DROUGHT
CHAPTER 6: THE WATER HUNT

AFTER FOUR MONTHS

What happened to my uncle is still fresh, even though it already happened six months ago. I can still hear the gunshot, which gives me nightmares whenever I close my eyes. The water that he hid at the bunker saved our lives. We plant vegetables and fruits that help us survive, too. We don’t have a choice. The animals are dying gently because of drought. The break-in didn’t happen once, but it happened twice. The first one is from the thugs, and the second is from the government and what they call governance, a control for everybody will have a water supply. Miller is correct, and the government is trying to control all the water they can get from the civilians. They will get our water, and they will sell it to us. Now we are running out of water, and whenever I see my mother, who is getting crazy every day because of his brother’s death is painful to me.

“What are you doing, the two of you?” I asked Lucy and Owen. They are both not wearing shorts because they peed on the pail. Owen looked at me and tried to hide the bucket behind her.

“We peed, mama, and put it here,” Lucy said and pointed at the pail behind her.

“Why?” I asked them, but she giggled first before answering.

“Because we want that to boil for drinking,” She said. I looked at her because I didn’t expect her to say that. The kids already know what is happening and are concerned about water.

“Water, no,” Owen said.

“I know,” I said.

“Wear your shorts now, and get inside the house,” I told them, and they immediately wore their shorts and got inside.

I looked at the pail with their pee and recalled everything before the drought. One day we are happy after the pandemic, and the other day we are not. God gave us only a day of happiness and A lifetime punishment. I looked up, but I didn’t see him there anymore. I didn’t even know if he was real; I could only see the dark clouds and the thing up there that made us suffer. I looked everywhere, and I didn’t know any life anymore. The flowers are all dried, and the trees and the soil are cracking. I tried to touch the ground and felt nothing but total hotness that could burn anything it touched. Even the sun hides behind the dark clouds; it gives total hotness because of the complete dryness. I looked up at the atmosphere and hoped for a miracle, but God was sleeping because he didn’t know what was happening here, or maybe he had abandoned us already. I don’t know. I know nothing at all but to get water.

“Is he even real?” The voice inside me asked me.

I touched my skin and felt it rough after not taking a bath for many days. We need more water for all of us. Only three containers left, and we are saving them for the kids. I feel my lips, too, and it is already dry. I can’t even feel my saliva when I swallow because I only drink a drop of water to conserve it. My mom and dad are getting weak too. The world is in chaos because of the water. People are killing people for water; there is no longer humanity because of water.

“Drought is when you trade your blood for water,” The voice inside me said, and I remembered what the man told us before he killed my uncle.

“Sammy! Sammy!” I heard my mother cry in pain. What happened to my uncle is still fresh to her. Our uncle saved us from drought for many months, but we didn’t keep him from his killer. Well, we didn’t know that it would happen. Nobody anticipates it. We tried to check for flights going back home, but we couldn’t replace any, besides my mother didn’t want to leave my uncle. She is still grieving even though we don’t have time to grieve. I took a deep breath while still looking at nowhere. Where is Miller now? I asked myself. It’s been a long time. Does he know that my uncle is already dead?

I saw Hope running from nowhere, biting a yellow ribbon. She is dirty and smelly, but I can’t bathe her. She put the ribbon in front of me and looked at me while wiggling her tail. I bent to get the ribbon and asked her,

“Where did you get this ribbon?” I looked at her and sat down. I rubbed her head, took the ribbon from her, and wore it to her. She scratches herself too. I know she is itchy for not taking a bath, and I understand because I am itchy too.

“I am sorry, buddy,” I told her.

“We are both itchy,” I said while watching her still scratching. I remember panicking when I saw her poisoned by the evil man who killed my uncle. It’s good that I survived her, and I thought I would lose her too, like my uncle.

While looking at her, I suddenly have an idea that flashes in my head that makes me smile. Hope is Hope, and she is giving me hope now. I went inside the room and found Knight playing with the kids because the toys were still scattered on the floor. I opened the cabinet, took the red turban out of my bag, and wore it. I looked at myself in the mirror, and I couldn’t recognize my

face anymore; I saw someone I didn’t know. The woman in the mirror smiled at me and whispered,

“That’s right. You need to do something that saves your family.”

I pushed the cabinet to open the secret door going to the bunker. I know the cabinet is heavy, but I didn’t expect that I could push it. I feel like I am not the only one who pushed it. I went inside and checked what I could use in my mission. My mission is to save the family by trading the blood for water, but definitely, it is not my blood or my family’s blood. I kept on looking around and found out there was another secret hiding place inside a hiding place. This is a survival place when things come to the worst. I saw guns like shotguns and colt 45; I saw bullets too. I saw a butterfly knife, a spear, and a bow and arrow.

“That is what I am talking about, girl,” She said, making me smile.

I pick up the Colt 45 and the bullets because I will need them. I took the butterfly knife too and put it inside my bag. I tried to check for more, and I found some food storage, but there was no food and no medicine kit, but there was no medicine. I looked around for more, realizing that I was starting to love my uncle’s house. I don’t know why he has these things, but I know it would be helpful. I put everything I needed inside my bag. Wear a holster under my dress and another on my dress, and I immediately went out of the bunker before someone found out what I had. I slowly pushed the cabinet to cover the secret door. I don’t know why I took those weapons, but the voice inside me controls me and wants to take over my body. Knight is already sleeping with the kids; They fall asleep while playing because the toys are still scattered on the floor. I walk slowly because I don’t want to create noise that might disturb them. He doesn’t know about my plan and doesn’t need to know. I looked at myself one more time in the mirror, and the woman I was seeing was still there, looking while smiling at me. When the cheating flashes in the mirror. I can suddenly hear the bitch moan when Knight is fucking her, dog style. My heart beat fast because of anger. I looked at Knight and pointed the gun at him while he was sleeping.

“Shoot him,” The voice inside my head said, trying to tempt me.

“Shoot him,” She said again.

“Shoot him,” she said repeatedly. I pull the trigger, but the good thing is there are no bullets inside. I closed my eyes and sighed.

“Fuck”, I whispered. I put the gun back in my bag and left.

“What a lucky pig”

I got the car key at the top of the china wares, and I was about to leave when I saw Josh talking secretly on his phone. I looked around to replace Ellie but Ellie was not with him. I remember Ellie entering my room, and she was almost crying because she caught Josh exchanging sweet messages with his ex.

“Another pig,” The woman inside my head whispered and laughed.

I went to him and grabbed his shirt, made him lean on the wall while my arm was locked on his neck and looked at him. He dropped his phone and looked at me. He wanted to ask me what was wrong, but he didn’t. I made him feel scared.

“Are you talking to your ex again?” I asked him, and he shook his head as he answered. I looked at his phone and looked back at him.

“Do you love my daughter?”

“Yes, I do.”

“Show it to me,” I said.

“Get inside the car”, I added.

I let him go and told him to get inside the car. He looked at me, and I repeated what I said. I need him to get inside the vehicle, but he doesn’t want to. He keeps on looking at me with questions in his eyes.

“Get inside the car”, I said again, but he didn’t move. I grabbed his shirt, opened the car door, and threw him inside. I went inside the car, turned on the engine, and left.

“My daughter went inside my room four months ago and told me she caught you cheating.”

“I didn’t,” He defended.

“You are messaging your ex, you dammit,” I said, but he didn’t reply.

“Now is the time for your to show me that you love her”, I said.

“I don’t understand,” He said,

“You will understand later,” I said while driving the car. He is quiet and wondering. I know he is nervous, but I don’t care. He will see what he will be if he cheats on my daughter.

I suddenly stepped on the break when I saw the house with a well. He bumps his nose, which makes it bleed. That is a consequence of not wearing a seatbelt. I am looking at the house while thinking if this is the perfect house for stealing. After seconds of staring at the house. I picked up my bag and went down. They have a well, so they have water.

“What are you going to do?” He asked,

“Did you know how to drive?” I asked him,

“Yes”

“Give me the key”, And he threw me the key.

“Thanks, now stay there”, I said. I need to get the key to ensure he will not leave me.

I looked around first to ensure that there was no one before I went inside. I went to the well and removed the cover to check if there was water, but I almost vomited because of the foul smell from the well. There are flies, too, and I can hear them buzzing. I looked down and saw dead cats inside the well; there was no water, just dead cats. Their skulls were open, and they were almost decaying. I immediately put the cover back. I saw Josh watching what I was doing. I need him to go with me; I need to let him know what I can do if he hurts my daughter. I went inside the house with my backpack to put all the water I could get and the gun in the holster I hid under my dress. I walk slowly and check everything that I can bring with me. I opened the fridge and saw some milk, juice, bread and eggs, but there was no water. I put it inside my bag, closed it, and continued walking. Maybe I would replace something better. I saw a medicine kit and took it to put it in my bag. I went inside the room and saw a dead woman with a gunshot in her head lying on the bed.

“Are you one of the Aliens?” The man asked who was sitting at the rocking chair, facing the window while holding a shotgun in his right arm. I slowly took my gun into the holster. I need to be ready if he shoots me.

“The Aliens are here; they made this, sucking up our waters for us to die,” He said. I looked around his room and found empty water bottles on the floor.

“If you are looking for water. I don’t have it. Someone stole my pail of water, and it’s been a week now that I haven’t drunk water,” He added, barely breathing.

“The aliens are here” He gave me a side glance and looked back at the window.

“I tried to replace where are they hiding. I know they are living somewhere inside the brains.” He added he laughed hopelessly. That is why I found a bunch of dead cats in the well. The man went crazy, which is the effect of not having enough water in his body. Difficulty breathing and hallucination are just minor because the major part is death.

“She is one of the Aliens. My wife is one of the Aliens,” He said, and he laughed again, but his laugh was harder than the first one, and he suddenly stopped laughing. He thought I didn’t notice him preparing his shotgun to shoot me. He suddenly stands up and faces me to shoot me, but I am faster than him. I shoot him with my gun on his heart. I saw him fall to the floor while looking at me. I didn’t expect that I would kill a man. I feel like someone controls me to do it. I dropped the gun and looked at the man I had just killed.

“That is alright; we did the right thing”, The voice inside me said, for me not to feel remorse.

“Pick up your gun and get his shotgun.” The voice in my head instructed me.

I immediately picked up my gun and went to the man to get his shotgun because I might need that someday. I went out of the house and got inside the car. I saw Josh was shocked and looked pale when he heard the gunshot. He saw my hand with blood from the man I shot because of his shotgun. His shotgun has his blood.

“There’s no water, just a crazy man,” I said, but he didn’t say anything. He is silently staring at me. He was shocked and scared. He looks pale, too, because he knows I just killed someone, and he is not wrong about it.

“What?” I asked him, but he didn’t answer. He just kept on looking at me. I turned on the engine and left. As if nothing’s happened.