Her mother's final command before taking an arrow to the chest was simple. "Go to your aunt's cottage." Her final breath escapes her lips as the young girl watches her fall.
She stumbles backward, feeling the world spin around her head. Her gaze locks onto her mother with wide eyes. Her mouth dries up in an instant as she begins to run. The sounds of her village's massacre crowd her mind as she sprints for her life. Her feet hit the ground in hurried thuds, carrying her as far as they can.
The sun sets in the distance, casting a warm glow over the flames that engulfed her village. The once bustling streets lay lifeless and littered with bodies. Mothers cradle their children. Husbands weep over their wives. Friends carry each other to safety only to be found regardless. She couldn't understand why this was happening. Her family, her friends, and everyone she knows are all gone.
"Make it," she thinks, her already rushing steps advancing faster.
"Make it," she starts to whisper to herself. Her whispers grow into screams. Her legs make odd noises, and her breathing heaves but she keeps running.
"Get away and make it to Auntie's!" she screams to herself. Her voice carries back to the village, catching the attention of everyone. A second wind seems to pass through the town. The villagers fight off the barbarians to buy her time. Two of the barbarians slaughter them and begin their pursuit.
"Stop running, little girl! Running won't do you any good!" One of them howls, his grin spreading from ear to ear. His ax swings wildly, almost too excitedly.
The buildings of her village fade from view just as her path shifts into the forest. Her screams go silent. Her footsteps grow quiet. The only thought on her mind was her aunt's cottage. Sweat flows down her cheeks as the small house gradually peeks over the heads of the trees. It sits at the top of a hill in the forest clearing. The two men shout profanities and curses towards her, challenging her to outrun them.
As soon as she reaches the door, she knocks rapidly.
"Auntie! It's me, Zuri!" Zuri continues to bang on the door as hard as she can. When she gets no response, she decides to kick the door down. The door doesn't budge under her small weight. Thinking quickly, she rushes to the slightly ajar living room window and pries it open to crawl inside. She scrambles to her feet and looks around.
"Auntie, I—" The scene before her silences her. Her aunt, Liliana, lay motionless on her living room carpet. Her arms wrap around her two children, who cling to her. They look almost peaceful, finally at rest as a family. She falls to her knees. Her lips seal shut as tears sting her eyes. The warm liquid flows down her cheeks while her mind fills with questions.
"How can they be so cruel?" Zuri bends over, clutching her stomach. Quiet sobs escape her throat. "How can someone kill— no, slaughter them… like something less than human? Something less than the grass outside?"
Her tears mix with the crimson stains on the floor. Her voice shakes, her sobs turning into wails of pain and despair. Her throat seized up, causing her to begin coughing for air. A pair of footsteps behind her pulls her back to the present.
"I told you it was pointless to run. Now come with us, kid," He reaches for her arm, and she flinches. She pushes away the tears on her cheeks. Hatred fills her gradually, rising from her feet to her head. The two men grab her and pin her to the ground. "Don't resist. We don't want to damage the goods before we sell you off."
"Let go! I'll make sure you pay for what you did! You all will pay!" Zuri yells as she struggles. Her arms and legs are bound tightly with ropes. She continues to bite and scratch despite her inability to reach them. The men carry her out of the cottage and toss her inside. The darkness of the carriage dries her tears. Her once innocent eyes shine with determination and hatred.
"Don't try anything stupid," One of the men calls to her, taking their seats on their horses. She stays silent during the ride, her eyes closed in contemplation. Time blends together as the carriage moves over the bumps in the road. Hours pass in silent calculation and plotting. Her thoughts come to an end once they arrive at a clearing. The men stop the carriage and let her out. The shine of the moon falls on her skin, finally telling her the time.
Zuri takes a seat near the small fire the men had made. The horses join her and curl around the flames to keep warm. Bickering from the men lead to a small flimsy tent for her to sleep in. Without a word, she climbs inside. Zuri lies in her tent with her eyes wide open, waiting. Simply waiting.
As the moon rests high in the sky, in the dead of night, Zuri slips out of her tent. Her feet tread lightly, silently making her way to the sleeping men. Her shadow looms over the two men who had killed her village, her family, her life. A dagger shines from the back pocket of one of the barbarians. Her hand wraps tightly around the handle as she slips it out. With a swift slice, she takes their lives and retakes hers.