Chapter 7
Dragged Through the Steaming Gate
The little fear that sprouted in Gladys' heart when she entered the compound dried off as she entered the parlor.
Her work at RexusHerbs as the Managing Director had exposed her to a lot of herbs, so she could attest to the fact that most of the flowers and herbs Stella planted outside her house were many of those her company rarely had access to. Even the few they had access to were gotten at expensive prices, all of which the Indians working with them referred to as the plants of the witches.
However, entering the house to meet a nice grey-painted, highly-decorated parlor, made her fear deplete. Looking about ravenously, she wondered what more one would need. The parlor contained everything that could make one comfortable in life.
The moment she entered Kojo Dray Close, Stella's house was the first to catch her attention. Kojo Dray was said to be the most expensive close in Black Town because of the wealth of the pioneer of the street. It was a huge house and it spelt money. Though the street was busy, her house looked secluded from the others.
'Sit What would you like to drink?' Stella said in her motherly manner. 'How was work today?'
'Don't bother ma, work was fine. How was your work too today?'
Then, it occurred to Gladys that she had never ever considered trying to find out what Stella did for a living. At least one ought to have a good knowledge of his or her mentor. In fact, it wouldn't be a good thing to hear that she didn't know what her mentor did for a living.
'Are you fasting?'
'Yes ma'.

'Then, I break your fast right now. How will you fast when you know you would come visiting?'
'Err Ma, technically, I'm an invited guest'.
'And that's the main reason you must eat something'.
Stella left to get her something to eat. Her beautiful wide gown had pictures of two beautiful flowers on them. Gladys tried to remember their names. She had seen them in one of those books those Indians brought about witch herbs. They had to bring the book to teach the company about rare herbs during their company's workshop. But she couldn't remember their names.
When she sighted it at a corner, Gladys went over to the parrot's cage and played with it. But, what she saw scared her. A dead raven laid in the same cage as the parrot. That should have only raised sympathy from her; instead, it raised premonitions in her heart.
'Oh! That', Stella said dismissively as she placed a tray containing a carton of Hollandia juice, and a packet of biscuit, in front of her. 'Don't mind, Jiggs. The Raven is its award'.
Jiggs clicked excitedly and whistled Stella's reply.
Wide-eyed and holding her breathe, Gladys walked slowly to her chair. Her sleeveless blue straight gown suddenly became useless because right there she needed a jacket to cover the hair that was raising on her arm.
'It's a dummy', Stella whispered.
Gladys released her breathe, sighed and burst into laughter. 'Why?'
'Why does it look like that?'
She nodded.
'I had to paint it and make it think it had won a price. Jiggs likes to win'.
Gladys laughed again in the realization that she was afraid for nothing for the second time. She sat, relaxed, as she glanced from side to side to see the different paintings and picture frames hanged on the wall. One of the paintings was that of a woman, who was being set ablaze. She saw Stella's picture, her late husband's own, and some paintings with no serious value to her recognition.
'How's Bro. Japheth's progress?' She asked. The curiosity had been biting the top of her mind for close to a month, she kept it to herself.
'You just deemed it fit to ask me after his fourth week of learning with me, well done'.
'I'm sorry'.

'For what? But he's growing anyway'.
They sat and began to gist on different topics as if they were opening pages of the Bible, expounding it on the go. Along the way, Stella gave her a lot of advice on spiritual matters.
'So, Gladys, when you came to celebrate the new year with me, there were a lot of people here preventing me from doing what I wanted to do today for you', Stella said as she sat upright in her seat. Her gown curled around her body as if it was her baby and it needed her cuddling. 'I've seen your desire to have this power. You want to see the raw power. You want to be in the system'.
'Yes, ma. I feel alienated. I feel drawn to the spiritual, but I'm not getting a grasp of it. I want to feel the power of God. To have the ability to touch the realms of the spirit', she replied as her mind wandered to the pictures on the wall. How could someone as powerful as this not have children of her own?
Stella nodded. 'You're right. You haven't been able to reach realms, which our fathers have reached, and it can be devastating'.
Gladys nodded. Her desire was to have more of everything. She had the ability to visualize things in the spiritual realm, and would want more of God, and of such ability. It made people know one was closer to God. Despite the fact that God can make one suffer even with his power, she still wanted to have a grasp of the hot power. Gladys was using a hearing aid despite serving God faithfully, while Stella remained barren. But she was sure that if she got the power, she would have the ability the fathers of old had.
'I have what you need. You don't need to climb the mountains the fathers climbed. You have the knowledge they never had. God is not a fiction, and you're not worthless', Stella said as she rose from her chair and stretched her hand. 'Follow me, let me take you into my prayer room Are you ready to be like Jacob?'
Gladys's heart warmed. Her excitement level spiked. Her eyes roved over the flowers that patterned Stella's cloth and she failed to remember their names again. Forgetting about those flowers made her angry at herself. She took her hand and rose.

'When we enter that room, we would be there for three days, praying like our fathers. We won't see the sun until youre filled and fulfilled'.
Gladys didn't plan for that. She had work to do. She stared into Stella's eyes, and shook her head.
'Can we plan this tomorrow?'
'You only have the weekend to yourself, remember? You will have to wait till next week to do this again'.
She hurriedly calculated next week. Her mother's birthday fell on Saturday, the next week, so there was no way she could possibly miss it. It would mean war. She was sure her mother would call everybody to report her and accuse her of dishonoring her. More so, how would it be to live in her valley of dry bones for another week, when she could easily get an army there and then?
'Okay. But I have to call my mother to tell her I wouldnt be available until Monday'.
Stella nodded, and Gladys called her mother, who was curious about why she would just go off the radar for three days without even calling her. They argued for a while, and the matter died. Even if it didn't the woman mustn't be a hindrance to her glory.
'Do you know that one lawyer mysteriously would soon give these girlswhat're their names?' Her mother said and tried to get the names.
'Tracey?'
'Yes o. That was how I saw Joana coming to praise God in my room that a lawyer came and said he was interested in helping in the eviction of those girls'.
'What was ', she said and kept quiet as it occurred to her that Mr. Akanni's hand was involved. Was he that desperate?
'That woman is really serving God. I fear her'.
'Yes ma'.

Afterwards, she switched off her phone and turned to give Stella a stiff smile. Mr. Akanni was really terrible. How could she live with such a man?
After the call, Stella guided her towards the farthest part of the room. The neatness of the house intrigued her. That was one advantage of not having babies. The house looked new as if Stella barely walked within it, but those were frivolities. King Solomon called those vanities; yet, he enjoyed life than anybody on earth.
'I'm taking you to the place I touch heavens and make the earth shake. It is here I shake the foundation of the power with which we use to minister'.
Gladys' interest was piqued. Her eyes lit with hope. She had been a Christian for most parts of her life; yet, everything seemed awkward and plain. She always wished for God to give her more and had fasted and prayed, but all she got was just a glimpse of this power. She wanted to deal with sickness and make demons tremble. She wanted to see visions like others. Although her spirit connected with visions more than before, she needed more. Power so real, that others would see it ooze out of her.

Stella fiddled with a lock for a while, opened a trapdoor, and gestured for her to enter. Gladys looked at her in fear of the darkness, but Stella smiled reassuringly. Stella nodded as she climbed down the first step. Then, she remembered the name of the flowers on Stella's cloth- Knotweed and Horsetail. One was used for binding things and for health, while the other was used for snake charming. She blinked repeatedly and shook her head. All were the imaginations of her fear.
Immediately Stella switched on the light, Gladys held her breathe. The room was a home to the scariest objects she had ever encountered. It wasn't a room on its own. There was a pyre and there were a lot of statues. Different tools laid on the pyre. There were two cages that hung from the ceiling of the room and some were on the floor. The hanging cages were big enough to take ten full-grown people, but the scariest part was that it hung over a horribly dark hole, from where simmers of smoke climbed out in the shape of rats. Gladys stirred to face Stella.
Stella entered the room slowly, her eyes were fixed on Gladys. Everything seemed to fade away. The terror of the room was grounded out of existence as Stella's blood-red evil eyes stared back at her.
For some absurd reason, she turned again. Her fear wasn't about the ominous room or the fearsome way Stella stared and advanced towards her, it was for the fact that she remembered that place from her dream.
'What is this?'
'The seed has been planted. You know where you are'.
'Do you mean?' Gladys asked and hurriedly glanced about to see if there was any way to escape. It couldn't be true. There was no way she drank part of the blood. She touched her lips and excited laughter from Stella.

'Yes. You know where we are', Stella said with such grace as she strutted towards her as if four hefty men were behind her.
Gladys shook her head, hyperventilating and panting. Stella's body frame was thin and if she rushed into her, she would definitely be able to escape. Sweat covered her body. Stella kept edging towards her and Gladys withdrew. 'It's a lie...'
'Tell me which part is a lie. I think you know I'm not lying. This is the major inconsistency with the word of God you should have looked out for'.
'You are a liar'.
'It's not in my nature to want to say the truth, but this is the truth. I guessed I've sinned against lord Lucifer for saying the truth, but he wouldn't be as mad as if I told you it was a figment of your imagination'.
'I'm dreaming. I'll wake up'.
Gladys ran to the pyre, touched it. It was real. It couldn't be real. She jumped, screamed, turned to check if she would at least wake from her dream. Everything was real in the house. What of herself? She pinched herself and the pain lingered to show her they are real.

'I'm a child of God. You can't do anything to me'.
'Well, in your words, technically, I'm not doing anything to you. I told you I would be here with you all the way'.
Gladys felt her mouth become dry. 'Please, let me go. Whatever'.
'Gladys, fear not...You are in safe hands. You will get raw power'.
'No. I don't want. I invoke the curse of God on you. In the name of Jesus, I am freed from whatever thing you have done and want to do to me'.
Stella laughed hysterically. 'You know my father or one of my fathers as I have had many fathers; the Australian father once told me about the story of a soldier who left the shore of America to fight the Germans. When he got there, instead of accepting defeat he kept invoking the power of being an American. In other words, he had left American soil and no longer had the protection of their power especially as he went AWOL'.
'I'm a child of God'.
Stella shrugged. 'Well, it depends on which God you're talking about: You have no right again as a Christian to make any demands. You've broken the edge and a snake has entered. I have entered. In fact, the snake is so pregnant within you and would soon give birth'.
'Shut up! I rebuke you. You're nothing but a liar and I will show you what stuff I'm made of'.

Gladys ran towards her. If the name of Jesus wasn't working, the strength Jesus gave her would do. She struck Stella's head. She was thicker than the frail Stella, her punch should have brought Stella down, but Stella was as fast as light. She side-stepped and rammed her fist into Gladys's ribs. The pain surged through her body to her head. Gladys yelled and crumbled to the ground, holding her side, but she tried to rise when she saw Stella advancing.
'You're a devil...', she said with clenched teeth as she grasped the pyre for support, groaning. A hammer rested on the pyre. Gladys picked it and stood straight, still panting heavily.
'God forgive me', she muttered as she poised herself to strike Stella. Although it was painful to do, she used all her strength to slack the tight blue armless gown she was wearing. People had commended the clothe after she got it from Fundel Collections, now Stella was making her tear the beautiful thing. She would crush her, and beg God for forgiveness later.

'Wow. I've never been called a devil in my 950 years plus on earth. Even Lord Lucifer would agree that I'm the next in command'.
Gladys stared at her in awe. What was she doing? How did she get involved with someone like this? Was she crazy? Was she blind? But she couldn't give herself an answer before a kick sent her sprawling on the floor. The hammer flew out of her hand while her hearing aid rattled away to one side, and Gladys was so sure she heard another rib-cracking before her hearing aid fell off. She crawled towards the Pyre to pick her hearing aid. With quivering hands, she positioned it in her ear, firmly. There was no way she would die without trying to fight off this evil that called herself her mentor. Stella sneered at her and punched her jaw thrice before bending near her bleeding head.
'It's a simple thing. You can either take it compulsorily or willingly'.
'No', she grunted.

***
Kingsley opened his wallet, stared at the few crumbled naira notes remaining in it and closed the wallet again. He had switched off his phone to avoid the incessant call of Gerald's little sister. If she were an adult, who could cater for herself, he would have told her to also source for funds for their mother's operation. The little girl had recently finished her secondary school examination, and was awaiting her Post-UTME result.
He crumbled the can of malt he was holding, and hoped to crumple his fear like that, so that he could be bold enough to enter the huge ominous house. That night, he talked his friends out of such rushed effort. They didn't have a serious plan, but Gerald's mother's health was seriously becoming critical, and they needed the money for the operation.
'Solution was coming, son of the soil'.
When that new lady that went into the house came out, he would surely recruit her help. She seemed like a lady that might help. He took another nylon of chin-chin and tore it. All he needed was evidence to show the police.
***
Alexis was in her room the whole day to the chagrin of her mother. It only took her father's order to make her stay alone. She had been crying all day. She was like that until her father knocked on her door. If it were her mother, she would have stayed till Jesus returned.
Although she tried to clean her nose, she couldn't bear the thought of telling her father she had someone she loved. He had stopped beating her since she was done with her secondary school education, but if it was up to her mother, he would have continued.
When he entered and slumped into her bed, she hurriedly wiped away the tears.
'Daddy pray for me'.
She could see the exciting thought that ran through her father's mind displayed on his face. He stared at her for a few seconds, and stretched both of his hands. She took it, and wholeheartedly said 'amen' to every of his prayer.
After the prayer, he didn't bother to ask her what was wrong, which she was happy about. He strode out of the room, and turned to her.
'If you need anything, anything at all, ask God'.
She nodded and watched him leave the room. Her mother's murmur sieved into the room. Alexis locked the door, and crumbled to the floor to pray.
'God, if Jaffy accepts me tomorrow, I'll serve you forever'.

My God. Divepen1, pls if not for anything atleast for the faith Stella has in God, in Jesus; do not let Satan prevail over her.

Well done. I hope you update today. This Is very interesting.

Fazemood:
My God. Divepen1, pls if not for anything atleast for the faith Stella has in God, in Jesus; do not let Satan prevail over her.

Well done. I hope you update today. This Is very interesting.

awawnnn.... But at this point, I'm only their storyteller. Events have been set..

Chapter 8
Hopelessness
Gladys screamed from the cage Stella had placed her. If she thought the smell of the room was horrid, now it had worsened. Somethings that looked like monkeys were flying all about the room, and were laughing at her. She had repeatedly called the name of Jesus, but she didn't get the reply she wanted. Maybe Stella was right? Maybe she had become another witch? But whatever the case was, she would never comply with her wish, no matter the power Stella wielded. She didn't have time to tend to her injured jaw as she followed the erratic movements of the demons.
Another monkey-like object appeared near her cage, she screamed and crawled away from its fang. Others copied its action and decided to surround her. She yelled. They shrieked and made horrible faces. Some of them had snakes culling around their hands, and emerging from their noses and mouth. The one that was a source of maggots and cockroach placed its hand near her. Maggots and cockroach followed its shriek and began to troupe out of its hand to the floor. She tried to crush them with her feet, but for everyone she killed, three more surfaced.
The ones she crushed would suddenly become liquid and begin to spread to the whole path of the room. For every part they spread to, a new maggot would emerge. She shrieked again and pranced as cockroaches began to fly to every part of her body. She brushed them repeatedly as she screamed 'Jesus' as if her body was on fire. Every of her anguish excited the demon the more. Quickly, she hanged on to the head of the cage, and kicked repeated as the demons with the snakes began to direct them to her. This time, her hearing aid was about to drop from her ear, but she couldn't remove one of her hands to replace it.
Like a ray of hope, the door opened and Stella walked down gracefully. She waved at the demons, and they all disappeared. Gladys sighed, dropped and placed her hearing aid firmly into her ears. Immediately she touched the ground, she crawled to the edge and wailed.
'Please Please Let me go. I swear to God and everything you serve. I will not tell anybody. I promise. Please', she cried. But Stella only came nearer and turned her head as if she was looking at something around her body. Gladys turned about to see what she was staring but couldn't see anything. She grabbed the bar of the cage with her sweaty hands, and poked her head to plead with Stella.
'Are you ready to be a witch?'
'Is it by force? I want to be Christian. Calvary conquered it all, my sins and shame don't.'
'Shut up. God has left you to us'.
'God is'
'Shut up. You are now ours. Become a witch', Stella said as she moved nearer. If Gladys had ever seen anyone with red or bloody eyes before, this would be the first to make her wet her pant. Her body shuddered as Stella moved nearer. 'Accept Lucifer as your lord. Demons have been operating in you since you were a child. Your uncle raped when you were just a child'.
Gladys was surprised at that deceitful statement. 'How will my Uncle rape me? When he died when I was just two?'
'He died because your father killed him when he discovered it. That's why your father drank before his death to keep the information to himself. Even your mother didn't know'.
Shocked, Gladys stared at her, and wondered the pain that would have come from that knowledge.
'So you see that demons existed in you all these while, and would even take lordship of your soul very soon'.
'No'.
'Okay then. Try not to scream, it's like music to their ears', Stella said as she stepped back and snapped her fingers. The demons reappeared and advanced towards the cage. Gladys screamed. How could she not scream, when they lurched at her from different corners.
'I told you not to scream', Stella shouted as she switched off the light, and locked the door.
The darkness excited the demons and they shrieked. Gladys screamed till her voice was hoarse. She inhaled to catch her breath and to regain her strength as she tried to shout. But she didn't have to catch her breath before something slimy fell on her laps. She shrieked and jumped up.
'No I'm not doing'.
***
Stella told her not to scream, but her stubbornness would mess up her beautiful body. If she had accepted her offer, she wouldn't have to go through all these troubles. Now, she would have to go through horrible torture, which she never intended for her first protégé.
In their world, top and powerful witches know that getting drunk was at the expense of one's life because another powerful witch might decide to strike at that time, but she wasn't ready to care. She checked her protection spells, and strutted to the fridge in the parlor. Then, she grabbed a bottle of Diva Vodka, a glass cup and headed to the front of the television, and began to drink. The demons were under strict instruction from her to only scare but not touch Gladys. Although they might try to be disobedient, Heetah was ready for them. She gulped down another glass cup, and felt the hotness sip through her throat.
***
Japheth saw her in time, and reversed into the darkness of the night. Alexis was going to his house, that night. He was so lucky to have gone to welcome back Mirabel's mother, who had finally returned from taking care of her sister, who was one of those who escaped from the kidnapper unscathed, but was still traumatized by whatever she saw at the place she was kidnapped from.
He watched Alexis enter his compound, and expected her to come out in no time, but after waiting for a long while, he knew he was done for. The moment he saw her, every of his desires to make them both end in bed flooded his mind, and he felt his trousers becoming tighter by the second. He checked his wallet and headed for the nearest hotel in town. He hated his lifestyle, he had to leave home, and move to a hotel to sleep. Tomorrow, Chuks will hear the story of his life.
***
Alexis entered the compound and pleaded with the gateman. The man kept pleading with her to leave. She knew he loved her because of what he always got from her, and knew she needed him to allow her to stay. So that God would answer her prayers.
'I will give you what I always give Japheth'.
The man swallowed hard and stared intently at her. He bit his lower lips and looked over the gate for any ray of light.
'Quickly, enter', he said and opened the door. He rolled his shirt above his head, which was hanging from his shoulder. She would give him he wanted to see Japheth, anything at all.

Fazemood et all...: Please bear with me... Copying and pasting is removing some punctuation marks.

Punctuations or no punctuations, I understand the story so well.
I admire Gladys

queenitee:
Punctuations or no punctuations, I understand the story so well.
I admire Gladys

Thanks..

Wow, good work mr. storyteller sir. Though I'm unhappy Gladys is going through so much torments

Fazemood:
Wow, good work mr. storyteller sir. Though I'm unhappy Gladys is going through so much torments

Well, from my point of view, I think she is actually getting her desires.

Divepen1:
Well, from my point of view, I think she is actually getting her desires.

Her desires are to be filled with the holy spirit and perform wonders in Jesus name, is honest and that craving is what God asks of his people. Although its my desire to see her saved. But you are the author, you know better.

Fazemood:


Her desires are to be filled with the holy spirit and perform wonders in Jesus name, is honest and that craving is what God asks of his people. Although its my desire to see her saved. But you are the author, you know better.

Well, her desire was to use power. The true power of the holy spirit is for the perfection of the soul and not to gain more power..

Chapter 9
The Painful Desire
Japheth sat still in the magnificent sitting room and hoped everything would be fine. He loved the way Stella handled their various meetings. If not for her, he would have given up on himself. However, at this stage of his life, if she told him to do anything not logical, he would. With her motherly way of handling things, she had nurtured him to be better till he was strong enough to tell Alexis it was over between them. At first, she assumed he was lying until he pushed her towards the door. She yelled and cried and pleaded and promised to never seduce him or have sex with him until after they marry. But he sent her away because his heart desire for Mirabel was becoming stronger per time.
'I'll kill myself', she shouted and he was happy she didn't use one of those slangs she was fond of using, many of which he didn't understand. Notwithstanding every one of her threats and pleas, he pushed her out of the house.
That was last time, he spoke to her. Ever since, she had bombarded his phone with messages through SMS, Facebook message, WhatsApp, BBM, and Instagram.
He gritted happily that he was free from her shackles. Despite being younger than he, she had that power over his desire. Truth be told, she had played her part in making his house look presentable and had always made him happy when she was demanding that he experimented a new method of sexual intercourse with her. But, one cannot eat a pot of rice that had a drop of poo.
Stella had taught him all that and how to become better in his race for spiritual perfection. She had a more reserved manner in dealing with him. He couldn't really place his fingers on what caused his relapse into fornication whenever he saw her. Alexis was his trigger. He needed Jesus to save him. The pain of even dealing with his desire was a punishment on its own.
The previous day, he made sure he left the hotel early to know when she would leave. He was even accosted on the way by the street's vigilantes, but when they saw he was the driver, they stepped back, and allowed him to pass. He sat across the street, and made sure he did everything to remain awake. Immediately the daylight began to peep, the gate opened and she rushed out. He would have loved to know where she was going, but he would have gotten his reply on his bed, with her riding him. Even seeing her alone sent vibes into his body, but he had to keep himself from going back to his vomit.
When he entered the compound, he scolded Chuks and instructed him to never allow her to enter the house again. But he knew Chuks wouldn't obey such instructions. She always had her ways around him. The man's love for alcoholic drinks would soon ruin him. The next time he had another encounter with Alexis, he would make sure he collected his key. Immediately, he prepared for church, and ran off. And after service, Alexis didn't return and he left for Stella's home.
Despite the way he was beginning to hallow Stella's ways, she had this queer behavior that didn't go well with him. He was good at studying people, and could easily know their faults. Gladys, for example, was judgmental. But Stella had no fault. She was spotless and he hated that. A person shouldn't be blameless, it made him feel worthless around such person. His own pride fed on their fault. They couldn't be perfect.
Stella rushed into the sitting room with a bottle of water and a glass in a tray. 'I'm sorry. I assume you don't take drinks because of sugar'.
'Yes. How...' he said, paused, stared into her face and hissed. 'Oh! Ma, is it that the Holy spirit tells people everything about anybody?'
She smiled and sat on the sofa. One thing was sure about her. She was beautiful but oddly so. She wore long big skirts which would naturally have turned some women into beasts, but she was ravishing in them.
'No. He doesn't do that to everyone'.
'Good'.
Stella laughed heartily. 'You don't need to be afraid'.
Japheth gazed at the expensive tiles and traced them with his eyes. They were very neat as if she always washed every piece every second. 'I don't know how it will feel to enter the church after let's say I fornicate. I won't even be able to enter'.
Stella nodded and placed her hand on his lap. 'I understand'.
Then she proceeded to explain some bible verses to him. He sat still throughout her teaching, and asked the necessary questions. She gave him a big smile as she explained them to him. He was ready for her. He came with his notepad that had the first five of its pages filled with medical terms, while some others had been torn away by Alexis whenever she wanted to use them to describe a new sexual fantasy to him. He listened to every of her words and jotted into his notepad enthusiastically.
She didn't stop talking until his phone rang, indicating Alexis was on the line. At first, he snubbed the call, but when Stella insisted after the repetitive call, he picked it.
'I'm in your room, and I have come to stay. I'll never leave'.
'Wait for me. I'll show you that the only you have the right to stay in under your father', he yelled. The way she uttered the words were really disgusting. If she was saying that in front of him at that instant, he would have beaten her till no one could pick even her cell from the ground. Whatever plan she had, it would be foiled. But she wasn't running away from the house. He would deal with her whenever he got home.
'Hope all is well?' Stella said after he disconnected the call.
'She is the one. Alexis She said she is at my house?'
'Do you want to leave?'
'No. ma. Let's continue'.
Stella led the prayers that Sunday and she had looked for a way to make the church pray about him. Although she avoided mentioning his name, he really appreciated her effort. For that reason, he would sit still and listen.
'Please ma, I have to leave', he said after ten minutes of frequently losing concentration.
'Hope all is well? Can you handle this?'
'Yes ma'.
'My father always said never trust a man who says Yes to the question ' Hope all is well?'
'Then, your father must be a psychologist'.
'Don't mind the man. He would always have a saying to give people. He believes that a man without a quote would soon lead the life of a goat'.
'What does that mean?'
She shrugged and opened her hands. 'Even me, I don't know. I always try to fathom what he meant, but most times he would just munch on his tobacco pipe and snooze off as if I never existed. Yet, he would never let me be. He promises to come here one of these days'.
'Oh I would love to be with him', he replied absentmindedly as they got to the gate.
'Then you have to come with more than a notepad', she said and they both laughed. She unlatched the lock of the gate, and opened it for him.
'Why don't you get a gateman?' He asked just as he stepped outside the house. 'This house is too big for you alone to live without any security man'.
She smiled at him with a different kind of joy. 'Thieves once came to this house when I had a gateman. Ahhh See that look on your face'.
'Was he part of them? I mean did he have a hand in...'
'No. Not at all', she said dismissively. 'In fact, the man's own was more than the thieves. At least they knew what they came for. The gateman said he was a gateman, and wasn't in charge of security. I would have asked the police to apprehend him, and make sure he ends up in one of those horrible dungeons, but my father would say let a foolish dog loose, the wolves shall deal with it'.
'That's deep', he replied, smiling warily.
'I'm not that good at telling joke, I know. So, don't let me delay you'.
He smiled and turned to leave, then turned again. 'Thank you, ma'.
'You're welcome'.
She rested on the dangling pedestrian gate, and kept watching him like someone that had a lot to say, but needed to be quiet. He nodded and left.
'Japheth, you know all about confession, right?'
He turned and nodded.
'Good! Please come nearer'.
He did and she seemed as if she was about to tell him a big secret. She gritted.
'You have demons in you, a lot from fornicating and from the man that raped you when you were small. Your Aunty only helped you overcome it psychologically, but didn't cleanse you spiritually. Rather, she didn't help you close those spiritual doorways. That is why you fall easily. When you get home, read aloud the book of Revelation chapter 19-22. Demons hate to hear about the fall of...' She said and went into a bout of cough.
'Are you alright?' He said with fear as he moved nearer. She waved and gestured for him to leave.
'It will'
She went into another bout of coughing.
'Just go'
'Are you sure...?'
'I'll be fine'.
'OkayBut'
'GoDon't worry'.
He turned and left the house even as she slammed the gate, kept coughing and kept battling with the lock of the gate.
He battled between rushing home and insisting on helping her. But he must battle the external demons before he even faced the demons within. He walked to his car and was so focused on getting home that he didn't hear someone running after him. Normally, he would have parked within her compound, but he didn't want to stress her, seeing that she had no gateman.
The person touched him. He turned hurriedly and backed away from the person. 'What? Who are you?'
A lanky man stared at him. His eye bags were full and his eyes were red. He was holding a nylon of Minimie chin-chin.
'Please, help me'.
'I don't have my wallet on me so I don't have money', Japheth said and was sure he wasn't lying. That couldn't be a lie. He had explained the situation to the man.
'NoNo money. Not money. The son of the soil doesn't need money now', the man said and glanced at Stella's house.
'What do you want?'
'Two of my guys entered that house, December December 5, and I'm yet to see them'.
'Which house?'
The man looked at the different direction of the empty street and pointed toward Mrs. Stella's house. 'That big house. Please, I haven't seen them in five weeks now'.
Japheth felt like walking away, but he felt the man was saying something worthy of his time. At least if anything was truly wrong, though he prayed it was a lie, he would have, a knowledge of something bad about Stella. Her good behavior and everything made him feel like a dog when he was in her presence. 'Are you sure?'
'I'm not lying. The son of the soil followed them but I stayed outside. I was'He said and ran forward to point at a corner of the street.
'What were you doing there?'
'I'm not proud of saying this but we came to steal'.
' Ah! What if they ran with the money?'
'They can't', the man said aggressively and tears began to run down his eyes.
'How are you sure? Calm down. There's surely...'
'I know what I know. Gerald's mother is sick. I followed him and Nnamdi to get money for her operations', he said, trying to make himself audible enough for only Japheth. 'On Friday, three days ago, I saw a lady enter the place. Son of the soil saw it with his own eyes. A lady entered the place, and had not come out. Something is happening. There is something about big houses, I told them. I told them Big houses are bad. People with big houses have gone through a lot to erect such houses'.
Japheth had wanted to catch her doing something bad, but not this. 'I don't believe you. She's a Christian'.
'I swear to God, I saw the other lady on Friday', the man said.
'Describe the other lady'.
The man vividly described Gladys, who wasn't around in church that Sunday. No matter what, he trusted Stella. This man was a con.
'You're lying. If you follow me, I'll shout that you're a thief'.
The man burst into tears.
***
There were things that many considered to be wrong in this world, and shouldn't be meddled with. One of such was trying to enter the place one had been afraid of entering initially. There were repercussions, not from the law but from the world of one's fear. Kingsley looked at both sides after the guy had gone and moved to gate. He tried to push the gate, but it was locked. Suddenly, someone shouted, 'who is there?'
He had always been considered by his friends to be light on his feet. Without further ado, he sped off the road and jumped into the nearest drainage on the road. The gate creaked as it was opened. A woman coughed and shouted, 'who is there?'
She reverted to coughing and banged the gate. Luckily for him, the drainage was dry, maybe because it wasn't near any house. He dusted his cloth as he rose, and then, he peeped again into the house. He should always listen to his intuition.

Divepen1:
Well, her desire was to use power. The true power of the holy spirit is for the perfection of the soul and not to gain more power..

Yes very true, she needs the power not the relationship. I see that now, fire on bro

Fazemood:


Yes very true, she needs the power not the relationship. I see that now, fire on bro

Sure will.

Sir divepen, I obviously yearn for more of your stories.
I literally abscond stories on Nairaland years back when the likes of you, royver, d9ty7, Larrysun and other great writers suspended writing on Nairaland.
Today, I just feel like going through the literature thread and check to see if there is any story worth reading, I almost bypassed yours (Due to the title;please make it more enticing) but when I saw your sobriquet, I was optimistic of reading a nice piece.
Lo and behold, I wasn't disappointed. You and others serve as an inspiration to me and would love to have you as one of my academic mentor.
I just want to say, 'Thank You' for this wonderful piece.
You rock.




Signed,
Sola. Sir divepen, I obviously yearn for more of your stories.
I literally abscond stories on Nairaland years back when the likes of you, royver, d9ty7, Larrysun and other great writers suspended writing on Nairaland.

Today, I just feel like going through the literature thread and check to see if there is any story worth reading, I almost bypassed yours (Due to the title;please make it more enticing) but when I saw your sobriquet, I was optimistic of seeing/reading a nice piece.
Lo and behold, I wasn't disappointed. You and others serve as an inspiration to me and would love to have you as one of my academic mentor.
I just want to say, 'Thank You' for this wonderful piece.
You rock.




Signed,
Sola.

Jackossky:
Sir divepen, I obviously yearn for more of your stories.
I literally abscond stories on Nairaland years back when the likes of you, royver, d9ty7, Larrysun and other great writers suspended writing on Nairaland.
Today, I just feel like going through the literature thread and check to see if there is any story worth reading, I almost bypassed yours (Due to the title;please make it more enticing) but when I saw your sobriquet, I was optimistic of reading a nice piece.
Lo and behold, I wasn't disappointed. You and others serve as an inspiration to me and would love to have you as one of my academic mentor.
I just want to say, 'Thank You' for this wonderful piece.
You rock.




Signed,
Sola.

Awawwnn... Thanks... Love to see you more of you

Chapter 11
The Gate Fell
Japheth glanced at the door for the umpteenth time to be sure it was locked. Alexis called again from outside, crying and begging him to give her a chance in his life. Her fist hit the door repeatedly along with her incessant call.
He was happy that he was finally free from her after two weeks of sending her away with the load she brought with her, and was going to ask Mirabel to be his girlfriend, and invariably be his wife. Aunty Gbemy felt bad when he took Mirabel to her place as a friend, nothing more. She complained that she suspected he was relapsing into the thought of those days he was raped. But he had promised her that he would surely do something about it before February. So, when she came knocking the door and he opened it to see, he almost fainted. When she knocked the door, he assumed that Richard came back to pick his small phone, which Japheth forgot in his own car because he used it to call Stella to give her his progress report as they were both accustomed to. Richard had squatted at his place for two days because their house was razed by fire three days ago. They were friends from his University days, and had only recently discovered that their houses weren't far from one another. They both went out with Mirabel the previous day, to make Richard stop worrying about the razed house.
The moment the knock came, he hurried off, scolding himself for unconsciously knocking the door.
'Richard. Guy, I'm so sorry for' He said as he was opening the door, but had to stop himself when he saw Alexis standing in the passage. He stretched and shouted at Chuks.' Chuks, your salary will suffer'.
Chuks scratched his head and stared at him with guilty written over his face. Alexis must surely have something over him to make him always allow her into his compound. Alexis crumbled to her knees and positioned her hands like those of the praying mantis. She began to cry and tell him that God had saved her. She firmly tied a scarf around her head, making sure the scarf covered her hair. Her blouse covered her neck, and had a round shape to depict a certain Pentecostal church in Nigeria. Even in her kneeling position, her skirt covered her legs. The clothes looked as if she was thrown into a sack, and was forced to wear the clothe to his place. Her face that was usually designed with makeups was now drab, and wasn't even adorned with any pieces of jewelry. Her dressing overkilled its moderation. She had also removed her human hair attachment, but a leopard can't change its skin. There was no way he would take her pretense as the truth.
'Get up. Get up and Get out, now'.
'Please See, I'm saved and I'm changed. I'm a new creature'.
He stared at her for a moment and hissed. 'Indeed'.
He banged the door behind her as she shouted that God had really saved her. If God had saved her, she wouldn't even have a reason to come to his place.
Time was like a baby. If unplanned for, it would crawl off the edge until one had to cry for its demise. He had to use this period to plan how he wanted to woo Mirabel, and ask her to be his girlfriend.
'Japheth', Alexis cried again, banging the door. She was now heaving like one that had recently lost someone close to her.
When he noticed her plea would soon break him and melt his heart, Japheth ran to the sitting room and connected his laptop to the home speakers and searched for a good preaching to play. Mirabel had encouraged him to follow some Pastors, whom she felt are worth listening to.
He heard of Pastor Natalie Ikeremadu (from Fortune City), Apostle Joshua Selman, Apostle Johnson Suleiman Kenneth E. Hagins, Benny Hinn, Sekou Abodurin, Moyo Akin-Ojo and so many others. He chose one of Apostle Joshua's Selman's Miracle Service.
The persistent knock increased. He was done for. However, in a short while, the noise was drowned in the overwhelming tongues with which the message began to play. He felt elated. Time was essential and there was no way he could waste it believing the lies of a girl, who only wanted him for sex. Maybe later in his life, he would preach to her, but for the main time all he needed was freedom from his desire, from her.
Two weeks ago, when he was about sending her out of his life, out of his house, she promised to get saved. Now, she had returned, claiming God had saved her. She promised to get saved, and was saved already. How did that even happen? Was there a conviction or something?
'Ah!' He exclaimed as he continued praying along with the preaching. The vigor with which the Apostle was praying was enough to make anyone pray along with him. Japheth wasn't able to speak in tongues yet, but he would give in to the prayer in his understanding. He would pray with English, in his understanding. The fire was burning within him. That's it. He had overcome his worst distraction. Even when she was around. The best way to test if a drug was working was to place the pathogen on the same host as the drug meant to cure it. He was tested and trusted. She would never be his downfall.
He wouldn't hear anything, but the knock became harder and louder. Whatever she was using was definitely hard, probably a stone. He forgot to instruct Chuks to send her away and that was what he would do. Flee from all evil, the Bible had admonished, and that was what he would do.
'You're still here', he said, opening the door as if he wanted to remove it from its hinges.
His hand shook the moment he saw her. Quickly, he pocketed it, happy that he wore trousers that allowed him do that. Her behavior was extremely absurd. What kind of love would make such alpha-female become a beta for him, become a Christian? No, that was unusual and unacceptable.
'You are an idiot. Get out of this house', he shouted, stepping closer to her, to be sure she would listen to what he was about to say.' I don't want or love you. Get out of my house'.
'But we both know that I'll do anything for you, you know I'm not a jambito. You love me and I love you', she cried.
He inhaled and exhaled loudly as he rubbed his fingers with his thumb. 'You want to make me happy?'
She nodded.
'Give me my key'.
She became still. 'But that means'
'That means you don't want to make me happy', he said as made to lock the door.
'Okay. I'll give you', she searched a part of the bogus skirt and removed his key. The head of a pocket knife poked from under the skirt. Was she planning to kill him? With a trembling hand, he tried to yank it off her hand. She grabbed his hand and kissed it continuously. This was becoming absurd, very odd.
'Chuks', Japheth shouted and pulled his hand off her. 'Chuks, come and carry this girl outside'.
Chuks, who had been watching from afar, sprang forward and was reluctant in carrying her because he knew he always encouraged their relationship. However, with a fierce look from him, Chuks carried her out amidst her numerous pleas and shriek. She screamed and kicked.
Japheth's head was in the sand; there was no way he would go back on his word. There was no way he would allow her to destroy his life. Her inordinate desire was eating deep into his sanity. No matter the love he used to have for her: it was over. Now, they had better things or matters to deal with like his spiritual growth and his communication with God. She thought she was in love, but when her Post Utme result arrived, and she went to the University, she would find a better person. It was one of those teenage-loves; one that many of them trained themselves to believe that was the only love on earth.
He wouldn't meddle with things of the world, her. ' I've got my mind made up and I won't turn back. Carry her'.
Chuks wheezed her out of the compound, and locked the door. She screamed and cried and banged the door and repeated the process again.
'Don't ever open the door for her again', Japheth ordered Chuks, then stormed into the sitting room, and banged the door behind him. Now that he had the key, he was enriched in his freedom. The noise within the sitting room had muffled her noise. As he moved nearer to the heart of the noise, her voice was drowned entirely. He was recovering from sin. God had use Stella to help him retain God in his mind. Therefore, his inordinate thoughts and desires had been tamped. He wouldn't go back to the way he used to be before God presence came and found him.
As he reduced the volume of the player to room level, he heard the incessant banging of the gate again.
'What's with Alexis?' He muttered as he slumped into the chair. She was a wounded Lion, and would soon get over her injury. She used to claim he was the only one that made her happy. With time, she would get over him. Maybe later, she would try to have revenge by flaunting her body at him, and God would help him against her.
He kept listening to the preaching and dozed off in the process.
Suddenly, someone banged his door. He jumped up, surprised, and stared at the window.
'Who's there?'
The person repeatedly banged the door. He shouldn't have asked who it was. He knew who it was. How did she enter the compound? Was Chuks not at the door? He stared at the door and rose with the hope that he wouldn't do something bad to her.
He flung the door open to meet his gateman shaking like a wet leaf.
Japheth sighed. 'Chuks, why were you knocking in that manner?'
'Boss, that girl... Alexis ComeCome', Chuks rambled and rushed away.
'Come back here', Japheth shouted as he glanced at himself and at Chuks. 'What's wrong?'
'Boss come oShe will die. She is dead. Just come', Chuks rambled and rushed away.
Japheth ran after him. 'What's happening? Talk to me'.
'She will kill herself'.
Chuks ran out of the house and Japheth followed. Whatever was happening must be so bad that Chuks would be speechless. Chuks was never short of words.
'Jesus', Japheth screamed as he stopped outside.
Alexis' sat with her back against the black gate of his house, unconscious. Her head had dropped to her chest. A blood-stained pocket-knife suspended from her hand while blood oozed from her other hand onto the dry ground. Lying in front of her was the drawing of a heart with his name inscribed on it, and the letter 'I' was written outside the heart.
A crowd had gathered around her and flies had gathered also to feast, buzzing as they spiraled about the pool of blood.
'Chuks, go and bring my first aid box. No, my car key', Japheth cried as he pushed his way to the front. The time for first aid was too late. The injury was deep. She had lost a lot of blood. But, Chuks was jittering and was moving forward and backward towards her. Japheth pulled off his shirt, leaving his singlet, ran to her and grabbed her hand, applying pressure with the cloth.
'Boss... Mr. Japheth, don't touch her. Police. Police'.
'Are you daft? Come and help me lift her to my car. In fact, go and get my car keys. Go and get those keys'.
Japheth lifted her and raced into the house with her on his arms, the crowd parting ways for him. Chuks ran out, dangling the key at Japheth's face as he was trying to open the car door. A scowl from him sent Chuks scurrying to open the door. He tied the shirt around her hand, banged the door and ran to the driver's side of the car. Hurriedly, he checked her pulse and sighed as he ignited the car. The speed with which he drove to the hospital was faster than the impulse of the body. The way she laid should have seen her heaving like a cranky house in a storm, but she seemed to lay too still. He glanced at her and when he looked up, a truck was heading towards him, honking terribly. He swerved, but didn't stop for a moment as he maneuvered his way to the hospital. He grabbed his phone and dialed Mirabel's phone number, explaining to her that he was bringing Alexis to the hospital. She got the urgency and didn't joke about it. He told her to make sure the doctor on duty was ready to treat her.
The moment he got to the hospital, he began screaming instructions to the nurses. He would have loved to treat her himself, but his hospital was so keen on protocols that they would deny any of his offer to render help to the dying girl. The only person that could treat her was the doctor on duty.
'Oh Jesus, don't let her die', he said.
Mirabel re-emphasized her efficiency and loyalty in front of him.
'She is in one of the best hands', Mirabel said as she made sure he was seated, and that he wasn't moving about, working himself up.
Not knowing what to do, he began to chant the only Bible verse that came to his mind. While his dancing legs did the worrying for him. 'He sent forth his word and healed her of her diseases. Alexis, you shall not die. You shall not die in Jesus name. You will live'.
The only person he could speak to in the hospital was busy saving the only person he used to speak to. However, he must talk to someone and the only person he could talk to at the moment was Stella. Gladys was too judgmental and serious to not find faults. Her behavior always made him feel as if she had a desire to cage him just like Alexis did, her own caging doubling Alexis'. So, he hurried to his car to pick Richard's smaller phone, which he forgot in his car. Luckily, Richard had a lot of call bonus from Glo. So, he hurriedly dialed Stella's phone number. She was the only Christian he could trust to make Alexis survive. How would someone become obsessed with him? He wouldn't allow it. After waking, he was sure she would come out of her delusion and be focused on her bleak future. She was just too young to have an uncontrollable hunger for inordinate affection with him.
Immediately Mrs. Stella's number got connected, he explained everything to her in a manner that showed how fearful he was. His fear was spread on every word he spoke like butter on bread.
'Calm down. You're treading the right path. Just keep making positive confessions about the situation. I can assure you she won't die. God will make you two have a good ending'.
'Ma. She's no longer my lover. Please, don't let God do that...'
' No... No. I meant he would make you have a reason to praise him. It's not necessarily about relationship'.
'Okay. Please ma, pray for me. If she dies, I'll not be happy or be at peace'.
'Where are you?' She asked.
He described the hospital to her.

Obssesive obssession is a mental disorder. Nice work

Fam, it's being a very long time I read something this captivating.
You sure know how to arrange your points and all.
Nice one manh.
Cheers Divepen1

dimssy:
Fam, it's being a very long time I read something this captivating.
You sure know how to arrange your points and all.
Nice one manh.
Cheers Divepen1

Thanks bro

Fazemood:
Obssesive obssession is a mental disorder. Nice work

Indeed... And it has been the root of most evil..

Obsession is bad I swear

Chapter 12
The Mirror View
Gladys sat still, watching the sunset, and tried not to revert to the days it took her to get well emotionally and physically. Stella tried to hide her tears as she took care of her, but it streamed down most time. She kept telling Gladys how it was her fault, that in the new kingdom she was to be a member, and also a high priestess, she had to learn that obedience was the key. They weren't like every casual person that roamed the street. They were to direct the affairs of the world, and so many things that Stella saw as a burden, but Gladys saw as something that was worth exploring.
The only thing Gladys was in awe of was how such a tiny woman could wield such great power. At the click of her fingers, the demons kept appearing and disappearing. The energy in that room was so much that it made her lose all her will to agree with God. That was a taste of the power she had always craved. Against her wish, she had to take a coerced two-week leave from work.
Being in the system made her understand how ridiculous it was in Christendom. The power there was controlled by the holy spirit, and for the glory of God, without pride. Here, they had the ability to use power, and not attribute it to the devil.
It took her three days to fully revive, and the only places she did that was in Stella's house. She had placed her in various basins of concoction. She poured drinks for her from what she called a cauldron. Then, she gave her a day to rest at her house. When Stella helped her home, Elizabeth was all over her, asking her why she left without telling her. She could only smile painfully at the naivety of her mind. Gladys was a bomb that would soon explode. Stella had mended the tears in her clothe, and had washed it thoroughly for her.
Afterwards, Stella insisted that she started her lessons immediately. They were very intensive, and many of them left her drained throughout the remaining parts of the day.
Stella, in one of her numerous lessons, encouraged her to always source for energy from nature, and true to her words, her strength was returning. There was every possibility that with the herbs Stella recommended for her, she would gain her energy fast.
She would never have imagined that she would be the one to care less about the future or anything. The only things she had on her mind were power and Japheth. If she could overpower Stella, then she would have control over things. At least if she got enough power, the first thing she would want would be to raise an army or a sort of school for recruits. One of the first lessons Stella made her go through was how to detect other witches. She was surprised to see many people in her church were witches, and tend to do things irrationally.
Stella showed her how illiterate the witches in Black Town, Fortune City were. Even at her amateurish age, she was still knowledgeable about some things they weren't. Yet, Stella forbade her from ever being close to any of them. That was why she needed power, to never be under the paranoid Stella. Since she got the power, she had been having dreams of her teaching young ones how to have a school of witches.
The next thing on her agenda was how to get Japheth. Luckily, he was also trained by Stella, so making him turn over to her side was simply easy. She was biding her time. With the assurance of a Lion, she was sure she would get a spell to use to make Japheth love her. Whatever it would take, she was ready to make Japheth love her. He wasn't the Christian that wouldn't be able to fall to her control. She was, firstly, one that was vast in the knowledge of God. And now, she was a witch, whom all other witches would fear, even Stella.
Then, someone knocked the door as if he or she was afraid of waking the dead. Gladys rose gingerly from her bed, from where she was privy of watching the setting sun, and dragged herself to the sitting room, to the door as she tended to her jaw. When she was a Christian, things like this would have been a thing of joy because no one came visiting. They saw her as one that was great in Christ, one that didn't need visitation. Yet, she wasn't always perturbed.
She opened the door in expectation to see one of her neighbors or maybe a church member. Instead, she saw a lanky man. Upon seeing him, she regretted not sending her spirit to check for her. At least, it would have prepared her for the man who was looking as if he wanted to bore his eyes into her heart.
'What can I do for you?'
'You... Please, help me. My friends, Gerald and Nnamdi'.
Gladys eyed him angrily. At last, she finally saw something to expel her anger on.
'What are you talking about? Do I look like a sorceress or an herbalist? Please, get out of here'.
'Madam, please help me'.
Gladys shook her head, frustrated, and banged the door at his face. Some people are fond of bringing out the worse in others.
'Please', the man said as he repeatedly knocked the door.
She shook her head and meandered to her bed. No matter how hard he knocked, she wouldn't answer him. However, the man insisted. There was no way she could think straight with this noise. He was obnoxiously disturbing her. So, unless she made him leave, she was only deceiving herself.
Pulling the door, she stood straight to face him. 'Mr. Man, please stop disturbing me. I don't know what you are talking about and I don't even want to be involved or see you here anymore'.
The man went down on his knee. 'Please, you just have to help me. You need to help'.
She stared at his black lips and red eyes. Even if she never considered it before, she was sure he was a smoker.
'What are you blabbering about?'
The guy looked all about and stretched to look beyond her, into the room. She smirked and drew her door closer to herself.
'HeysHeysWhat's all this?'
He was a thief and was trying to scan for her properties. How could she be even sure he wasn't there to steal her things or attack her?
The man nodded repeatedly as he rubbed his hands repeatedly, pleading with her. 'My friends. That house. That big house you came out from that day. I have met a police detective, but he said he needed proof'.
She frowned as she tried to fathom what he was saying. 'What house? Which day? Can you stop being a thorn in my flesh this afternoon'?
She sighed and hit her forehead. She would liaise with other neighbors to talk some senses into the skull of the vulture they called their gateman. She couldn't understand how he would direct someone to her flat without first asking who the person was or getting permission from her.
With the way the lanky man in front her was acting, she could understand that he was a beggar. She knew their types; they would use anything to ask for money.
Although people get offended with those that are blunt, it was pathetic to listen to them trying to con her off her own money.
'How much do you need?'
The man looked surprised and shook his head. 'Aunty, I don't need your money. I need my friends. I need to find my friend. I need your help'.
'Are we not saying the same thing? You need my help and that's money. I'm coming'.
She rolled her eyes as she began to close the door to get her money. If she were still a Christian, she would have lambasted him with biblical scriptures about why he shouldn't be living life like that, but she wasn't sure she could do such. So, she hurried to the room to pick her bag so that she could return to her former position.
The guy pushed the door. It rammed into her, causing her to wince.
'Aunty! Oh God. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt...'
Gladys jumped in anger. 'Are you going insane? You're indeed insane. No need to weed out that fact. If not, you wouldn't want to remove my precious nose'.
'Aunty sorry. See that house. That big house you entered that day'.
'Which day? I told you I don't know any house. If you need money, tell me...'
The man shifted forward. ' No. That big house at Kojo Dray Close'.
Gladys stood straight as she realized what the man had suspected.
'You know too...' The man said in fear. 'You know...'
The man hurriedly went on his knee.' I thank God... I said it. I said it. I wasn't mad'.
Gladys was speechless. 'But what do you want me to do?'
'My friend... Didn't you see them?'
Gladys could remember the case of the two men. She was with Stella when she decapitated the two of them. Normally, she would have felt like crying as she remembered them, but she didn't feel any remorse. The man's friends had been innocent stepping stones to the greatness of another person.
Instead of killing him too, she felt she should let him go. Preferably, she would make him doubt what he must be assuming.
'Man Please leaveIf you don't leave I'll shout that you want to rape me'.
The man moved forward. 'You have to help me. I must find Gerald; his mother is about to die. She had been struggling in the hospital'.
She shook her head in dismay and asked with clenched teeth. 'What do you want me to do?'
'I saw you enter and leave there. So, I said to myself... Son of the soil, this is someone that can help you. My spirit always knows the kind people. You're kind'.
'Get out', she yelled. 'Help! He wants to...'
The man scrambled from her passage to the main compound. She banged the door again, and hoped to never see his hideous face anymore.
She sat still until she was sure he was gone. Then. she brought her phone and began to search information about witchcrafts.

Gladys now isn't just a witch but wants to take over. Hmmm Okay

Fazemood:
Gladys now isn't just a witch but wants to take over. Hmmm Okay

And there, we have her desires revealed

I so much luv reading ur Stories sir more ink to ur pen @son of d soil when a child goes abt asking what killed his father, what killed his father will also kill him �

bereiweris:
I so much luv reading ur Stories sir more ink to ur pen @son of d soil when a child goes abt asking what killed his father, what killed his father will also kill him �

Thanks. Good early Monday morning dosage

Chapter 13
The Path Taken
Stella sensed that something big would happen soon, but she was still drenched in her thought and didn't listen to Heetah as he made noise and tried to stop her from going to visit Japheth and the girl, who tried to kill herself at the Hospital. Of late, it had made her do ridiculous things. One that still baffled her was the training of the Grave mothers and those of the sisters of light that he compelled her to teach Gladys. Those were extremely intensive lessons that only the experienced witches must have access to. Despite being prepared for handing over to Gladys, she never considered it to be so fast. That showed that in the next three months, she would have to start preparing for the rites of her own final death.
She would have gone to meet Japheth immediately he called, but her father called that his car was parked outside her gate. Of all the fathers she had ever had in her lives, he was her favorite. Even in his old age, even after people speculated that she caused her mother's death, he still loved her. Many of them claimed her mother became seriously sick after she flogged Stella for not disobeying her. Yet, he still showered her with love.
He was the first person that made her have her first thought about changing path. He might have his own flaws, but unlike other Christians she had ever encountered, he tried to be good to everyone he met.
When he entered her massive compound, he was furious that she didn't come to visit her.
'You built a massive house for your father and dumped him there, alone'.
She directed his driver to the parking lot, and guided him into the room.
'But you have workers. Jacques, the driver; Mensah, your gardener; Idowu, your cook. You are not alone'.
'Only a fool makes strangers his family, and forgets his family'.
'I'm sorry. I've been busy'.
'Busy. Even busy bees still have to copulate, and have a family. The worker bees have time to sleep, and work with their family'.
' I'm sorry papa, let's go inside'.
After scolding her for a while, he relaxed. They discharged the driver, and asked him to return the car to their house in Greencity. She would drive him home the next day, and stay with for three weeks. Still watching her time, she listened absentmindedly as he said he only came visiting to see her, and as he joked about trying to escape being kidnapped for seeing visions. Although he hadn't seen any vision, he said he feared really seeing visions.
'But they have been found', she said after she tried to ensure he wasn't working himself up over a thing that no longer existed.
'They didn't find her, and my people will say that a ram that backs down the arena has gone'
'to gain more strength. I know'.
When she was about to leave the house, she made sure she reenergized the protective spell on the house to secure him, and she cast some illusion spell on some parts of the house to prevent him from moving into those wrong parts of the house. The Yorubas, her father's people, would say 'he who scrambles into a gourd cannot go with his child'. Even if her father wasn't her child, he was a kind father to her.
She left him playing with Jiggs, while she hurried off to the hospital. She had made it a habit to never drive in the night because of some years before, Heetah made her hit someone, and left him to die for no reason. It made her kill an innocent person and basked in the sadness she derived from doing such. Even if he wasn't innocent, she didn't have the right to kill him. Since the night was already veiling the earth, she decided that it would meet her at the hospital. So she walked down her Estate to get a bike.
Japheth was her project, her prey. Yet, he had a way of struggling, and almost jumping out of her grasp. There were days she assumed his light had fizzled out only to find the fading smoke pop into light again. Then, she realized that to quench the light of such people, she had to increase the way she showered him with love. She had to make him believe in her. And visiting him at the hospital, in his weakest time, was definitely a good way to go about it. She must definitely get to meet him now to increase her hold on his life. He would need help to resolve the problem she caused. Despite that, she still loved to see him suffer a bit before dipping his light into the cold sea of despair. She shook her head as she realized that it was Heetah sprinkling thought into her mind. Despite all, she loved it and said, ' It's time to wreak havoc'.
She was ready to let the world see Japheth's light being quenched. Lord Lucifer should come to meet a whole town in shambles, in their darkest time, with no sign of hope. She had to make Japheth's light quench immediately. The flickers of light were beginning to burn brighter, and it was affecting her mission. After this mission, all she needed was to finally have her rest in Lucifer's home.
She walked briskly across the street and saw a man watching her. Many of those drunk men are always being deceived into seeing her flesh, which looked beautiful. If they ever encountered what she carried inside, they would never even have a wish to become like her. But in that instance, all she needed was to get to the hospital.
So when she saw the same look of admiration on the bike man that gave her a lift, she felt sorry for him. He felt like someone that had lost most of his fortune and grace to the lust of women and alcoholic drinks. Yet, his light increased per time. She wondered where his source of light was.
'Madam, I can see you are a Christian', the bike man said.
'My father would say by your dressing you would be addressed', she said as she tried to decipher where he was leading her to.
'That's good'
She was doing well for now, and wouldn't need any disturbance. As she was on the bike, she had repeatedly begun to chant and to recite the incantations needed to make her visit to the hospital fruitful. So, it would be better he spat what he wanted to say and be done before she got to the hospital for she needed all the time in the world.
'So, are you born again?'
She eyed him. 'I'm a Christian. That means I'm born again'.
'Good. That means I found a sister in the Lord'.
She gave him a plastic smile and continued to chant. If he disturbed her once more, she would make sure he never talked again.
'So I've been reading a part of my bible of late. Can you please explain the meaning of "he has forgiven all our sins..."?'
'It means...' Her voice faded off as she stared into oblivion, realizing the truth in what she was about to say. 'It means that Jesus Christ died for all...'
'I know. I mean which of them...'
'No. It means that our sins of the past, present, and future'.
Heetah nudged her but she didn't budge.
'But if it means of the future, that's a bad thing now. Anybody can sin and would still come back'.
'Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound'.
'That's it'.
The pain that been growing in her began to elate. She inhaled loudly. Demons didn't always want the messages about God to be a total configuration of what God wanted for Christians.
'Then I think I'll just go back to that church that teaches us about what we should do to be holy because since I started this new church, they teach on God's grace'.
'Okay'.
Heetah nudged her. She wasn't supposed to indulge the bike man. She was supposed to snub him, and continue what she was doing, but she had been having a strange desire and this time around she knew how to secretly pray. She had consistently been making prayers to God as regarding such ability to choose.
'They said that I'm not a sinner. How can they say that?'
'I don't get you.'.
'I'm an alcoholic. Before I became a Christian, I used to drink. Even now, I still drink. They said that as a Christian, that I should stop calling myself alcoholic. That God has forgiven all my sins- past, future, and present. The thing is confusing'.
She stared at him and felt bad that another man who was about to come to the light of the truth had encountered her. She felt bad because she would extinguish his light.
'Where's this church?'
'Brown Valley. It's a fellowship'.
'You leave all the churches in Black Town and go to a church in Brown Valley. Are the churches here not more than the grain of a field? That's not wise. That's by the way. The message they are teaching you is wrong'.
'I said it', the man said as he swerved into a tarred road. Here, he began to shout to make himself audible. 'Although, when I started saying the things they told me to keep saying, the desire to drink alcoholic drink reduced, I can't just understand it'.
She stared at the back of the man's head, and felt like smacking him for being such a fool. Instead of heeding to what they told him, he was ranting about their method not being a right one. She felt like embracing or imagining the freedom he must have gotten those past weeks. The excitement that would have followed it would have been a monument, one that would forever ring at the back of her mind.
'That method is not good. If you fail, you won't know what to do again, you need the ordinances: the rules, the laws to keep you in check, to make you stay put in the love of God', she said.
'They said I should say I'm the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus'.
'Wow. That's a big one', she said before she could stop herself, just as they got to the hospital. Heetah must have been cross with her because pain ripped her chest. She groaned as she got down from the bike. Firstly, she disobeyed by going to visit Japheth. Now, she was helping a Christian, of all the people in the world.
'Madam are you alright?'
'I'm fine, thanks'.
She withdrew money from her purse to give the man, but he had already started his bike and turned.
'Your money'.
He stopped his bike. 'Madam you've given me something I can never stop paying for. So I owe you plenty. I'll leave that church'.
As she watched him drive off, she knew she would cry regardless of Heetah's hatred for such show of emotion.
'You should be happy', Heetah told her as he increased the pain in her chest. If only she could get the freedom this bike man was throwing away, all the wealth of the world notwithstanding. There was nothing better than freedom from Lucifer.
She rushed into the hospital and asked for the toilet. Her spiritual senses weren't functioning any longer. Even her physical senses too were getting obscured as Heetah began to choke life out of her. The intensity of the heat on her body made her know she had plunged herself into something worth punishing. But she ran into the toilet, not minding the fact that some people turned to look at her. Many of them might have assumed she was purging, and she was fine with that. But, no matter what they thought, she was definitely going to pray or die trying. When she got into the toilet, she was happy it was empty. She slumped on the floor in one of the cubicles.
'Oh God that Lucifer hates I'm so sorry. I'm a witch. A killer. A murderer. I'm everything bad in the world. I just need to change. Please forgive me. I want to be free from this way. I want to serve you. I want to be free. I confess Jesus'.
She was verse in the way of Christians, and knew that she wouldn't have that a hair-raising feeling or any ludicrous strange, magical happening to confirm if she was still a witch, but she knew that she was definitely saved. The bible said if she confessed that Jesus was her lord, she was saved.
A sudden glow of freedom coursed through her body. She whooped. Freedom was beautiful. She jumped about in the cubicle and wasn't concerned if people came around to the toilet.
Immediately she stepped out of the cubicle, Heetah materialized. He was the true definition of evil. The last time she saw it was when she was first inviting it into her life. It was huge and its head touched the ceiling. She froze, squealed, and ran back into the cubicle. Shaking terribly, she couldn't get herself to lock the door. He yanked the door open. As soon as it towered above the cubicle, courage eluded her, making her scream and run out through the open space.
'You have plunged yourself into trouble', it growled. She screeched and screamed as it materialized in front of her. Her head pounded as she withdrew until her back was touching the cold wall. It growled and puffed, advancing as if it was ready to smother her, making her cower and whimper in the corner.
'Jesus', she cried.
'I will kill you'.
Suddenly, a sort of peace engulfed her. 'You lie, Heetah. You're a liar and we both know your origin. You're a fool and an idiot. I'm a Christian'.
Heetah laughed hysterically, sending fear down her spine. 'You are not a Christian. A Christian that is still using the words fool, idiot in sentences'.
'No... It doesn't' matter'.
It wasn't a child's play that she had lived close to a thousand years, learning the mysteries of Christianity and how to make them fall. But the thing she never knew was how they enjoyed a stupid form of confidence. Despite her not hearing from God, she was so sure that Heetah couldn't possibly attack at that time.
'Heetah, I'm a child of God. The spirit of God beareth witness with my spirit that I'm a child of God'.
Heetah laughed. 'I'm still in there'.
She stood her ground as it advanced.
'No. Christ is in me. I'm a new creature. Old things are passed away'.
'We'll see about that'.
An old woman pushed the door and poked her head, making Heetah disappear.
'Hope all is well?'
Stella nodded stiffly as she straightened her skirt and wobbled out of the toilet. She looked about and burst into tears.
She was a Christian. It was real. Was she dreaming? God had accepted her without paying anything. There was no bloodshed. The only bloodshed belonged to the most divine one himself. She felt free after several years of living in different forms, like an immortal. She leapt like a goat, and didn't bother to check the faces of everyone around. Her heart and mouth quivered with joy as she dialed Japheth's number.

Weeeh! Oh Lord Jesus, I thank you for Stella, thank you for being a loving darling Father. Thank you in Jesus name.

Best episode ever...Satan is a liar... wow!

Yeah, Stella is free. I feel overwhelmed with tears.
Gladys, *sighs* God will help.