Adamu is only 10 years but, he feels like he is 20.

He wondered if there were other kids his age who felt the same way.

After losing his father, he was forced to grow up quickly because his mother was sick and had since been abandoned because she married a man from the northern part of Nigeria. It was rare, although it shouldn’t have been, to find an Ibo woman married to a Hausa man. His mother told him her family disowned her but Adamu couldn’t comprehend why humans failed to see humans. It made no sense to him.

“Only Chike saw. Only Chike remembered me.” His mom would always say.

Adamu had met Chike, his uncle, only once before he traveled to Canada. Uncle Chike , seemed different. He was unlike other relatives who despised his mother. Maybe going to Canada shaped his outlook on life but there was something about him. Something that felt human and nice.

Adamu hoped his uncle was okay. He had been trying to call him since his mother became ill but uncle Chike never responded.

Adamu looked at the time. He needed to get home to make his mother dinner. He had become her primary care giver. He walked briskly and tripped on what felt like a rope. The noticed a cut on his left ankle.

What just happened?

He began to lose consciousness and fell into a deep sleep. By the time Adamu opened his eyes, the world he knew had disappeared.

*****

How can dogs be fed to dogs? The smell was putrid but the dogs ate vociferously as they devoured what was left of their own.

As the dogs ate, Vivian couldn’t help but think what her fate would be. She had been in captive for 2 years now. Her family has been extorted as they scrambled to crowd fund to pay for her release.

She was only 17 years old. She once read a blog post where the writer talked about how dog eat dog was humans projecting their worst selves onto innocent animals.

But would a dog eat another dog under normal circumstances? This was the thought she preoccupied herself with before the door opened and the captors brought in a child around the age of 9 or 10 years old. The boy was sleeping. Vivian pretended to be fast asleep.

Another prey had just been caught. She watched the new victim toss and turn in his sleep. Sometimes, he muttered “mama”. He must love his mother so much, Vivian thought.

Hours later, the boy woke up screaming mama from his sleep. The scene was unfamiliar. He saw skinny dogs at a corner. He looked confused as Vivian said “hi”.

“Where am I?” He asked.

“It’s called the point of no return.” Vivian said.

“Oh God, mama. I need to feed her. Mama hasn’t eaten.”

“I assume you’re talking about your mother. Forget about her. You may never see here again.”

The boy looked surprised.

“You see those dogs over there? The abductors intentionally starve and feed them the remains of others to remind us that dog eat dog. They will milk our loved ones dry.”

“But mama…”

“Forget your mother. I forgot, or rather, tried to forget mine.”

She looked at Adamu, though she didn’t know his name and asked:

“What happened to humanity?”