₦airaland Forum

Akintayo Akinjide


*BaitCide*

That night, Kelly's hands were stretched as she stood over third mainland bridge.
It called her prey nearer, from where they will end up at the bottom of the river.


*Open the Door*
'Ike, someone's at the door', his mom called from her room.
'Who was shouting?' His mom asked as she pushed past him into the house.

*Home Alone*
Hello, Tunde heard from his room.
But he had just returned from locking everywhere because he was alone.

*Still Life*
It was as rigid and useless as always.
Then, Pearl's hand waved back at Ige from the picture.


*Same Opposite*
Little Ann's eyes looked like her mother's- beautiful and happy.
They were the last thing her mother saw as Ann's choked her to death.

*Seduction*

Nneka withdrew, moved gayly towards her bed, eyes fixed on him, and beckoning on him to follow her.
Dele winked, and then a tail dropped between his legs.



*Love Forever*
'Your love keeps me alive', my dead wife's voice lingered in the air.
I woke up to see myself tethered to a wall, her knife raised in air.

enirock:
Divepen hope you never run leave us??

It's been a while, hope you are good

Bro.

Thanks. I was engaged in a freelancing job that took most of my time. Interestingly, I just picked up all my stories yesterday to start work on them. So, I'm surprise you also chose this time to check up on me. It means it's time for my writing again. .

Congratulations to him...

Glopatience:
This is a wonderful move, at least it will encourage new and aspiring authors.

Thank you.

I'll visit the site now.

Thanks..m

memd:
Hello, this a much appreciated platform you have made available here. I just created my own account.

I have a kids' book lying around. It's a picture story book. Though it's being pushed to the printing press already, I hope I can still publish it as an ebook on Domingobooks?

Yes... It can be published.

geloorrrrdd:
Send me a PM.

Oh! I'm currently not available...

geloorrrrdd:
Do you still write?

Yes ...

enirock:
welcome back Divepen. Thanks for the update. we are waiting to see what Rachel is being trained for

Very soon. In the next two chapters...

germaphobe:
thanks for the drop, the mind and body really needs it.

You're so welcome...

Chapter 5
Nail and Pain

When Rachael agreed to improve herself, she assumed the next level of Wu’s class would be something she could easily overcome. It was worse.
‘Again’, Wu screamed as her cane came down hard on Rachael’s feet.
‘Argh!’ Rachael cried again.
Her legs were sore and had several welts from Wu’s cane. This particular training was that she had to walk as silently as she could.
‘You’re too clumsy’, Wu said.
‘But… I’m tired’, Rachael cried.
‘Then, I will flog strength into your bones’. Wu rose fiercely.
Wu had become fiercer since her last discussions with Marcus. Her measures were upped. The hearing training now included hearing while loud music is blasting. At first, the noise came from a distance. Gradually, it was played in the room. And eventually, the blast was through a mega headphone.
Rachael cried a lot to her room from that training and even in her room, wishing she had focused her strength on escaping- that was the best form of staying alive.
Wu’s kept increasing the difficulty. How would Wu want Rachael to hear her footstep over the loud blast? It took her several days to get it right. When she thought it would become easier, Wu filled a part of the room with fine sands and demanded that Rachael walk past her.
Rachael attempted severally to no avail. ‘I can’t do it…’ Rachael cried and scrambled to another part of the room.
Wu’s eyes were dead focused and serious. ‘If you can hear my footsteps from afar, then you can and will do this. Or I will flog you and flog you till you can realize the essence of these to your survival’.
‘I don’t want to survive. I want to die… I’m tired’, Rachael burst into tears. ‘I want to leave. I’m not doing again. Kill me. Let me go…’
‘Get up’, Wu ordered.
Rachael shook her head.
Wu sat in front of her, dejected. ‘You will die…’
Rachael stared at her and washed the pain crawling into her eyes and travelling through her hushed voice.
‘Do you understand me? If you don’t learn it well, the people you want to meet will kill you. If you don’t learn it, you can’t go to the next stage, and our project will end…’
‘It should end. I don’t care…’
Wu inhaled sharply. ‘You’re the project’.
‘I…. Please, let me rest. I’m tired’.
‘Sorry, child. It’s for a matter of time’. Wu rose, faced Rachael, with her hands behind her. ‘Now, up!’
Rachael sniffed, blinked, and rose.
‘Get past me…’ Wu said and sat in the middle of the room, with her back turned to Rachael.
Rachael climbed the sand again and concentrated on her step.
For days, the training became more laborious, and all Rachael could do was to cry to her room. Whenever she was alone, she would cry, hit the wall repeatedly and tried not to sleep. Her dreams were becoming terrible by the day. She kept seeing a girl giving her picture.
One night, the door cracked opened. Rachael sprung off to a side of the room. Jessica’s head poked into the dark room.
‘Rachael?’ Jessica called.
Racheal didn’t bother to think twice before she dashed out into the passage and rushed off. She didn’t bother running round the field. As silently as she could, she sneaked off past Tanko.
Even if he knew, she could now outrun him without breaking a sweat.
The early morning race had increased her agility and calculation. Every day, there was always a new obstacle or pit on the way for her. She only had to look ahead while racing through them.
‘She’s out!’ The second shouted.
Tanko was known for shouting, and she had banked on that for her escape, forgetting that the other guard was around that night.
The fence was her only focus. If she got across it, there was no chance they would catch anymore. She hurriedly struggled to the top and was about to sit when something stung her. The pain surged through her body. Rachael couldn’t explain where it came.
‘Get her… She will fall. Run’, Marcus shouted.
Everything became dizzy. As Marcus predicted, she crashed to their side of the fence, with a heavy, loud thud and lost consciousness. When she woke again, Marcus was sitting across her. He was chewing gum. She, on other the hand, was hanging from a pole.
‘You’ve been a bad…bad… bad girl’, Marcus said as he fiddled with a pocket knife.
She had never been to this room. Or didn’t even know it existed. Despite always running from her room to and fro the training room, Rachael still always tried to take a quick view of the area around her. Everywhere in the room was empty, having bare walls, dried up drops of blood, thick ropes, dust and dirt. The stuffiness was choky and got her coughing the moment her sight became balanced.
A slight pain had always throbbed at her knees, but they became pronounced that moment.
‘Let me down…’ Rachael yelled.
‘A suitable punishment awaits you’, Marcus said. He brought out a piece of chewing gum from his breast pocket, popped into his mouth, walked over to her, and tapped her face repeatedly.
‘Leave me…’ Rachael murmured.
‘By the time I’m done with you, obedience and discipline will be a part of you’, Marcus said.
‘Get off me… Leave me alone’, Rachael yelled. The pull of the rope was nagging at her elbow joint.
‘Hi, we’ve not officially introduced ourselves. I’m Marcus. And your SO. Like supervising Officer. And you’re damned. For running away, I have a wonderful punishment. The smallest on my list. You’re going to enjoy it’.
He moved near the rope and tugged at it. Rachael stared dagger at him. Blood drained down her face.
‘Now, you might want to hold the rod above you because if you move down an inch, you will get stung with such pain that beats those of scorpions’, Marcus said.
Rachael wondered what he meant until he moved away and returned with a plank that had enough long needles in them. A part of the needles hit her feet.
‘Ah!!!’ Rachael yelled when he placed the rod under her legs. Quickly, she folded her legs. Pain surged through her body like someone plant a pipe filled with fire. ‘Get it off me!’
‘You…’ He said and slapped her face repeatedly have no right to talk here. ‘Don’t get to talk. I didn’t punish you the first time, and here you’re still acting like…a…’ Marcus snapped his fingers repeatedly like he was trying to grasp the right word. ‘You’re acting like a spoilt child. Firstly, you of all the people we’ve worked on refused to forget her name. That’s a stain on my reputation. I fought my way to be one of the best SO. I clawed my way through several agencies, and you want to ruin it for me…’
‘Leave me…’ Rachael yelled, and her voice escalated when she slacked a bit. Another set of pain surged through her head. She thought she would go mad at that point. The pain sprung through her body like prisoners illegally freed from their cells.
Marcus waved at her. ‘Adieu… We will see when I feel it’s time’.
Rachael watched him leave and hope he was joking. She was sweating, and all that could help her was the thought of the dreams she had been having.
‘Argh’, she yelled again. This time, the pain in her knee knocked her head senseless. She cried loudly.
Her strength couldn’t handle the burden of holding the rod anymore. She had to slack a bit. As she tried to do that, her feet touched the edge of the needles, and she quickly retracted her legs.
To do that, she needed to use her strength. It was a tiring effort. After a while, she couldn’t hold the rod anymore.
‘Please… Please’, she cried.
For hours, she fought between holding on to the rod, dwelling on the pain in her knee, and not stepping on the plank of needles. Repeatedly, she failed.
‘I won’t run again… I won’t run away again’, she cried.
Marcus didn’t enter.
‘Please…’ she cried.
Her body was soaked in sweat as if she was under a shower. Her mind went haywire. There should be someone out there looking for her. She shouldn’t be in this pain forever. She cried and cried, but it was a useless effort.
Blood dripped down her legs. With blood draining off her face, she wished for death.
As if he was monitoring her progress, Marcus entered, removed the plank, and walked out.
‘Tanko?’ He shouted.
Tanko rushed into the room, helped Rachael down and carried her to her room. Gurgling and choking on her tears, she couldn’t even fight Tanko. Tears poured down her face.
‘She will heal up from the pain from Tomorrow’s training… That’s Wu’s speciality’, Marcus said and closed the door.
Rachael cried, gasped, and cursed the day she was born. All that could help there was death. Like Jessica said, she had just ruined her opportunity to talk to someone. She would be alone. They won’t allow Jessica visit her anymore. She would be lonely now.
Sleep took over her consciousness till she was roused out of her sleep by something wet licking her leg. She pulled her legs back in fear.
‘Hold on…’ Jessica whispered.
The sight of her brought out more tears. ‘Help me…’
‘I’m sorry. Let me help you treat your palm…’ Jessica whispered.
‘You can help me…’ Rachael pleaded. Pulling Jessica’s hand, she searched for her eyes.
‘I can’t’, Jessica whimpered. ‘I wish… I can help’.
Jessica muffled her cry, and when she was done, she ran out. Rachael stared at the closed door. She couldn’t run after her because she was too weak. Soon enough, her eyes were drooping, and she slept off.
Again, she was roused out of sleep. This time, by pain in her knees. She yelled and held her legs in the air. Too much! Pain! Everywhere!
Pain surged through everything in her body. Her mind couldn’t focus on anything.
‘Ah! My leg o…’ She cried.
She didn’t know the one to hold. Tanko rushed in and carried her .
‘To the doc… Now’, Marcus yelled.

enirock:
Divepen its been a while u dropped something for our reading pleasure, I hope all is well? Just checking up on u

Thanks. Na money cause am o. I've been busy but I'm dropping something today.

MichaelBlake40:
Hmm rigorous training under threat of death, I feel Rachel is tough but isn't this a bit too much ? Someone is about to be scarred for life. More ink to your pen, Divepen1

Thanks. Indeed, she was scarred for life...

GoodBook:
Ok, please can I reach you via WhatsApp?

Yes..
I'll DM you

enirock:
Watin Rachael go use Marcus eye see after her training... I just dey imagine am

Lol... I would love to see it too o.

GoodBook:
Please can you help me publish on Amazon. Nigeria not being a seller country makes the whole process tedious.

At a fee, yes

Chapter 4
Opened Ears
Rachael swallowed hard because she hated this aspect of her training. But a slight movement from her would mean being flogged. So, she remained still even as her eyes remained closed.
‘You’re at the far end of the room’, Rachael said.
‘That was too slow’, Wu dismissed. ‘We’re going again…’
‘From the last one?’ Rachael inquired and turned towards with Wu. Wide-eyed.
Wu shook her head.
‘No…No… Please. I got it’, Rachael cried.
‘You were slow. A turtle’, Wu reprimanded.
Rachael couldn’t hold back tears.
Ever since she was brought back, the security measures around her had increased. The guards now brandished guns, and Marcus showed his face frequently. He terrified her.
‘So, start writing everything you hear’, Wu ordered and walked away. ‘I hear 167 different sounds now…’
Rachael’s eyes shone. She stared at her notebook. She got only 73 the other time.
If they punished her differently, she would have preferred it, but this training was the only thing she had been doing since she returned. Wu always talked as if listening to sounds was simple. She would ask Rachael to write everything she could hear in the environment, including the rustling of leaves and chirping of birds and the swishing of the wind.
‘Simple’, Wu instructed.
After that, Rachael would sit as still as she could be for two hours. This was the part she hated. The first few times she tried moving, Wu’s cane was there to guide her back to stillness. Then, she would try to know where Wu was standing. That was very hard, but she just kept imagining and feeling the positions.
Eventually, she was right. But the processes became harder.
‘I hate my life. God kill me…’ Rachael yelled.
‘Write’, Wu barked and flogged her.
‘Leave me…’ Rachael sprung up and couldn’t hold back the tears flowing her face.
‘Sit’, Wu said and flogged her again. This time, the cane struck Rachael on the nape of her neck.
‘No…No…’
Rachael rushed towards her. The guards outside sprung to action, but Wu raised her finger for them to stand down.
If Rachael could just get to her, hit her, and do that again, she would get satisfaction. But Wu seemed to know her plan, she gracefully stepped aside and struck Rachael on the back. Everything in Rachael yelled. She never expected that or the pain that came from it.
It brought her crashing as if a whole building crumbled on her.
‘Whoa!’ Rachael muttered.
She turned abruptly on the floor and stared at Wu’s hand.
Wu smiled. ‘How does that feel?’
Rachael shook her head, lost for word. She remained weakened on the floor.
‘See, a lot of money was poured into this. I’m the best, and I can teach you. If you will go through the process…’
‘You will…’ Rachael stuttered. The pain from Wu’s strike still made her weak. She watched the hand to see if there was anything special about it. ‘Your hand… How did you… My back?’
‘It’s heavy’, Wu said and walked towards her. This time, her hands were behind her.
‘No… It’s soft. Fragile’, Rachael stuttered.
‘Yes. My hands look light, but it’s how to hit that matter. I can teach you many things. If you keep fighting and running away, I can’t…’
‘But I want to remember who I am’, Rachael murmured and sniffed.
She had tried but couldn’t hold back the fear that she wouldn’t remember anything again. The only thing she had gotten so far was a dream.
‘You’re special. Only special people make it down here. I don’t know your history or where you came from, but I tell you I can make you as powerful as I am…’
That caught Rachael’s attention.
‘Yes. All you need to follow my process. Can you?’
Rachael swallowed. She wondered what her option was. She couldn’t escape and couldn’t fight her way out of that place. And they kept flogging for not getting it, right. If she did everything right, she might get the chance to escape soon.
‘Can you try?’ Wu asked.
Rachael nodded.
‘Then, sit in silence….’
She must have remained there for one hour when she heard footsteps hurrying from afar. Wu stepped outside. Despite their whispering, she could hear them loud and clear.
‘How many weeks before she moves to the next step….?’ Marcus asked.
‘I don’t know… Probably tomorrow!’ Wu replied.
‘How’s that possible?’ Marcus wondered. ‘I thought… You told me she was adamant…’
‘You tell me. You brought her. I just got through to her… And I feel I can teach her a lot’, Wu replied.
‘That’s a first. The best of the previous people were how many weeks?’ Marcus asked.
‘Three weeks at most… You did well this time’, Wu said.
‘Good. This case is becoming worse by the day. Chief says there are arguments about funding. If by next two weeks, we can’t bring her to term, we should….’ Marcus said…
Rachael wished she could turn her head, but she had learnt not to try that with Wu.
‘That’s crazy…. The others got to some weeks, and they died… On their own…’
‘I’m trying to avoid that…’
‘Does that mean…So, we will have to kill…’, Wu whimpered. ‘She’s the best… Maybe a week more’.
‘It’s out of my hand?’
Rachael’s heart began to race. She had to learn fast to escape. If not, she might be killed.

enirock:
Na u I go thank boss. If you see the kind meaning wey this read and some others I dey follow dey occupy me this time ehn you go know say after God na you and all these writers here follow


Thanks for giving us joy even in the lock down

I really appreciate this baba...

enirock:
somehow I found myself on this interesting read and I have been hooked since

Nice concept boss

Thanks a lot boss

germaphobe:
Divepen1 hope you are ok sir.

I'm fine o.


Thanks I'll post on Monday.

wisestar:
following

You're welcome..

Creeza:
I guess Baba charmed the food he gave her. Hmm And the way Marcus reacted I definitely would not want such a person as my superior.

Rachel poor Rachel. How did you get here?


Thanks Divepen1, For the update. I enjoyed it. More soon.

Indeed Baba charmed her.

Thanks for your comment.

Chapter 3
The woman, a Chinese, sat on a mat with her eyes closed. Rachael panted and glanced back to be sure she was free from Tanko.
The Chinese woman pointed to a place opposite her. ‘Welcome, I’m Wu’.
Rachael held her breath. This is not real, she thought. Everything would soon be over.
She looked around the white room. The light of the room accentuated its brightness. There should an escape somewhere, she hoped. Rachael looked about and dashed for some parts of the room. But the only door was the one she came through.
If she had to die, then she would try escaping Tanko.
‘You know we’ve got all the time of the year for you. Everyone thinks you’re the one’, Wu said.
Rachael swallowed as she backed away towards the door. Quickly, she spun around to look at the door. Tanko, heaving like a monster under leash, stood outside. Everything about him was ominous. His red eyes spoke volume. Slashes were everywhere on his body.
‘Oh, God! Help me!’ She muttered.
Wu opened her eye. ‘Have your seat’.
‘No…’ Rachael whimpered, shaking her head. She opened the door and turned sideways to have a view of both Tanko and Wu.
‘You know you can’t go anywhere?’ Wu said assuredly.
Rachael hated that tone. ‘You can’t tell me what to do. Who am I?’
‘Sit down…’ Wu said with her knees still beneath her.
The door cranked alongside Tanko’s wheeze.
‘Okay… Okay…’ She muttered as her eyes dashed from Wu to Tanko. She looked through the forest and knew it was worth the risk.
‘I said…’ Wu started to say, but she didn’t wait to hear the rest.
Rachael flung herself on to the sandiest part of the field. Tanko was quick to react. She wheezed as she packed sands in both hands.
As fast as she could be, Rachael flung the sand into Tanko’s eyes. He raged. But she didn’t wait to see the outcome. As fast as she could scramble out of his reach, she did and raced off into the field.
Not the paths, Rachael warned herself. Quickly, she dashed into bushes.
The bushes were dry, and their stems slashed her fair skin. She was better gone than to care about her skin. Everything around her felt hazy. Tanko’s noise became louder. But she had a feeling that there were other people there with the two of them.
Well, she wouldn’t want to wait to find that out. All that she wanted at the moment was an out.
‘Help me!!!’ She yelled as she pushed her way through the bush.
There was a path leading away. The moment she stepped into this path, a loud alarm began to yell.
Noise of different people erupted from different places at the same time. She jumped as if the floor was on fire. Her mind raced with fear. She would die. She just knew it. Everywhere was the same. Suddenly, someone came out, ahead of her. He spread his arms as if to tell her she was on a fool’s errand.
‘Oh, God!’ She winced as she tried to stop. He raced towards her.
She didn’t even think twice, she scrambled up and picked her way through another set of a bush. Luckily, there wasn’t a barbed wire around it.
Not waiting to soak in the information, she raced through it. Noise came from her right. The best option was to run off to into the thicker part of the forest. There was no way she would remain in that house. Several huge trees sometimes scared her, but now, they all looked like barriers she must surmount.
She wanted to shout but feared that might give her away. So, she raced down the path that was becoming bigger. All that mattered was to find another means of escape that wouldn’t make them find her.
‘Hey! Young girl’, an old man said in Yoruba.
Her eyes popped open in appreciation. That was just what she needed. She never knew how she understood him but was relieved.
‘Help me…’ She pleaded.
‘What’s pursuing you?’ The man said, adjusting his wrapper.
‘Men… Huge men’.
‘Who are you?’ The man said and peered into the distance.
She glanced back and was relieved to see that they didn’t follow her down the path ‘Rachael…Rachael. That’s all I know’.
‘Who’s after you?’
‘I don’t know them. They kept me in this house, and I don’t know…’
‘In this my forest. I will send the gods to destroy their lives…’ The old man yelled.
‘Please, just hide me….’
‘Go inside and hide all you want. Nobody is getting you from me’, the old man said.
After what felt like forever, she was sure they weren’t coming. By this time, she had stopped panting. The man’s house was still manageable. She seemed to have lived in a place like before this but couldn’t remember the place. All she wanted was to get away. Run. Disappear.
The old man entered. ‘Nobody is coming for you… Are you sure you saw people?’
‘Yes, sir. Two huge men…’ Rachael said.
‘Have you eaten?’ The old man asked.
Rachael shook her head. At that moment, food was the least of her worries. All that of importance was that she was safe and out of their reach.
‘Then, you must have something to eat’, the old man said and went around to get a cup, tea and milk.
‘My son bought these for me. You should drink from it. He went to the room and came out with loaves of bread.
Rachael shook her.
‘Well, whenever you are’.
The old man left. Rachael glanced at everywhere. The things she saw began to get to her. Skulls laid at different parts of the room. The weak light of the house was more effective in aggravating her fear.
She looked about in horror. What if this man wanted to kill her? She shook her head.
After a while, she rested. Her fear dissipated and all that remained was hunger. Her stomach kept rumbling, and the imagination of eating the food in front of her recurred.
The tins of milk and tea were both sealed, indicating they were new. Even the loaves of bread hadn’t been tampered with. So, she helped herself to it.
‘Good… Listen to me now’, the old man said.
‘Sir?’
‘There are some men outside, and I think you will love you to follow them’.
‘Yes, sir’.
The man smiled and turned sideways. ‘The coast is clear. Come for her’.
Three men entered. She remembered seeing the one with the suit before, when he pointed a gun at her, scaring her. But now, she felt like following him anywhere. So, she shrugged.
They led her away.
‘Increase the security of the fence. Now, we know she will always run away’, the man on suit said when they got back to the field.
‘Remember what Baba said…’ The other person said.
‘To hell with him’, the man on suit said. ‘I already threw the charm away. We want to train a live breathing assassin, one that can think on her feet. We are not breeding mindless zombies here’.
‘But…’
‘Don’t you dare finish that statement. And I will tell Chief. Any day that man touches any of our trainee with his charm again, I will kill him. I have to wait until the effect wears off. Look at her, following me without resistance’.
‘Is that not good… At least she will?’
‘Shut up’, the man on suit shouted and slapped the other person. His eyes were red now. ‘Does this look like an animal we can tame?’
‘She’s a girl…’ The other person replied.
‘She’s supposed to fight me. And be ready to escape. I need someone to tame. Not one whose will is inhibited by a crazy charm. She has to learn compliance. Let her fight it because she’s human, but we will train her to know how to let the emotion go. Not that we forcefully take the will out of her hands. Let her learn when to push emotion aside’.
The other person shrugged. ‘And you don’t dare slap me again. I’ll let this pass. What does it matter how she comes under the power of our charm? Charm. Training all the same. Marcus. All the same…’
Marcus smiled and closed her eyes. He turned to Rachael. ‘Remember this… I hope you do remember this when you’re no longer gullible’.
Marcus kicked the other person in the groin, making him cringe to the ground. With more force, he kicked the other person’s face. Again. And Again. Marcus didn’t stop even when blood oozed from his nose.
‘You. Dare. Not… Talk... To… To ... Me… Again. Never. Not now. Not tomorrow. I’m your superior’.
He brushed his suits and wiped his shiny black shoes. ‘Rachael let’s go back to your training room’.
The moment they got to the door, Rachael realized where she was. That scared her.
What happened to me? She wondered and spun around.
‘Hey! I see your memory is back. Now, let’s be a good girl and go to class’, Marcus said and brandished a gun.
She looked at the smirk on his face and entered the room.
Wu pointed to the floor opposite her. ‘Now, sit’.

Welcome baba...

yungbanks:
Am here man remember to mention me ooo

Creeza:
Nice one boss. Thanks for the update.!

Thanks baba... You're so welcome

wisestar:
wow! her training don start. I will call this the training of determination, no matter how deadly the mission is she must accomplish it.

Let's hope... Because getting trained when I don't know I am, I will never concentrate...

Enjoy these literary bingos....

skubido:
Thanks for the update

You're so welcome.

Chapter 2
Tanko's Race

Rachael glanced about in fear. She had dreamt of a fair girl chasing her in her dream. The girl’s face was blurry, but her name, ‘Chioma’ rang still in her mind.
Even without seeing her, Rachael was afraid of what the girl could do to her.
Rachael laid in bed and could still feel the lines of tears on her face from crying herself to sleep. Someone opened the door and dropped a nice food, wrapped with ‘Toris Kitchen’ nylon. He wondered what she was doing there.
She couldn’t tell when she slept off, but she bounced out of bed immediately someone touched her.
‘Racheal?’ A small girl’s voice.
‘Who is that?’ She said and scrambled out of bed. ‘Who...’
‘Jessica. I was in the room when you woke?’
‘That girl’.
‘Yes...’
‘What do you want?’
Jessica sat on the bed. ‘Baami bought me these binoculars. It can see in the night’.
‘How did you enter?’ Rachael said and rose, realizing that it was the perfect opportunity to escape.
‘I opened the door’.
‘Then, I’m leaving’,
‘Please... No...’ Grace said and grabbed her.
Rachael sneered and pushed her off.
‘They will not allow me come again. They will catch you’, Jessica said raspily. ‘The fence is high and has electric barb fence. They will catch you’.
‘I’m leaving’, Rachael said and sneaked out of the room. She stopped when she got to a corner.
Grace came near her. ‘They will not let me see you again. You’re not the first person to come here. All of them just left. They took them away Rita says they sent them back, but I think they kill them. Many of them, too, did not remember anything. Baami said I can be friend with you. Don’t go!’
Rachael paused and looked into the field. It was indeed filled with the brightness of different fluorescents lamps and security men stood in their corners.
‘What does he want?’ Rachael whispered.
‘They said they are training you’.
‘I don’t want...Rachael growled.
‘Don’t shout’, Jessica pleaded. She came near and covered Rachael’s mouth. ‘We should go inside...’
Rachael pulled Jessica’s hand off. ‘No...’
‘Please. You have no choice. They will tase you...’
‘Tase...?’
‘The guards have all these electric gun that they use in American film that has electric in it’.
‘I don’t know it...’ Rachael shrugged.
‘It’s called a Taser. They will use it on you’.
‘I want to go...’
‘Go where?’
Rachael stared about. ‘I don’t... But I want to go… Leave. Who am I?’
‘You said your name is Rachael’.
‘Yes. I don’t remember anything’.
‘Well, I don’t know if that’s how others do, but you are the first we are allowed to talk to...’ Grace said.
Rachael glanced at her and back at the field. It was truly guarded. There was no way she could run through the field without being caught. She had to wait for the day when she was sure of a place to go.
‘But I can bring a book for you that you will always write things you remember...Baami told us his doctor wiped your brain five-time because you keep remembering your name’.
‘Why? What did I do for them?
‘I told you… They’re training you for something…’
Rachael stared at her like she was examining herself in a mirror. Jessica pulled her hands and moved towards the room.
‘It’s time to go back’.
But Rachael shook her head and snatched her hand.
‘Please... They will catch us’, Jessica murmured.
Rachael glanced at her and the field again. She hated that she would have to agree with her. She hissed.
She was angry at herself for believing Jessica.
As soon as Rachael entered the room, Jessica pulled back and closed the door.
‘What?!’
Rachael turned. Her worse fear returned: wall.
She pulled at the door, but like the other time, it was closed. What if she didn’t die? She should have run for it that time.
Now, she was stuck in the house. The thought of that alone was disheartening.
Again, she cried herself to sleep.
Before long, she was roused out of sleep with a series of gunshots in the room. Rachael had never jumped that fast. She scrambled out of bed, into a corner.
As if reading her fears, light from a big halogen lamp flooded the room and blinded her vision. She never knew it was in the place.
The pain got to her. ‘Arghh!!’
‘Get out! Now! Now!’ A husky voice said over the also invisible public address system.
Rachael sprung off the floor when rock music began playing with incredible ferocity. It was screaming. Get out! She dashed out of the now opened door.
A hefty guard was already waiting for her with koboko. When she saw him, she crashed and scrambled back into the room. He stared at her with no emotion. She wondered if he was a statue. Bland look. She swallowed hard as her pants intensified.
The crazy rocking music stopped and was replaced by a burst of wild laughter that really unhinged her.
Then, he sighed loudly.
‘Run!!!’ The voice from the public address system shouted. She turned about in wonder as to where the sound was coming from.
‘You have just 30 seconds to start running towards the house at the end of the field. Tanko with the koboko will start chasing you from there’.
She almost laughed because she was sure there was no way she could outrun Tanko even without seeing the place they were running too.
‘Let me go! Who am I?’ She shouted and spun desperately.
The person over the PAS stopped talking, and a female robotic voice began the countdown. Tanko didn’t move an inch.
When the person over the PAS acted as if wasn’t aware of her plea and the countdown was getting near zero, she knew it was better to run. And run, she did.
She sped off. The house was at the northwest of the place she was coming from. It was the only house there. Light shone from within its glass walls. Trees and thickets filled everywhere, alongside the more electric fence around the thickets. She was limited to the path.
Rachael cried as she sped off into the path.
The PA was louder per bend. She looked back when the time got to zero and saw Tanko, with his hands raised in the air, as he raced towards her.
She sped off with all her might, crying to catch her breath. The ground wasn’t doing her any favour. It was slippery and rough at several points. Despite the sight of the house afar, it felt like two years’ journey.
The path charted towards the glasshouse was curly, and she had to run around the field before getting there. So, she sped off with her might. Someone was cackling and screaming through the PA. It worked. Her fear was heightened. She increased her pace and could only think of avoiding those thickets. Her heart raced as she looked back to see Tanko catching up.
She screamed her head off when she sighted the house wasn’t near.
‘Oh! God! She yelled and stumble. Her first instinct was to look at Tanko. He was catching up to her. She crawled up and pushed herself forward as he didn’t reduce his speed or act as if he would stop for her to catch her breath or stabilize herself.
Rachael jumped and ran again. Heavy breathes.
None of it was working. Even her fear got in the way and released her tear bank. So, she resorted to hoping instead of running. She was stretching her legs as fast as she could, but it wasn’t easy.
Tanko caught up with her and the five mouth koboko struck her faster than lighting.
She yelped. Her feet became faster than a rolling fan. Tanko caught up with her again. The sound of the swiping koboko was more painful than the touch itself. Every pulse in her raced as she screamed.
This time, she entered the house. With the pain still pulling at her sanity, she fell to the ground and cried. Tanko was now waiting by the door, panting like a bulldog.
A woman was seated in a white cloth, with her legs crossed.

Ann2012:
Presently present

Oyaaaaaa

skubido:
Following

Welcome boss

Creeza:
What made her lose all her memories? Am Curious tho

I insinuated there that Chief Suberu had someone do that... But you will learn more in consequent parts..