The Shadows ✔️ [TSS#3][BXB]

XXXIII

When we got back to the camp, the damage was brutal. There was nothing but ash from where tents were burnt to the ground. Bodies both burned, some mangled while few hung from trees near the edge of the forest.

I had to stop and puke upon seeing the first body hanging, a woman with her feet cut off. A saying goes that this was to prevent souls walking peacefully in the afterlife.

After I emptied the contents of my stomach into a nearby bush, I swayed on my feet slightly before continuing on, ignoring Bow's worried pale expression.

Looking out into the place I once called home, I felt a hand fall on my shoulder. I look up at my father to see him smiling a sad smile down at me before turning around to the Dry Landers behind him.

"Well, What are you all standing around for?" He questions gruffly.

"We have a home to start rebuilding and unless you all want to sleep under the stars tonight, I suggest you make a start."

Some Dry Landers nod in understanding while others voiced there understanding with 'yes sir' and began moving forward and picking up tasks.

I went along and joined some Dry Landers who made it their job to shovel the ash from the ground. One of the Dry Landers eyed me hesitantly as he hands me a shovel but says nothing as I begin shovelling.

"You okay to shovel?" He asks from behind me when I wince bringing my broken wrist around the handle of the shovel.

"Yeah." I state not looking back as I bring the shovel down to gather ash, when I get most onto the shovel I put most of my weight on my good hand as I try to lift it up resulting in my hand shaking with the weight and most of the ash falling off the shovel.

"Here." The Dry Lander sighs from behind me and I turn around with a raised brow to see him holding a broom in his outstretched hand.

"If you want to help, use this. Otherwise you're pretty useless to be honest." He states and I exhale, taking the broom from him and handing him the shovel.

I sweep in silence as he shovels large amounts of ash into buckets for other men to dump at the edge of the forest. Soon, it began to get dark and I shook out my hand as it ached. The Dry Lander eyed me as he shovelled ash into the bucket.

"Take a break if it hurts too much." He says loudly for me to hear but I ignore him and keep sweeping. He sighs at this and I didn't realise until he was taking the broom out of my hand.

I look up at him with narrowed eyes and go to reach for the broom.

"Hey I'm fine ok? give it back."

"I told you to take a break." He moves closer to me in a threatening stance, narrowed dark brown eyes.

"So take a break."

"Actually, you said take a break if it hurts too much. It doesn't hurt so I don't need to take a break. Now give me back the fucking broom."

"Little.." He mutters under his breath before reaching forward and squeezing my cast making me cry out as tears of pain come to my eyes.

"Hurts now doesn't it?" He questions down at me and I grit my teeth up at him about to push him off when he suddenly lets go and backs off, taking my broom with me.

"Go rest Keylin." He says over his shoulder and I was too blind with anger to hear that he said my name as I stomp over to him and yank the broom from his hold.

"No." I grit as he turns around with wild eyes and I grip the broom tightly in my hands. He rolls his eyes at me.

"Whatever, go break your wrist."