₦airaland Forum

I could finally lay my head to sleep. I woke up about an hour later sweating terribly ,even with the old air conditioning cooling system on. I touched my forehead to be sure I was not coming down with a fever. I stared across the room, it was dark till I saw a pair of eyes staring deeply at me from a corner of the room. I was startled .

"Hello Chika". Came Rita's cool, calm voice.

"Oh. Its creepy staring at someone sleeping" i said as i made my way to the window for fresh air. I noticed the girl I saw the other time bleeding from her skirt seated on the bunnet of my car.
I was alarmed.

"Can you imagine that crazy nut job is on my car!" I blurted out unconsciously wiping sweat off my face.

"She is not crazy" Rita whispered from my back .

" Just ignore her." She said flatly returning to the corner of the room where she sat .

"And don't get funny ideas. Remember the last time I told you ignore a person and how a dead body ended up in your trunk. In our world you have ignore, ignore and ignore"

I swallowed hard and returned to bed. All I could think of was precious. I hand turned and turned on my bed like mud on a potters wheel. I turned on the light and noticed the novel on the side stool by my bed.

"Things fall apart" I read out. I had never read the book in as much as almost everyone around me had in some way ,have contact with the book. I read a few lines and could not concentrate. It seemed the lines on the book were moving in waves spurned by tidal currents. I heaved the book aside and noticed Rita was still staring at me.

"Do you always do that?"

"Yes" came her swift answer. "Do you want to talk?" Rita spoke with a smile.

I saw this as a perfect opportunity to ask all the questions that were bugging me.

"You said we were going to see an old friend of mine. I have little or no friends. Lets start with that."

Rita was quiet for a moment staring at me unblinkingly .

"We are going to see a certain man by the name Daudu Bello. "

"Daudu Bello? " the name was so familiar but I was sure the person was not a friend. I placed my hand under my chin and thought deeply racking my brain and tearing trough memory and thoughts; files and folders in my head.

"Daudo Bello!! " I blurted out.

No, probably not. Yes, that was the most popular Daudu Bello I knew or anyone knew. "Daudu Bello? The richest man in the country? How is he my friend. I admire the man, but I don't know him."

"You Know you have a knack for asking the wrong questions. This is by far the worst version of you. Don't worry you catch on soon."

I ignored her comment and utilised my window to ask my questions. " So, how is he going to help me out with the mark on my hand. How are we going to even see him. Millionaires don't have such time."

"Billionaire actually . You see, I told you that there are many abnormals like you and I".

I am yet to see what was abnormal about me , I thought to myself. "He is a coven nobel, the leader of the witches."

"Witches? " i laughed, it sounded so funny "witches" . There was something funny about the word to me. It then dawned on me that it was not funny with the way Rita starred at me with muderous intent

. "Please continue" I spoke with a shaky voice.

"They dont like being called witches anymore, atleast since Bello took over.They call them selves alchemists. He can get that thing off your hand. Question time over, now go to bed, we are heading for Lagos Island tomorrow. You need sleep."

I looked through the window and noticed the girl on my bunnet had disappeared.

Lagos island.

1974

"Rita! Scream!!" I spat in pain as I jumped off a ledge of my mansion .

Falling wasn't my fear, nor the pain of impact nor the height I was falling from nor the six13 mm rods sticking out of my back, nor my guts spilling out. It was the stagnant flow of time!



2003

I drove into Placeville motel and bar. Two heavily bosomed ladies in their 30s rushed after my car as I drove in. I slowed down to find out what was the cause of the ratchet. I wound down

"Yes?"

They had gotten close enough before it dawned on me that they were hookers.

"Fine boy, do you like what you see?"

I totally did not like what I saw. With a huge frown on my face, I wound up swiftly and found a nice spot to park my car. I took a deep breathe surveying the environment. The motel was a long array of bungalows with a large shade for drinkers and those seeking life band entertainment. Most of the people there were obviously night crawlers that did not have a single care in the world or knew the significance of time.I observed a three man band comprising of a drummer , a saxophonist and a singer making awful music.

I carefully counted the money I had on me and separated them into five closely equal parts. I noticed the cut on my hand was clothing. I took a piece of cloth and wiped the mess the blood had made on my hand. I adjusted the rear mirror to observe my appearance. Satisfied, I wound up all the windows, buried Precious bag pack under the seats and took out my packed bag.

As I made my way to the reception , I noticed I pretty young lady with blood trickling down her legs from her short skirt. I stared at her for a moment with my bag hanging over my shoulder. The girl couldn't be more than 18 years old. She had very stunning face upon closer observation. I shrugged off the thought of speaking to her. Pretty girls and bad luck , I whispered under my breathe as I walked past her to the reception.

"Are you staring at me! Did you just seem me?! "

I ignored the maiden and walked fast. What was I thinking, she could be a crazy nut job.

"Hello , I would like to book a room please."

"What kind of room?" A short dark man replied with a puff of his cigar facing the fluorescent bulb above his head. I would have smacked him if he puffed it in my face, I thought to myself.

"Is room 11 available?"

"Yes it is." He paused for a moment . " a thousand two hundred naira per night. Check out time is 12 noon ." He continued with searching eyes like trying to ascertain if I could foot the bill.

I paid for three nights . " No receipts? "

" It would be brought to your room. Let my boy help you with your load. "

I observed a young teenager walk up to me to help me off my bag which I gladly declined. The boy stood a few meters close to my shoulder. Most people stop there. I stand at about 6 ft 4 , the tallest in the family.

"Do you care for entertainment , I have some really nice hard working girls I could book you for the night."

"No please, I just want my receipts."

"What of refreshment, my boy can assist with that." I felt hungry , and really needed the refreshment.

"Send the boy in thirty minutes . Please let me have the receipt now. "

"Ok , here is your receipt." He said sliding over the receipt and a key on the desk.

"Thank you" i said as I walked out if the reception. I had taken a mental note of the room arrangements from my car. I strolled down a passage.

"Just keep going down the hall way" I heard the receptionist scream"

"Its called a passage! " I screamed back at him. The weather was so cool. I felt very hungry and weak.

I finally found the room . I noticed the girl I saw earlier looking lost. I quickly avoided her gaze before it met with mine. "Nut job" I whispered to myself as I opened the door. I carefully unpacked my things. The weather outside was getting cloudy .

I went to the bathroom and took a shower. I kept having flashes of Precious, her brother, the boy in the tank , Sniper, lady cheek bone , Rita". I turned off the shower and changed into a vest and boxer .

"Where is Rita now" I said in a hushed tone as I dried my hair with a towel.

"Hello Chika" I knew that voice.

"Rita! You woldnt believe what I have been through. Where were you?!"

"Calm down. You would explain everything. I had to run to a morgue to get a fresh body to host myself. Waited and waited, nothing. The ones I saw were either hideous, old or damaged."

I swallowed hard uncomprehendingly . I hugged her all the same. I had been having a terrible time and just needed to hug someone.

It was brief. I was finally able to properly asses the room. It was neat and spacious. It had a desk , chair and a reading lamp, two fluorescent bulbs, a side stool with a novel on it, a ball pen between the novel, an air conditioner and window with louver panels .

"So what is the next plan?"

"We get that mark off your hand."

I stared at my arm , there was no mark.

"Look deeply."

I finally could see it. A red star with the letter P engraved in it.

"Oh my God. How do we get rid of this?"

"We have to visit an old friend of yours"

"An old friend of mine?"

cruzzbint:
nice story

thank you My Lady .

gsteve:
Placeville motel and bar it is. Rita and I are waiting

lol

emitheo:
following diligently

thank you for the follow up Sir. You guys should not mind the numerous errors. I am just reading it.

teamplayey:
Good job!

lol, happy sunday Sir.

"Jesus!! My God ! My God! "

"The next one goes in your head."

"I will off it , please ! please ! Oh lord!" The Skinny man wailed as he buried his face to the ground with his limbs vibrating spiritedly and point in directions of higher altitude .

I had him where I wanted him.

Like greased Lightning, He sprang up and emptied every thing that adored his body leaving him in his birthday suit. I nudged him to toss his clothes which he did quickly , tossing the ones on his hands by throwing ,and the ones on the ground by kicking with his frail and tiny looking feet .

Even a lunatic would have taken cover for his disorientation . He probably had never seen a gun go off in his life. Did -Cheek bone not call him Sniper a few moments back? I wondered in incredulity .

What a day. I had managed to killed a lady, knocked another unconscious, and just shot a gun. There were just a few bad things a man could think of that I had not done yet.


I walked over to Lady cheek bone. I noticed she was was playing unconscious from the stiff looking way her mouth contoured . I smiled at her terrible acting performance and slipped my hand into her breast pocket. I found her rubber bounder phone. It had a rubber band with almost every colour on the rainbow wrapped around it.

"For your sake, just stay like that." I whispered into her ears .

"I hope you folks have a lovely night." I spoke out loud with a bow like a prestidigitator would after a Night performance .

I hoped into my car with -Snipers' clothes and kicked the engine on .
I watched them wail and yowl at each other through my side mirror. I couldnt help the smiled that escaped my lips. I removed the smoke mask I had on and felt sweat all over my face.

I could not even recognise my self back there , I thought aloud. Guilt provoking thought began racing through my mind in leaps and bounds .

"Do not dispose refuse into the Lake" I read off a sign board as I sped off on the express. A lake had to be around , I thought to myself. Just what Rita advised . "I advice you burry it near a riverine area or burn it near one." She had said. The perfect place. I slowed down sighting a turn ahead. Nervousness started to kick hard into my body.

I drove roughly through the lonely bush path off the road after cutting through a number of streets from the high way. My hands were visibly shaking as I tried to maintain a steady steering . My hands were coved in blood and it had just started to dry up.

I stared at the time piece on the dash board, it was just 1am. I had driven for about an hour.

Oh shit! I forgot the shovel.

I shook my head in anger mixed with fear. The sweat on my forehead had started flowing down my nose.


This brings my tale to the immediate paragraph that follows the phase starting it.

The very thought of disposing a body turned my tummy. Not having a means of disposing the body made my tummy turn more in a nauseating way.

I found a perfect spot just by a steep valley. I parked close by and jogged to the valley. The lake had spread to the area in form of a canal . I stood by the edge of the valley for a while thinking deeply. I ran to my car and closed to door taking a deep breathe. The area was very silent and sounds from nocturnal birds had dominated the atmosphere.

I searched the glove compartment and found cigarette lighter . I smiled as an Idea came to mind. Today might just be my lucky day after-all , I thought aloud . I opened the booth quietly ,removing the jerry can and hose . I emptied the generator tank fully into the jerry can taking a mental note of my surrounding. The petrol was very little but just what i needed. The Lord works in mysterious ways , i uttered.

I carefully dragged the body out to the edge of the canal . I emptied the jerry can on the bed sheet wrapped body and set it ablaze . I walked to my car and sat patiently watching the body burn with a pistol clenched under my folded arms.

When I was satisfied, I rolled what was left of the corpse into the canal . I had to be back on the road . I am sure Rita wouldn't believe what I have been through tonight, I thought . I heaved Sniper's clothes into the canal and got back to my car.

Placeville motel and bar it is. I just hope Rita is there ,I whispered!

Missmossy:
Bring it on!!

Quite horrific, interesting plot.

thanks Maam

Missmossy:
Bring it on!!

Quite horrific, interesting plot.

thanks Maam

Teeapumpin:
Getting interesting. Ride on bro

thank your Sir for the encouragement .

emitheo:
mmmmm......u left a cosy,comfortable,lavish life for what i don't know.....u should have been hunting them instead,like take d fight to them. Damn!

lol, thanks for the passionate follow up on the story

I reached for Precious' bag pack from the back seat. I extracted anything my hand could grab unto first.

"Smoke mask?" I uttered. Since there was a gas protective mask, tear gas couldn't be far. I searched again and I was right. I smiled at my quick thinking.

There were 3 cans I could find in the bag. I buried my fingers into the bag again and found a pistol and a hunting knife with a belt strap. I faced the road paying more attention to the people tailing me. I gradually slowed down for the car to overtake and it slowed down. I stopped the car and turned off the headlight and any other illuminating thing in the car including my phone. I watched the car through the side mirror. For some unknown reasons, I was getting a knack out of this dangerous situation. The occupants of the car staying inside for a few minutes. They probably were confused. That was the exact state I wanted them to be in.

I slowly opened the door to my right which faced the freeway. The left-hand side where I sat was directly opposite a Bushy land area.

The opened door was the bait and I was going to sit patiently for the game to hop in.

"Are you sure this is the car" I heard a man say in a hushed tone that bore deep into the silent night as he stepped out of the vehicle.

"Yes, the boy is there. Sniper, why are you reluctant to go there, he is just a kid" i heard a lady urge the skinny looking man formed in the silhouette.
I carefully unbuckled the seat belt wrapped around my waist and waited out my plan.


"Or are you afraid?" The lady spat again irritatedly. "See if I knew you couldn't do the job, I should have called James o!"

"Are you crazy? Cant, you see there is something not right here. Are you sure he is even in the car?"

Then I heard them muffle some inaudible words among themselves. I studied their silhouette from the rear mirror. It was -Lady cheekbone. Even in the dark, the cheekbones were very visible.

I hissed. These were just some low life thieves. She was probably after the little money she saw me count, I thought to myself. Then I observed the skinny man had the right fingers wrapped around a tiny pistol. As he came nearer to the car.

I drew on the mask and pulled on the canister setting off the tear gas. This prompted Lady cheekbone and Skinny man to go for the opened door. The gas-masked my presence, giving an opportunity to run around the car and attack from behind.

Just as I intended. They kept searching the car, amidst the flare and burning gas. "My eyes! Did you see him? My eyes! If you see him, shoot him!! " I heard the lady scream into the night as she coughed like she was choking heavily. I knocked her head with the button of the gun I had on me.

"Uh uh uh, just drop your gun. " I whispered to the skinny man who was horrified than I was about the lady laying helplessly on the cold coal-tar floor. I had hit her head so hard, I was sure she might have died of the impact. My conscience started playing mind tricks on me but I was certain she was just unconscious.

"I said to drop your gun, don't make me have to kill you too. " I just said that. There was no way the lady could have died from that, I thought to myself. I could only hope, but I tried my best to look undisturbed about her condition. This was the second lady today that wants me dead Thought to myself.

"I have no gun on me. " the man said staring at me blankly with no gun visible in his possession. He must have hidden it to pull a fast one on me.

"The dead lady told you to shoot me, and you're saying you have no gun. I would count to three and kill you slowly if you think I'm joking. "

There was a brief moment of silence "You got me there boy. " he said revealing his very coloured set of teeth. " The thing is that the gun is a fake." He paused and threw the gun on the ground.


Whew! What a relief I thought to myself. I just wanted the day over already. Still waving a pistol at his face I instructed him to carry Lady cheekbone to their vehicle.

" Boy, you don't have to kill us, we haven't done anything to you."

" quiet"

"She just told me to escort her in robbing you, you are just as innocent as I am here. Boy? Boy?"

" The next time you call me 'Boy' I would empty every bullet in this gun into your left eye". Whew, I can't believe I just said that, I thought to myself, or why I chose the left eye. Being at the other end of a gun that doesn't have the nozzle sticking at your face can be very intoxicating, especially when you don't know how to use the cold metal device of horror.

I had to deflate their tires and leave them stranded. I reached for the hunting blade I had strapped to my belt.

"Are you going to cut me with that?"

"Maybe, maybe not. I want you to lay on the ground and don't look up or I will gut you into pieces. " The smoke mask I had on and the pistol in hand had taken my level of confidence to another level. So far so good, I was in control of the whole situation.

I slice the two front tires of their rickety vehicle with ease. The plan was almost in completion. All I need was to ensure they were fully stranded.

I went towards the man's direction, his face was buried on the ground. I ensured I kept a safe distance from him in case of foul play. I touched lady cheekbone by the neck. Her pulse was very normal. I was glad she wasn't dead yet.

"Hey! " I called for the skinny man's attention. "I would need you to hand over your phone and hers before I count to ten"

" I don't have a phone, but I know where hers is." I felt he was up to something.

"Where is her phone?" I asked

"Its in her blouse pocket. " I stayed still, not moving, not saying a word. He couldn't see my face, he couldn't guess my thought and I was dead sure this made him uncomfortable.

I had to be quick and get back on the road. I started to hate the little game I was playing. I was going to document this day, I thought to myself. Only If I had known it was the first of worse days to come, I would have deserted the thought as fast as it came.

So here I was, a lying thief, and a laying thief. One unconscious, one trying to be smart with me. Probably if he had seen the dead body in my trunk, he would have been less prudent with the truth and more horrified, and by every means, cooperative.

"Pull off your clothes."

"What are you saying?"

I took a deep breath. There comes a time in a man's life when you do the things you don't believe you were ever capable of.

I squeezed the trigger of the gun and there was a loud bang!