Sophia's POV
The winds whirled, and the tree bent to let them passed. My hair darted back, dancing to its music, and a rushing-cool air embraced my face. I looked down in great ecstasy, through one eye and saw Bella holding her skirt in hurry, screaming as we saw her boxer. We all laughed except Benjamin, who was busy removing dust from his eyes.
"That serves him right," Lucy said, and we laughed.
Bella looked at him with a bad face and says. "Prostitute... What are you looking for in my pants?"
"I don't see anything," he protested.
"You see something," Bella shouted.
"Not intentional," he said.
Her skirt float in the rushing winds again, Benjamin closed his eyes, and we all laughed.
"I'm tired," Bella said, giving up protecting her skirt, and allowed the winds to do anything. "Look all you want."
The winds passed amid our laughter and then abated, leaving a peaceful atmosphere behind, which brings back to our memories of where and why we are still here in this awful forest. I looked at them from the tree, feeling like staying there forever. Benjamin looked at me after he removed the dust off his eyes and says, "Did you recognize him?"
"No," I said. "Yunno, he wore mask"
"He might be following us," Lucy said.
"Yea, I also think so," Bella said.
Ben looked at Lucy. "Why on earth must he be following us?"
"Who knows?" she replied.
I sighed, looking down, and saying, "I saw a dragon image on his clothes."
"A dragon?" Bella asked.
"Yea, the dragon that is pouring out a fire."
"Oh my God," Lucy said, "This is getting worst."
"It's already worst," Ben said. "He's a cultist."
"Someone might pay him for this mission."
"He might pay himself...."
"He might be one of the police...."
"Henry might offend him...."
"Who knows..."
"He might be doing it for fun..."
"Hey guys," I shouted, and a bird flew by in silence. "It might not be what you guys think of."
They fixed their eyes on me, and I says, "I got a surprise for you people."
"What is that?" Lucy asked.
"I snap his picture with Erica's camera when he was having a call here."
"Oh let me see," Bella said.
"Come down quick," Ben said.
"No, am not coming down now"
"Is that your house now?" Lucy said, laughing.
"Please, Sophia," Bella begged
"I'm not."
Benjamin looked at me. "Bosen village is far from here, we should not stay long here or else-"
"Are we still going to continue?" Lucy cut in
"Should we go back?" Benjamin asked, "because there is two mission before us. Should we go back?"
"It doesn't sound wise to go back home when we already get lost," Bella said, "Or what do you think Sophia?
I don't know what to say, I don't want to go front and I don't want to go back. "I think we should stay here, Henry might walk here."
"You are waiting for a star to align," Ben said. "We have already lost-"
"And lion might eat us for lunch," Bella cut in.
"It can't see us," I said, "If we climbed the tree."
"Why are you doing like this, Sophia? " Benjamin asked.
I laughed at the tree. "I will go but-"
"But what again?"
"Sophia please be fast before the lion shows up," Bella said.
Lucy looked at me, looked down, searching for a stone. "You watch and see, I will throw a stone."
"Okay okay, I will come down at you."
I jumped on the ground, adjusting my clothes, and putting back empty bottle into my backpack, and then bringing out my phone and I say, 'Come and see this pic."
"Oh, see a tattoo on his neck," Lucy said.
"It's a dragon," Bella said.
"Police must see this," Ben said.
"Yes, this is the evidence," she said.
"What's the next thing to do?" Lucy asked.
I looked at them. "I think the next to do is to remove the mask off his face and then snap."
"That's impossible," Ben said.
"Let's continue our journey," Bella said
"What if we meet the lion on the way?" Lucy asked.
Within five minutes, we concluded to continue the journey, to find Henry first. Bella stays at the back while I walked in the front. And now and then., we are looking around, and listening for every single sound. The journey seemed everlasting to me because we don't know where to go and at the same time, we get lost, get lost in the wood, get lost in what to do. The sun is glinting from the sky through the wood and then hurt my eyes. Lucy fell and screamed.
"Oh my God," she said, "I'm fucking tired."
"Come on," Ben said, "Or I should help you?" He offered her a hand, which she ignores.
"Carry me instead," she said.
I and Bella looked back and saw Lucy climbing Ben back, and he lifted himself with force, breathing hard. We laughed, they're like Tom and Jerry, even in school, sometimes they fight, and sometimes they play. And not long after, we saw an old man with an arrow in his hands. He was startled as he saw us was gazing at him.
"Young guys," he said, " what are doing here in the forest. Don't you know it is dangerous to live in the city and to come here?"
"We are going to the Biden village, sir," Benjamin said.
"Can you please help us?" Bella said.
The old man looked up for a while as if he is thinking about something. "I will help you if you will help me too"
"We will," I said.
"You guys will follow me home and help me cook, you will help me sweep the floor and you guys will wash my clothes."
"Oh, I can't do that," Lucy said
Bella looked at me and says, "What do you think, Sophia."
"I think we should follow him because he said he would help us."
"She is right," Ben said.
"Sir, is Bosen village far from here?" Bella said.
"Yes, but I will take you to Samuel, he's a sailor, who would sail you there," he answered.
"This is an opportunity for us," Bella said.
"Yes," I said.
"I'm not going," Lucy said, "and I'm going back home," She turned her back, walking away. I darted to catch her, and whispered, "What the hell are you doing, Lucy, you don't know the way home, what if we get lost."
"What if the old man gets us lost," she whispered back, "What if he kills us." She said pointing to his arrows.
"You know," I said, "he just needs our help, he can't kill us. Trust me."
"But I won't do what he wants,"
"I will do it all. Trust me,"
"Leave her alone if she didn't want to come, let's go," Benjamin shouted from the other end.
"You are foolish, Benjamin," Lucy said, "Who do you think I am? As fool as you are?"
Benjamin cut a steal from the trees, walking towards us. "I will show you that I'm not a fool."
"You will beat me?" she asked, hiding in my back. "You dare not."
"Hey, please be calm, Benjamin," I said and Bella held him back.
"I don't have time for this," the old man said, "If you guys would follow me, meet me at home." He pointed his fingers up, and we saw a mountain in distance. "My house's near there. And be careful of where your steps, because of my trap. It's would be wise if you guys follow in my footsteps." He turned his back to us and walked away.
"We should follow him quickly," Bella said.
"Please, Lucy, We need to do this for Erica," I said
"I will go, but help me warn Ben, to stop all his nonsense."
"You hear what she just say. She said am saying nonsense."
"Why are guys acting like this," Bella said as she sat down, shedding tears. "We don't know what is happening to Henry now, maybe he is suffering, maybe is he hungry, and you are here fighting on what is not important."
I sighed. "The old man has already gone."
"I'm sorry," Lucy said.
"I'm sorry too," Ben said.
I sighed. "Let's follow in his footsteps."
I lifted Bella from the ground, dusting off her buttock. "It's okay," she said, looking tired.