01| private property

Brenda G

__________

In the seventeen years of my existence, I could finally theorise my longtime hypothesis that black lightning or even our superhero flash, had got nothing on me.

You might think I was just bluffing or maybe drunk in stupidity but I had just run from my house, which was miles away, to catch up with Gg, my ultimate best buddy, who was a giant camel. But I failed.

Heavy pants escaped my lips as my fatigued lungs threatened to collapse. My heart was beating in a magnitude that dared to rupture my chest cavity to shreds. If that actually happened I might have probably begged God to let me replace my runaway heart with a rock. Seriously, a cardiac malfunction has become rampant these days, I was just trying to not fall into that hole.

Bending over as I rested my hands on my knees, I tried to catch my breath and steady the rate of my deafening heartbeats. It seemed to be beating a hundred times per minute instead of the normal pace which is seventy-two.

After feeling like I had gotten enough air in my lungs, I figured it wasn't time to dilly dally. I needed to resume my search for Gg.

Now, what could motivate your pet to decide to run out on you? Don't even say maltreatment cause Gg was the only pet I know that got a special treat in everything.

I had not made a step when a roaring gush of tornado sabotaged me. I swiftly covered my eyes with my sweaty palms to shield eyes from the sandy grains transported in the swirling wind. It was as if Pharaoh was about to use me as a sacrifice to the sun goddess so that the love of his life, Nefertiti, could rise from the dead.

When the wind cleared, I decided to trace the camel downtown to the stream. My instincts assured me he must have headed there to have a drink as a normal animal would.

Gg and I had discovered the stream and even though it was written 'Private Property' I never came across a security guard watching over the property.

"Gg!"I shouted his name as I stumbled over rocks.

I probably looked like an escapee of a mental institution. There was a hundred percent chance that my hair had absorbed all the dust and my face was greased with sweat.

As I approached the stream, I spotted camel's footprints which led to a sigh of relief dashing from my mouth. I scanned around and spotted him resting by the stream looking very relaxed.

"Oh, I see Gg!" I sassed and sat beside him on the green grass, "So this is what has become of our relationship? You abandoned me in the middle of nowhere and ran off, leaving me at the mercy of a tornado!" I lamented to the animal who, by the way, didn't bother to look at me once. All he did was wag his short tail to confirm he was indeed listening. He had probably consumed fifty litres of water because when he does that, his mobility becomes limited.

"Well, don't ever run out on me again. For heaven's sake! I thought you got lost" I reprimanded even though there was a slim chance that he gave two fucks about my lectures.

You might be wondering who keeps a camel as a pet, well I did. It never occurred to me that Gg was the closest thing to me until we moved.

Our family loved moving from one place to another and I hated it. Our first move was from California to Sweden, which I thought was probably enough but after three years, we moved again to Denmark.

I loved it in Denmark, made lots of friends and made the place home. Having stayed there for my young teenage life, my family moved again to Britain, a country I had no idea how I was gonna survive.

Even though two months had flown by, I was still in denial that I had to make new friends and adapt to a new lifestyle. It seemed difficult but I knew that I needed to get used to the harsh reality.

I was yet to join the new school so I had not met any person to make a friend with, but the summer vacation was almost over, meaning I was to go to a new school and try to overcome the 'new student syndrome'

Lying on my back, I relaxed on the grassy terrain as the scorching midday sun-kissed my visage, awakening my sweat pores which instantly commenced exuding perspiration. I blinked my eyes shut to shield them from the tormenting rays of the blinding sun.

A wave of breeze from the stream caressed my visage, soothing my scorched skin. A smile tugged at my lips at the relaxing feeling that swam over me. I plucked a blade of grass and commenced chewing on it, leisurely.

The temperatures were accelerating with each passing second and I felt like my body was going to melt any time soon. The roasting heat from the tropical sun compelled me to go for a swim.

In a swift motion, I stripped off my garments, remaining only in my briefs. I thrust into the gently flowing stream of water with a splash and dived under its surface. The cool liquid massaged my tensed muscles, ridding my sore body of sweat and dirt. My head shot up to the surface, to draw some air.

Gg, who was resting by the stream, got all excited upon witnessing my recreational activities. He snorted playfully on my moist face.

"Ewww, " I grimaced and quickly rinsed my face with cool stream water.

A feeling of relaxation ran over my senses, pushing me to dive under the water for a few more seconds. Also, I intended to determine how long I could hold my breath underwater just like my dad taught me before I became an expert swimmer.

No sooner had I dived under, than I felt a strong grip around my waist. I felt my body being yanked out of the stream by an anonymous persona. My eyes were blinded by water hence I couldn't open them yet. The confusion got the better of me about someone being present at the stream since I hadn't seen anyone around the locale.

Oh no, could it be a rapist? Or an abductor? What if it's a psycho serial killer?

Endless questions taunted my brain as the mysterious figure ferried my drenched being from the water.

My legs landed on the dry ground and almost immediately, my eyes shot open. A large hand was surveying my visage, sweeping off the sticky strands of hair from my face. Perhaps, to get a better view of me.

"Suicide is not a solution, dammit!!" He yelled and I froze