Lizzy was tired.

She had been walking for hours on the scorching, caked red earth of the Akamanji savannah, her sweat mixed with dust staining her clothes and blowing right into her eyes, obstructing the path she had set off on, earlier in the day.

She had packed light, bringing only basic provisions and an umbrella in the eventuality that rain soaked the hard bricked clay grounds, with its rocky formations.

Not that it ever did in Wakagi. But Marowi refused to let her go without it, he didn’t want to let her go in the first place, and after she threatened to leave anyway, he made it a requirement, as a weather adherent, and as a weapon, the only one he could offer her. He didn’t bother with the fact that it would slow her down on such an important task.

Her uncle/ adopted father was domineering, so much so that you would not have believed that such a strong voice, had no legs. So she trudged on, wiping her eyes and checking her directions.

Today was the day she...

In the distance, a vehicle was approaching, picking up speed. Lizzy looked up, trying to get a proper look. After wiping her eyes for the umpteenth time, the vehicle became clearer, the panic too.

It was an antler rover , and only one thing came with the beaten SUVs with a black, red and white square flag on the side, death. The antlers hadn’t seen her yet, but being the only one in sight, they would soon notice.

Taking no chances,she started to run, looking for a place to hide. And then they started their guttural chant, a chant reserved for hunting; they had seen her.

No matter what happened, she had promised herself that today was the day she would finish her task. She dived into a corner, hiding out of the line of sight of the vehicle, breathing heavily.

She pulled out a piece of paper, affected adversely by the weather conditions. And as she heard them climbing out - to begin the search for her- she read the words written, in cursive, her mother’s cursive, tears running down her eyes;

“Find me, little one."