Hive Of the Dead

No Love

**Chapter 2: No Love**

One by one they attempted an attack, but mom defended, sustaining injuries in the process.

I lay down crying helplessly.

I wanted to do something but could not. My limbs were tied down by fear.

Mom was single-handedly protecting me.

She took all attacks thrown at both her and myself.

"Derick!"

Mom said, obviously exhausted.

"Yes mom!"

I replied still crying.

"Can you run for mommy?!"

she asked.

"No mom, I will not leave you!"

I replied as I looked at her face covered in blood.

"Derick please!"

mom begged as she too began to cry.

I looked around us and these heartless monsters continued attacking mom.

"Stop!!"

I cried out but they would not stop.

I wish I was older, I wish I was taller, I wish I could just beat them all up. I wish!

"Derick!"

mom said weakly, obviously about to give up.

"Hold on!"

we heard someone's voice from behind these monsters and they stopped immediately.

A man on a white suit just as mom described walked past them and stood in front of mom. He was not so ugly in person. Mom probably over exaggerated, nevertheless he is a bad man and not a saviour.

"Leave her alone!"

he said touching mom's face.

"Do not touch me!"

mom said hitting his hand.

"She would make a good soldier..."

he said and turned to me.

"...That one you may eat!"

he said pointing at me as the monsters eagerly rushed to where I was.

"Ahhhh!"

I cried and was covered by mom.

"I will not let you touch my child!"

she cried on me.

"I see!"

the man on white said.

"The love a mother has for her child in this world,"

he added.

"Separate them and devour the child. Let her watch!"

he said as they pulled mom away.

"Mom!!"

I screamed as I felt one's teeth on my shoulder.

"Derick!!"

mom screamed, pulled her arms from the ones that held her and kicked the one immediately behind me who bit me.

"Run!!"

she said aloud.

Hearing her voice and feeling the severe pain on my back, I picked myself up and began to run holding the place I was bitten.

"Do not fall Derick, please do not fall!"

I said to myself as I kept on running.

The monsters were not far off. They were not so fast either, but were getting closer because I was slow.

I was tired and hungry, and then the place was really dark.

The only thing emitting light was the moon.

"Mom!"

I screamed as I kicked something and fell.

They got to me again, about three of them about to pounce on me when mom yelled,

"Leave him alone!"

She came once again to my rescue, hitting these monsters with a large piece of wood in her hand.

They staggered away and after a rebound, came back.

Mom threw the wood at them, picked me up and began to run with me in her hand.

She continued running, bleeding heavily and sweating profusely, as the monsters chased us endlessly.

"Do not let her get away!"

The man on white commanded as mom ran faster.

We finally had a decent distance between us and the monsters.

"Let's go in quickly!"

she said and dropped me down.

"Over there!"

we heard him yell.

"Shit! Sweetie lie down and count to thirty like I taught you, and then jump into the hole and do not look back no matter what happens! Never forget mommy loves you..."

mom said, pecked me on the forehead and stood up.

"Lie down!"

she commanded as the monsters got closer.

I obeyed and she ran off.

I remained there and counted as mommy instructed. I knew at that moment that I was going to be alone.

Mom was not coming back. It is just going to be me and these monsters.

"Ahhhhhh!!!"

I heard mom scream.

I cried uncontrollably still lying on the floor as instructed.

I had lost count but I believe I should have gotten to thirty by now, so I rolled into the hole.

I fell on the bed crying. My shoulder which was bitten continued to hurt.

"She's dead isn't she?"

Aunt Vera asked as I continued crying.

"I knew that was going to be the outcome!"

she added.

"Now that she is dead, what happens to you?"

she added.

Her words only found a way to stir up my tears.

"Poor woman!"

she added sarcastically.

"Shut up!"

I said to her furiously.

And for a moment the place was quiet.

I raised my head up wondering what led to the sudden silence, and what came to my face was a slap.

"You brat! I ain't your mom! I ain't going to take such rubbish from you!"

she added as I cried some more.

"I could have sworn I saw your mom with a loaf of bread when she got in."

she said as she hopped to mom's bag.

She brought it out and began to eat.

Seeing her with the bread, I cried some more as my tummy rumbled.

"Aunt Vera!"

I called after a while.

"Yeah?"

she replied.

"I am hungry!"

I said to her.

"Oh no! What shall I do?"

she asked dramatically.

"We could share my mom's bread,"

I said to her as my belly rumbled some more.

"Sorry it is not enough to share. Go get another!"

she replied.

"Please!"

I begged.

"I cannot hear you!"

she added.

I had not eaten anything all day.

Mom usually went out in the morning and brought something back in the evening, leaving me with books and sheets of papers to read.

Sometimes so much for us to eat and tell stories, laugh and all.

And sometimes very little. She would end up giving it all to me and sleeping without eating a thing.

But in my life, I had never gone this long without food.

"Aunt Vera!"

I called again as I lazily walked to where she was.

"What!!"

she said aloud.

"Just a little please!"

I begged crying.

"Your crying is getting really irritating. Shut up and get out of here before I give you another slap on your stupid face. That is the only thing I can give to a spoilt kid like you!"

she said and I drifted back in fear.

Her slaps are really painful. Mom hardly ever raised a hand on me.

I lazily walked to a corner and lay there just by the wall.

"Snake!"

I screamed on seeing a snake behind me.

"Hahaha!"

Aunt Vera laughed.

"I ain't joking, I really did see a snake... I mean its tail,"

I added as I looked at where I lay.

"Oh relax, it is probably just a lizard!"

she said as she laughed some more.

I stood up and began to pace around.

I became too scared to sleep even.

I walked and walked around, until my legs and eyes could not keep up anymore.

I sat slowly on the floor looking around carefully, still fighting with my eyes, shutting and opening.

Tired, I lay on the floor and closed my eyes.

"Derick!"

I heard my name.

"Yes mom!"

I said and got up lazily.

"Your mom is dead!"

Aunt Vera said and she kicked my head.

"Go get me water!"

she said as she gave me an empty water bottle.

"But it was almost full yesterday!"

I said in a whiny tone.

"Well I finished it and want some more, so go get some more!"

she said.

"Here!"

she said handing me a knife.

"What am I doing with this?"

I asked.

"You use it to fetch water!"

she said as I looked at it puzzled.

"You use it to defend yourself you nimrod!"

she said and hit my head.

"Wait!"

she exclaimed.

"What happened to your shoulder?"

she asked.

"It was bitten last night by those monsters!"

I replied expecting sympathy from her.

"Oh, sorry... it will heal in time. Now go get the water!"

she commanded.

I helplessly took the can of the water bottle and climbed up the stairs.

As I climbed my shoulder continued to hurt.

I got to the surface still hungry and confused.

The place was bright, the birds sang and the rest creatures made their sounds, my tummy included.

I walked around in search of water.

I finally found a stream.

I raised my arm up to smell my armpit.

"Uff!"

I exclaimed inhaling the terrible smell.

Mom usually goes out in the morning to get water and then bathe me with it before going out.

I cannot believe she is gone.

I walked closer to drink water, bent down and drank like I had not in my entire life.

"Fish!"

I screamed looking into the water.

I quickly jumped into the stream.

It was shallow, so I would not drown.

I rushed to stab the fish.

"Shit!"

I exclaimed missing the fast moving fish.

"What do I do now?"

I said to myself as I stood in front of the stream.

I looked around to see if I could find anything that could be of help to me.

I looked at myself.

"My shirt is so dirty!"

I said looking at my orange shirt that had the picture of a fish on it.

"Wait a second,"

I said and took off my shirt.

I then laid it on the floor, dug up some worms and placed them on the shirt which was laid on the floor.

I then placed it in the stream carefully so the worms would not fall out.

Then, stood and waited for the fishes to come.

I waited a while, but they never came.

They just swam close and then away. They are probably scared of me.

The worms which were on the shirt also tried crawling out.

How do I make myself less scary?

What if the worms were closer to the shore...

I could go in and kick the fishes outside. They cannot swim outside the water...

So I put the shirt closer to the sand and walked a bit into the water, where it covered me up till my knees.

I began to watch as the fishes went closer to the worms on my shirt.

I waited a little for the numbers to increase, to increase the chances of getting at least one.

"Now!"

I said on seeing three on it.

I immediately rushed towards them as fast and carefully as possible so I do not scare them off.

And fast enough so they do not finish the worms I had on it.

I picked up the shirt immediately, sending the fishes flying into the sand.

One managed to get away but two were on the sand.

I quickly rushed out to the two on the sand because one was close to the stream and was about going back in, so I kicked it further into the sand.

"Yes!"

I exclaimed excited.

I quickly stabbed them both, one after the other, and then watched as they bled out.

"I wish it were this easy to kill those monsters,"

I said to myself and walked towards the stream with the water bottle which I had dropped.

I placed it in the stream, filled it up.

Got a little water on my face and pits and then stood in front of the fish contemplating on what to do.

I cannot eat them raw, and do not know how to cook.

Besides, there is no fire, and I cannot make one like mom does with sticks and stones.

If I take them back to Aunt Vera, she might not give them back to me even. Unless... unless I tell her I got one for her, and maybe she would cook them both and give one to me.

Thinking of this, I picked them up and was on my way home with the two dead fishes tied up in my shirt.

"I think I am lost,"

I said to myself after walking around for a while.

I continued looking at the trees, trying to find my way home, when I stumbled upon a hut.

I looked back to see if there was anyone behind me and then walked closer to the hut.

"Hello,"

I said knocking, but nobody replied. And so I opened the door.

"What brings you here young one?"

an old woman seated on a chair asked.

"Ahhh!"

I screamed and ran outside without looking back.

Running aimlessly, until I fell into a hole.

"Where have you been?"

Aunt Vera asked.

"Phew!"

I exhaled trying to catch my breath.

"I was on my way back when I ran into an old woman, but I was not fooled. I know she is one of those monsters!"

I said to her.

"Really, and that is why you broke the water bottle?"

she said as I looked at the water bottle on the floor as it spilled water.

"Sorry,"

I said apologetically.

"Here! I brought us fishes,"

I added immediately holding up my shirt.

"Kneel down!"

Aunt Vera said immediately.

"Kneel down? Why?"

I questioned surprised and confused.

Before I could get a grasp of what was going on, a slap followed.

"You obey before questioning!"

she said after the slap.

I fell on the ground holding my face as I looked at her.

"I sent you out to get me water and you spent almost the whole day outside, now claiming that you ran into a monster, such lies!"

she added.

"I am not lying!"

I said to her.

"I do not want to hear another word from you!"

she said as she turned to my shirt where I kept the fishes.

"Now go out and get me sticks and stones! And do not you dare wander far!"

she said as I stared at her.

"Are not you hungry?"

she asked looking at me.

I said nothing, stood up and climbed out grumbling.

"Always hitting me, always shouting and yelling!"

I said as I picked up sticks and stones from the floor.

I raised my head up and from afar, I saw an old man coming with a gun in his hand.

"Oh my God!"

I exclaimed and began to run.

The hole was not far off so I ran and jumped in with the sticks and stones I had gathered.

"What again?!"

Aunt Vera asked already cutting the fish.

"I saw an old man,"

I said to her.

"You and your fear created images!"

she said to me.

"Why will you not just believe me!"

I said to her.

"Shhhh!"

she hushed.

"I hate you!"

I said to her really pissed.

"Derick shut up!"

she said louder seeming alarmed and I kept quiet.

"Can you hear that?"

she asked.

"Hear what?"

I asked.

"The hissing,"

she added.

"Nope,"

I replied.

"Snake!!"

she yelled as a big snake crawled out from a hole near the place I lay last night.

To be continued.....