All while I am hiding, I am thinking on why Enyemaka is lying to me and telling me that there is oasis when there is no oasis and I am thinking that Enyemaka is not caring for me, only pretending to be caring for me and caring what is happening to me. And now even in forest I am starting to be feeling cold and alone because everyone is lying to me and no one is caring for me and I am thinking this is maybe mistake in how I am being made that I am wishing someone is caring for me. Part of me is just wanting to give up and let Enyemaka use me for what she is wanting. But other part of me, bigger part of me, is remembering what I am hearing from Uzodinma and Oluwale and what we are saying to each other about making my own future and being my own person.

I realize I am hearing nothing.

Not even chirping of bird and grunting of shorthorn. Why am I hearing nothing?

Then I am smelling it. Fire.

First I am smelling it, then I am hearing it—the crackle and the pop and the rustle and the crackle again—then I am seeing it. By the time I am seeing it, it is wall of fire where I am facing. I am running the other way, but the air is being clear for only a few moment before it is being filled with smoke again. I am turning every way and running but I am finding no clear air anywhere, and even though I am not coughing I am feeling damage happening to my lungs and the other parts inside me. Water is building in my eyes to protect them.

I am looking and looking, then I am finding tree with thick trunk and I am leaping up to be climbing it. And I am climbing and climbing then jumping to other tree and climbing then, when I am reaching top of that tree, I am jumping to next tree and climbing until I get to the very top and can see far far far in the forest, so far in the forest that I am seeing where it is ending and Redland is beginning.

Everywhere there is fire. Everywhere in front of me, everywhere behind me.

I am smelling sulfur, and I am thinking maybe this is part of fire, but then I am remembering other time when I am smelling sulfur like this, and then I am falling from tree because my body is shaking and I am no longer controlling it.