Rick9:
Divepen1 Boss.

Ogamysamo:
where can i read it in full ?

So sorry for the late response. Exams has been one kind. Here we have it:




Chapter 3
The Fight
Yemi Akinlolu stayed back after the Brain left him for the faculty of Arts. Despite being an open spot, it was a good place to meet without any suspicion now that had eventually infiltrated a cult group suspected of kidnapping some missing guys on campus. Her demeanour cuddled his heart, giving him hope that he might give in to his desire to ask out when they were out of the debacle.
His phone’s vibration, however, brought him back to the present. Putting phones on vibration became a habit after escaping some criminals because he mistakenly put his phone vibration while hiding in his ceiling.
This time, Rose, his wife, was calling.
‘Hello honey', he said
‘Don’t honey me... Don't honey me...'
‘What-'
‘Ose, scum! Once a dog, always a dog’.
‘What are you talking about?'
‘I’ve been informed', Rose shouted.
‘What informa-'
‘Do you think I won't know abi?'
‘Know what?'
‘Stop pretending. That's how all of you pretend'. She was always worked up.
‘Wait...' He shouted and looked about. He should have expected that. ' What are you talking about?'
'Do I need to tell you...?’
‘What’s wrong with you?'
'Well... All those girls are already doing shaku shaku towards you with their two left legs. Didn’t you just finish talking to one again?' she shouted over the phone.
‘But...but...'
‘Don’t but me jare... Is it true or not?'
‘Who is peddling such falsehood?’ His face was burning with anger.
‘Is it not true?’
He looked about in wonder about who could’ve informed her.
‘Yes... Who is there? Come in', Rose said, making him sense that she was talking to someone outside their house.
Yemi was furious and looked about in Gboyega Owolabi garden. Just one chance to catch the homewrecker, he wished. He looked about again but found himself looking at busy people—no one to pin on the allegation. No one cared about him- the short fair bald man- that sat there.
‘Yeh...' Rose shouted, ' leave me alone... Help... Help'
Yemi rose from his seat. Her screams became louder. His intuition made him hold his tongue even as he stared blankly into the space, desperately hoping he got a hint of what was happening. Gradually, her cry drifted from the phone, but he stood his ground, hoping, and wishing for something to help his search.
‘Three men are taking me away ooo... Help ooo', she screamed again, and her voice faded off.
And there it was- all he needed. With no care in the world, he ran through the mazy paths that led out of the flower-filled garden as he waved down the nearest cab.

I've been following your advert about this book before its publication. I never knew it was another Lekki Club thing na.

I'd definitely buy this too.

Till New Year: A Statue
A notification sound, a blinking of the light, and a press of the button are all meant to express thoughts until they are all you live by, Keren remembered someone saying as she laid on her bed reminiscing how she got to that point.
Keren’s excitement at the thought of opening her TikTok account couldn’t know any bounds. Her gamer brothers have been battling with understanding Twitch and Discord since that’s where they could socialize with geeks.
Not her. She was social even from secondary school. But here she was, still not having a post on Instagram or Tiktok because her private life meant the world to her. Tiktok, however, caught her attention since all it required was its need for imitation. That, she can do. Perfectly so.
‘One, two, three, four, five,….’ She mouthed as she danced vigorously to the first song.
When she was done, she posted it with the relevant hashtags and ones that screamed ‘I want to be famous’ and waited. No likes. No view.
It’s coming, she thought.
She browsed through other posts, looking at the seemingly simple things everyone got into and how much likes work for one funny or sexy video. But nothing happened still to her video.
Three hours and even 10 hours later, she had no like. The image was perfect. Her glowing ebony skin shining as the sun licked should have pulled in anyone. School was resuming in January, when the time would escape her grasp, causing her to fight for sanity and relaxation. This December had just the suitable ingredient for her to become a famous TikToker or something near it- the harmattan, the time, the food, and the lack of sleep.
With no other choice, she read up on what to do. And the formula was there, all laid up for her. And the steps she followed. Whatsapp status, class groups, IG pages all swarmed with her video. After spamming different parts, red dots popped up, informing her of likes, comments, and followership.
Despite the trickles of followers, she loved it. Patience, they said, is key. That night, she slept like a log.
‘Slow but steady, she told her softly while brushing her teeth, staring at herself in the mirror, after she had checked to see the report from yesterday- eight likes, three comments, and 20 followers.
With the higher number grew her confidence in her body. Slowly, her bare chest peeked in the street of TikTok. Her shoulders too rebelled and soon gave voice to the need of the cleavages. Her clothes became less covering, more revealing, excessively hugging her body. Of course, her parents were blocked on every post she shared to her Whatsapp status. Those aunts and Uncles too, although the uncles barely complained.
By December 15th, her followers had grown, no thanks to the bots, paid followers, and her obsessive posting. So, it was no surprise that someone ran up to her when she was out buying something at Ikeja mall.
‘OMG. It’s you. God! I’m blushing. Pressie, it’s me, your ardent follower. Halarriwo’, the beautiful lady shouted.
‘Wow! Wow! I know you', Keren’s high pitched voice highlighted her excitement.
They talked for a while until Halariwo remembered something. ‘I can link you up with Yazmine, the Blaze’.
‘Really?’
‘Yes. I’ve met him. He has a shoot for a skit. He had hinted about you being good once’.
‘Really?’
‘Really’.
Halarriwo hooked her up for the skit. They had created the best Christmas fun skit that blew Keren’s pages in a day or two.
Keren’s excitement hit the roof that she felt compelled to include influencers in her bio. And truly like influenza, her twerk videos and comical ones were hopping from one celebrity page to another. She was that good.
On the 31st of December, she decided to visit Nairaland, and there she was- on the front page. Not her twerk video or her comedy, but facts about her. Some blogger had taken his time to find out information about her.
Her heart thumped as she saw the information- some were fairly true, but many of them were things she never shared with anybody.
‘It will pass, she told herself.
But it was a lie. From everywhere, her life was prodded, poked, and scrutinized by people. As school resumed in January, she was forced to wear shades to avoid people’s looks and flashes of light from their camera. They no longer saw her as human. She was now a statue. Everyone just wanted to stare at her or use her as background props. But she couldn’t stop now; her fame was skyrocketing.

germaphobe:
if only you know how most of us look forward to seeing this small small but great short stories from you

This made my day. Thanks a lot..

David reviled his neighbour’s early morning devotion songs and always wished for mid-December to arrive when they would yell instructions and mild threats till they entered their father’s blue old Sienna and travelled to the village till the second week in the new year. Their songs started with a vigorous jingle of the bell at 5 a.m alongside the call for prayer by the Muslims- it was always timely, even on special days. After the bell, a grumpy call of ‘baba, baba, baba’ would follow from the eldest daughter’s sonorous voice. Then, the other members of the family would join her. Ten minutes later, they would burst into joyous celebrations and sing for joy, with no care in the world.
Oddly enough, when their songs get to the peak, David’s sleep had its way of clouding his eyelids, and he wouldn’t hear them again when he woke later in the day to go to his shop.
That day, he could easily guess that they were travelling because, on such days, their rickety generators would run through the night, spurting dark fumes vigorously till they left home. And they wouldn't stop talking till around 3 a.m or thereabout. Then, the generator would take a vow of silence till their return into the city.
However, David’s attention was pricked at 5 a.m, the next day, when the generator convulsed into a coma, but their father didn’t rush out, and his bell never rang. Their grumbles never followed. Surprised, he remained awake, soaked in the sweat of the heat in his locked room. Their generator’s noise wouldn’t make him open his window whenever their generator was running.
‘Sure’, he said to himself as he rose in wonder if they were still at home. After waiting for a while, he decided to risk it. Getting to their door was easier than breathing despite the dark passage.
His first knock was hesitant, with a muffled desire for him to run back. When no one replied for the fifth time, he was sure something was wrong.
‘Broda David, wetin dey sup?!’ Clem asked as he poked his head.
‘No morning devotion!’ David said the first thing that came to his mind.
Clem was the comedian of the house and the only one that related with everyone, including David, who kept to himself constantly.
‘Ah! No Morning devotion!’ Clem used a torchlight. ‘Abi dem don travel’.
David shook his head. ‘Tomorrow or Sunday!’
‘Ah! Yes! Your head dey there!’
Again, he knocked and had to stop when he heard a faint sound. He put his ear against their door.
‘You hear anything!’ Clem asked.
David listened with rapt attention like one searching for a pin in a haystack. ‘Yes. Cough. Small cough. Someone’s coughing!’
Clem never gave him another chance as he repeatedly knocked with more vigour than David could have seen him. Concerned neighbours poked their heads out. The door from upstairs creaked and broke through the passage, reducing any chance of hearing anything within the house.
‘I go kick am!’ Clem announced.
David’s didn’t hesitate before he moved back just in time for Clem to kick the door. The slight rattle on the hinge gave David the motivation he needed. Together, their legs banged the door, muffling the questions someone was asking.
Then, the door opened.
And there, on the floor, the eldest daughter was, panting faintly, hands outstretched, trying desperately to reach the door. The reason: the room was filled with fumes, choking him, causing his eyes to water.
In no time, voices were screaming instructions on how to help the family. They tried saving everyone, but the lastborn wasn’t responsive to first aid. After two days at the hospital, he woke and probably forgot what happened because he was soon seen dashing around the house, dusty, naked, laughing heartily, holding a stick sweet topped with sand, with no care in the world.
At the end of the day, if the family’s noise once disturbed David, they were now intensified, vigorous, and heartfelt. David, on the other hand, didn’t care. He was just glad that they were alive.

Chapter 2
Bidemi turned towards Grace, whose seductive dress was only tamped by knowing that the school community would frown against going the extreme. Yet, her ears were adorned with big earrings- the types his friend, Chukwudi, would call the tire of a tractor.
Grace rushed over and hugged him. But he allowed her.
‘Grace!’ He mumbled after she had released him, 'How far?'
'I'm good', she said. ’Where were you rushing to?’
'Someone is waiting for me?'
'Oh! I hope it is not a lady'.
‘What’s your concern?’
‘It’s not my concern. It should be yours because any lady seen with you is in trouble’.
‘Are you alright? So, I won’t have a girlfriend because of you again’.
‘ Why do you need a girlfriend when I’m here for you’.
He shook his head. If looks were rivers, the scorn on his face would be good enough to choke the life out of Grace.
‘Don’t put any girl in trouble o. I will-‘.
‘ Shut up! It’s a guy’.
‘ You better be telling the truth. I won’t want to see you sad’, she said and touched his face. He struck it away. He didn’t know how the transformation always happens. Whenever he saw her afar, he feared her, but he was like her lord when she was nearer.
‘ Why will I lie to you? Are you my girlfriend?’
‘ Are you denying me? I bet you want peace for the chicks in this University, don’t try rubbish with them. Don’t try to love them. Don’t try to befriend them because you are mine. And they all know that. If they claim not to know, tell them before it’s too late’.
Bidemi stared at her and shook his head. His breath was heavy and dragon-like. The scale of his anger could crash the scale on which an elephant would successfully be weighed.
‘ Will I not have friends because of you?' He shouted.
She squirmed. He looked around. People were already looking at them. Someone had even hit his leg on a stone as he looked towards them. Bidemi gritted. ‘ Grace, you are frustrating me. Leave me alone in this school ooo’.
‘I can’t. Don't let me delay you. I'm going to the library.
If he were hypertensive, he would have had a heart attack at that time. He stiffened. Grace was going to the library.
'Oh! That's perfect', he said as he weighed her words in his mind 'Library'.
Grace was always sitting at the back of the class because Bidemi loved sitting there. Even at the back, she never listened to lectures. She was either chatting away on the phone or playing games or drawing sporadically- many of which were drawings of him.
Bidemi was relieved when she left him after planting a peck on his cheek. He looked around to confirm no one had seen that.
Something was fishy. How would Grace go to read in Library? That was impossible. It was fishy. She must be up to something. He must see what she wanted to do. He ran to the guy, picked the wallet from his bag, and ran after her.
On getting to the last step, he hurriedly opened his wallet. The library I.D card wasn't there. He looked back. He rechecked the wallet.
'Where is my card?' he complained bitterly. Grace was up to something. The woman on the top floor would close in the next few minutes. He couldn’t return to the guy without the Library I.D again.

germaphobe:
THANKS for the special mention. i'm just waiting for when this particular series will be complete. like bringing all the spin offs together

You're welcome. I'm getting there ooo

Chapter 1

Trouble sometimes starts with love but doesn't end there. Bidemi Adeoti couldn’t get his mind off the girl he ran into in the library. Luckily, fate was redirecting his steps there again, just five minutes after their encounter, because he forgot his phone at the top floor of the library, where he was charging its second battery.
He wondered why he was suddenly feeling this way for a girl he barely knew her name. But he loved the thought and toyed with it.
The moment he climbed the first step that led to the massive old library, Bidemi remembered he didn’t pick his wallet, which had his library card, his only access to the library. After repeatedly patting his pockets to be sure he wasn’t mistaken, he hissed angrily and jogged down the stairs.
Luckily for him, someone he had just met had agreed to hold his bag for him. If not, he would have to go through the process of dropping his bag in the bag-room, climbing up the fifth floor, and returning to pick the bag.
‘Abidemi Adeoti,’ a well-known voice said as he got to the round-about between the faculty of Arts and its annex.
Bidemi stopped in his track. He would have dared running away, claiming ignorance, but he knew better. This voice had sent away many ladies from his side, from staring at him, from talking to him; it exuded fear.
The owner always picked a seat beside him during lectures, placing an embargo around him for other ladies. Despite being coincidental, the only girl who tried sitting near him during class was raped the same day outside the university.
Normally, he didn’t care about her seat preference until two weeks before she rubbed his thigh during Dr. Anita’s Grammar Class. Bidemi flung her hand away and gave her the most odious look he could muster. Immediately, someone tugged his collar. Trying to fling off the hand, he turned to come face-to-face with a pocket knife. After which, he let the lady have her way.
After that day, he always fought for a seat at the front of their lecture rooms. She used to be different when he once met in JSS3- obsessive but gentle. Now, she was wild, looking at people with dead red eyes, and always angry. Even when she smiled, he could see sadness and anger lurking behind, but like their secondary school days, he wouldn’t give in to her desire. Even now, they couldn’t be friends.
Her name was Grace. Grace Ademola.

The END

Why don't you dive into another Fortune City story. Some are in my links.

Others are paid for....


And there's this new one I'm updating:

https://www.nairaland.com/6816580/tugril-underground-room-library-complete

Yes, I know some of you have read this. You can simply choose to read till you get to the parts that wasn't in the old ones. I'm reposting this because you will enjoy it. ( And I almost died some days back. So, I felt 'WTH', I shouldn't hoard this beauty)
You might decide to go slow with us. And while at it, you can toggle through my several books. Some are free and in my bio.
Some are free on Nairaland here. Some are for sales on Okadabooks.
Your patronage always have ripple effect (of hope).

This work was originally written in 2016, got a lot of traction here, and eventually birth Fortune City.

I will like to invite all my Fortunecity Citizens, especially the ones I've been in contact of recent.


Germaphobe of Michiland
Queenitee of Queenitee's hotel

And many others, but not limited to:

Annie55
Divineroyalty

Frankyjay1
Rick9
Maryofficial
Firstgentleman1

Prudee
transforma1
Millionstar33

authorsegun
adeife19
Chy27

SenhorSean
Emmajinations
Jecdope
Favouritetega

rukoyah42
DCTEEJAY008
damselposh
ayorinbolableszy

MisterRuk
kayusdguy
Giannaaaaaa

CarlJenkinson
Coolkhat
MrMike96
Youngzubi
goddessOfRed1

pradoic
Flakins
oluwaseun239
lekkxydinho

temi1202
Lordfave98
fredogie
Charminee

Electra52
ifeyemi200
SparkSon

Wordsmithpraise
riteshotz
Fmartin
Sarang

holarbolu
SapphireSultana
MyVeec3
vickyluvspices
toyhin123

StoryMage
Fazemood
abdulrazat /
writeprof
Medieval

stizzy
24favour
olaayinkha
Adeyemi7878
Unlimited22
Dammykrone
Agbonti
boldndbeautiful
goldhn
Chukswrites

Chapter 51
Simi opened her eyes and met herself in another room different from the hotel they first lodge into. This time, they were in a room that looked like they took a lot of effort to arrange.
‘Oh! God, she’s back’, Dezzy scrambled towards her.
‘Chei! What did they do to you?’ Nureni yelled.
Even Yasmine looked worried, causing Simi to wonder if she was that bad.
‘She is my mother… She’s dead…’
‘Who?’
‘That woman trying to catch us!’ Simi managed to say. The words looked like an injury in her mouth, which would cause more pain if she tried speaking. ‘She’s my mother, and she jumped out of the balcony to make sure I return…The spirit wants to kill me!’
‘I don’t understand nothin’, Yasmine said. ‘Start from when you disappeared…’
Simi, though still weak, took her time to tell them everything she had encountered. Dezzy sat by her side and hugged her, tears streaming down her face when she rose.
‘Kukoyi almost killed us. He killed Lambe! He… Devil’, Dezzy cried.
Simi nodded as she tried to push back the tears, ready to blur her sight. ‘We have to get that cap. They have all the other weapon. Kukoyi gave them already’.
‘The last place is in the future!’ Simi said.
‘When you’re fine, we will go!’
In the next few days, Simi got better. From turning from side to side, she was able to sit up in bed and eventually move about in the house. Dezzy was all over her and always took her time to get information.
One day, Dezzy came to the room. ‘I got a message from Kukoyi…’
‘I will swear for him with everything I’ve got!’ Simi cried at the thought of him reaching out to them after he left them to die. ‘He said one of you will understand…’
Yasmine and Nureni came in from where they were before.
‘What does that mean?’ Simi asked.
‘He attached a picture. I don’t know the face… They tied the guy to a seat!’
‘What does that mean?’ Simi sat up and saw Max’s. Her heart skipped. ‘That’s Max’.
‘Should I know him?’ Dezzy said.
‘Yes. He was the one I was with when Kukoyi first saw me…’
Simi shook her head. ‘It’s because of me. All this is because of me. If I hadn’t been with him, I have to save him….’
She scrambled out of bed.
‘You’re going nowhere!’ Dezzy shouted.
‘See! We’re just wasting our time. Let’s give them what they want?’
‘Do you know what that is?’
‘Yes. They want to use us!’
‘Well, we have to find a way around them…’
‘What if we outwit by letting them know they can control you guys. Like I brought you guys in…’
‘Good choice…’
Days later, Yasmine has perfected the plan. So, they left for the location described to Simi.
When they got there, Ekele has prepared a sort of energy field around the place Max. Yasmine couldn’t control the outcome. Ekele smiled at them as some of his men nabbed her.
Ekele pointed to the energy field. ‘You have to go into the future while standing there. That way, every one of us will go with you.
‘No, she can’t and won’t’, Dezzy said. Someone hit her on the back of her neck with his butt. She groaned a bit and gave the person a dark look.
After much argument, Simi agreed and entered.
‘I need more details’, Simi asked.
‘This is where the last weapon and treasures are’, Ekele said excitedly. ‘I just need you to go into the future around 7000 AD’.
In no time, she closed her eyes, but nothing seemed to change.
‘Did it work?’ Nureni asked.
‘We will know when we get outside’, Ekele said.
They opened the door and was thrown into a world of electricity and energy. Everything sparkled. As they got out, something dark like a shadow jumped at the nearest soldiers. Ekele yelled as the thing dragged him into the purplish cloud far ahead.
They tried running back but saw that the purple shadows had invaded the house. Simi turned desperately.
‘I see a house…. We have to go’, Simi shouted.
‘Escape!’ Dezzy shouted as the things chased them through the place.
‘No… I can hide!’ Simi yelled and kissed the ring three times, but it wasn’t working.
‘We will die!’ Nureni quivered.
An idea struck Simi’s mind. ‘No… I know how we can get the thing or destroy it.’
‘We have to go back’, Simi said. ‘Hold me.
They disappeared into the house. Simi raced to where she kept her Ados.
They decided to return to the future. Upon getting there, Asake was there, but she didn’t look like her anymore. Simi pulled down Nureni. After a few minutes, they raced out of the house.
‘We have to save others and go!’ Nureni said.
Simi shook her head. ‘No. It’s now or never. They will use this house to go back and forth in the future. It will kill us all!’
Nureni didn’t understand her but followed her. Together, they disappeared to Nureni’s house. Simi rushed to her bag, where she kept the ados. At the same time, Nureni has contacted some of his policemen to meet them at that location. When they got there, the only thing on Simi’s mind was the object they were to retrieve. ‘We have to find the treasures’.
She used all the powdered substances from Lambe’s ados and looked about. ‘I see it… It’s at the other end!’
‘Where?’
‘Through the mist’, Simi pulled him towards it.
Nureni snatched his hand. ‘Then, you go and take.’
Noise and turmoil everywhere made it hard to argue with him. She turned just in time to see Asake pick Kukoyi and fling him into the horror. Fear ricocheted everywhere. Kukoyi couldn’t stop yelling, and even Simi could feel the horror. Asake led the way. This time, she became conscious and tried to return, but the power of the spirit kept leading her towards the place.
Simi jumped after them. ‘Let her go!’
Upon entering, every part of her felt like the world had ended, that her soul was leaving her chest. There, she remembered all the evil they’ve encountered. Dada’s dead body stared back at her. The knife in Lambe’s body struck in by Kukoyi stuck out, oozing blood, making her scream her head off.
Quickly, she ran out of the mist. Every of her fear calmed down immediately. Asake, too was screaming her head off with so much hysteria that she began to hit her head again a stone. Simi ran to her to make her stop, but the fear and the hollow sound and the cold made her remain in the corner. Shaking, Asake made a great thud and became unconscious.
Immediately, she saw Yejide’s spirit jump on one of the soldiers, whose body immediately dried up to reveal only his skeleton.
‘Empty vessels…’ Yejide’s spirit roared.
Simi didn’t want to see the end of the numerous trials. So, she jumped up and ran deep into the eyes of the purplish mist. As she got to the thickest part, she knew that was the end. But the hollow and the voice of the spirit came towards her. So, she ran further and was suddenly plunged into fresh air and clarity.
To her surprise, it was just like a fenced place. Everything was clear, like she was watching people fighting against nothing. From outside, it was just a plain place. No purplish mist
A man came towards her. His eyes were glitching as if he was from a computer game. ‘All you need to win that thing is to smile…’
She glanced at him in fear, but when he didn’t do any other thing, she summoned the courage to talk. ‘It’s not easy… I know, but that how it can work?’

‘Try it.
Simi wondered if she should just grab the symbol and disappear.
Simi sighed and walked back, smiling. She dragged Dezzy with a smile. Truly, it worked. Nothing fazed her. She was so glad. Simi
When they got out, they got to the weapons. This time, however, nothing stopped them from packing the treasures and the symbol.
‘We need to ensure they all are not getting into that house again’, Nureni said. ‘Can you tell us how you did it?
‘Smile, and we can go to the past from here, Simi said.
‘These people will use it to go back and forth’, Nureni said. ‘My guys will be waiting for us. They will pick us.
‘Then, we all have to do this’, Yasmine said. Her hair was now loose, and her eyes were red. Returning to the house was fairly easy. Although Yasmine kept leaning on Nureni for support. His smile was bigger as he began to tell them stories of his dream about a good Nigeria. Dezzy urged him on as they moved.
When they got to the house, Simi ran to the centre. When some of the mercenaries saw this, they called to others and tried to stop this. But before they could do anything, Simi closed her eyes. There were screams from the men, making Simi open her eyes. She looked about and saw everyone still trying to get their head together.
Nureni ran outside. A few minutes later, policemen trouped in.

Chapter 50
Groaning as a result of an unexpected hollow in her brain, Simi couldn’t stop thinking of her life. An unknown type of pain lodged itself in that corner of her head, letting her know she should just return to bed. Where she was lying, however, felt warm, and that aroused her interest. She suspected what was happening but had shut her eyes to will it away, to return to the past or the present or wherever Dezzy was.
Since that was her first time leaving without reason, she didn’t know if Yasmine would understand or even if Dezzy would be of any help. Thus, her mind returned to the present.
Simi opened her eyes to see just what she feared: her head was on Asake’s lap. Quickly, she tried to push herself out of her reach because it was just gross to have her head on this onerous woman’s lap. The thought of it disgusted her to her bowel.
‘You’re too weak’, Asake urged. ‘Rest… You’re safe here.
Simi groaned. ‘No… Let me go.’.
‘Go where! Nobody to care for you. All of you are scattered. No one knows where the girl is!’ Asake said.
‘I know. Why can’t I go back?’
‘Go back!’ Asake asked, her face furrowed. ‘Oh! Yess. Like, disappear… You don’t need that. Let the realization of this wash over you.
She reached to brush Simi’s aside. Repulsed by the touch, Simi looked away. ‘I just want to leave!’
‘Don’t go at least till you know what happened?’ Asake said and checked Simi’s temperature with the back of her palm.
‘I already know what happened? I saw you dropping me as a baby in front of our home… My home. That’s where my parents were. Mr Makinde is my dad. And Miss Johnson is my mother! Any other person is not for me. I don’t know you…’
‘You’re angry! I understand…But what happened was that… I was told by different people, including a pastor, that one of us would be the death of the other. I don’t want to cause any harm to you’.
‘Been there. Done that!’ Simi rolled her eyes.
‘I know at this point, you will be tone-deaf to my plea, but you’ll understand…’
Simi remained in bed for days, despite every effort to disappear or get off. She wondered why thing in what Kukoyi shot them with was different than her body could contain.
The third day after this, Simi was sleeping when something roused her, seeming as if it was making every effort not to. She turned just in time to see something lurking over her. Screaming and scrambling out of reach, Simi could feel her heart almost jumping out of her mouth.
‘What’s that?’ Asake said as she raced into the room. Her eyes were wide and dashing from one part to another. ‘What’s…’
Asake stopped in her track as Simi pointed at the lurking spirit. Immediately, she went on her knee.
‘Oh, great spirit!’ Asake said. ‘It’s good to see you here!’
‘Yes. I came to see where the extra power was coming from! I have always felt strong when the two of you are together. I thought it was just coincidental. But these days, it’s massive. I feel like I have a body’, Yejide said.
Asake smiled.
‘You have done well. I see how prepared you are!’ Yejide said.
‘I’ve done nothing, my lord’, Asake said.
‘Oh! You’ve done more than enough! She can’t get up or get away from our reach because you kept her near you and near me!’
Asake smiled. ‘Wow! I never thought of it that way!’
‘Well, yes. I should have prepared your mind for this…Whenever you’re near her, her power is redirected towards me in a better form. I’ve rejuvenated…’
Simi remained in bed till the spirit disappeared. She didn’t even know what to do. Her strength could only make her turn from place to place. Even to sit up was becoming too hard for her. Sniffing, she wondered what she could do to get out of the place. If Dezzy were near, it would have been better.
Three days later, Simi could see how white her skins was becoming. If she was compared to a ghost at that point, one couldn’t argue. Every strength she assumed she had even to turn was becoming extinct. Every of her attempt to disappear proved futile.
Asake’s forehead were creased and sweaty as she tried everything in her might to make Simi look happy, even to the extent of getting Simi’s demand for Moimoi and Eko. Yet, she still couldn’t get her to stand.
‘It’s almost time for Yejide to come out!’ Asake said without even expecting Simi’s response. ‘We should prepare for it. No matter what, I can’t lose you. I have to take you away from here…. I don’t even know what I need. I’m the chosen one, and I think I know when I can take enough. This is enough!’
‘I’m back...’ Yejide said with a voice that rolled like waves of a bar beach. ‘We need to act fast! I’m becoming stronger, which means I can easily possess you now. But before then, I just need the ultimate power. It’s the last of its kind!’
‘My lord. I can let you take me. But I’m getting eager to end this…. ‘
‘Me too! I want you to find the end of the world and reach there but for now, let’s get this power in time and proceed early’, the spirit said. ‘What we need now is Esu’s Cap of confusion, which I think that boy said is in the future. After that, we can kill the girl… But with my growing power, I don’t know if I need her anymore’.
‘My lord, why do we have to kill her. We can make her… She can be of use!, Asake wondered.
‘Because she’s the only one that can be used to kill you. If she’s strong, you can easily be weakened. I’ve been preparing your body for too long to have you destroy everything I’ve done!’
‘Ah!’ Asake shook her head. ‘She’s my daughter. I can’t just let us kill her!’
The spirit stopped. ‘Before you become stronger as I have allowed you… I can think of only one solution. I’ll take over you…’
‘No…’ Asake ran towards the balcony. ‘Simi disappear …’
Simi stared in horror as the spirit took over the wicked woman, making her clamps her hands on her neck. Every part of her body felt like a heart as they pulsated in quick successions and her blood vessels protruded through all body. ‘Not now! Leave her!’
Simi felt a sort of hold relieving itself. In a swift movement, Asake climbed the edge of the balcony and rolled over. Her voice quivered and faded as she jumped off. Simi wondered how many storeys they were.
Closing her eyes one more time, she thought of Dezzy.

slimsophiediva:


Yeah thank you so much

You're welcome...

slimsophiediva:
Wow


You have always give the best story, I got lost in storyline despite being on sick bed
Please don’t stop here

Ehya... Sorry. I do hope you're getting better..

Chapter 49
Yasmine hurried to them, ensuring her ears were still covered.
‘God! I’ve heard anything this bad!’ Yasmine cried.
Pulling both Dezzy and Simi, she couldn’t cover her eyes, and that made her eyes roll into her head like one losing breath, ready to give up on life. Simi prayed that she didn’t die. It would mean all their hopes were gone, that they were back into the hands of those wicked souls.
When she was out of the catacombs, the noise suddenly stopped.
‘Oh! Tranquillizers!’ Yasmine cried and hurriedly pulled them out. One after the other, she carried them to a car parked outside. Simi was arranged like a mannequin, with her eyes being the only thing moving in her body. She repeatedly blinked as Yasmine went back for Dezzy.
The moment she got back, Yasmine arranged Dezzy and jumped into the driver’s seat, eliciting repeatedly blinks from Simi.
‘What?’ Yasmine said.
Simi blinked just as Dezzy wheezed again.
‘I can barely hear anything’ Yasmin wiped the tears off her own face and moved nearer. ‘What are you saying?’
She placed her eyes in front of Dezzy’s mouth and frowned. ‘No…Way. I can’t die. I saw the man. He’s dead!’
The two ladies blinked repeatedly. At the same time, Simi wished she could get to Lambe but couldn’t. She closed her eyes and tried to land near him, but when she opened her eyes, she was still in the car, beside Dezzy, staring into Yasmine’s deadly eyes.
‘I do hope we face no problem on the way’, Yasmine said and rushed in.
It took her a while later, but when she eventually returned, she was grunting under the weight of Lambe’s body, which she later dumped in the trunk of the car. Simi sighed as Dezzy entered the vehicle. The two of them couldn’t talk still, but tears were flowing down Dezzy’s eyes like never before.
‘That nuisance of a boy was a mole all these while’, Yasmine said. ‘Something was off about him. That’s why I was near his iPad when he was sleeping. It was when he was about to wake that I ran to hide in the kitchen. And he started claiming I poisoned you people. Why will I ever need poison people that I’m out to catch? I might not be the police, but I enforce the law. I don’t kill people for the law. How will we even stop injustice if I stop the law’s work of punishing criminals?’
She looked at them from the rear mirror.
‘When I got home and saw his plan, I had a change of mind. It’s been a long I worked with a group, and the exhilaration of trying to be the good guys, I’ve never been on either side. I’ve always caught people for money. But you people are only running from people that want to control you. Well, money comes with it. So, I felt I should come back. Thank God I did. That’s stupid noise would have killed you guys... You guys are always having sweet adventure, more than I could have dreamt of in my life.
The two of them couldn’t reply. After a long drive, Yasmine stopped outside a motel, spent a long time inside and returned later with another man.
‘Handle them with care…’ She shouted. ‘They’re both idiots. I told them not to use drugs, but the idiots won’t hear!’
‘Ah! Girls of nowadays… Children boys and girls alike, that’s how they do. They all see something and want it… Which one did they take…?’
‘What’s my own?’ Yasmine wondered. ‘I want them to rest here. Tomorrow, I will talk to their stupid heads. No more extra funds for you. You can’t kill me for my mother!’
Directed by the man, they all got a room. As Yasmine dropped Simi, she glanced at her.
‘God, you’re hot!’ Yasmine grumbled and hurried to the switch on the AC. She picked a remote control while the other man arranged Dezzy on the bed. She grumbled.
‘Ehya! You will never try it in your life again, the man said. ‘Anything you need, just call us!’
‘Thank you. We thank you. I’ll see you before I leave’, Yasmine said as she slapped a few naira notes into the man’s hand, lighting his face with a bright smile.
‘Take care, madam!’
Simi could feel cold coming from her stomach, pain oozing through her ears and noise banging at her head, which felt like someone was drilling a hole through it.
Suddenly, her eyes became blurry. She blinked and thought of what Lambe would have wanted. Immediately, she was lying on the road. She closed her eyes again to think of the room, but this time, she met herself on the floor, scared and cold. Noises and breaking woods invaded the night alongside people running through the street. No one cared about her as gunshots rang everywhere.
Some of those running had flags and screamed ‘kill us’.
She shot her eyes again and thought of how she would want to know if truly that woman was her mother. At the same time, she met herself in the corner of a shop. At the same time, a young lady was crying as she dropped a young baby on the doorsteps and knocked repeatedly.
Quickly, she ran towards where Simi was hiding but stopped at the second shop instead of the one Simi was hiding.
‘God! I’m sorry. Let her be safe!’ The lady said and cried as she walked off.
Simi couldn’t make out her face, but the voice had semblance with that of the woman in that room. Simi closed her eyes to return home, to bed, in the comfort of the ladies. At the moment, flashes of her mother’s came again.
The room felt the same until she opened her eyes to see Asake staring at her.
‘My life! You’re back!’
Simi became unconscious!

Chapter 48
When she opened her eyes, they were back in the present. Under the instructions of Lambe, Yasmine was able to get some of Lambe’s ado, which he used to help them. They all became better
‘I’m leaving…’ Yasmine said. ‘If you don’t trust me. Change your location! That’s the only way I won’t know where you’re. Meanwhile…. I’ll sell all these. Then, I can go against all those corrupt government’.
‘I’m done too!’ Dezzy cried just as Yasmine marched away. ‘I’m no longer doing these. All these. We’ve gotten enough money!’
‘Yes!’ Simi agreed.
‘No. You’re not done! Lambe said. ‘Y’all have a duty to save the world, and you must do that!’
‘Indeed! Kukoyi said. He turned towards the others. “I know I’m about the money, but do you think we can stop now that everything is coming to fruition. Now that we’ve removed the evil among us… We can quickly get these things out of the way and be done…’
He looked at his iPad. ‘The only place left is that Edo catacomb. Let’s just do this and be done with it. I don’t want to run. I want to run an Uber business but in my name. And happily. Not with men hot on our chase or us having no means of defending ourselves.
‘See, I’m done!’ Dezzy said as she struggled to where they kept their clothes. The thing that made them sick still had a bit of an effect on her.
Simi glanced at Lambe in a way that pled for him to intervene. Sighing, he turned towards Dezzy.
‘You have your right to make a decision.
Dezzy explained. ‘Good one. How’s that my concern?’
‘We have to finish, and you have promised to help us!’ Lambe said.
‘Yes. You did!’ Kukoyi added.
Dezzy spun to face Lambe, squinting while her eyeballs seemed to grow wider than her face. ‘You can talk now, right?’.
‘Dez, what’re you saying?’ Kukoyi replied and glanced at his iPad.
‘I’ve been trying to talk to you to explain things but no… You avoid me at all turns and even when we were in the face of those things…’ Dezzy shouted and turned.
‘Just call them zombie’, Lambe added.
Dezzy’s hands flopped by her side. ‘Whatever! I’m leaving…’
‘Let’s just finish this thing and use the chances he has to hide us!’ Simi said.
Kukoyi gave her thumbs-up and turned towards Dezzy again. ‘At least, I’m still keeping my promise!’
‘Spare me the lies! If not that you don’t want to be found, will you ever bring us!’
‘Maybe, Dezzy. Maybe not!’ Kukoyi said. ‘We’re at the end!’
‘I’m tired because you just want all the goods and money. We almost killed my daughter’, Dezzy cried. This time, she turned to her bag and stuffed her remaining jackets into them. Zipping it loudly, she turned as she placed the bag over her neck.
‘Let’s just do this! I don’t know’, Lambe promised, ‘but I’ll give you the power to remain hidden for life’.
Simi smacked her lips, opened her lips in wonder as her eyes lingered on Lambe’s cloth. ‘We could have ended this before you say travel. Couldn’t we have used it all this while!’
‘It’s not for running everywhere, sis. It’s for staying hidden in a community or era.’ Lambe said dismissively as he turned to Dezzy again. ‘We need you here. The highest any of us can do here is to run… I think these two were created to run, and you are here to win through fight’.
Dezzy placed her hands on her mouth in such a way that Simi could deduce she was agreeing. Seeing this, she restrained herself from adding more to the discussion.
‘Please, don’t go’, Lambe said weakly as his shoulder drooped. ‘We need you here!’
Dezzy inhaled loudly, slowly, like she was breaking it. ‘Let’s finish this!’
‘Rest first!’ Lambe suggested and met a stiff expression on Kukoyi’s face, which he dismissed with his gesture. ‘I’m the eldest here, and I think we need rest after escaping death. So, rest… It doesn’t kill’.
Kukoyi clucked his tongues. ‘I can’t rest. But I’m not going until Simi is fully rested…’
Simi agreed that she needed the rest. After eating again, which met the contemptuous look of Lambe, she slept. It was a long rest. By the time she finally woke, the others were ready and sitting around a table.
‘You snore, you know?’ Lambe murmured. ‘You’re still a child, na… When we’re done with all these, I will beg Dezzy to train you. In one month or two, you will look like a normal human!’
‘What’s normal?’ Simi cried. ‘I’m normal. I’m fat and beautiful and wonderful to be with. I don’t hurt people. Even with my size, I still have boys and people trying to show love to me. If not that I’m still young, I would have gone on to be their friends. Don’t tell me I’m not normal again. I am normal’.
‘Let’s go… Ah!’ Lambe’s face seemed flush in surprise at Simi’s outburst. ‘You should be prepared for anything…’
Kukoyi looked at the plan and frowned. ‘This plan seems confusing. Dada said it happened in the present. Does it mean in 2019… Or what’s this?’
‘I really don’t know. But I think it talks about the present time we decide to go to the location!’ Lambe said, turned to each of them, and spread his hands. ‘What’s the crime in enjoying all the beauty of nature as we go for this expenditure.
‘Good choice!’ Dezzy said. ‘I really need to clear my head!’
‘Oh, that’s what you actually need!’ Lambe said.
‘Where are we going now?’ Simi wondered.
‘Ekiti…I think some sorts of catacomb… The two of them will be there. Kukoyi placed the iPad on the table. ‘Dezzy, you’ve been crying about wanting to escape. The only way we can finish this is when you let us go now… In time…’
‘To what time?’ Lambe wondered.
Simi nodded. ‘Let’s end this!
The journey was fast. Simi closed her eyes, and they were there, ready to fight any opposition. Against their expectation, nothing awaited. Kukoyi searched for any obstacle but found none, which brought a big smile to his face.
Quickly, they hurried through the catacombs. It was easy with Kukoyi’s power helping them navigate the catacombs. In a few minutes, they were in front of the items. The moment they started touching it, something began to cry, just the way Osanyin did the last time Simi and Lambe were there.
‘What’s that?’ Kukoyi moaned as he covered his ears.
‘Osanyin’s deadly cry…’ Lambe wailed. ‘We need to get out of her as fast as we can’.
Kukoyi led the way to pack the goods. Simi was swift in stretching her hands despite the pain that surge through her ears to her head as a result of the piercing Osanyin’s cry. Dezzy winced and wheezed even as tears dripped down her red eyes. She sniffed and glanced at Lambe, who tried to reassure her with his look, which by now showed the depression overshadowing him.
Simi closed her eyes, thought of their location and the noise was gone.
‘Yeh!’ Dezzy wailed as she crashed to the ground the same time Simi opened her eyes. ‘That’s crazy…’
‘Let’s be fast with these things… Can it kill?’ Kukoyi asked.
Lambe shook his head, but you will be too weak even to move a bone. It happens gradually through...’
‘No how. If you’re there for days, you will die!’ Dezzy added.
‘Something like that!’ Lambe answered.
‘Are you ready?’ Kukoyi asked Simi, to which she nodded in response.
The noise returned when they got to their location. Everyone got to work immediately, filling the sack with as much treasure they could. Suddenly, something stung Simi, making her cry out. A grunt came from Dezzy and a louder one from Lambe.
Simi wheeled round just in time to see Kukoyi removing a bloody knife from Lambe’s back and struck again. Even Simi yelled as the second stabbing happened. She and Dezzy hit the ground, with every part of Simi becoming numb and weak.
She got the same feeling she used to have when they tell her blood wasn’t flowing into a part of her body that she should shake it and see it working. The only problem this time was that this feeling was everywhere in her body. Only her eyes could move.
Kukoyi brought out his iPad and snapped pictures of them. Then, he clicked something on the phone.
‘The ladies are all yours. Handle them with care. The man should be dead by the time you get here. Tell your men to cover their ears. When I’m done hiding these things, I will come over, and we will get the last items together as planned. And yeah! I have all the other power things in a safe place. When we’re done, we will get the chance to stop her together…’.
Then, he shouted for someone to come in. Another regular man that had the height of a basketballer but not their physiques rushed into the house. His body looked like the attachment of two different parts of the same type with the waist bent to the side even as the upper looked like it would fall off.
He wore ear mufflers and threw a set at Kukoyi, who wore them with gratitude.
Followed by this new man, Kukoyi dragged the bags away even as they both grunted and pulled the load.
‘Baba, who are these?’ The man’s husky voice echoed in the mouth of the catacomb.
‘I can’t hear you?’ Kukoyi barked at him and gestured. ‘Let’s get going?’
Lambe’s cry was louder than the grunts and moan that came from both Simi and Dezzy. Wheezing like one choking on his bone, Dezzy tried stretching her hands towards Lambe. Red and teary, her eyes blinked repeated as she looked at the dying man and the walls.
Simi kept gasping for breath. She wailed, but only wheezes escaped her mouth, indicating that the Osanyin’s voice was clearly going to kill them. The edge of the thing Kukoyi shot them with stuck out. Simi wished she could reach out to grab it, but it didn’t work. Her eyes dashed from Dezzy to Lambe’s back and the opening.
After much effort, Lambe stopped moving. Simi wanted to call his name, to tell him to hold still, to make him feel he wasn’t alone, to remind him to use one of the things in his calabash. Not even a muscle in her body moved. Dezzy’s wheezes were buried by the cry that never seemed to stop.
The two of them remained there, hopeless, weak, sweating, assured of death.
A few hours later, a shadow showed under the shining sun at the edge of the catacomb. Simi resigned to fate. She couldn’t believe that after everything, they would be transported to Ekele.
‘Here you are!’ Yasmine’s voice called as she came to view. ‘Whoa! Whoa!’
Dropping her phone, which clattered loudly in the catacomb, she clapped her hands over her ears as her eyes moved from one person to another.

Chapter 47
Dezzy came over to Simi with her eyes transfixed on hers, making Simi wonder what she was doing wrong again. Despite Dezzy’s complaint, Simi still ensured her clothes were dapper. It was terrible to die in clothes that didn’t match one’s swag. If she died in something other than her beautiful clothes, she would resurrect to ensure she was wearing something better and then return to sleep.
‘Do you trust me?’ Dezzy asked.
Simi sighed, looked at the others dressing and nodded. ‘I don’t have any choice…’
‘Good! I’m afraid for our lives…’ Dezzy said, leaning against the wall. By now, the warrior was dressed perfectly and ready for war. Her knives stuck out at the different place. Just a few differences could be found in her dressing and that of Yasmine. Although Yasmine’s black clothes were made from a different material from Dezzy’s favourite leather materials, they still dressed like they were both trained at the same place.
‘It’s not that afraid’, Dezzy took time to explain. ‘I’m not happy about the disunity between us. Especially Kukoyi…’
Simi touched her arms. ‘He still loves you. I think he’s just angry you didn’t inform him before stealing off to save your daughter.’.
‘She’s my daughter, and he, I love. But I don’t think he would understand. He tried to control me. Now that Lambe is back, I can see the difference. Am I shifting loyalty again?’
Simi didn’t know what to do. She had never had to advise anyone on issues like this. The highest she had ever dealt with was how one of the girls back at the orphanage home was trying to tell another boy that she loved him and how she intervened by helping her draft a letter.
‘You know what’s best for you. Lambe is a drunk too, remember’, Simi reminded her.
‘I know, but if a drunk can be that kind. What do you make of it when he’s sober, and I have him just as happy as he always was…’
Simi scoffed lightly. ‘You’re funny’.
‘I’m not joking!’
‘I know. It’s just that you didn’t like Lambe before…’
‘Or any of them…’ Dezzy rested her head against the wall. ‘This heart does things we don’t want.
‘I…’
‘Let’s get ready, everyone. The last two should be in the same position’, Lambe shouted as he came towards the two ladies. ‘Young ladies, are we ready to go?’
Simi nodded. Dezzy shrugged and pulled out her baton.
‘Ondo’s oro is a bad event. I’m suspecting that we’re going to get the second item. It should be one of Sopanna’s vale of madness or Osanyin’s original charms. Whichever it is, I’ll implore you all to avoid opening it or any such thing. Handle them with care if you want to return to the future in peace’.
‘Yeah! Yeah! Should we share the grace too’, Yasmin interjected as her hands got ready with a broad sword.
‘Let’s go!’ Kukoyi said. ‘Simi, do your thing’.
Dezzy repeatedly touched Simi’s bag and looked at her hands, which had her ring and bar of chocolate. ‘Good’.
Simi closed her eyes and became aware of a new environment due to the moisturizing air.
‘Whoa!’ Yasmine murmured as a loud whirling noise disturbed the scanty bush they got to.
Lambe raised his hands up and down under the little ray of light that splashed the floor through the leaves overhead.’ Keep quiet!’
Immediately, the whirring sound became intense. Despite a ray of light, Kukoyi spun round, his face red from fear. Simi would probably have smiled if fear wasn’t gripping her mind as she looked about in awe to become some noises accompanied by the whirling sound.
‘What’s that?’ Dezzy whispered.
‘Oro! It’s a tradition where men carry out sacrifices naked!’ Lambe explained.
Yasmine moved nearer. ‘That’s gross. Why?’
‘For different things. Atonement. Power….’
‘Which is this?’ Yasmine asked again.
‘I don’t know. But for it to be done at this time. It’s bad, and what year…?’ Lambe turned to Simi.
‘It’s saying 1809 Ad…’ Simi replied.
‘Good! That’s worse. The time of the dead men!’ Kukoyi said.
Lambe peeped and looked about. ‘That’s right! Kukoyi, look at the men. What can you see?’
‘I hope it’s good. Kukoyi stared at the place the noise was coming…’
‘What do you see?’ Dezzy asked. Her baton danced in her hand.
‘Red eyes… Men with red eyes. I don’t know, but they are coming towards us… Fast!’
Simi scoffed. ‘That’s good! We’re so dead!’
‘Can you find the treasures?’ Dezzy asked.
‘No. I can’t’, Kukoyi replied. ‘Why then am I here?’ He looked about in anticipation and looked surprised. ‘They are under that tree… We just need to like dig….’
The whirling noises and the humming sounds became louder like they were a few feet away.
‘And run!’ Yasmine said.
‘What can they do?’ Dezzy asked.
‘I don’t know… But these men are only in rumours. They are all children of God that hurt themselves… They like to hurt themselves and would hurt anything they meet on the way’.
‘Oh! Good choice…’ Kukoyi said and raced. ‘I need y’all to race towards that place. Simi and I will double back to get the things ready.
‘Run!’ Yasmine yelled.
They didn’t wait for her to finish the statement before they sped off. The men were truly on their heels. Simi was sure she couldn’t go far before she became a victim to whatever lurked beneath their red eyes. Quickly, she kissed her ring and disappeared. Her only mission was to follow the wailing Kukoyi, whom she had never seen him cry like an animal whose foot was crushed by a car.
At a point, Yasmine stopped to slice off the head of one of the men chasing them. He stopped in his track, yelled louder, shook off the pain like it was nothing, and ran towards her. Not hesitating, she struck harder, but it was like trying to rock. He felt nothing. Seeing that he had the upper hand, she spun out of his reach and brought out her gun.
‘The head!’ Dezzy yelled.
‘That’s right, girl!’ Yasmine yelled.
Her aim was accurate, and the bullet lodge in the man’s head. He paused, raged, and sped in a wave of more daring anger towards them.
‘Run!’ Simi screamed from her spot.
One of them turned towards her position, surprised. She didn’t wait to see his next action before she scrambled back to the tree. There, she met Kukoyi using his shovel to get the treasures.
They quickly got the items. Kukoyi was the only that couldn’t stay back to have the properties. As the men came chasing them.
‘Everyone, run towards me and lay low!’ Lambe yelled. ‘Hit the ground…’
The others did what he commanded, including Simi. Immediately, he blew something into the air that the men fell flat on the floor with a speed that she had never seen. Falling like a dying palm tree, thuds rented the air.
‘Don’t stand yet! Lambe said.
After a while, they got to work and quickly moved between time to get the properties there and back. Since they couldn’t
As they got the last set, something splashed out of the hole. Yasmine jumped out in time but not before splashing on others.
‘Nothing happened?’ Lambe said after examining everyone. ‘We got four already. These men would wake soon.’.
As they dropped the last properties, however, Dezzy slumped to the ground. Her face was flushed as if she was drawing her last breath. Before Simi could run to help out, she also crashed to the ground, with the others falling around her.
‘What’s this?’ Yasmine asked as she spun from one person to another.
Kukoyi’s slurred voice came out angrily. ‘You did this!’
‘Me?’ Yasmine shouted angrily. ‘You’re mad!’
‘No… Why are you still up!’ Kukoyi cried. ‘You’ve always wanted the money. That’s it! Carry them. Don’t kill us!’
‘No… No… Don’t say that!’ Simi said, but talking was choking her, and she was wheezing instead of gasping.
‘We need to get back home!’ Lambe instructed. ‘Everyone get to Simi’,
Simi nodded and tried crawling towards them, but it was a futile effort. By now, spittle dripped down her mouth, just as water poured out of her nose, tears out of her eyes, and sweats out of her pores! She cried out in pain.
Yasmine dropped the goods in her hands. ‘You know what? If you say I’m involved, I’m involved. Idiot. I’m leaving this place once and for all. Not going to face death again because of the gold that you have enough. These are pure products that are enough to feed ten more generations. Just a few is enough for me! That’s my bounty.’
She packed some of the treasures into her bag and poured some into her pockets. ‘Those ones should cater for your need!’
She pulled each of the other towards Simi. Heaving when she was done. Despite Kukoyi’s rejection, she pulled him. By now, Simi was tired and was sure she could faint anytime soon.
Simi closed her eyes.

Chapter 46
They wondered why he was laughing that hard but couldn’t stop him as he held his stomach and rolled on the ground. Simi had always wondered how someone could be that careless about their neatness. Her intention and hope at the moment were different.
‘I’ve read that odu Ifa… I got to read all of them. I think I know what you will encounter sha!’ Lambe said and straightened his cloth. ‘I know we’re being pursued. We need to prepare. You people have been doing things like babies. Well, I’m back. Your daddy is here, and all will be alright.
Lambe suggested rest, which Kukoyi fought against, but every other person supported Lambe to his surprise.
Silence engulfed the forest, with a few chirps from birds and insects disturbing the air, alongside the howls of winding passing through leaves of different sizes, dry, freshly, and those still hanging onto the limbs of trees.
Simi tried catching a little rest. Surprisingly, Lambe’s presence helped her keep her mind off the dead Dada. Tears rolled down her eyes as she culled up in the corner she chose to enjoy her solitude. The only person sitting by herself was Yasmine, who wasn’t alone in the sense of loneliness because her hands worked rapidly as she gently sharpened her knives and cleaned her weapons, at the same time as her eyes were transfixed the same way people lost for thoughts are. Simi inhaled.
If Dada followed any of the ladies, he probably would have been alive right now. Kukoyi, however, was still the top of the people she wanted to blame someone because his suggestions had taken the second person she was falling in love with. Just like that, she was alone again. No one there interested her. Even Lambe was listening to Dezzy’s tale about their journey. She should have been the one telling him the tales, but the tear in her eyes wouldn’t give her the chance she needed to see all that she had learnt, that Dada taught her, patiently, with wisdom that beats his age.
Sleep eluded her for a while until she closed her eyes tightly. Her mind floated to different things as she tried to avoid thinking about all the sorrowful thing happening. Eventually, she slept off.
Later in the day, she was aroused from her sleep by Lambe’s gentle, thick hand of Lambe. An unusual subtlety reflected in his eyes as he said something. She yawned and sat up.
‘You should eat something’, Lambe said.
Still yawning, she nodded and stretched.
He guided her up. His gentility still bemused her yet didn’t erase the stench of alcohol on his body, which was a part of him she had missed. The little ado in his clothes still hit one another as he guided her out of the building to the balcony. The lushness of the field that laid away called out to her, even as the leaves danced rhythmically before her eyes. Lambe pushed a seat towards her and sat on the other one.
Together, they stared into the forest. Her focus was on the sky, with wonder on what else she could do than to let life have its course. Being a bystander had always helped her. Hoping was something she shouldn’t have done. Now, like always, she was hurt. Both inside and outside.
‘You seemed rattled by many things at the same time’, Lambe said just as Dezzy returned towards the house, with a heavy antelope resting on her shoulder and its blood dripping on her body.
She didn’t seem to care or try to gloat about it. Like the rest, her eyes were focused on something else. Simi yawned again.
‘The woman chasing us said she’s my mother’, Simi said but didn’t remove her eyes from the forest. A little hare jumped from one tree to another in one swift movement that made her wish she was still in her bed at the orphanage home, jumping from one place to another, happy, ready to live life the best it was thrown to her, innocent and a child.
Adulthood was the worse thing in the world to have.
‘Do you believe her?’ Lambe wondered.
‘I don’t know…’ Simi proceeded to narrate how she heard the information.
Lambe looked around like he was trying to hide something from the others. ‘You mustn’t tell the others.
Simi stared at him.
Lambe sighed and nodded. ‘Yes. Or have you told anyone?’
Simi made a face to let him know she hadn’t.
‘That’s good!’ Lambe said. ‘Such information might distort the opinions of others… Or some other times, it can be used against the rest’.
‘Don’t you think hiding the truth hurts!’ Simi wondered aloud.
Lambe turned towards her just as Yasmine seemed engrossed in explaining something to an uninterested Dezzy.
‘How old are you?’ Lambe asked.
‘I’m…’
Lambe dismissed her with the flip of the hand. ‘Don’t bother saying it. No matter your age. This is the new deal and you must listen to me on this matter. I’ve seen things like this destroy people. Let’s keep it to ourselves.
Simi nodded. The rest of the day was with Lambe telling all her how things went and the pain he felt when he was left alone in the place. His anger was that none of them could even have the time to bury him like they did in the movies.
‘Which ones? Nollywood?’ Simi wondered.
‘What do you mean? Don’t you watch movies!’ Lambe asked.
‘Not until I got into the university…’ Simi replied. ‘And that’s just three months ago…’.
‘Ah!’ Lambe placed his hands on his head. ‘That’s why you don’t know anything.
‘I always came first in my class!’ Simi retorted.
‘Olodo! Will your life be about school book alone? How will you handle certain issues if not from movies? Do you want to experience them first before you know it feels to kiss a boy. Have you ever kissed a boy?’
Simi opened her mouth to reply, but he waved again.
‘Don’t even reply. I don’t want my heart broken.
‘I’ll reply. I’m still young and don’t think I should be kissed yet, or what do you feel?’
‘See, my sister. I feel whatever you feel…’ Lambe said. Like before, an immense silence flooded her, and Lambe noticed that.
From the corner of his eyes, she could see that he wanted to say something but kept quiet.
‘I’m sorry about that, young man!’ Lambe said, dragging his seat near her and place his hand on hers. ‘I heard you brought him from the past because he was one of us!’
Simi nodded.
‘I’m sorry. This is why you should ensure you make it your duty to get these items and sacrificing them. You know how to end them all. Lambe stopped talking and stared at her.
She turned towards him and nodded. ‘We will get it…’
Lambe smiled and pointed at a tree. One of the stems was breaking due to its fusion with a tree of a different species.
‘You see that tree. It’s an indication. One of us here has made an alliance with someone that will eventually destroy us!’
‘Dezzy!’ Simi asked and looked back in utter fear…
‘I don’t know. Who knows?’ Lambe stretched and brought out two ado. ‘Take these… The red one will help you regain your strength. But you can use it once or in an emergency. It refills automatically every full moon…’
She looked at them. ‘And the blue one’.
‘That one is to help you against any incantation or anything that will distort your brain. Unfortunately, it’s once in three years refilled’.
‘Why will you create something that can’t be refilled immediately?’ Simi hissed and looked away.
Lambe shrugged. ‘It’s a precaution. I wouldn’t want to become addicted to it.
‘Indeed!’
‘You should get some rest… I don’t see us resting soon.’
Simi stared at the ados, expecting never to use them. If they would take a long while to be used, she wanted to hide them or even returned them to Lambe because he would value it than she. Moreover, his knowledge of it was unequal.
However, she couldn’t return it for a selfish reason: if Lambe died, she would have nothing of his to hold on to. Losing Dada had taught her that having something from these people would have helped her hold them dearer.

Chapter 45
He chuckled at her as he came towards her. At the same time, blood drained off Simi’s face as she tried to hold the nearest thing. Nureni saw this and quickly grabbed her hand, which she knew she might faint in if she didn’t get up immediately.
Lambe’s gait was still the same, and he wasn’t even looking injured in any way unnerving her. The bush rustled as someone, or some people hurried towards them. Nureni raised his gun in readiness to fight whatever was coming, despite the flippant look on Lambe’s face.
Simi rushed towards him.
‘Let me drop this boy!’ Lambe suggested.
The moment Kukoyi’s body touched the ground, Simi cried into Lambe’s chest even as he wrapped his hand around her. The rustling sound didn’t bother her because Lambe didn’t seem to bother, which gave her peace of mind.
‘Are you al…’ Dezzy began to say but stopped.
Simi spun. ‘Dezzy… Lambe’s not dead!’
Dezzy stared with her mouth agape. ‘How...’
She came towards him with fear as if she was trying not to tear into pieces. ‘Oh! God! You were dead!
Dezzy cried. Harder even when Kukoyi roused out of unconsciousness, rolled in the dirt and stared at them. She held on to Lambe.
‘You were acting like a stupid hero!’ Dezzy said when she finally untangled herself.
‘Oh my God! Oh! My… Lambe!’ Kukoyi yelled.
‘Enough of the family reunion. Let’s get inside before we’re cornered here by tiredness and cold and weariness, and let’s get inside’, Yasmine said even as she made her way into the room.
Simi turned repeatedly and looked about, excited to see Lambe, worried that she was yet to see Dada. ‘Where’s Dada?’
Kukoyi went into a bout of cough, and that was when she saw him. His face was darkened with blackness from something that looked like bomb smoke or something. Simi looked into his prying eyes and wished she saw the right.
‘He died!’ Kukoyi said as his voice came out with a croak.
The sound of the words suddenly felt louder than the gong of two big bells hitting each other repeatedly. Every oxygen in her became derived as she slammed herself into the floor, lifeless, careless about the sudden pain that came felt like that of childbirth, of stubbing one’s feet on a stone, of suddenly being slapped by someone heavy. She stared at the forest. They are lying.
‘How?’ Nureni asked.
‘You must have heard an explosion’, Kukoyi explained weakly.
‘Many!’ Kukoyi said. ‘It came from him… We’re in a big mess. He jumped in to save me!’
Lambe nudged Dezzy to help Simi up. Like a paper, Simi flopped in Dezzy’s arms as she led them into the house. Her eyes were filled with unseen imagination.
‘I will go to the past to bring him again!’ Simi muttered as soon as she was sitting on the dusty ground. ‘He will be alive when I’m done.
Lambe shook his head. ‘You know that’s impossible.’
She wailed. Her knees were the nearest thing she could hold. So, she grabbed them and gave a laboured wail into it.
‘You want to keep your voice down!’ Yasmine said.
‘Gbagbe… Those ones can’t come again. I will tell them that I don’t die!’ Lambe said. ‘My medicine is always beyond them.’
‘How!’ Kukoyi asked. ‘Lambe, how are you alive?’
Simi kept crying, but this time, she had reduced the noise. Only Nureni was by her side, trying to console her. The others were focused on Lambe’s story.
‘Who are these new people?’ Lambe wondered as he gave Yasmine a grim look.
‘Another thief!’ Simi mumbled and pointed at Yasmine.
Yasmine cracked her knuckles. ‘If I smack you, you will be thinner than a real skeleton!’
‘Calm down, na. Life isn’t that hard o…’ Lambe said.
‘Then, tell her to keep it down!! Yasmine snarled.
‘She will… We’re getting near Detty December. You should let her have teeth to eat meat’, Lambe said and brought out a bottle of gin. ‘So, who are you before I know what to do.’
‘That is Yasmine. She is one of the assassins… Erm bounty hunter sent to kill us, but she got interested and wanted to help when she heard about the money.
‘Same thing. Leopards. They don’t change skin.’ Lambe said and looked at Dezzy. ‘Do you trust her…?’
‘I don’t!’ Kukoyi replied.
‘I don’t know what to do, but I know that I can easily beat her now!’ Dezzy replied and rolled her shoulders.
‘That’s my girl’, Lambe smirked. ‘Good like pounded yam!’
‘Yuck!’ Yasmine responded. ‘If not for that your bloody eyes thing, I would have shown you…’
‘Wait!’ Lambe glanced at her. ‘You now let your blood fury to come out easily!’’
Dezzy nodded. ‘I just have to inhale seven-time… very fast!’
‘Who taught you that?’ Lambe seemed impressed.
‘Dada!’ Simi wailed again. ‘He….’
Her words became choked by her tears.
‘He gave us hints that directed us’, Kukoyi explained.
‘Not like me, of course. I’m more than enough a teacher for you people. …’
‘Please… ‘Kukoyi snapped. ‘Back to your story!’
‘Yes! And the man, what about him…?’Lambe said and pointed at Nureni.
‘It’s true!’ Yasmine said. ‘What are you still doing with us?’
‘Whoa! Whoa!’ Kukoyi said. ‘Where did we become the royal ‘we’… At least since he joined us, we’ve since that his motives are clear…. And that’s true, why are you still with us!’
‘Your story seemed right… I just want to ensure that through you, I can gather enough evidence against these leaders. One of them is the reason some of my team members died. I just wanted to clinch your case and get all the authority I can as a detective. So that it will be a way to get access to some places, where the real investigations ought to be…’
‘Okay! Here goes!’ Lambe said and played with his beard. ‘Before I died, my ring was with me. I took one of my ado and doused my body with it. So, then I used the other ones to explode and caused every one of them to die. My body splashed everywhere, and it took me seven days to gather to come together again… Like bringing them back together with my mind… It was painful. I had to rest for some days.
‘I came to look for you…’ Simi moaned.
‘I saw you… I was glad… And it was hard to keep us with you. So, I kept following the army chasing… By the way, have you gotten one of the locations’
Kukoyi nodded. ‘All’.
‘That’s good. Let’s go…’
‘No… We’ve got everything we need. And they are all in the past.’, Kukoyi said and threw Yasmine a cold glare. ‘In case anybody tries to push us out of it!’
‘I am keeping my promises.’ Yasmine said.
‘Good to know’, Lambe said and adjusted his cloth ‘Ologbeni, when are we going on the next round!
Nureni shook his head. ‘I can’t be with you guys! I need to help you gather real men. If truly these people want to kill you for what they want to do to the Yorubaland, I know people I can talk to. Nigeria is our own, and there’s no way it will be ruined. The fate of the world is in our hands.
‘Bros! Calm down!’ Lambe said and rolled his eyes. ‘What’s fate of the world?’
‘If you don’t know…’ Nureni said.
‘Calm down! I know. You’re taking life too serious. We’ll all die!’ Lambe said and drank from his bottle of gin again.
‘Not me and you. Don’t you know that if they take over Yoruba land, the world too will be taken…?’
‘That’s what we’re doing?’ Lambe said. ‘Or has the plan changed?’
‘Well, Dada is also dead! …’ Simi sniffed. ‘Ehn! It’s the same plan as your we had with him. We should go on with this rubbish!’
‘He gave us the address before...’ Kukoyi said and showed his iPad.
‘Where’s the next one!’ Lambe asked.
‘Ondo forests!’
Lambe stared at them and burst into laughter, holding his stomach.

germaphobe:
lambe!!!!. thanks divepen.

You're welcome. Let's hope she's right.

Chapter 44
As she got ready to close her eyes, Dezzy shook her head and came towards her. ‘Wait!’
‘What now!’ Yasmine yelled.
Dezzy pulled her bag off her and removed a wrap of chocolate. ‘Never forget this! Take care out there!’
Simi nodded as her eyes lingered on Dezzy, who had now moved back, away from the reach of the others, near Nureni. The minute she closed her eyes, she thought of the ring, trying to know how it got to Dezzy’s hand.
Everywhere felt cosy, making her open her eyes to be sure she had moved. Right in front of her was the woman she saw before (name please), raising her hands. Now, she wore a simple gown, and her hair was loose.
Simi was hungry and quickly munched the chocolate in her hand. She had never felt tired of eating that day. Asake’s back was turned to her, helping Simi remember that she was invisible. Quietly, she found her way near the window and looked intense at the woman.
‘I can’t let you rule!’ Something said from the mirror.
The mirror was blank, but the glazy look on the woman’s face made her know she could see whatever the woman saw. Yet, she couldn’t miss the tiny angriness in the voice. It was definitely a woman’s voice, which indicated that the story was true about some spirit controlling the whole thing through Asake. They were going in the right direction.
‘Use me as your vessel and help me get what I have lost!’ Asake said.
‘You don’t need to find any lost thing!’ Yejide's voice said. ‘It has always been searching for you all these while. You just haven’t known.
‘I’ll beg you not to refer to her as it…’, Asake said. ‘She’s a girl. A baby girl.
‘Then, you can gladly say that I’m a fool’.
‘You’re no fool, my lady!’ Asake said and bowed. Her drooping eyes wasn’t staring into the mirror-like before.
‘Well, she’s not lost. She’s just right beside you, the voice said.
Asake frowned at the same time Simi frowned. She looked around hastily to be sure they were alone, as that would mean she was becoming deaf.
‘I am alone’, Asake said.
‘No, you’re not…’ The voice said and went silent. At the same time, the Asake winced as a bit of sparkle from the mirror splashed like water and hit her on the face. ‘Now, turn’.
Asake turned and saw Simi, whose surprise didn’t make her react.
‘My God!’ Asake yelled and also froze.
They stared at each other for a while before Simi shook her head and closed her eyes, thinking of the team, reminding herself she shouldn’t lose concentration.
‘Glad! You’re back!’ Dezzy murmured. ‘We’ve got to go.’
The others agreed with her. Dezzy led the way out of the room again. They sped through the forest. Simi spun to Dezzy again.
‘How did they find her?’ She murmured.
‘I don’t know! I swear I’m tired…’ Dezzy said.
‘I need to sleep, and I’m hungry.’
‘Eat!’ Dezzy advised and snatched Simi’s bag off her back.
Simi shook her head as she spun. When they were gone far into the woods again, Dezzy gave Simi another bar of chocolate, which she finished before she took the twentieth steps. The time they used at this place was more than serious. The trace seemed to continue.
‘We have to separate…’ Nureni shouted.
‘Not at all…’
‘We all know where we are going!’ Nureni said.
‘We don’t…’ Dada cried.
‘Simi knows it’, Nureni said.
‘Dezzy also does, and you too’, Nureni suggested.
Then, they headed to the place. Dezzy decided she wanted to lead the men away if they were truly tracking her.
‘I’ll follow her!’ Yasmine said.
The others sceptically looked at her, and she got the idea of what they were saying. ‘What? She can’t fight them alone. I’m better than them. And that’s what will happen!’
‘I’ll go alone… One of you should follow me!’ Kukoyi said and pointed at Dada.
‘I’ll like to go with Simi….’ Dada objected.
‘No… Together, we can fight them off...’
‘Officer Nureni can follow Simi. That way, she won’t be hurt!’
‘Or so!’ Yasmine retorted.
‘Let him be! Ah!’ Dezzy growled as she led the way to another part of the forest.’
When they were all separate, the team sped away. Nureni led the way despite Simi knowing where they were going. She only gave the direction from the paper in her hand.
Just as they turned towards the place they were supposed to hide, someone jumped out of the bush.
‘Stay there!’ The person yelled.
Nureni pushed her away and shot at the assailant. At the same time, another gunshot rang from the person’s gun. Simi wondered if she was the one that was shot, but when another gunshot didn’t come from the other side, she knew the man was down. Nureni, on the other hand, was wounded.
The injury on his hand felt like something sharp smeared it, leaving it so bloody and disgusting. Simi shook her head and rose hurriedly.
‘Don’t shoot their head or chest’, Ekele’s voice came again loudly over a megaphone.
Simi felt like running through the woods to see his face again. She had never seen such an opportunity in her life.
‘We need to hide!’ Nureni said and moved towards the house but ensured they did at a vantage point. Soon enough, there were series of noises and gunshots, which rocked and echoed in the forest. Simi’s fear resounded alongside the way she was blinded by several things that beat her mind at the thought of what would happen to her if she died.
She wished she didn’t get separated from Dada. Now, she wondered if he was still alive. And Dezzy. And Kukoyi. She didn’t mind if Yasmine was dead; after all, she was an encroacher and shouldn’t even be allowed in their midst.
At a point, an intense whirlwind grew from nowhere and moved massively towards the assailants’ place.
‘Is that you?’ Nureni asked.
Simi shook her head.
‘Dezzy, it is then’, she replied.
Simi shook her head. ‘Dezzy had never done much in her life….’
‘If it’s none of you. I don’t think I want to find out!’ If you see that the storm is becoming bigger and heading our way, we’re running into the house, damning the consequences.
Simi nodded fearfully. The fear streaming through her body did more justice than she could ever imagine. As she looked about in wonder if she was in the right place or doing the right thing, the whirlwind reduced.
Someone was helping Kukoyi towards them. Simi had seen the man before but couldn’t decipher where she had seen him.
However, as he came nearer, she saw him clearly.
‘Lambe…?’ Simi muttered.

Chapter 43
Everyone turned towards Dezzy, who looked surprised like that was her first time seeing the ring. She opened her mouth to talk but could only mutter incoherent words. Simi was too stunned to form an opinion.
‘Why, Dezzy?’ Kukoyi said.
‘There’s no why?’ Yasmine strutted towards them. ‘We will simply show her a reason not to ever do such stupid thing and pry her stomach open for information’.
Dezzy raised her hands as she shifted back, her head dashing from one person to another, trying to lock contact with them. Despite this, she still repeatedly shook her head. ‘Simi, I need you to believe me. I didn’t take the ring’.
‘Yen! Yen!’ Yasmine muttered. ‘I will gut you until the only thing you can say to anyone is ‘why me?’
‘Don’t you dare come near me!’ Dezzy said and stood in a defensive position. Her hands were ready to ward off any attack and to administer pain. ‘Let me explain!’
‘Let her explain!’ Simi said, but she wasn’t even sure she could hear herself.
‘Ex… What?’ Dada yelled. ‘At least, let her stay put. Then, we can think if truly she wants to explain. She can’t keep trying to escape if her intention were clear’.
‘If y’all weak to do the needful, I’ll go for the kill’, Yasmine shouted.
‘No…’ Simi cried, but despite been loud, Yasmine seemed deaf.
Dezzy's backed up. 'Don't do this!'
'I'll show you what it means to be me', Yasmine advanced towards her menacingly.
Dezzy looked from one person to another.
'It's not my fault... Let Simi see it herself', Dezzy said.
'You have her ring', Kukoyi yelled.
'Had', Dezzy said and pointed at the ring in Simi's hand.
'Grammar', Yasmine cried.
'Let's hear her out, Nureni shouted.
'No...' Yasmine cried and stomped her feet on the ground. 'She should pay'.
'Mr Nureni is right', Simi pled. 'Moreover, she betrayed us and not you...'
Yasmine turned towards Simi' I'll…'
' Don't you dare say that rubbish?' Kukoyi yelled. 'She offended all of us here, And you can't exonerate her by saying she offended us. Simi, that's bad and wrote'.
Tears welled in Dezzy's eyes as she glanced at different parts of her back.
With the speed of lighting, Yasmine dashed at Dezzy, and another set of fight ensued. Simi was tired of this. She tried to fight Dezzy, who was ready for her, moving swiftly even as she evaded the deft punches from Dezzy. Both of them seemed precise on the next place to hit, and they both were fast in evading the other’s punches. Anyone they couldn’t evade, they put up a strong defence. When Yasmine was overpowering her, Dezzy inhaled seven times like Dada advised her the other time, which gave her immediate edge.
Despite Kukoyi's intervention, she didn't stop. Dada couldn't let the brawl go on and tried to pull her off. It was a grave mistake. Dezzy spun round and kicked him in the stomach, sending him flying towards the bush. Simi squealed, sped towards him, and cried as she met him groaning and trying to come out. Together, they came back to the fighting group.
' You don't need this...' Nureni was saying to her. 'You don't...'
She rose and turned towards him with her hands readied to hit him. Nureni hurriedly raised his hands. By now, Yasmine and Kukoyi were tending to their wounds.
Dezzy loomed a bit over Nureni for a while before inhaling thrice. The moment she did that, her bloodshot left, leaving just her cruel look.
'Simi, you know I'm not lying. Why will I steal the ring? Even when we couldn't find our ado, I never took it. But it's my fault that they caught us...And I'm sorry, Dezzy said and looked away. ‘I can show you… I truly can…’
‘Don’t mind her, girl’, Yasmine shouted.
'Do you trust me?' Dezzy asked.
'I don't know o...' Simi said dejectedly.
'What do you feel?' Dada asked Simi.
She stared at Dezzy for a while, swallowed hard, wondering if she was doing the right thing, wishing all these could stop, and so she stretched her hands towards Dezzy.
Despite the call and cries from others, Simi closed her eyes to think of the time Dezzy went back to see her child.
‘We’re here, Dezzy informed her.
'That's you!' Sim muttered. They watched from afar.
'You should... Just follow me in the past. I'll be waiting here for you. Meanwhile, don't follow me to the room. I'll enter. You can see it from outside’, Dezzy said.
After fighting everyone on the way with her blood rage, she got to her daughter's cage and found her sleeping peacefully. She entered the room, and suddenly something splashed on her body. At first, she was scared and raised her batons in response, but nothing came on.
' Now, we can tag you always. Find you,' Ekele shouted over a public address system.
'In your wildest dreams', Dezzy picked her daughter and hurried out of the place.
Simi returned to her. 'I've seen it. I'm sorry for not believing you.
Dezzy nodded and held Simi as they returned to the future.
'You idiots, you just wasted the opportunity we could have had to get what we need and stop all this trouble...,' Kukoyi yelled at the sight of them.
'She's not lying', Simi said and hurriedly explained all she saw to them.
'I don't trust a liar...' Kukoyi said.
' She just... Simi just showed us the truth', Nureni interjected.
'Shut your yap, woman wrapper… Kukoyi said. 'Who took the ring?'
‘You know what’ Dezzy spun around. ‘This is Simi. Let her search out the information… Just go to when the ring went missing’’.
The others bought into the idea, and even Simi couldn’t disagree. So, she nodded and closed her eyes.