Available: Chapter 5 just added.
CHAPTER ONE
IT WAS VERY DARK. Even the new Duracell batteries could not muster enough power to cut through the darkness.
Sophia trembled from head to toe. Thunder cracked the sky and pierced it in long white gashes. In moments, rain poured. She looked back. The car must be a few metres behind her. But in what direction? She could not see anything. The campus must be a further long way back. She did not know how long she had wandered entranced by the gruesomeness of...
Oh, her heart sank. Frank. O, dear Frank. That thing had come upon them at the intersection, landing on the car with an enormous thud that the car skid to a halt and cut all lights and life. Then, Frank had opened the door, fumbling for the torch he usually kept in the glove compartment. He found it, told her not panic; and was stepping out of the car when a great force swooped down with speed and snatched his head off his shoulders. Sophia heard nothing beside a low crunch as bone cut, severing Frank's head from his body. His blood pumped, spreading everywhere. In her horror-stricken stance, Sophia's mouth opened and she gagged on gulps of the hot liquid.
She turned away, spitting, coughing and choking. Frank's torso jerked in different directions, the torch flew out of his hand, hit her window and landed on her lap, before he went limp. Then she also heard the scream of the creature. It was so shrill; she believed it was in her head. After a few agonizing moments, it died down, leaving her exasperated.
Her breathing had not returned to normal. She rummaged through her bag for her phone. The battery was dead. She took a deep breath and searched for Frank's phone. Her hand smeared blood and when it finally closed around the phone, it was thick, and in a pool. It was useless.
She held the torch and reached for the door. Getting out of the car, in a trance, she walked with unsteady steps. Surely, she thought, someone must come by this road and she will get help. She kept on walking, reasoning that the creature could still return for her.
As the rain continued, she dared not turn back, but her steps were laboured and slow. She tried to pray, but no words came to her heart. This must be a dream, she tried to console herself. But, it was real. Real as the new approaching sound of the creature. She turned in that direction, but the darkness did not help. Even the thunder seemed to have moved away, like everything else, except this unreal creature.
She felt the creature land behind her. She was already too scared to be shocked. She just stood, braced herself for the worst, and waited.
Sophia trembled from head to toe. Thunder cracked the sky and pierced it in long white gashes. In moments, rain poured. She looked back. The car must be a few metres behind her. But in what direction? She could not see anything. The campus must be a further long way back. She did not know how long she had wandered entranced by the gruesomeness of...
Oh, her heart sank. Frank. O, dear Frank. That thing had come upon them at the intersection, landing on the car with an enormous thud that the car skid to a halt and cut all lights and life. Then, Frank had opened the door, fumbling for the torch he usually kept in the glove compartment. He found it, told her not panic; and was stepping out of the car when a great force swooped down with speed and snatched his head off his shoulders. Sophia heard nothing beside a low crunch as bone cut, severing Frank's head from his body. His blood pumped, spreading everywhere. In her horror-stricken stance, Sophia's mouth opened and she gagged on gulps of the hot liquid.
She turned away, spitting, coughing and choking. Frank's torso jerked in different directions, the torch flew out of his hand, hit her window and landed on her lap, before he went limp. Then she also heard the scream of the creature. It was so shrill; she believed it was in her head. After a few agonizing moments, it died down, leaving her exasperated.
Her breathing had not returned to normal. She rummaged through her bag for her phone. The battery was dead. She took a deep breath and searched for Frank's phone. Her hand smeared blood and when it finally closed around the phone, it was thick, and in a pool. It was useless.
She held the torch and reached for the door. Getting out of the car, in a trance, she walked with unsteady steps. Surely, she thought, someone must come by this road and she will get help. She kept on walking, reasoning that the creature could still return for her.
As the rain continued, she dared not turn back, but her steps were laboured and slow. She tried to pray, but no words came to her heart. This must be a dream, she tried to console herself. But, it was real. Real as the new approaching sound of the creature. She turned in that direction, but the darkness did not help. Even the thunder seemed to have moved away, like everything else, except this unreal creature.
She felt the creature land behind her. She was already too scared to be shocked. She just stood, braced herself for the worst, and waited.
CHAPTER TWO
SOPHIA WAS TAKEN aback seriously when she heard a voice behind her. For all the gruesomeness of the creature, the voice was so effeminate that she was tilted off balance. She began to relax, realising that it must be a game, but it was not even Halloween, and this was Nigeria.
She started to turn slowly, ready to pounce on the prankster, when the voice hardened into the mind-piercing shrill again.
"This is serious," the voice said. "Frank was taking you to his grand-aunt, a sorceress. There was to be no wedding, there was to be no introduction. Instead, there was going to be a feast, a ritual where the partakers will be bloated by the very meat and blood by which your being still exists."
Her voice shook. "Who are you?"
"Your saviour. I was assigned to watch over you, and remove all forms of danger."
"Thank you," she managed. "But what can I call you? Do you have a name?"
"Call me Shadow, if you must call me something. Just know that it is my duty, and if anything is imminent, dangerous, just relax and think of how to get out of there, because I will swoop down from on high and hack the problem away, characteristically bloody."
"Duty? Who sent you? Who assigned you to me?"
"That, I cannot say." Shadow was breathing. Sophia could hear it, him, her. She was confused. This was inhuman; but, if human, of what gender she should ascribe it, she does not know.
"Is this a joke?"
"Joke?" Once again, the shrill. Sophia noted, that it happens when Shadow is upset. "Ask your late boyfriend's headless body."
“What?” she shivered with fresh fear. It felt like a bottomless spring of fear was dug inside her. Each passing moment redoubled her fright till she starting having fits, on her feet!
Shadow laughed then. It was more like a wicked cackle forced out of a snake. “That was a joke really. But, I am your guardian being. You have nothing to worry about anymore. Like Mary, in the bible, you have been chosen. Not to give birth to any special child, but to marry a man who will hold a special position. In six years, you are going to be the First Lady of this country, and The Bridge wants you to be there to carry out wishes which I will subsequently hand down to you.”
Sophia retched, but nothing spewed forth. Her stomach muscles tightened and strained. A rattling cough raged her body. Exhaustion set it, and she felt herself slipping away. Before she fainted, she heard the last words Shadow uttered.
“Your lecturers and classmates, or the bad boys in school cannot touch you now.”
She heard her name, and it got louder as she awoke from her slumber. She sat up immediately, recalling her ordeal. Frank! She was in Frank’s place. So, it was all a dream. What a dream. Her relief made her laugh. “Frank!” she called out. “Frank!” Where was that bighead? She swung out of bed and walked barefoot around the house, opening doors and slamming them as she called out his name softly.
Yet, no one answered. Frank did not respond. Her fear was returning slowly. She looked outside, and sure enough, the car was there. It was a dream, she reassured herself again. But where was Frank? She opened the front door and walked to the gate.
“Musa,” she called the gateman. “Where Oga?”
“Oga no dey. Priend kwom por early morning carry am go.”
That explains it. She walked back into the house, concluding that she must have had a nightmare. As she entered the bedroom again, her eyes went to the table, and her heart sank.
On it, in the midst of clean white sheets of paper, was Frank’s phone. It was covered in the red colour of human blood.
CHAPTER THREE
SOHPIA TURNED AROUND to grab the door, but it was too far away. So, she stumbled and almost crashed her head into the wall. Suddenly, she was crying, tears streamed down her face, around her cheeks and sipped into her mouth. Phlakk! She spat it out. It tasted like blood. Quickly, she got up and approached the damned phone. There was a strength that surged through her which gave her impetus to stare at the object and prepared her for the worst. Or so she thought. She neared the table, and stretched a hand towards the phone daringly.
Grrrrrrnnnn!
She snatched her hand back and screamed. The phone had suddenly started ringing. She watched it ring and something strange began to happen. As it rang, the blood around the phone seeped off like an internal Hoover sucking out liquid. The keypad cleared, and the screen too. She saw the name of the caller and her heart flew into her mouth again. It was her name. What is really going on? She watched, too dazed to move.
Then it stopped ringing. And she dared to move closer, as if drawn to the weirdness. Who had her phone? Who was playing this prank? Could be friends from school, she reasoned. But the blood she saw sip into the phone… It started ringing again, and she looked. There! Again, it was from her phone. She just watched on, enthralled. A thin line of blood converged into a ball and began rolling towards the Send/Answer Button. On the tenth ring, the ball hovered on the button and spread like it was smashed, at the same time, the phone answered itself.
Her voice came clear on the phone. “Hello? Frank? I’ve been calling your phone for ages…it’s raining here and you’re late.” This conversation was familiar. She had this conversation before Frank came to pick her up. That was the last time she saw Frank. Is she still dreaming? As the crisp monologue continued, she began to walk away. Then she increased her pace and ran out of the room into the spare bedroom, locking the door in a flash.
High winds blew the blinds against the windows and walls like they were being whipped. It started with a hiss, and then gradually increased till it crested into a wicked howl. Though the windows were shut, the blinds rattled on against the wall with a vigorous pomp that also hammered at her heart. Thump! Thump! Thump! This is not happening! This convulsive agony persisted and the room began to spin. This abhorred thralldom was overwhelming and she gave way to it, falling slowly into a faint as sanity and silence returned to the room.
“I’m here now,” the man said. “Everything will be alright.”
Sophia heard the voice, and felt the touch. She opened her eyes slowly and saw a strange man in white, stroking her hand. The man’s eyes shone brightly. His hair was well cut and neat, his fingers manicured. A gold wristwatch split the hairy arm. This man was too smooth. She opened her mouth to speak, and the man saw it and his eyes snapped. They turned icy, like glass, and instantly dissolved again into the friendliest pair of blue eyes she ever saw, as he smiled. The dimples were deep and sexy as well, but she had seen the ice, and suddenly realized that the danger was not over.
She turned away from him, scared that she might be hypnotized by his capricious allurements. The white walls, sheets, fan and television told her she was in a private room of a very expensive hospital. How did I get here? She made to get up but found no strength to do so. The smooth man had turned and walked to a corner telephone. He picked it up and spoke for a few seconds, and then came back to the chair by the bedside. She refused to catch his eyes but saw his movement.
The door opened and a doctor entered. Thank God, Sophia almost uttered. He smiled and motioned her to lay back, relax. She did, but noticed something alarming. This doctor looked exactly like the other man sitting by her bed. The same clean look and smooth manners gave him an almost celestial aura. She felt powerless over his subtle, yet commanding attitude. He moved, sort of glided smoothly like a film of oil on a shiny surface. When he got to her, he hovered above her and she felt 100 volts of electricity go into her body, and she instantly fell asleep.
She woke up in the room to find more people. The first man and the doctor were gone, and she felt stronger, revived actually. Whatever the ‘doctor’ did to her worked. These new people all looked alike. Even the little girl among them possessed the same ethereal look. She had never seen these people in her life before but they doted on her. Something caught her eyes as they saw her awake and began to approach. Behind them, conspicuously significant was a very dark man with clean-shaven head. Light bounced off his shiny head and seemed to spread across the room. While others seemed friendly, he remained aloof, staring at nothing. Then he turned and caught her eye. She flinched! Could that be Shadow?
“How are you doing, my dear?” The woman who asked her this question had the looks of a model, but her eyes oscillated from icy cold to friendly blue. Sophia nodded, a thousand questions raging in her head. What sort of dream is this? I want to wake up, I want to wake up!
“But you are awake already,” said the little girl. Sophia turned in shock. She read my mind! “My name is Ella,” the girl continued, and handed her a pink rose.
The fragrance filled her senses instantly, and the effect was exhilarating. She felt high, light-headed. “Thank you.”
The little girl nodded and ran into the arms of the model-woman – her mother. Who are these people? She stopped herself instantly. They could read her mind, at least the little girl did. Her eyes darted back to where the dark man was. He had moved towards the door, where he was now talking to a familiar person. Sophia strained from her bed, struggling to stay with them and see who he was talking to. Soon, they were done talking and the dark man left the room. As if on cue, the others said their goodbyes and began to leave.
The familiar face turned out to be one of her lecturers, Professor Winnie Harris. They never saw eye to eye, but on this day, the woman was charming and friendly. They were alone. She stood close to Sophia, still smiling but delivered a low verbal that belied her countenance. “You’re very lucky. They decided to cut short your troubles. I tell them you are not prepared to carry out this task, but they won’t listen to me. I tell them I know you better than they do, but they won’t budge. I see you everyday, I watch you all the time. I know you better than I know myself. Yet, they won’t just listen!”
Sophia’s eyes held questions.
Winnie was still smiling. “They are in a hurry. The success of what we planned for many years rests on your incapable shoulders. I see you messing things up. And when you do, I will be at your doorstep, giving you so much torment that what you have seen so far will seem like a day at the park. Be warned!” And with that, she was gone.
Sophia had always been at logger heads with her. Now she understood why there was so much acrimony between them. How long have these people, whoever they are, been watching? Where was Frank? Was he really dead? Why was there no relative of hers here? Where is her best friend, Ekanem? Where were the real people?
The door opened and the doctor walked in. “I am here.” He glided swiftly to her side and put on his best. “You must be exhausted from all those relatives of yours. You’re a lucky girl.”
That was the second time in five minutes! “What do you mean by that?” Sophia found her voice. The doctor looked at her, not alarmed even for a beat.
“When you were brought in here, my colleagues wrote you off saying you were beyond salvage. But you briefly opened your eyes and I saw hope in them. I also saw fear. I love the look of fear in the eyes of my patients. It paves the way for gratitude and appreciation when their troubles are taken care of.”
Who were these people? “Where am I?”
He laughed. “A private hospital.”
“Who brought me here?”
He looked at her in disbelief. “You don’t remember anything?” She shook her head. “Okay. Your fiancée brought you here.”
“My what?”
“Your fiancé, Frank Etuk brought you here.”
This was music to her ears, and she instantly felt better. So, all the other stuff had been dreams? She sprang forward and hugged the doctor. She was beside herself. She began to sing. Her voice took on a celestial pitch. The doctor just watched, amused for a few minutes and stood up to go.
“Wait!” She pleaded. “Don’t go.”
“Why?”
“I want to tell you some things…” She was totally in high spirits, but did not miss the flash in his eyes. The icy cold to friendly blue switch happened in a fraction of a second. But she did not miss it. And with that, all the joy she felt disappeared and it its place, fear returned slowly but steadily.
“Yes?”
“Never mind,” she declined. “I just didn’t want to be alone.”
He looked at her. She wondered if he believed her. Then she added: “Did Frank say when he was coming back?”
“He didn’t,” the doctor said slowly but with a finality that meant the question was irrelevant. He stood up to leave. Sophia saw a paper sticking out if his breast pocket. Something drew her to it. She needed to see what was on it, her mind told her.
So, she stood up and gave the doctor another hug, this time, she went a step further and kissed his lips. His composure fell apart. This was unexpected, and it was at that time that Sophia carefully retrieved the paper from his pocket. He turned instantly and the paper fell from her hand. He did not notice and sort of stumbled towards the door. She put a foot over the paper to hide it from him. When the door closed, she bent down to pick it and froze as the door opened again.
The doctor stood by the door, an embarrassing look on his face and saw Sophia crouched on the floor. “What are you doing?”
“I-er-em-aerobics,” Sophia said, not moving. “Have not done them in ages and I feel my joints stiff…”
“Ok,” he said and closed the door back again.
Sophia picked the paper up and discovered it was a photograph. It was unbelievable. It was ghastly as it was gruesome. The head was well separated from the rest of the body. But for the sake of this photograph, both parts were brought together to form a bloody mosaic. Though the head and face was covered in deep crimson, the features were recognizable enough to make her scream her lungs out. She threw the photograph away and it fluttered around the room and came to rest on the bed, face up. It was Frank!
CHAPTER FOUR
THE POLICEMAN LOOKED LIKE EDDIE MURHPY. Low cut, clean-shaven, moustache, and unbelievable white teeth. But his name was Segun. He did not give his last name, or his rank. As he wrote in his little notebook, Sophia saw that his trimmed nails were painted black. The uniform fit him nicely. When he was done writing, he turned to her.
“When was the last time you saw Frank?”
“I-“, she started saying something, but stopped. If Frank was dead as she saw in the picture, then she must have witnessed it. But how was she going to convince a policeman that a creature dropped from the sky and chopped Frank’s head off? Worse still, that this creature had a name and could speak? It was surreal. Better to play safe.
She smiled at the detective. “I was waiting for him at my place. We had a date, but he never showed up. So, I went to his house to look for him, but he was not there, and I sort of fainted and the next thing I knew, I was here surrounded by some strange people.”
“What?” Segun raised an eyebrow. Waving it off, he continued, “Are you aware that you are pregnant?”
She felt her breath almost go. What?
“Yes, you are pregnant. And you were having these things, em – hallucinations. You see things, you scream, and point at non-existent things. You have imaginary conversations. None of which you can substantiate. You may have done some terrible things and then you turn around and attribute them to someone else, or blame it on an out of body experience.”
Sophia almost screamed again. “What are you talking about?”
“You had an argument with Frank about the baby. You wanted an abortion, but he wanted you to keep it. So, you took some pills and he found out, he was enraged. In your argument, you shoved him, he slapped you and you flew into a rage and used a metal object to hit him on the head. He did not die immediately. You were in the kitchen of his house. You watched him as he bled, doing nothing. Probably feeding off his blood. We found samples of his blood in your mouth.
“Then, when he finally slumped, you went outside, took the gateman’s machete and axe. You cut his head completely from his neck.”
“Stop it!”
“Being the psycho that you are, you even took a picture of him, which you keep under your pillow. Are you going to plead insanity and go free? This is Nigeria. You will hang for this. I will see to that. I will be spending every minute here with you until the doctor says you can stand up in court. You won’t even need a lawyer. There is so much evidence that the case will only take as long as they are all admitted. A few minutes and you will pay for that gruesome crime. You think because you have people in high places, you can do as you please? It is the end of the road for you.”
This was another dream. This policeman’s English was too good. Can’t be happening. Pregnant? Did she kill Frank? How? When? The detective must have been reading a lot of Agatha Christie’s novels, and thinks he is Hercule Poirot. She could not harm Frank, no? She loved him, yes?. And while having a baby is not what she wants now, it would be a thing of joy. What was Segun talking about?
“Look detective,” she began, shocked at the strength and calm in her voice. “I did not kill Frank. I went to his place and found-“
“Then explain the photograph you have under your pillow.”
“A man that was in here dropped it. A doctor?”
A knock sounded on the door. It opens and a woman with low cut and bright eyes entered. Segun turns around. “Good day, Dr. Silva.”
“Good day, detective,” Dr. Silva was amiable. “But I don’t need you around my patient. She needs to rest. I have arranged a chair for you outside the door.”
“Who are you?” Sophia asked.
Dr. Silva looked at her, then at Segun. Turning back to her, but speaking to Segun, she looked deeply concerned. “Detective, I need you to leave the room now please.”
Segun left reluctantly. Sophia grabbed the woman’s coat. “Please, you have to help me. They say I am pregnant and that I killed my boyfriend. I did not do any such thing. I am not even pregnant!”
The doctor shook her head, knowingly. “You are pregnant, my dear.”
“What?”
The sound of paper tearing drew her attention. A syringe was filling up with some yellow liquid. An injection was being prepared. No! She was not going to let that happen. “What is that for? I am fine.”
“Just to help you relax. Turn on your side so I can administer this.”
Sophia turned slightly. The doctor pulled down her pyjamas and Sophia felt a wet cotton wool rub against her flesh, and the subsequent cool feeling.
It was time!
Sophia turned with swiftness and caught the doctor smack on the head with her elbow. Dr. Silva fell down without a sound. The syringe flew out of her hand and pierced the pillow. Sophia got up and pulled her unconscious body into the bathroom. She changed into the doctor’s clothes, but her hair was long. And the detective was outside the door. She looked around, and went to the pillow. She removed the syringe and sniffed at the liquid. It was foul and powerful, definitely a tranquiliser.
She held it like a weapon and tiptoed to the door. She opened it slightly and said, “Please come in, detective.”
Instantly, Segun entered and seeing the empty bed turned in surprise. He did not see the syringe coming down, as she stabbed him in the neck and in one flourish emptied the contents into his body. He crumpled to the floor, the look of surprise never leaving his face. Sophia locked the door, and went through his pockets. She found a phone, some money and the little notebook he was writing on.
She flipped it open and went from one page to the next. It was empty. Nothing was written on them. She looked at the detective again and saw the painted nails. What kind of policeman would paint his nails black? Then from the spot where she stabbed him, she saw that he was bleeding. But what alarmed her was the tattoo of a bridge over some turbulent water. It was weird. She had seen that before in this room. If Segun is one of them, then she must get out of this place now!
She peered down the hallway and saw a few people sitting on a bench outside a room two doors down. A lit sign said ‘EXIT’ at the end to her left. She slipped out of the room, locking the door, she put the key in her pocket and walked briskly towards the sign. She descended a flight of stairs only to discover she was on the 12th floor of the building. Where was the lift? She saw it, or heard it as it dinged and opened. Two women entered and as it was closing, Sophia rushed towards it, but stopped. Already in the lift were the smooth doctor and the dark man. They are here! She checked and saw that the lift was going up.
In a few seconds, they will be on the next floor, and under a minute they would meet the locked door and spend a few more minutes opening it. It was a smart thing locking it after all. She turned towards the stairs and took them three or four at a time, almost bumping into people on her way down. Her heart was pounding as she cleared the last floor and found herself at the reception. The receptionists and a few nurses looked her way, but she avoided them and ran out through the revolving doors into the parking lot. What next? A woman with two kids was getting out of her car. Sophia waited for the right moment to move. Then out of the corner of her eyes she saw them. The smooth doctor and the dark man emerged through the revolving doors looking around for her.
She ducked slightly out of sight, and crouching, moved towards the woman, who had her kids out by now. They turned in shock to see Sophia. She grabbed the woman and hit her against the car. She fainted immediately. The kids were wide-eyed as she entered the car and started the engine.
“My Barbie,” the little girl screamed.
Sophia turned and saw the blonde-doll at the back. She grabbed it and threw it at the girl. “I’m sorry.” And she was gone.
CHAPTER FIVE
SOPHIA DROVE MADLY for 10 minutes, in no particular direction, but away from the hospital. At a T-junction, she instinctively swung right, the car obeying every touch and surge from the powerful engine. She also had to rely on the brakes as she suddenly had to slam on them – the car a mere inch or two from an antique faded white 504 ahead.
There was a jam ahead; cars crawled to a stop, as motorcycles flew past recklessly on both sides. She glanced in the mirror, and saw cars turning away to take a detour. She engaged to reverse and braced to move when the car suddenly stalled. Returning the gear to neutral, she started the engine again, revved, but as she made to reverse, it stalled again.
What the hell, she muttered. Am I still dreaming? She felt a little ease as the traffic moved for a few seconds. Only a few seconds. Then, without warning, the sky opened, weighed down by the heavy clouds as rain poured around, beating hard on the roof and the windshield. She cursed again and fiddled with the lever to get the wiper started. She heard a swoosh-swoosh, but the wipers stayed put, only jerking a micro-inch for a micro-second like a pair of severed limbs ebbing away lifeless. She caught herself before cursing, choosing instead to draw in deep breaths for relaxation. It calmed her down, but movement was still at a standstill.
Look for ways to relax, she told herself. How? She looked around and saw a few magazines on the backseat. On the cover of one was a popular musician. She smiled and bent over to pick it up, but it was all wet – and useless. She threw it back on the seat and turned to look at the dashboard. She found out there was a stereo. This discovery gave her a momentary lift. She turned it on and found a popular FM station. Sweet music filled the car, and Sophia found herself truly relaxing for the first time.
She closed her eyes and even started humming along, even if off-key. This was better than the nightmare she had been in. Her soothed mind began to clear and hints of sleep crept into her system. She shook her head clear. It was dangerous to fall asleep – even more dangerous to dream! But the more she fought it, the deeper the sleep, until she gave up and let it envelope her, slipping into a dream.
Sophia heard a voice, a familiar sinister rattle that sent cold rabbits through her body. It was Shadow’s voice! She was tied to stakes stark naked. Through swollen eyes, she saw a huge fire burning a few feet away. She heard the twigs crackle as the flames reached towards the dark sky in bright orange tongues. Her body was battered, for she was unable to feel her parts. She managed to turn her head slightly to the left, where Shadow spat out words that looked to condemn her to this live cremation process.
“She is cursed, “and has killed many,” he said. He held papers heaping up to a hundred pages in thickness, and appeared to be reading her charges and judgement in one breath. “Her methods are nothing short of gruesome. With this axe,” he retrieved a shiny short, which blade was browned with dry blood - eliciting shouts from the mob, which suddenly looked alike to her – “she chops up her victims into equal sizes of five kilogrammes with the precision of a machine…” As he spoke, Sophia caught his eyes and realised he was not reading from the papers, but laying bare the activities of his group. The evil group that has been chasing her, and making up these gory stories about her.
Shadow went on trumping, whipping the crowd into frenzy. They began to scream and haul objects at her. An over-ripe pawpaw, the size of a human head, was hurled at her. Tilting her head, she caught it square on her face as it smashed all over, lodging in her eyes, nose and eyes. Ingeniously, Sophia had caught a huge chunk in her mouth, and it was this part she started chewing out of hunger.
The mob marvelled at this, and the howl stopped for a beat. The pelting stopped as a little boy brought another fruit to her and squeezed it into her open mouth. Seeing this act prompted more people to surge forward, scrambling to feed the condemned woman. Shadow realised the danger; that this could arouse pity and lead the mob to set her free. He tried in vain to get them to stay away and return to the initial course of execution. They rushed past him like a drove of cattle heading for an oasis in the desert!
Sophia turned left and right, and shut her mouth and eyes as the people pushed their items into her face. She kept an eye open and followed Shadow’s movement. She clearly saw what he did.
The little boy was stumbling away from the surge, towards the back when he got to where the man now stood, a few feet from the raging fire. The man looked about, seeing no one paid him any attention, he grabbed the boy. Oh no! Sophia knew what was coming. The man glared at her, baring fang-like teeth in a satisfactory grin, and swiftly swept the boy off his feet and into the fire!
The boy’s last scream pierced the din and caused most of them to stop and stare in shock. A woman keeled over and began wailing uncontrollably. Shadow winked at Sophia before he turned to speak. He knew he had their attention now. “This is typical of her,” he pointed out. “Everywhere she goes there is death – gruesome at its finest and downright hellish at its worst. Show her mercy at your peril. Perish her before she possesses and torments you all.” He bent to pick the woman up.
Sophia saw the hatred return in the eyes of the crowd. Once again, the friendly crowd have become an angry mob. The man picked the wailing woman and delivered the rest of his speech slowly but effectively.
“She must return whence she came.”
“Yeah!” the mob responded.
He went on. “I was paid by her victims’ families to track her down, but now I’ll return the fee and gladly banish this evil for free!”
“Yeah!” The crowd now fully galvanized into the act.
“The more she suffers, the less pain we’ll feel and the more difficult it is for her to return. So, take your time. Let everyone grab a burning twig and slowly burn her skin till she dies!”
They picked up tiwgs, one by one.
“But remember, it must be slow.”
Sophia began to scream. She felt energy surge through her and she jerked at the stakes, and the ropes snapped, broke and she woke up in the car!
“…The slower the better,” the voice continued. Sophia was relieved, but her heart hammered dangerously. Where was the voice coming from? “I know you can hear me. You think it is over?” It was coming from the radio. She punched it off and pondered the dream she just had.
Then she heard horns, loud and of different pitches and tones. The line ahead had moved and she was blocking traffic behind her. Some people were already knocking on her window in anger. She apologised and started the car, but it won’t start. Some volunteered to push the car, but the car had an automatic gear system. She thought about dumping the car and began to climb out. On instinct, she turned back, and surely, less than twenty metres from the car was Shadow and the other man. They had found her.
Sophia summoned energy, and fled, yet again.
SOPHIA DROVE MADLY for 10 minutes, in no particular direction, but away from the hospital. At a T-junction, she instinctively swung right, the car obeying every touch and surge from the powerful engine. She also had to rely on the brakes as she suddenly had to slam on them – the car a mere inch or two from an antique faded white 504 ahead.
There was a jam ahead; cars crawled to a stop, as motorcycles flew past recklessly on both sides. She glanced in the mirror, and saw cars turning away to take a detour. She engaged to reverse and braced to move when the car suddenly stalled. Returning the gear to neutral, she started the engine again, revved, but as she made to reverse, it stalled again.
What the hell, she muttered. Am I still dreaming? She felt a little ease as the traffic moved for a few seconds. Only a few seconds. Then, without warning, the sky opened, weighed down by the heavy clouds as rain poured around, beating hard on the roof and the windshield. She cursed again and fiddled with the lever to get the wiper started. She heard a swoosh-swoosh, but the wipers stayed put, only jerking a micro-inch for a micro-second like a pair of severed limbs ebbing away lifeless. She caught herself before cursing, choosing instead to draw in deep breaths for relaxation. It calmed her down, but movement was still at a standstill.
Look for ways to relax, she told herself. How? She looked around and saw a few magazines on the backseat. On the cover of one was a popular musician. She smiled and bent over to pick it up, but it was all wet – and useless. She threw it back on the seat and turned to look at the dashboard. She found out there was a stereo. This discovery gave her a momentary lift. She turned it on and found a popular FM station. Sweet music filled the car, and Sophia found herself truly relaxing for the first time.
She closed her eyes and even started humming along, even if off-key. This was better than the nightmare she had been in. Her soothed mind began to clear and hints of sleep crept into her system. She shook her head clear. It was dangerous to fall asleep – even more dangerous to dream! But the more she fought it, the deeper the sleep, until she gave up and let it envelope her, slipping into a dream.
Sophia heard a voice, a familiar sinister rattle that sent cold rabbits through her body. It was Shadow’s voice! She was tied to stakes stark naked. Through swollen eyes, she saw a huge fire burning a few feet away. She heard the twigs crackle as the flames reached towards the dark sky in bright orange tongues. Her body was battered, for she was unable to feel her parts. She managed to turn her head slightly to the left, where Shadow spat out words that looked to condemn her to this live cremation process.
“She is cursed, “and has killed many,” he said. He held papers heaping up to a hundred pages in thickness, and appeared to be reading her charges and judgement in one breath. “Her methods are nothing short of gruesome. With this axe,” he retrieved a shiny short, which blade was browned with dry blood - eliciting shouts from the mob, which suddenly looked alike to her – “she chops up her victims into equal sizes of five kilogrammes with the precision of a machine…” As he spoke, Sophia caught his eyes and realised he was not reading from the papers, but laying bare the activities of his group. The evil group that has been chasing her, and making up these gory stories about her.
Shadow went on trumping, whipping the crowd into frenzy. They began to scream and haul objects at her. An over-ripe pawpaw, the size of a human head, was hurled at her. Tilting her head, she caught it square on her face as it smashed all over, lodging in her eyes, nose and eyes. Ingeniously, Sophia had caught a huge chunk in her mouth, and it was this part she started chewing out of hunger.
The mob marvelled at this, and the howl stopped for a beat. The pelting stopped as a little boy brought another fruit to her and squeezed it into her open mouth. Seeing this act prompted more people to surge forward, scrambling to feed the condemned woman. Shadow realised the danger; that this could arouse pity and lead the mob to set her free. He tried in vain to get them to stay away and return to the initial course of execution. They rushed past him like a drove of cattle heading for an oasis in the desert!
Sophia turned left and right, and shut her mouth and eyes as the people pushed their items into her face. She kept an eye open and followed Shadow’s movement. She clearly saw what he did.
The little boy was stumbling away from the surge, towards the back when he got to where the man now stood, a few feet from the raging fire. The man looked about, seeing no one paid him any attention, he grabbed the boy. Oh no! Sophia knew what was coming. The man glared at her, baring fang-like teeth in a satisfactory grin, and swiftly swept the boy off his feet and into the fire!
The boy’s last scream pierced the din and caused most of them to stop and stare in shock. A woman keeled over and began wailing uncontrollably. Shadow winked at Sophia before he turned to speak. He knew he had their attention now. “This is typical of her,” he pointed out. “Everywhere she goes there is death – gruesome at its finest and downright hellish at its worst. Show her mercy at your peril. Perish her before she possesses and torments you all.” He bent to pick the woman up.
Sophia saw the hatred return in the eyes of the crowd. Once again, the friendly crowd have become an angry mob. The man picked the wailing woman and delivered the rest of his speech slowly but effectively.
“She must return whence she came.”
“Yeah!” the mob responded.
He went on. “I was paid by her victims’ families to track her down, but now I’ll return the fee and gladly banish this evil for free!”
“Yeah!” The crowd now fully galvanized into the act.
“The more she suffers, the less pain we’ll feel and the more difficult it is for her to return. So, take your time. Let everyone grab a burning twig and slowly burn her skin till she dies!”
They picked up tiwgs, one by one.
“But remember, it must be slow.”
Sophia began to scream. She felt energy surge through her and she jerked at the stakes, and the ropes snapped, broke and she woke up in the car!
“…The slower the better,” the voice continued. Sophia was relieved, but her heart hammered dangerously. Where was the voice coming from? “I know you can hear me. You think it is over?” It was coming from the radio. She punched it off and pondered the dream she just had.
Then she heard horns, loud and of different pitches and tones. The line ahead had moved and she was blocking traffic behind her. Some people were already knocking on her window in anger. She apologised and started the car, but it won’t start. Some volunteered to push the car, but the car had an automatic gear system. She thought about dumping the car and began to climb out. On instinct, she turned back, and surely, less than twenty metres from the car was Shadow and the other man. They had found her.
Sophia summoned energy, and fled, yet again.
