imīwi. Please, don't leave me here-don't abandon me again."

He looked away from me to the canopy of the surrounding trees. There was sudden composure in his manner. "You need to tend to your wounds," he said, still looking away.

I lowered my hands. "How would I do that?"

"You'll know," he said. His wings flitted and he floated forward. "There are many things you need to learn."

I held my breath when he flew overhead. Then, in light movements, his talons curled onto my shoulders.

"We are leaving," he announced.

I stood up shakily.

"Are you sure you don't want your blade? After all that you have gone through for it?" he said, quite tauntingly.

My blade was still lying on the boulder. I picked it up in haste, making the strings jingle, and clutched it to my chest.

"I would never even think of abandoning it," I pulled a face.

He gave a quiet grunt. Then slowly, I felt myself lifted from the boulder, the same way I was lifted from the rush of water some time ago. Only this time he was unrushed and gentle.

"Where are we going?" I yelled at the sudden thought.

"To the human realm." I heard him over the susurrating wind that tingled my ears.

"Human realm," I repeated.

The mighty wings flapped against the warm air and then everything was a blur.

Tilik'i-Wefi Imīwi- Big Bird Mister

Sarcosuchus- extinct, flesh eating crocodiles of Africa

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