Dance With Me (Silent Whispers)

Written by
Ifeoma Isabella Okeke

Chapter 19

'For every single person, there’s always a cause that’s worth fighting for, whether physically or emotionally. Both positive and negative changes can happen through fighting, but one must decide if their own fight is worth the battle.'

Paul quickly drop the sword he was holding and rush to Eric side. "Are you okay?" He had to ask to know if he was still breathing.

With great difficulty, Eric nodded his head in pains as he whispered back. "Thank you." The deep slash in his stomach was showing his intestines. He couldn't make it. "Thank you." He said again as he tried to hang on a little bit but was failing. He saw death slowly approaching him in all blackness. He was losing fast to unconscious.

Paul could see the life of the young man in his presence fading away. He has to do something. He couldn't watch the young man die. Why had his master wanted to kill him? He has to save him first to know the reason why a master would want one of his Ninja's dead.

Without saying a word, he bend down to Eric's level and joined his hands together over Eric's stomach where the wound was.

He closed his eyes and focused on the wound. He was going to do the Forbidden Knowledge of the Shadow Samurai, a special Samurai technique.

Though he hasn't used it on anyone but he got to try. His master had taught him this hidden technique before he died.

_____

"How do you feel after learning the Eight Virtues of the Samurai?" His master had asked him when he was in his secret chambers. This was the last day of his training.

"I feel good master, for someone to have anger and hatred in you isn't good. I now realize the part my father wants for me, though I must say, I will still convince my father that I am heartless, I will always do to his bidding. I hope you are not offended master."

"Offended? I completely understand you, but the in the future, always remember the Eight Virtues of samurai." Paul nodded his head. "Paul do you want to know why I choose you despite knowing your flaws?" The master asked with a knowing look.

"No master, tell me please, I want to know."

"The first day I saw you, I saw a young boy trying to find his own feet back. Your eyes shows you didn't like what you were been introduced into. I saw hope in them, hope that one day you will be free, but then again, you are scared and want to live in your father's shadow."

"True master, when I woke up from the hospital and was introduced into the Mafia world, I was scared and wanted to run away, I don't want to kill anyone. But my father, has connections and would track me down, so I decided to stay and do what he says."

"Age isn't on my side again Paul, but I will leave with you a parting gift." The master said and closed his eyes, moving his hands in circles.

"There is a hidden technique that a master passes down to whom ever he chooses, I chose you and I will show you this hidden technique. Look at it very carefully because it is shown only once. You have everything you need, Paul. Whatever questions remain, the answers are in your heart. Follow it....it will guide you home."

____

After he was done, he opened his eyes and saw the deep slash on Eric's stomach gone, his stomach was as good as new. He checked and breathed in relief that Eric was still breathing but was still unconscious.

He carried him on his shoulder and went towards the direction of his home. He entered the ship that awaits him by the sea port and left for Valten.

***

Philly was given a call. He picked it up without saying anything.

"Find whoever that killed Ivan and kill that person together with Eric. I want a clean job done this time."

With that he cut the call on the person who had called him. Tomorrow, is the D-Day when he will show himself at the premises of Kate.

He started preparing.

****

Robert Mansion:

"Paul who is that?" Robert Mirror demanded when he saw his son heading towards him carrying a young man in all blacks on his shoulder.

"I saved him dad, he was about to be killed so I saved him. I brought him here so that once he's awake, he will tell me why they wanted him dead." Paul responded and dropped Eric on a sofa. He called out two of his servants to carry the unconscious guy to a guest room, which was carried out with delay.

Robert make sure they were once alone before he continues.

"Have I not told you never to render any form of help to anyone who is not from your family. A true Mafia kills without a single thought. You could have even helped those that wanted him dead and killed him instead of saving him. I have always told you to ride with the people you walked with."

"I'm sorry father, it won't happen again, I promise."

"I am only letting this off because this is your first time in doing this senseless act of yours. So I will let this slide, but next time you won't be that lucky."

"Thank you father." Paul said with a smile which Robert returned with his.

"You're my only son who will one day take over when I am no more, so I want to make you look tough and face life whatever way it hit you. So how about the Vipers, where you able to kill them all?" Robert said changing the topic.

"Yes dad, I spare no one, tomorrow I will inform the boys to go to their hideout and take out the goods."

"Okay son, before I forget, that young man you saved, did you know the clothes he put on signify that he is a Ninja?"

"Yes dad, I know, that is why I want to find out why his master wants him dead."

****

"Like I have told you Lora, forcing love on someone won't make the person love you but nevertheless, I will try using a dark magic spell on him to make him love you." Dee spoke after pondering on what Lora had said.

"Then what are you waiting for since, do that immediatly, Paul must be mine."

"I don't know if it will work or not, but I will give it a try and let you know if it worked. Good night Lora."

****

The Next Day at 10am.

The scream of the Jolie, one of the cooks, bounced throughout the building of Kate's alerting everyone presence and they left what they were doing and ran towards the boys quarter.

Jolie who had long waited for Diego to come out as usual and clean the fleet of cars parked in the car garage but didn't come out in his normal time, became worried. She went to check on him in his room when she got the shock of her life. Blood filled the room when she walked in, she wondered where the blood was coming out from until she saw the dead body, she screamed like there was no tomorrow.

Kate, Nora and Craig were the first to reach the room where Jolie scream was heard.

They saw the dead body of Diego. The man on the floor was lifeless. Lifeless. His dark shoulder length hair was scattered in multiple places, stained with dried blood; crimson. His midnight eyes were wide open.

Blood flowed, thick and sluggish, from a slash across his gut. The corpse was almost devoid of skin and pitted by burrowing insects. Nora quickly turned away as her stomach heaved, nostrils filled with the smell of rotting meat.

Craig quickly put a call across the police and reported the dead body of Diego.

The police came and took away the deceased after a lot of questions.

Nora heart pounded as one question continued to race through her mind: Who did this? And why?

****

Casala:

Lora was in her room trying to call the line of Paul which unfortunately for her was switch off. She felt the presence of Dee in her room. "Have you done it because since morning I have been trying his phone which went through at first, but was quickly switch off.", Lora said still dailing Paul's number.

"It couldn't worked on him, he's been protected Lora." Dee voice was heard.

"What? How come your spells didn't work on him? For crying out loud Dee, he is a human and you are more powerful than him, so why didn't your spells worked on him?", Lora shouted not caring if her parents heard her. "What is that thing protecting him that you can't remove?"

"Love." Dee voice came again.

"What! Love?"

"Yes Lora, love. He is been protected by a love greater than anyone."

****

Floda:

A soft knock was heard at the gate and Kate's gateman opened the gate only to reveal a badly beaten young man who pleaded with him to call the owners of the house.

The gate man quickly ran inside the house to inform Kate about the man he saw on the gate.

Craig went with the gate man who showed him where the young man was.

Craig eyes grew in shock when he saw the young man. He ran back inside.

"Ma'am the man whom the gateman reported you to is Phillip."

"What!?"

"What?"

Two what greeted Craig's ears.

"Which of the Philip you are talking about?" Kate asked confused.

"My son, he... he's out there in the compound, badly wounded. I would know my son's face anywhere. It is Phillip." Craig said and left them going outside once more.

Kate stood up from her sit with Nora and together they followed Craig.

Kate couldn't believe her eyes when she saw the young man.

Phillip was in a very bad shape. His eyes were swollen over and bloody spit drooled from his slack jaws. His face still bears congealed blood and his clothes are a utter mess.

He spoke just one word before he fainted with a hidden smile. "Nora."

To Be Continued

Do not try to plagiarized this story.
All rights reserved, the whole of this story is a complete fiction. Any role related to someone either alive or dead is a mere coincidence.

Dance With Me (Silent whispers)

Written by
Ifeoma Isabella Okeke

Chapter 18

‘The moment in between what you once were, and who you are now becoming, is where the dance of life really takes place. Dare, dream, dance, smile, and sing loudly! And have faith that love is an unstoppable force.'

Paul was on his way home after going to the home of the Viper killing them at a spot. He was a very good in guns. He was alone and was on barefoot. He had ordered his men not to follow him and didn't take any of his car with him.

He decided to take the shortcut to his house and thus followed the forest route. The noise made by the owls and animals kept increasing in the forest but he wasn't bothered by it.

He was walking, not making a noise, when he noticed a slight movement not far from where he was. A dark shadow was moving fast across the trees, jumping from one to the other. Paul saw it and something in him pushed him into following the dark shadow, just like the dark shadow, he was moving speed.

____

Eric was on his way home when he sense someone following him.

He always follow the forest route to his house. It was the shortest way to reach his home quick.

He turned to look behind him but he couldn't see anything. He continued his walking but stops when he heard a noise behind him. He stopped and managed to block a sharp shaped small star piece of metal thrown towards his direction.

It was a gloomy night but Eric could see perfectly around him. He wasn't surprised when a single lone figure landed at his front from one of the trees surrounding them. He knew immediately who it was.

“Ivan what has come into you, why do you want to kill me?” Eric asked slightly confused by his act.

“I have been ordered to kill you by master.” Ivan thick baritone voice replied and pulled out his sharp sword from its sheath. Even the thick night couldn't hide the long shining sword. “You only have two minutes to live Eric, prepare to die.” He added after he swung his sword sideways in a show off.

Eric pulled out his own sword in fear. Scared? Yes, he wasn't as strong as Ivan. But he won't die like a coward, he will fight to his last breath.

Ivan had always give a time of death to his opponent before he strikes. He normally keeps to it.

Going into his fighting stance, Eric waited for Ivan to attack him first which he did.

He barely dodged Ivan’s sword thrust when he felt a sharp pain below his stomach. Ivan had used the hidden knife he normally carries to cut deeply into his stomach when he was dodging his sword.

Ivan was amongst the Nine Fingers, normally called Nine. The Nine Fingers are Nine strong assassin which were trained specially by their master. They were faster and more deadly. The lesser assassin's, like Eric, stands no chance against them in terms of swordfight. They were very fast in their movement and with their swords.

Eric slowly dropped his sword and held his stomach in pain as his blood kept pouring out like river.

Ivan stood in front of Eric who was bleeding profusely from the cut in his stomach. “You have one minute more to live Eric.” He said and raised up his sword in slow motion. “Good bye Eric.”

The wound has weakened him and so Eric closed his eyes to welcome the final blow from Ivan which will end him.

He waited for the last strike as he counted the seconds that would complete one minute, but the strike he was expecting didn't come. He heard a clanging sound as if two swords clash.

Ivan screaming out in pains prompted Eric to open his closed eyes to see another figure blocking him from Ivan final sword thrust, using his own sword which he had dropped, and thrust it into Ivan's heart quickly. Ivan fell down immediately, dead.

Paul bend down and touched his nose to be sure he was really dead. He had followed the said Ivan silently and had stood at a distance watching them. He noticed Eric was too slowly compared to the one he had followed.

He could have left them to settle their scores themselves but when he heard that it was their master who had sent Ivan, he decided to stay and watch instead of going his way.

___

5 years ago, his father had introduced him to a samurai Lord who was very good in swords fighting. Robert Mirror took Paul to learn it.

“You never can tell what kind of weapon your enemies might use.” Robert Mirror told Paul. “Sometimes the enemies fight with hands, at times with guns or probably…. swords. Whichever way they come to you Paul, I want it to be an element of surprise to your enemies that you fight in thier way.” Robert Mirror concluded his talk.

Paul agreed to it and he was taught how to fight in a samurai way.

As the days went by, his master saw that Paul fought his comrades in anger and hatred.

One day he called Paul privately.

“Paul having this hatred and anger in you won't allow you to reach the final stage of samurai. You have to drop those two things if you really want to be a samurai master.”

“But my father don't allow me to show any compassion on anyone.”

“Paul you're not your father, he won't live your life for you. You have to choose the part you wish to go, your father doesn't need to know. A true warrior must hold that loyalty, courage, varacity, honor and compassion above all else . Only when you have find your way shall I teach you the Eight Virtues of the Samurai, with it, no one can match with your strength unless someone from the other side.” His master said not telling him what he meant by the other side.

Paul chose his own part. Hardly does he use his samurai skills to fight, he prefer using his guns.

To Be Continued

Do not try to plagiarized this story.
All rights reserved, the whole of this story is a complete fiction. Any role related to someone either alive or dead is a mere coincidence.

Dance With Me (Silent whispers)

Written by
Ifeoma Isabella Okeke

Chapter 17

'If you focus on the hurt, you will continue to suffer. If you focus on the lessons, you will continue to grow. That is why you must read, that is why you must look at the skies, that is why you must sing and dance, and write poems and suffer and understand, for all that is life.'

"I know I should have asked for your permission before telling anyone about your existence, I am sorry." Nora pleaded to daisy, in her haste to tell her grandma and Craig, she forgot to ask daisy if it was okay.

"Nora, don't say sorry. I am glad you told them in that way I got to talk to you and you reply me in their presence. I am even glad it was those two you told and not outsiders." Daisy responded calmly.

"Thank you for understanding me." Nora said grateful. "So where were you all day?"

"Up." Daisy answered pointing upwards.

"You mean you were at the ceiling all day, doing what?"

"Not the ceiling, I was up, in the sky, trying to figure out if I could sense who actually owns that dark powers Lora used but I couldn't find any trace." Daisy said in sadness.

"Don't get yourself overworked, I believe with time you will get to know the person behind that dark powers." Nora said trying to cheer her little friend up.

"Okay, I will try."

Nora smiled at that and sat down on her bed after changing into her pajamas. "Are you sure Paul will visit me again like he promised?" Nora suddenly asked out of blue.

"I see no reason why he won't come to visit you."

"I don't know why I have this feeling, it might sound strange but Paul reminds me of Philip. His voice somehow looks like that of Philip."

"You're thinking too much Nora, go to sleep now, tomorrow is a new day."

Nora laughed at that, her fingers slowly went up to her neck and brought out the hidden necklace Philip had given to her. The necklace was always round her neck but was hidden from others eyes. Truly it was beautiful as she had imagined it that day.

"Mamaquilla, I know you can hear me but if not, please give me a listening ear. Please Mamaquilla, if truly Philip is alive and somewhere out there because I refuse to believe he's dead, protect him and bring him back to me. Philip believed that you have blessed our union, don't make me lose faith in you. Bring my Philip, that is all I ask from you Mamaquilla." Nora finished saying with tears in her eyes. "Good night daisy."

____

Kate put a call across Mark once she was in her room. She waited for some seconds before Mark picked it.

"Hello Kate, still haven't gotten any news of Ora. I think we should report about her to the police." Mark said once he had picked the call.

"That was what I was calling you for, Ora came home with a good Samaritan that saved her." Kate told him.

"Thank God, that's good news. I am so happy she's found at last. Thank you for telling me. I have to go and inform David about this. Thank you." Mark said in excitement before he cut the call heading towards his son room.

"David, kate just called me and told me Ora is back." Mark told his David once he opened his room door.

His sad face was quickly replace by a bright smile that would have made the sun jealous.

***

Lora huffed out in annoyance when Paul refused to pick her calls for the umpteen time.

"Why isn't he picking my calls? He is really frustrating me!" Lora shouted at the empty room.

"You shouldn't get angry at every little things Lora." Dee voice vibrated the room.

"I shouldn't get angry? I want that guy and I want him really bad. Everything I had planned out isn't working, you got to do something fast Dee before I lose it. David is already mine but I want Paul, I need him even if I have to do something just to have him then I will."

"Lora I have told you that using spells to force love on someone isn't in our power. I don't even know what you saw in that guy, fine he is good-looking but David is also good looking, why can't you stay with him?"

"True Dee, but I want Paul. And you....you are a dark fairy who ought to do my will, and this is one of it. Make Paul fall in love with me."

***

At midnight.

Two dark shadows were seen entering the building of Kate through the dark walls, moving with inhuman speed towards the boys quarters as they both slip inside the room Diego was.

5 minutes later....

They came out of Diego's room with inhuman speed and left the building as they came.

One of them stops to address the second one. The two men were dressed in blacks, only their eyes were seen with great difficulty.
The one whose sword seemed to glisten with blood, Diego's blood, spoke.

"Go and report to master our mission has been accomplished with success."

"Yes senior, I will do that immediately." The second one responded, one second he was there and the next second he wasn't.

***

The dark shadow entered the room the stranger was.

He was standing by the balcony of his room cleaning his sword.

"He's dead master." The man coming out from the dark shadow wall spoke.

"Good....very good." He replied and continue cleaning his sword. "What is it Eric?" He asked when he noticed the assassin wasn't moving an inch.

"Why did you say we should kill Diego when you know he was one of the best."

"Have I ever told you my story?"

"No master. You haven't tell anyone your story." Eric replies.

"Well count yourself lucky then because you're about to hear my story. It all started some years ago. I have a brother, he was my twin actually, we were identical, his name was Philip and mine was Philly." He said still cleaning his sword. "There came a day when our house caught fire by accident when we were five and I was trapped in it with Philip, I actually started the fire to end our lives. But my parents choose to come in at that moment and saved their intelligent son instead of me, leaving me behind to die. They forgot about me, maybe they taught I died in the fire but luck wasn't by their side.... I survived. I was saved by master Kirochi who taught me every moves of a ninja which I used in killing him and taking over him. I grew up hating my parents and my twin brother and swore to kill them all. I succeeded in killing my mother by setting up the accident that had her killed. My next target was to kill my father then lastly Philip, everything was going according to my plan until I saw her." He paused to put his sword back on its stealth.

"Who did you see master?" Eric asked suddenly curious.

"Nora or should I call her Ora, it was love at first sight, I wanted her but Philip was my obstacle. I saw the love they had for each other and a plan came into my mind, so my second victim was my twin brother, Philip. I made the plane he boarded crash killing everyone in it. With my burn scars I got from the past and my twin identical face that matches his, they will believe that I am Philip once I meet them. I have everything planned out. Now go."

The ninja assassin, Eric, quickly left leaving Philly alone in the hotel room.

He dialed a number on his phone which was picked by the second ring.

"Kill Eric, he knows too much."

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To Be Continued

Do not try to plagiarized this story.
All rights reserved, the whole of this story is a complete fiction. Any role related to someone either alive or dead is a mere coincidence.

Dance With Me (Silent whispers)

Written by
Ifeoma Isabella Okeke

Chapter 16

'Life may not be the party we hoped for, but while we’re here we should dance. Everything in the universe has rhythm. Everything dances, to watch us dance is to hear our hearts speak.'

"I don't understand, how can you not see his pictures?" Nora asked confusingly.

"I don't know. I went where I kept all his pictures but couldn't find any." Craig explained. He was beyond shock when he couldn't find his son pictures. When Philip had died, he pack all his pictures both the once he took with him and kept it in a box. Seeing the pictures reminds him of his late son which was why he had packed it safely in one place and now it is gone.

"Are you sure you checked well Craig, you know it has been long or probably you burnt it and forget about it." Kate chip in.

"No I didn't burn it, I couldn't find any of his pictures where I had kept it. It was as if it has been stolen." Craig said, he was sure he didn't burn Philip pictures.

"Who would have steal it then?" Kate asked no one in particular, she picked up her phone and dial a number in her phone.

"Yes, morning. I want you and the rest servants to come to the main building quickly, it's urgent." Kate told the receiver and hung up the call.

Soon five servants, 3 males who took care of the house and 2 females who are the cooks all came into the sitting room.

After Kate had made Craig to live with her in the main house, she employed these five people who took care of the house. She gave them the boys quarters which Craig and his late son had reside when she had employed them newly.

They greeted Kate, Craig and Nora.

"Let me hit the nail on the wall, who amongst you took a picture from Craig's room?" Kate asked immediately.

The five servants looked confused at the question. "Ma'am, none of us had seen any pictures." One out of the three men spoke.

"I believe the question I asked wasn't for you to answer alone, speak for yourself and count others out." Kate told the man who spoke.

"Sorry ma'am, I did not see any pictures." Diego said.

The remaining four of them said the same thing.

Nora was confused so was Craig. "So does it mean I don't know what I am saying or I don't know where I kept my son pictures again?" Craig said.

"You can all go." Kate told them and they left one after the other.

"If you are sure you didn't lost or burn the pictures of my dear Philip, who then will took it. What do they even need it for?" Nora asked.

"I wish I have an answer to that Nora but I don't." Craig responded.

"Nora we will come back to Philip later, for now please tell us how you came to see and talk." Kate said in smiles.

Nora smiled at that and told them everything. From when she walked into the fairy kingdom to where daisy taught her how to dance. She told them everything and didn't hide a pin from them.

"Hold on, you mean you have a fairy with you which we can't see but you can?" Craig asked for the umpteen time.

"Yes." Nora replied.

"There is something I still not get yet Nora." Kate said drawing Nora's attention back to her. Nora noticed how young her grandmother still look despite her old age. "You said daisy has to wait for it to happen a second time before she could cure you, right?" Kate asked which Nora nodded affirmative. "So who was the person that pushed you? Twice?"

"Grandma, please let this be a secret between us." Nora pleaded.

"Okay, Craig and I will keep anything you tell us a secret, so who pushed you twice?"

"Lora pushed me twice, first was when we were ten years and the second time was few days ago." Nora finally let out the truth.

Kate couldn't believe it neither Craig.

"I knew it, I knew something was wrong with the way Lora just suddenly claimed you committed suicide. Why will she pushed you? Her own twin? Not once but twice. You have to be very careful of her. I wonder what she did to my son and his wife, your parents, that all these years that went by, they didn't even put a call across to ask of you." Kate said.

"They're the least of my worries now, whatever spells Lora might have cast on them will some day fade." Nora said and turn her gaze to Craig. "By the way, what happened to David when you saw him coming out of the 'I don't know area' without me."

"I am confused Nora, because the David who took us there wasn't the real one. In fact he gave me a binocular which only showed the both of you eating and laughing out your sorrows. It was when the real David came we discovered what I was seeing with the binocular was actually an illusion. We searched for you every where but couldn't find. Thank goodness, Paul saved you." Craig explained.

Nora then remembered daisy word. "...But I can tell you this, who so ever Lora uses to put you in darkness is definitely worse than a Sluagh fairy."

She only hope daisy has enough powers to fight off the evil fairy the day they will come face to face.

***

Valtan City:

Paul arrived at home and greeted his father when he went inside the mansion.

"You were in town throughout yesterday and you didn't even let your old man know?" Robert Mirror asked as a servant came down the stairs with another pair of shirt.

"Sorry about that dad, I just wanted to clear my head first before heading home, sorry I didn't inform you." Paul lied. He removed his shirt he wore and took the one from the servant, he hate the burn scars he got from his car accident some years back, and that was why he normally wear a long sleeves clothes which hid all his ugly scars.

"Okay no problem, but next time you tell your old man here."

"Will do." Paul replied with a smile.

"The Vipers couldn't pay me my remaining money for the goods I delivered to them. Go and kill all of them and bring back my goods."

"Yes father."

"They should die a horrible death."

***

It was night time.

Diego was with a man. He had sneaked out of the house without anyone's knowledge and had gone to meet the man in a hotel room.

The strange man who was smoking smiled at Diego, he was wearing a hood which concealed his whole face.

"You did well by bringing me those pictures." The stranger said holding the pictures in his hand.

"Thank you sir, but sir why do you need the pictures when you're him? You can just go and meet them and they won't even question you."

"I need to study the background of the family before I resurface. I mean it's not everyday you realize you have a lookalike who is in love with that pretty damsel." The stranger said and laughed out. "That's a lie, I have known him way back then but he doesn't know me, and that was why I had to pretend I was one of the Aircraft Maintenance Engineers and I made the plane caught fire before it landed in Basla killing everyone in it." The stranger said and push down his hood which revealed his face that matches with the boy in the pictures he was holding. He removed his shirt which revealed burnt scars.

"Is that not..."

"Yes, and these is the only evidence that shows that I am truly Philip who survived the air crash. Your job here is done, you can go."

Diego left the hotel and sneaked back into the house.

The stranger dialed a number which rang once and it was picked. "Diego is now in the house, he knows too much, sneak in and kill him silently."

To Be Continued

Do not try to plagiarized this story.
All rights reserved, the whole of this story is a complete fiction. Any role related to someone either alive or dead is a mere coincidence.

Dance With Me (Silent whispers)

Written by
Ifeoma Isabella Okeke

Chapter 15

'Sometimes my decisions bring disaster, and sometimes they bring a key. What is important is that you do not lose faith in yourself.'

"Philip? Who is Philip?" Paul asked feeling jealous.

"Philip was my friend, someone I really wish to see again. He was a great cook and his food taste just like yours." Nora explained a little bit.

"Was?"

"Yeah, he's dead, he died some years ago but I believe he is not dead, he promised. He's somewhere out there waiting to be discovered."

"Am sorry for what happened to Philip but you haven't tasted all my food to conclude it tastes just like his."

"You are right there, but I know what I am saying Paul. Who taught you how to cook?"

"To be truthful, I don't really know how I learned it. I saw myself cooking." Paul answered before a message came into his phone.

The house address of Kate Dante displayed on his phone. He smiled and look up at Nora who has been staring at him.

"I just received your house address, you're going home tomorrow." Paul informed her which made her smile. "So let's forget about my cooking and you tell me about yourself."

"I have nothing much to tell, my story is boring." Nora said and resume eating her food.

"Come on tell me. As long as it is you, it won't be boring to me." Paul told her.

"All my life I have always lose things that are dear to me. My parents, my sister even someone that I love. My parents neglected me together with my twin sister. But he...he was the only one who accepted me with the way I was and he loved me like that." Nora smiled when she remembered Philip love for her.

"Philip?"

"Yes Philip. I had an accident when I was 10 and my parents moved me to live with my grandmother. I met him there and I am happy I did, I find joy whenever I was with him. But my joy was short-lived the day I heard about his death. Is it my destiny to always lose the things I care about?"

You won't lose me because I am going no where.

Paul thought to himself. He wanted to get up and hug her, to tell her it is alright that she now have him but with the way she mentioned Philip's name. It won't be easy for him to make her fall in love again and forget about Philip, but he will try. He will make Ora fall in love with him and have her talk about him the way she does to Philip. He wasn't jealous of Philip, he is mad that this dead boy has engraved himself in Ora's memory.

"Even a happy life cannot be without a measure of darkness, and the word happy would lose its meaning if it were not balanced by sadness. It is far better to take things as they come along with patience and equanimity. Don't grieve. Anything you lose comes round in another form Ora." Paul told her.

"Thank you for your kind words Paul. So what about you? Tell me about yourself."

"Will it sound odd if I told I don't remember my childhood?"

"How did you mean?" Nora asked with a frown.

"According to my father, I had an accident which put me in a coma for almost two years. When I woke up I couldn't remember anything. My father was patient with me, he made me who I am today." Paul told Nora with a smile.

"Sorry about the accident, so what do you do for a living? I am a dancer, you?"

Paul didn't know what to say, he find it hard to lie to Ora, he doesn't want to lie to her. But how will he tell her he's into drugs and a mafia lord.

He got interrupted by the ringing of his phone. He saw the caller I.d and his face changed. He picked it and almost tear down the house with his voice.

"I have told you never to call me again Lora. I don't want to use force on you so get this into your stupid head, I Don't like you, not now or tomorrow, till I die I don't like you. Don't ever call this number!"

Did she heard well? Lora? She hopes it wasn't her twin sister.

"Sorry for shouting in front of you Ora." Paul apologise as soon as he realize his actions. "This stupid singer doesn't know when to quit and she is really getting on my nerves."

____

The rest on the dinner was in silence as Paul was busy chatting up with someone on his phone. When Nora was through with her food, he packed the plates and told her to go and rest. She thanked him and left for the room given to her by him.

She lay down on the bed.

"His food brought back the memories of Philip, I really miss him." Nora said softly as she told Daisy who was sitting down beside her pillow.

"Does it?"

"Yes, definitely he is not telling me the truth, he knows Philip probably from before."

"And what if he was saying the truth?"

"You have a point, either way, something in me tells me Philip is still alive." Nora said. "Anyway, you haven't told me the reason why you vanished and made me believe you were gone."

"Well, when I defeated that evil fairy, my twin sister was livid and since she was holding much higher dark powers, she used it that against me and locked me up forever in the kingdom. Whatever spells she used couldn't permit me to bury any of the dead fairies, for many years that passes by I wish and hope to be free. Then, you came, my spirit lead you to me. You didn't know what you did that night and that was why I had to repay you back, by giving you your voice and sight back."

"I don't understand, how do you mean?"

"When I saw you and you told me you were blind in your world, I was surprised because I see no blindness in you. And when I checked deeper, I saw there was a strong spell and the only way to break it was to be in your world and wait for what lead to your blindness to repeat itself once again." Daisy explained.

"You once told me that I would see and now I can see, thank you daisy." Nora thanked with gratitude.

"You are welcome."

"So can you also tell me if Philip is still alive, please."

"Sorry Nora but the universe doesn't permit me to speak. I only told you how I cured you because it has already happened."

"Oh, I see. So you won't even give me a hint at least?"

"Nop, I won't."

"Since you're already in my world, will you see your twin sister again?"

"Probably we might meet. But I can tell you this, who so ever Lora uses to put you in darkness is definitely worse than a Sluagh fairy."

***

It was towards afternoon when Paul took her to one of his private jet and they set off to Floda.

Arriving at Floda, a Range Rover sport car was waiting for them when they landed.

Exchanging some few words to his men, he left with Nora without any of them.

With the address given to him, locating Kate Dante house didn't take long.

To Nora, this was the first time of seeing the house.

Paul and Nora got down from the car and he knocked on the gate.

The gate man was surprised to see Nora and quickly opened the gate for them to come in. He didn't even wait to lock the gate when he ran inside the house to inform Kate the good news.

Kate and Craig quickly rushed out and hug Nora ignoring the young man that accompany her.

After hugging her granddaughter, Kate lead Nora and the stranger into her house.

"Grandma pretend I could see and talk." Nora told her with her sign which she and Craig were able to read. Kate wanted to ask questions but held herself until their visitor go.

Paul told them how he had saved Nora.

Kate and Craig were thankful. "Mark told us not worry that Ora will be around Casala and that we shouldn't report anything to the police. He said it was his fault and that he would find you within a week. I don't know what entered into me, but I agreed." Kate explained and still thank Paul profusely.

Paul left thirty minutes later when he received a call from his father. He bid them good bye and promise Nora to pay her a visit soon.

"I know you both will be wondering how I was able to talk and see, but I will answer that in a moment, for now, please Mr Craig I need to see Philip's photos." Nora said in excitement.

Craig left them and came back some minutes later with a worried look on his face.

"What is it, where are the pictures?"

"It is strange." Craig said slowly.

"What is strange?" Nora asked in concern.

"I could not find any of Philip's photos anymore."

To Be Continued

Do not try to plagiarized this story.
All rights reserved, the whole of this story is a complete fiction. Any role related to someone either alive or dead is a mere coincidence.

Dance With Me (Silent whispers)

Written by
Ifeoma Isabella Okeke

Chapter 14

'It is hard to fail, but it is worse never to have tried to succeed. You're going to be happy, said life. But first, I will make you strong."

"You think I won't triumph in this love trial of mine?" Nora asked.

"I can't really say but it won't be easy."

Nora had wanted to say something else when Paul and another young doctor entered her ward.

The doctor bend down and touch a bandage dented with little blood on her forehead.

"Did that pain you?" The doctor asked.

Nora realized at that moment that there was actually a bandage on her forehead.

"A little bit." Nora answered as her gaze flew next to Mr handsome briefly who was looking at the doctor in seriousness. She was hurt a little bit that he wasn't staring at her. The doctor checked her eyes and pen down some things on his notebook.

"Do you remember who hurt you? I mean who did this to you?" The doctor asked again drawing her attention to her.

"No, I can't really remember, I was pushed from behind." Nora lied.

"Oh, I see, you're lucky that you didn't sustained much injuries. You should thank Mr Paul who had saved you and rushed you down to be treated in time." The doctor said and began describing the drugs she will use to lessen her pains.

Nora looked up at Paul again. Really looked up at him as if just noticing him for the first time. She noticed the way his eyebrows raised a centimetre or two, lined with something between worry and concern as he listened to doctor. His eyes were like melted chocolate. Warm and oh so addictive. She could stare at them all day and never grow tired. She diverted her eyes and was staring at Daisy who kept smiling at her with a knowing smile.

"...that will be all. Now if you will excuse me, I have to get the papers for you to sign so that she will be discharged today." The doctor said and left the ward with Paul following behind.

Before he closed the door behind him Paul sent a charming smile towards Nora and wink at her. "I love it when you look at me Ora."

Nora eyes grew wide when she heard those words and the laughter of Paul closing the door when he saw how shocked she looked surprises her.

"He likes you, I can see that in his eyes." Daisy told her as she settled herself on Nora's shoulder blades.

"Daisy, to be sincere to you, I am drawn to him. It looks as if I have known him all my life. His voice reminds me of someone, I can't really place where I know that voice from." Nora said in thought.

"Are you drawn to him because he saved you." Daisy teased her.

"Daisy no. I don't know why I am drawn to him, but you know no one can ever replace my Philip."

"Nora, why can't you forget about the past and move on with your life, especially on love."

Nora smiled. "I believe that Philip will come back to me, do you know why? You were gone but came back, so I believe where ever Philip is, he is not dead, he will come."

"Nora, we're all leaves passing in the wind; here and then gone. But while we're here, We Live To the Fullest, sometimes life play huge tricks on us and surprises us at last."

"Not in this life of mine, life doesn't favour me at all. I have been experiencing bad things all through my life, my twin sister hates me, I don't know what I did to her and she wanted to kill me twice. The one person that I truly love was taken away from me and you, I thought I had lost you forever but was surprised when I saw you today. Why didn't you save me from the fall when Lora pushed me, you told me you have been with me ever since, so why didn't you save me?"

"In my world, we only help those who seek for our help. You have to ask for it and we grant it if it is within our powers. Throughout those years, you kept thinking of me but you never asked for any help with my name directly. Don't worry I will explain everything."

Before Nora could reply Paul walked in.

"I have signed the papers so you will be leaving today."

"Thank you for everything Paul. I don't know you but you helped me, you saved my life. Thank you."

Paul smiled. "You're welcome Ora. Where do you live so that I can take you there once its time to leave the hospital?"

"Uhm, I don't really know but I will find my way. I am not really living in Casala, I was invited so I didn't know where I stayed." Nora answered. Since Craig was always with her she saw no need of knowing the numbers of his and her grandmother of head.

"Okay, so where exactly do you come from?" Paul asked. Since he had brought her to the hospital he was expecting to see Ora's disappearance on the news which was not carried out. He also expected to see Mark looking for Ora but was surprise he felt reluctant about her. So he decided to keep mute and find out from the Ora once she regains consciousness.

"I live in Floda with my grandmother."

"Oh, can you tell me the full name of your grandmother?"

"Kate Dante." Nora responded.

Paul sent the full name to someone else through his phone. "Rest now Ora, I will go and get you something to eat."

Paul made as if to go when Ora's voice stopped him.

"Where am I?"

"Valtan, I flew you from Casala to Valtan yesterday but be rest assured I will take you to Floda tomorrow." Paul said with a smile.

***

Paul drove his jeep into one of his hideout, a penthouse. This particular one he had brought without the knowledge of his father. His men who secured the place greeted him and Nora, these men were also employed by him without his father knowledge. This penthouse was highly and tightly secured. He couldn't tell why he kept doing some hidden things behind his father.

He gestured to one of his men to come and when he came, he whispered to him. The guy left to carry out whatever he was told.

Paul was in Valtan right now helping the lady who has been giving him sleepless night, but his father still thinks he is still in Casala with the Hawks. If his father gets to know he helped someone live, Ora will be in danger.

Everything looks new to Nora as they drove pass the various houses, streets etc. In as much as she tried to hide her excitement away from Paul who doesn't really know she was blind before, it didn't escaped Paul's eagle eyes but he kept quiet.

"Your house is so beautiful." Nora said as she got down from the jeep and was walking together with Paul.

"Thank you Ora." Paul replied as he opened the door for Nora to enter first.

She was fast trusting this handsome strabwetr but didn't care. He had saved her and even though he want to try anything stupid, Daisy is with her.

Paul took her to a room. "This is where you will sleep tonight, the bathroom is the second door beside the wardrobe." Paul said and a knock was heard. Paul excused himself and went to open the door, he spoke to whoever it was and closed the door.

He went to meet Nora who still stood beside the room, he was with a little bag which he gave to Nora. "I don't really know the size of your clothes but these will fit. Take your bath and get dressed, and come to the sitting room, by then I will be through with my cooking."

"Thank you so much Paul." Nora said grateful and Paul smiled widely at that.

___

The jeans and T-shirt fitted just right, she left her room and went towards the sitting room.

True to his words, he was carrying two plates of fried rice towards her.

"Follow me Ora." He said and went into another section of the house where beautiful expensive decorative glass table and chairs were set.

He gently placed the plates on the glass table and pull out a chair for Nora to sit and sat down beside her.

He pushed one plates to Nora and tested it to assure her that he didn't sprinkle anything in it.

The first spoon she took came as a big shock to her and she quickly took another spoon as if to confirm something. She looked up at Paul with wide eyes as she saw him looking at her with his concern eyes.

"What is it? Is the taste of food not good?" Paul asked worriedly. Her eyes tells him she was shocked about something. Did he not prepare the food well?

"Who did you say you are?"

Surprised by the question being thrown at him but he answered. "I have told you at the hospital that my name is Paul Mirror."

"This food.....the taste........who taught you how to cook it? Did someone named Philip taught you this?" Nora asked with hopes high. The food tasted exactly like that of Philip's. In fact if she wasn't seeing right now, she would have thought Paul was Philip.

To Be Continued

Do not try to plagiarized this story.
All rights reserved, the whole of this story is a complete fiction. Any role related to someone either alive or dead is a mere coincidence.

Dance With Me (Silent whispers)

Written by
Ifeoma Isabella Okeke

Chapter 13

Life is the first gift, love is the second, and understanding the third. Build bridges, not walls.'

Craig relaxed when he used the Binocular given to him by David to look once again. He saw Nora and David eating and she was smiling at something that David was telling her.

He was about closing his eyes when a car pull up beside him, and a second David came out.

"David?" Craig was shocked when he saw David coming out from the car looking worried. "How did you get here so fast and came with a car?"

"Uncle please where is Nora?" David asked ignoring his question.

"You are with her, both of you were eating." Craig answered and used the Binocular once again, he was surprised when he saw still saw David and Nora eating.

"What's going on here, why are you two?"

David confused by what Craig said collected the Binocular from him and looked towards the direction he had seen Craig look at.

The binocular fall off from his hand from shocked. He turned his shaking eyes towards Craig, "Whoever that is with Nora isn't me. I am the real David, It wasn't long when I came home and my father told me how someone, which is not me, took you and Nora down here."

Craig picked the Binocular from the ground and looked to see if they are still there, they were still there.

"Let's go over there and check." Craig announced and left with David trailing behind.

They got there.

"Hey Nora get up, whoever is with you isn't the real David, the real one is with me." Craig told Nora.

But the girl wasn't obeying, she kept smiling at David.

"Didn't you heard what your uncle just said, stand up and let's get out from here." David spoke this time.

Again, Nora ignored him.

In anger David tried to pull Nora to her feet, he was thinking the fake David sitting across her perhaps cast a spell on her.

But he and Craig got the shock of their lives when David who had wanted to pull Nora up forcefully couldn't grab her. She was like air.

In the presence of Craig and David, Nora and the clone David vanished together with the table, chair and food.

Craig realised he has been tricked, whoever that did this surely has magic.

They began searching for Nora all through the hills, with their focus on finding her, they didn't noticed the helicopter leaving the hill.

**

Lora was happy as she drove home.

"You did well Dee, but, did you also know that Ora was my twin?" Lora asked the empty car.

"No, I didn't even know she was the one." The familiar unknown voice answered.

"Even me, it baffles me a lot when I saw the girl I have been dying to meet was my own twin sister. But what still remains a mystery to me is how she...dance." Lora said in thought. "Nora that I know don't know how to dance talkless of dancing a ballet. I thought after the incident, she would kill herself in Floda or suffer in silence." She added.

"Yes, anyway at least she is now out of the way and David will be mine." Lora laughed after that. "Now, I should focus on how to get Paul to love me."

"Yeah Lora, this would be the second time you'd pushed Nora." The unknown familiar voice spoke again. "It will only take a miracle for her to survive this time." She added and laughed alongside with Lora.

***

Somewhere in a Hospital:

Nora blinked her eyes to be sure she was not dreaming. She can see, she hopes this is not a dream.

But it wasn't, right in front of her was Daisy hovering over her in circles. It looks like she was the only one who could see Daisy.

If she could see miraculously does that mean she could talk?

Deciding to try her luck she called out, "Daisy?"

She gasped out in shocked when she heard a feminine voice which called out Daisy name.

Was that her voice?

How is this possible?

"Hey, I am not Daisy but Paul."

Nora suddenly licked her dry lips as she regarded the handsome guy once again, this time much slower.

She couldn't find a way to describe the words but all she knew he was hot. She blushes when she realized how long she has been staring at young man who also was staring back at her with seriousness.

Strangely enough it looks as if she knew him. His voice...his voice sounds familiar.

She glanced at Daisy to be very sure she wasn't seeing double, Daisy was smiling at her.

Daisy faded some years ago so how come she was here?.

"Where am I? What happened to me?" Nora asked trying to test if truly she could speak again. Her voice flow with ease as if she has been speaking since.

"You're at the hospital, you fall off from a hill and I brought you here." Paul responded leaving out Lora's part, though he was surprised that the beautiful girl in front of him could actually talk and see.

So does it mean she was pretending to the whole world that she was blind? Well sooner or later he would find out.

Nora quickly remembered what happened. She smiled to herself, Lora didn't know what she has done, what was taken away from her has been given back to her by the same person.

"Are you okay?" Paul asked as he saw Ora smiling out of blue.

Again, that smile looked familiar as a blurry image came into his head.

"I am fine, so how many hours have I been out?"

"Hours? Today would make it the third day I brought you here. I am glad you're finally awake, let me go and call the doctor." Paul said and left to call the doctor before Nora could reply.

Three days? She was in the this hospital for three days?

"Yes nora." Daisy voice brought her back.

Nora pushed aside her worries for now and asked. "What is happening daisy, you died and now I can see you. I was pushed down by my twin sister again and woke up to find out I could actually see and talk, what is going really going on?"

"First we are at a Hospital when we are really alone, I will tell you why. And for your first question, I didn't die Nora. I have been with you throughout the years but sadly you couldn't see me. For me to come to your world, I have to give up something I really love, my dance. How did you think my twin sister came to live in your world?" Daisy explained.

"So no one can see you except me?"

"Yeah, we are both connected in many ways Nora, the dance I taught isn't an ordinary dance, I will explain more later, but for now you should know your love trial has begun. I am afraid it will be very hard for you to triumph Nora."

To Be Continued

Do not try to plagiarized this story.
All rights reserved, the whole of this story is a complete fiction. Any role related to someone either alive or dead is a mere coincidence.

Dance With Me (Silent whispers)

Written by
Ifeoma Isabella Okeke

Chapter 12

'You call it madness, but I call it love. Love does not begin and end the way we seem to think it does. Love is a battle, love is a war; love is a growing up.'

"Don't forget to call me once you are both in Casala." Kate told Craig who nodded his head.

Nora came down from the stairs, looking beautiful in her dress.

The white dress covers her shoulders entirely and flows down into a stylish jewel neckline. It's a relaxed fit which makes the dress both enjoyable to wear and look at.
Her arms are completely uncovered. Which not only helps accentuate her gorgeous skin, it also keeps the focus on other parts of the dress.

She wore a white mask that matches the dress.

"You look beautiful dear." Kate said which Craig agrees.

"Thank you grandma." Nora responded with a sign.

Kate drove Craig and Nora towards the airport.

"Nora, if you noticed anything that is not right, please tell Craig, okay?"

"Yes grandma."

"And Craig, please look after Nora."

"Don't worry ma'am, Nora is like my own daughter, I will look after her."

Kate kissed Nora on her forehead and bid them farewell.

___

"Excuse me young lady but that is my airline seat, yours is the second one." Paul Mirror gently told the mask lady sitting on his sit. He could see beneath that mask, was a beautiful girl.

Craig who sat down on the second row stood up. "Sorry son, I didn't check."

Craig gently took Nora and place her in the second airline seat.

Paul sat down on the previous seat Nora was, he kept glancing at Nora and was very sure he had met her somewhere before. But where?

____

The plane landed at the airport of Casala and Nora and Craig both entered the awaiting jeep Mark had sent to pick them up.

Paul Mirror who stood beside them watches as they entered the jeep, he knew who the owner of the jeep was, David father. He smiled, he was going to see the mask girl again.

***

David was livid when he saw Craig coming down from the jeep with Nora but he try not to allow his anger show on his face. Rather, he smiled at them and welcome them in.

Mark was also expecting only Nora but was surprised when he saw Craig. Kate never made any mention of Craig coming with Nora.

He welcomed them with an open arms and a maid brought them cold apple juice to drink.

"I hope you enjoyed your flight Nora?" He asked sweetly, David had angrily gone upstairs.

"Yes sir, we did." Craig answered for Nora.

"Welcome to Casala."

"Thank you sir." Craig still reply.

Mark called out another maid and instructed her to arrange another room where Craig will stay.

"No need for that Mark, don't bother about that. I will be guiding her door, there are no bodyguards with us Mark, I am her bodyguard until we are back in Floda, I don't need a room. Nora and I have discussed that." Craig said with a wave of his hand as he smile at the maid.

"Okay," Mark said and stood up as the same maid who had brought juice for them came out with roasted chickens. "Enjoy yourself Nora, Craig, while I go and talk to the event planner." Mark added and left them.

He went to David room and saw him throwing a fit.

"I tried my best David, but as you can see, Nora didn't came alone like we'd thought."

"Will Philip father stay in a different room?" David asked.

"No, he said he would prefer staying at the door where Nora is to guide her, against from what? I don't know."

"Get out of my room dad, let me think."

Mark didn't need to be told twice, he quietly left the room to his. Since it didn't work out, he was going to plan a lie to tell Nora that the show won't hold again.

David was angry. Why had Craig come with Nora? His plan if she'd came alone was to rape her, and force her to agree to be his.

What Will he do to have her alone?

David thought after a while, he smiled as a plan form in his head.

Yes, Nora the naive girl will come alone without Craig.

***

Paul entered the hotel he had booked online, he was taken to the suit where he will lodge until his business in Casala is over.

Again, he couldn't take off his mind from the mask girl. Where had he seen her?

He sat down on the king size bed and saw a magazine beside the pillow. What capture his whole attention was the picture of the mask girl he met on the plane.

Ora, the ballet goddess of dance.

But if truly she was a ballet dance and a celebrity, why then does he has this strange feeling that he had met her before.

Ora? Nora?

If this mask lady is Ora, who then is Nora? In fact how come he came up with that name Nora? What is wrong with him all of sudden?

When he opened the magazine to read more information about his new found interest, he was surprised when he read of her handicap, she was blind and couldn't speak.

Well, he will check on his Nephew the next day when he and the Hawks has finalized their business.

**

Lora had tried reaching the line of David which he wasn't picking.

That was unlike David she know, something is up. David is the kind of person that doesn't joke with her calls, so calling him and not picking made Lora worried.

That night after fruitless effort of reaching David, she made up her mind to visit him in his house.

***

At Night:

Craig was with Nora in the room given to her. They had just finished talking to Kate.

"Are you sure you of what you told Mr Mark earlier today, about guiding my door?" Nora asked in her sign as she prepares to sleep.

"Yes, something sounds fishy. I tried looking up for the shows he said he was having but Google couldn't find it. I know Mark very well, anything he want to do, it will be all over the internet. When I didn't find anything related to the show, it looks like he planned something, but don't worry, I am here with you dear. The least I can do for Kate is to protect you Nora, so get some rest, I will be fine."

"Thanks dad, good night."

**

Lora visited David the following day and was surprised when she saw Ora in the sitting room with a man.

"Hello who are you?" Craig asked when he saw the young lady.

"I am looking for David, he is my boyfriend and he never told me that Ora, the lady I will die to meet is in his house." Lora ended her statement with excitement.

"We came here on a low key." Craig answered her with a smile.

Lora went to meet her, she knew of her handicap but hardly believe it.

"Hi Ora, I am Lora, Lora Dante. You may have heard of me, I am a singer." Lora introduced herself.

Craig was shocked when he heard her name and quickly said to divert Lora from seeing the surprised look on Nora. "Sorry that my daughter couldn't reply you but she is happy that you acknowledge her."

"So it is true?"

Before Craig would reply, Mark was seen coming down from the stairs. He smiled when he saw Lora and hug her.

"Hello Lora, what a surprise to see you here."

"Yeah, I have been trying to call David on his cellphone and he was not picking."

"Oh, go and check in his room if you will see him there. I haven't seen him since morning." Mark told Lora who smiled and quickly went upstairs.

She entered his room but didn't see David, she check the bathroom which was empty. As she was about giving up and return to the sitting room to chat with Ora, her eyes caught something that was on his bed.

She went over to the bed and took the paper and read it.

Her eyes shone with fury when she read the content. She read all the plans of David to have Ora.

Her new develop feelings for Ora changed totally to hate.

She kept the paper like the way she saw it and left his room. She was going to help David in his plan, but this time, she will kill Ora.

"He wasn't in his room, I think he went out."

She quickly bid them her goodbyes and left the premises.

As soon as she was in her car. "Dee, you know what to do."

"The familiar unknown voice reply. "Yes Lora."

___

David came home late, towards evening and told Nora that he wants to talk to her alone, not in the house though.

Nora agreed and told Craig who decided to come with them.

David drove them with his car and after a while, he stopped his car.

"Where are we David?" Craig asked as he came down with Nora.

They weren't far from a huge hill.

"I came to take Nora out for a dinner here and I will appreciate it if you don't come with us." David said.

"You know that is not possible."

"Look, I know you cared about Ora, I do, but I won't hurt her. Look over there." David said and gave Craig a binocular, he took it and use it to stare at where David had pointed. Truly he saw how elegant the place that was for two couples to eat. He saw various types of food being set out on the table.

"I won't harm her, I brought her here because this was the place I had a dinner last with my late mother." David said convincingly.

"Okay, take her, I will watch you with this binocular." Craig said finally giving in. This place reminds the guy of his late mother, so why won't he grant his request.

David thanked him and gently took Nora's hand and they started walking.

Meanwhile the real David walked into his compound and met his dad.

"Did you leave Craig and Ora?" Mark asked surprise to see his son back too soon.

"What are you talking about dad?"

"You took Ora and Craig out some minutes ago."

"I did not take anyone or Ora to anywhere."

"Am I seeing double, if you're not the one who drove out of my compound some few minutes ago, then who did?"

"Where did this other me says he was talking them?"

"To that old hill, you told me you want to take her out for dinner."

David quickly rushed out and entered one of the cars there and drove off in full speed.

***

The fake David who guided Nora came to a stop.

"Wait for me here Ora, I will be back." He walked a distance and disappeared. The binocular he had given Craig was a magic binocular which will only show clone of Ora and David sitting at the elegant table.

"You think you can steal away my man from me and go away with it?" Lora voice break through the evening air.

Nora recognize that voice. "Lora? What are you talking about?" She asked with sign.

"Quit pretending that you don't know what I am saying and besides I don't understand the sign you just did. Anyway, whoever that wants to take the men I love will die. But before you die, I will love to see that face of yours."

Lora clapped her hands and the mask disappeared from Nora's face. Lora eyes grew wide in shocked which suddenly turned into anger.

"So you are still alive Nora? You surprised me, I never thought that the girl I wish to make friends with is actually my twin sister. It's a pity I have to do it a second time." Lora said and pushed Nora down the hills.

Where the fake David had left her was at the edge of the hill.

She laughed cruelly and left.

___

Paul saw what happened. He had following that way so that he won't get caught by the cops when he saw Lora pushed the girl he was just thinking about.

Before he could get there, Lora wasn't there. He put a call across the Hawks and told them he needed a chopper (helicopter) quickly.

***

When Nora opened her eyes, the first thing she saw were two people. A handsome young man sitting beside her who looked worried and... Daisy.

She then realised something that shocked her beyond imagination.

SHE CAN SEE.

To Be Continued

Do not try to plagiarized this story.
All rights reserved, the whole of this story is a complete fiction. Any role related to someone either alive or dead is a mere coincidence.

Dance With Me (Silent whispers)

Written by
Ifeoma Isabella Okeke

Chapter 11

'Beauty is when you can appreciate yourself. When you love yourself, that's when you're most beautiful.'

Continuation from the last episode:

"I will try to do as you have said Lora." The unknown voice said.

"Better." Lora replied rudely and went to the bathroom conjoined with her bedroom for a bath.

The bathroom has a gleaming granite counter tops, walnut framed mirrors, jacuzzi tub, walk in shower room with over-sized shower head, fluffy towels neatly arranged, tile floor with under-floor heating, fluffy bath mat, wicker laundry basket. The bathroom can fit in 20 people and the ceiling is gold with little crystal.

Lora quickly took her bath and came out from the bathroom. She changed into another set of a beautiful mini gown that hug out her hips.

Done with her makeup that took her longer than usual, she look at herself on the mirror and started praising her beauty. She normally do her makeup herself whenever she is home and not going anywhere.

And of course, she always dressed as if she was going out which she wasn't.

She went over to her double size bed and lay on it, picking up her t.v. remote in her bed, she on the T.v. and change it to her best channel. The mask face of Ora popped on the T.v. as she dance. Lora had always wish to make friends with Ora and hope they meet one day, Ora is rich like her and they would make a great friends.

Not everyone knows about Nora's blindness, they wouldn't have believe, because the lady they normally see on T.v. and on live stage doesn't do as someone blind.

Soon Lora slept off day dreaming about Paul Mirror.

***

Valtan City:

Robert pushed his empty plate away from him as a maid quickly came to take the plate away from the glass table.

"Son this is the most delicious meal I have ever tasted. Again, your cooking remains me of how proud I am to have you as a son." Robert Mirror praise his son meal as he just finish eating a very hot delicious meal prepared by him.

"Thank you dad."Paul smiled at him and went back to his game he was playing from his IPhone.

"You're welcome son. Anyway, the Viper's called, they said you didn't get the drugs as promised."

"Yeah dad I couldn't make it to to the deadline, I will call them and assure them that their cargo will get to them before the week runs by."

"Better, I don't want this to cause an issue between them and us." Robert told his son. "How was the meeting with the Russian Mafia?"

"It went well, he agreed to our terms." Paul replied.

Robert nodded and sent a smile across to him before he stood up and left the dinning table.

***

Floda:

David drove into a mansion. This was his family second house whenever he and his father visit Floda. Before he use to answer the greetings throw at him by the gateman but not today, today Ora has vexed him, he was livid. He entered the house and greeted his father when he saw him reading a newspaper in the parlour. He sat down opposite his father and stared at him.

Mark wasn't surprised when he saw David face, this wasn't the first time he had seen him angry. Closing his newspaper, he sigh.

"What is it son? Who provoked you?"

"Ora." David said simply.

Mark eyebrows raised. "Ora provoked you? How? What did she do?"

"I asked her out, to be mine Dad but she refused, giving me stupid excuses on why she can't date me."

"Really? She said all that?" Mark asked. "What exactly did she say was her excuses?"

"Philip."

"The dead Philip or is it another one?"

"The Philip you and I know, the one who died some years ago. Ora told me that she wasn't interested in me because she is still in love with Philip, in fact she believe that Philip is not dead." David explained angrily.

"Oh I see, but I thought you and Lora are an item what changed?"

"Love dad, I don't love Lora again, I tried but I couldn't find myself loving her the way I use too."

"Lora would be so angry if you tell her that you don't fancy her anymore."

"I know that dad that's why I haven't told her yet." David said and stood up to go and meet his father, he sat down beside him and grab his both hands into his. "Dad, you have to do something that will bring Ora to me, then I she will be forced to love me." David said.

"What do you want me to do, you know I don't like seeing a frown on my only son face."

"I need you to lie or convince Ora to come down to Casala for a ballet dancing show, please dad I know you can do that." David pleaded. If his father didn't agree, he is calling Paul as planned.

"Okay, that will be easy, I will fake a show and give Kate a fake banner for the show that would take hold in Casala, at least that will make her believe and allow Ora to come down to Casala."

"Thank you dad, I know I can always count on you." David said in a elated voice and hug his father.

"Happy now son?" Mark asked, David nodded his head to signify how happy he was. He left the parlour to his room doing a victory dance as he goes.

***

Nora was sleeping in her room when Mark visited Kate and told her about his next show that will be holding at Casala and he would want Ora to be there. "People from the nearby country will be coming to see Ora dance, you know how famous she is and her nickname." Mark lies flow from his mouth with ease, he was able to convince Kate.

"Well, I don't have a say here Mark. I will have to talk to my granddaughter to see if she will agree to go with you to Casala." Kate said going through the little banner Mark has given her, the date for the show was two days away.

"Thank you Mrs Kate, this would be our last show together, she knows our contract is coming to an end." Mark told her.

They discussed some other things before he left.

Later that night...

Kate was seen sitting down with Nora on her bed. She had came to bid her granddaughter goodnight and tell her about Mark visit.

"Nora are you sure you want to go to Casala? If you are not so sure, I can tell Mark you aren't going or lie that you are seriously sick. Don't forget this is Casala we're talking about, where they live." Kate said.

"Don't worry about me grandma, they won't even recognize me because of the mask I do wear when I want to appear on stage, and besides, I won't be going alone, Craig will come with me." Nora told her grandmother through her sign.

"I am only scared if Lora gets to know about you. Who you truly are." Kate had sometime ago open up to Nora about the lie Lora wrote announcing to the whole world that Nora killed herself.

"Nothing will happen if Lora gets to see me, fine. I am just going for a show and not seeing them. This is my last show with Mark, once the show ends, I and Craig would enter the next flight coming to Floda."

"Okay, I can see that you have already made up your mind to go. I will call Mark to inform him that you have agreed." Kate told her before kissing Nora's forehead. "Good night my dear." Kate added before she left her room.

***

Valtan:

"Son I know this is suddenly but the Hawks and I spoke a few minutes ago on the phone. They need our help in moving their drugs to their hideout and since I am too old for that, I told them that you will be coming instead, and they are going to pay us a huge amount of money." Robert said as he sat on Paul's bed.

Paul was preparing to go to sleep.

"Okay dad, but what about the Viper's and the company?"

"I will settle them, and don't worry about the company."

"So when will I be going?"

"In two days time." Robert told him. "You have to be careful when you get to that place Paul, cops are everywhere."

"That is no problem dad, by the way, were exactly am I going too?"

"Casala son, the Hawks are in Casala City."

To Be Continued

Do not try to plagiarized this story.
All rights reserved, the whole of this story is a complete fiction. Any role related to someone either alive or dead is a mere coincidence.

Dance With Me (Silent whispers)

Written by
Ifeoma Isabella Okeke

Chapter 10

'Hand in hand, on the edge of the sand, they danced by the light of the moon. Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass; it’s about learning to dance in the rain.'

Drake frozen in place when he saw his whole family members. He was very shock to his bones as he stare at them.

"Look at me!" Paul says sharply causing everyone in the room to turn their head towards him.

"Take this calculator and do this equation for me drake." Paul said to him.

With shaking hands, Drake holds the calculator.

"5+10+2 (Plus the full numbers of your wife name), tell me the answer Drake." Paul continues.

Working it out,

"It's 27." Drake answers with a voice filled with fear.

"Correct, now so 27 minus 15." Paul says.

"That answer is 12." Drake replied.

Paul turn to Michael and says "Hand him a knife."

Michael looks shocks at first but does as he was told as he gave the knife to Drake, who collected it from him with shaking hands.

Turning to Simon, one of his men, "Take the kids out and let them go."

Simon quickly gets to action, taking the kids out of the office.

Paul smiled in satisfaction at the shaking man in front of him.

"I want you to slice each of your family members except your wife once on the shoulder." Paul told him.

"But..." Drake started but was stopped by the gun that is now pointed on his father's head.

"You either do that or I kill them, the choice is yours Drake." Paul warned him in a harsh tone.

Tears began falling out from his eyes as he stood up to do as he was instructed.

With every slice, he hears one of his family members scream in pain, making him feel even more regret for what he did and pain knowing that he is the reason his family is in this situation.

Once done he hears his boss voice again.

"Take them out and set them free." He told Gabriel, another of his men.

Making Drake sign in relief but stops when Paul continues.

"Except the wife of course." He added.

Paul enjoyed watching Drake suffers and he is also enjoying playing with his emotions.

But this is the guy who stole from him and he doesn't show any mercy to those who betray him.

"Slice both your wife shoulders." Paul told him with a smirk.

Drake slowly made his way towards his trembling wife, telling her how sorry he his with his eyes.

She just nods as her husband slice both her shoulders, making her scream in pain.

"Take her out." Paul says. "And all of you also go out." He added.

His men and Drake's wife left the office as Drake went back to sit in front of Paul again.

"We have a lot to discuss Drake, how about we start from the beginning, why did you steal from me?"

30 minutes later...

Paul watches as Michael takes Drake out, he had ordered him to take him to the desert and kill him.

Such a lose, he was a good worker.

He sigh and open the paperwork Drake had brought to him few minutes ago.

His cell phone rang, he brought it out from his pocket and answer it without checking the callers name.

"Hey son." Robert Mirror deep baritone voice came out from the speaker.

"Hey dad."

"I was just calling to tell you that I miss your cooking son, when are you coming home?" Robert asked.

"In about two hours from now dad, I am going through some works. Drake is dead, I killed him." Paul said without missing a word.

"Oh, what did he do?" Robert Paul asked not surprise.

"He stole from the company, he sold the drugs that were meant for our Russian business. This would be the third time he had stolen the drugs, he thinks he would get away from this again." Paul told Robert, using one of his shoulder to hold the phone against his ear and continue signing the paperwork.

"You mean drake stole two times and you left him?"

"Yes dad, but stealing this third time shows he deliberately did it."

"Paul how could you let a man steal from us not once or twice and you allow him to live? What have I been teaching you Paul. In this game of Mafia, ruthless is the key to gain respect amongst your follow Mafia's. You have to be tough like I did when I was your age. How do you think I achieve all that I have today if I keep giving those I had killed a second chance? Someone steals and you let the person live until he stole the third time? Don't try such mistakes again, that is not how Mafia boss do, we are pitiless, do you understand?" Robert said.

He had always told his son, having any sort of soft feelings for his victims isn't allowed in the law of Mafia. They see such person like weaklings.

"Sorry dad, it won't happen again." Paul promised.

"I hope so Paul, do and come back home, I am dying to have one of your special delicacy today. I bless the day you were given to me. Love you son."

"Love you too dad." Paul said with a smile

"See you soon." Robert said and cut the call.

According to his father, he had an accident some years back and was in a Coma for nearly two years. The first time he had opened his eyes he met Robert smiling down at him.

"My son, you're finally awake!"

He couldn't remember who the man was or why he had called him his son. The doctor said it was because of his Amnesia he couldn't remember his father. He didn't believe the doctor until his father had showed him various pictures he took together with him, he then believed him.

He later got to find out that he could cook when he tried to cook for his father, ever since then, he usually prepares meals whenever Robert asked him.

Robert was glad at the bonus discovery. Who could cook like his son? No one.

His father then told him about his life and how ruthless he was before his accident. He taught Paul everything he needed to know about Mafia, and made him ruthless, cold-hearted even.

Robert Mirror said to him the day he was handling over the company to him.

"Murders came with smiles, shooting people was no big deal for us son. Judges, lawyers and politicians have a license to steal. We don’t need one, because we help them. The blood of Mafia runs in you son, don't forget that."

Even though he was seen as a monster to the world, that didn't stop ladies from going after him. He was handsome, so stunning that ladies marvel at his sight. One thing they wouldn't understand about him was that, no matter how girls throw themselves at him, he wasn't interested in any of them.

Unlike his father who kills at any mistakes a gang member did, he usually give them a second chance to amend their wrongs a chance Drake wasted two times.

***

Lora didn't acknowledge any greetings sent in her way when she entered her private jet. It took off immediately going towards Casala.

When she got down from her jet, she entered the Suv jeep already waiting for her.

When she got home, she ignored her mother and father when they tried to get her attention and went straight to her room, pushing any servants that mistakenly stood her way.

She locked her room, went to her bed, took a pillow and place it on her mouth, she screamed into it for a while before she kept the unfortunate pillow.

"I thought you said I will have everything I could ever dream off." Lora said to the empty room.

"Yes I did." A voice was heard but the owner of the voice wasn't seen.

"Then why can't Paul love me?" Lora asked

"I don't know, maybe the universe doesn't want it."

"I don't bloody care, you have to do something about this, can't you force him to love me? I want Paul by all means." Lora said to the still empty room, she knew who was was talking too.

"We can't force someone to love, it is impossible, besides, I thought you are already dating David or did he dumped you?"

"No he did not, I am still dating him, but I also want to date Paul, in fact I need him to love me. I went to his office to surprise him, I even took off my clothes but he wasn't moved by what he saw."

"You're greedy Lora, you want to date two brothers? Why can't you be contented with what you have, if you continue to trend on this part, I am afraid, you will fall in a deep hole." The unknown voice told Lora who has began pacing around her room.

"I need Paul, in case you have forgotten, I made a huge sacrifice in exchange to get whatever I want, and now I am telling you. I need Paul, I am addicted to him. I don't care how you do it, but let him love me. That is my wish."

To Be Continued

Do not try to plagiarized this story.
All rights reserved, the whole of this story is a complete fiction. Any role related to someone either alive or dead is a mere coincidence.

Dance With Me (Silent whispers)

Written by
Ifeoma Isabella Okeke

Chapter 9

'Stay patient and trust the journey, have patience. All things are difficult before they become easy.'

10 Years Later:

Somewhere in Valten City:

Paul Mirror silently sit in his car, waiting for his victim to get out of the club. He has something that he wanted and will get it.

No one betrays him and get away with it, and he planned on taking this personally. After waiting some minutes more he open his car door. "Let's go."

"Yes boss." Doors open and close.

Going inside the club, he saw it has been closed. Michael, a member of his, breaks the lock and stepped aside for Paul to go in.

Paul entered and find his way easily, slowly he open the door and find the man gathering his things and didn't notice his presence.

"Going somewhere?" Paul said and watches as the man jumps from shock and turns around to face him with fear on his face.

"Bo..boss." he whispered in great fear when he saw Paul Mirror.

Paul motion for Michael to tie him up, he wasn't move by the pleads the man throw at him even when he hasn't done anything to him yet.

Michael took a large knife under his coat and gave it to Paul who immediately cut the man first fingers.

"That's for calling me boss after what you did." Paul told him.

Then he cut off his remaining three fingers. "That's for lying to me." He said calmly.

And lastly he cut his whole arm off. "That's for betraying me friend."

Paul sit back and watch in pleasure as the man scream out in pains.

"This is just the beginning sweetheart, we still have a lot to discuss." Paul told him with his cold voice he normally use whenever he was down to business.

10 minutes later,

"Clean up this mess." Paul told his men walking out of club.

***

Floda:

Just as Mark had promised, he brought some documents which Nora signed with the help of her grandmother. He became her manager.

Over the years that went by, Nora became famous for her dancing style. No ballet dancers can dance her style no matter how hard they tried, it was as if something was preventing them.

She misses Daisy and hoped over the years that one day she will meet her fairy dancer.

Nora was nicknamed goddess of dance in the whole of Floda and outside. A blind dancer whose face has ever been seen and how she could still dance remains a mystery to everyone.

With her sexy curves that got guys drooling and lusting after her and girls getting jealous of her body, Nora didn't know what her body did to others. Some guys masturbate with mere thinking of her.

Though she knew she had male admirers but successfully turn them down whenever she was asked out.

The only person who kept coming back was Mark son, David. She love his personalities but couldn't find a place to give David in her heart. Her heart has only one person in it which is Philip.

The necklace she always wore was a promise Philip made to her, he will return. She has the faith and believe that Philip would return one day.

She has told David multiple times that she wasn't interested in him.

"Why is that Ora, I tried everything to please you even though you're blind. You ought to be happy that I, David, wants to date you."

"I told you I am waiting for Philip." Nora told him through her braille words.

"And Philip is dead, he is gone forever Ora, why can't you just accept it and accept me into your life!" David shouted.

She was in her grandmother's house and she knew Craig would be around somewhere near. They were sitting down in the same sofa.

'My greatest day is yet to come.' Nora thought to herself as she remembers daisy words to her.

Something tells her that Philip isn't dead and the day she will encounter him would be her greatest day.

Oh daisy, now I understand some of your words.

"I am sorry David, I am not the only girl in this world so please accept my decision. I don't love you, I only see you as a friend, a very good friend of mine."

David stood up angrily and bend down to whisper in her ear lowly. "I shall have you in one way or the other Ora, if it will warrant me to use force on you, then I swear I will, you are dealing with the wrong guy. And whatever David wants, he get."

He left her speechless.

Nora smiled and didn't take the words to heart, he was just hurt that she busted his ego by not accepting him.

She feels her necklace and felt save.

Where are you Philip...

***

David drove away from Kate's house in a angry manner, he must have Ora. He is madly in love with her.

Just like Ora, he too was perfect in ballet. In fact he was worshipped especially by the ladies. His handsome looks always made ways for him.

But Ora, Ora is the only lady who doesn't see him the way others did. He knows she must have heard about how handsome he was and all. Then why is she not into him?.

Philip is dead and gone for good, can't she get that into her thick skull for once.

He was going to force her to like him, and the only person who can break her and bend her to do his will, his is nephew, Paul Mirror.

His father doesn't know he still communicate with his Nephew.

***

Valten:

Paul Mirror was in a very annoying meeting, with this annoying Russian Mafia that was annoying the hell out of him. He was representing his father who was homesick.

In fact he wish to shoot him.

A few minutes later, the meeting was over and Paul couldn't be more glad. Not even bothering to shake his hand with the Russian Mafia man, he quickly left for his office.

He got the shock of his life when he opened the door to his office.

Sitting on his desk was a very naked Lora.

Paul smiled at what was displayed before him and went to meet her, he got in between her legs and touched her thighs, running his hand slowly.

"What brings you here Lola?" Paul asked still caressing her, his hand slowly move upwards.

"To see you dear."

"I told you, getting naked won't move me Lola." Paul said and hug Lola. "Get dressed and get out of here before I kill you." He added darkly and moved away to sit.

Lola quickly came down from the desk and wear her clothes quickly. "I will be back for you sweetheart." Lola throw a kiss at him and left him.

She wanted Paul to herself, she was dating David and she love him with everything she had. But the day David introduced Paul to her, she vowed to have him. She was a superstar, a singer, with fans all over the world which didn't even move Paul. She was not greedy, but having two hot handsome guys only to herself isn't a bad idea.

The desk phone started ringing and Paul picked it up. "What!?" He shouted angrily.

"I am sorry for disturbing you but your 1 o'clock is here, should I send him in?" His secretary asked.

"Send him in."

A man enters the room, Paul looked at him with a blank and deadly eyes.

He has hatred for this man but kept him because he always get his job done well.

"Do you have the report papers?"

The man sits down and start looking through his bags.

"Here you go boss." The man says, placing the papers in Paul's hands.

Taking the papers without looking at them, Paul gave him a calculator, which made the man looked at him confusingly.

"Take it!" Paul says in a warning tone.

The man quickly takes it in fear of what Paul can do.

"How many children do you have Drake?"

"5 boss." Drake answers.

"How many siblings?" Paul asks again.

"10." Drake answered not sure where these questions are heading too.

"Are your parents still alive?"

"Yes boss."

"Okay last question. What's your wife name?"

"Josie."

Picking up the phone Paul says. "Okay bring them in."

5 seconds later, Michael and some of his men came in with all the members of Drake family that he mentioned, placing them on their knees, they all looked terrified.

To Be Continued

Do not try to plagiarized this story.
All rights reserved, the whole of this story is a complete fiction. Any role related to someone either alive or dead is a mere coincidence.

Dance With Me (Silent whispers)

Written by
Ifeoma Isabella Okeke

Chapter 8

'Forget your past, Learn from your mistakes and look forward to your Future because good things are yet to come.'

"I look forward to that sir." Nora told him through her braille words.

"Please call me Mark, any friend of Philip is also my friend." Mark said smiling at the masked girl.

Nora bowed her head and left with Craig to her room.

"Sorry to ask Mrs Dante, I thought you had two grandchildren, girls, and one committed suicide about 3 years ago. Who then is Ora?" Mark asked. His son David and Lora were friends and she had told him her twin sister, Nora, committed suicide and now she was the only grandchild of the Dante family. Seeing this dancing girl that is of Lora age came as a surprise to him, so he had to ask to be sure about his suspicious.

"Oh Mark." Kate said laughing. "She is my late sister daughter, the one that died eight years ago. Though she couldn't live with me then until her father died some years back, so I automatically became her guardian until she is of age. But for now, she calls me her grandmother and she is my granddaughter." The lie rolled out from Kate mouth with ease.

"So sorry for that, help me and tell her I will be bringing in some documents that she will sign, signing it automatically makes me her manager." Mark said.

"Of course I will tell her." Kate responded with a smile as Craig came down the stairs.

"Alright Mrs Kate, I still have some other places I will be visiting, your home happens to be the first on my list." Mark said going for the door.

"No problem Mark, thank you for wanting to help my granddaughter." Kate said.

Mark smiled at her and left with Craig behind him.

They got to his rented jeep before Mark would open the door he turned to look at Craig.

"Take faith man, all is not lost. You are still alive my friend and Philip won't want to see you unhappy."

"I feel guilty Mark, at night I cried myself to sleep with the thought that I was the one who had pushed Philip to his death. If I wasn't pestering my son to accept that scholarship he wouldn't have ever thought of boarding that plane, I killed my own son Mark, I caused his death." Craig said cleaning the tears that had escaped from his eyes.

"Stop saying that Craig, I am really sorry. I told my son to stay away from that his evil nephew Paul Mirror, if he hadn't harken to my words, he would have been with him in that fatal accident he had yesterday in Valten, my son would have been hospitalized by now. What I am trying to say is, it wasn't your fault, don't blame yourself okay." Mark said feeling sorry for his friend.

"Thank you Mark for your kind words, but you never told me you were related to the Mirrors family, they're billionaires and are the most feared and dreaded mafia gang you will ever find."

"Actually, Paul's father is my elder brother, but due to what he is into, I decided to change my surname and not associate with them or speak of them. But you know David, he wants that kind of life, to be like his nephew Paul. Anyway Craig, I will see you soon, take care of yourself and don't think too much." Mark told him and entered his car and drove out of the premises of Kate.

***

"That was the last dance I taught you Nora, this is the time we part ways." Daisy told her human friend.

"Part ways? What did you mean?" Nora asked slightly confused. They were under the huge tree Nora had first seen the night she discovered this secret place. No floating dead fairies were seen, daisy had buried them all.

"What I meant is, this is where I will have to tell you goodbye." Daisy said more clearly now.

"Why? Did I did something wrong in your world that you're not telling me?" Nora asked.

"No, you did nothing wrong Nora, it is the ways and tradition in my world. I taught a human how to dance a fairy dance. Don't you still get it?" Daisy asked gently.

"I don't understand you Daisy, what is going on? Why are you saying all these things now?"

"I have taught you all that you need to know. When you leave this place tonight, this will be the last time you will see this world or me. Like I told you, I was the last dancing fairy and now I have pass it down to you." Daisy said and tears started falling from Nora's eyes. "Please don't cry Nora, I did what I have to do for you, to give you another chance."

"So you're telling me now that you gave up your life for you to teach me how to dance?"

"Well...not exactly the way you had put it but yes."

"How could you? You're my friend Daisy, my best friend. You gave up your life for a stupid dance I did not even know and I stupidly learn? You could have told me, if I had knew about this, I wouldn't have agreed to learn your dance."

"Nora you have to be brave now, there is nothing you can do."

"In my world I can't see nor talk, then I discovered here and you gave hope, after that, I lost my Philip and now I am going to lose you too. This is too much." Nora said, still crying.

Suddenly a light emerged out of Daisy body and soon faded, her tiny legs began to disestablish.

"This, I'm afraid, is the end of my journey."

"Daisy, what's happening? Why are you fading? What's going on?"

"It's all right... old friend... in the end, what matters isn't how long we've lived, but how fully we've lived... The good we've done... the friends we've made... the love we shared along the way..." Daisy said as her as her hip and leg faded into sawdust.

Nora began to cry harder. "Don't go daisy."

"It is the journey, Nora... Remember that always." Daisy said as her remaining body faded away leaving her head.

"Take away the dance you have taught me please, so that you can still live." Nora pleaded.

"Fool... how did you think my twin sister came into your world. I will be back Nora."

Before Nora would understand what she meant daisy disappeared.

All the shiny flowers and everything began to fade.

Nora find herself near the staircase and she find herself leaving the garden for her world, this time for good.

***

Somewhere in Valten City:

"Please Fey bring back my only son to life, I can pay you millions." Robert Mirror pleaded with his old friend.

"My friend, no amount of money can bring Paul back to life. The accident was a fatal one which claimed his life. Sorry my friend, but there is nothing I can do." Doc Fey said.

"Please let me see my son."

"Sure." Doc Fey said and took him to the ward his dead son was. Robert cried when he saw his son corpse, he covered his late son face as the nurses took the still body out of the ward. He was about to go when he saw someone in the next bed.

"Who is he?" Robert asked.

"I don't know him, he was brought by an old man who said he survived a badly fire accident. Although the little money the old man usually brings couldn't afford his treatment, so he abscond and we bought him here, it has been almost 4 months now, once he stop breathing, we are throwing him out into the river." Doc Fey explained.

Robert walked around the body.

"Will he survive Fey?" Robert asked suddenly.

"Yeah, once I see the right money, I will commence treatment immediately, if he had wanted to die, he would have died the day they brought him here, he is a fighter I must say."

"Once he is awake, can he remember who he was?"

"With the multiple injuries he had sustained, there is a 99% guarantee that he won't remember who he ever was. Why all these sudden question Robert?"

"I have an idea Fey. This boy has the height and body build of my son, I need you to perform a surgery on him, you are the best in this field old friend, give him the face of my dead son."

"You know that is going to cost you a lot of money Robert." Doc Fey said, rubbing his palm together. He loves money.

"I am going to give you money that your third generation will still be spending, just make him look exactly like my son. This will be our secret old friend. Once he wakes up, he is Paul Mirror."

To Be Continued

Do not try to plagiarized this story.
All rights reserved, the whole of this story is a complete fiction. Any role related to someone either alive or dead is a mere coincidence.

Dance With Me (Silent whispers)

Written by
Ifeoma Isabella Okeke

Chapter 7

'Death is a challenge. It tells us not to waste time… It tells us to tell each other right now that we love each other'.

Kate shouted in disbelief as Nora listened attentively to every word.

"Craig will you shut up that mouth of yours before I do that for you. How on earth can you say the plane Philip boarded caught fire and there was no survivors." Kate said in an angry tone.

Craig allowed the tears to flow freely from his eyes. "Check the news ma'am, I was called and told the plane and every passengers on it were burnt to ashes."

Kate wasted no time in switching on the big plasma t.v. in the sitting room and quickly put it on the news station.

The first thing she saw was the headlines:

Floda Plane Fire Accident: No Survivors.

"Flight 402 was a scheduled international passenger flight from Floda to Basla. The aircraft took off from Floda at 10:38 local time (12:38 UTC) with 187 passengers and 13 crew on board. At 11:49 when it wanted to land on Basla runway/ taxiways, unfortunately, it lose control and couldn't land, the plane flew some miles away from Basla airport into the city of Valten, killing some people in process before it caught fire and everything was razed. We are yet to find out what actually caused the fire. All passengers and crew on board, 200 in total, were killed in the accident. There are no survivors. Our condolence to the grieving families." The newscaster said as part of the t.v. was shown what remains of the badly burnt plane.

"No, no... this can't be true, Philip can't be gone like that. Why did this happened to him, Philip deserve a second chance." Kate said bitterly.

Nora couldn't believe what she heard. She touches her grandmother's arms to draw her attention to her.

"Yes my dear." Kate said trying to calm her voice. She has forgotten that her granddaughter was with her. "What is it?"

"Please don't tell me what they said on tv is true, don't tell me Philip is dead please grandma, tell me they're lying." Nora told her through her braille words.

Kate couldn't hold the tears from falling. She couldn't hide it from Nora. "Nora my child. Phi..philip is dead."

Nora shook her head not believing. "Philip can not die grandma, he promised me he would return to me. Philip always keep to his promise." Nora said as she started crying.

"Nora, we all knew he boarded that plane. He is dead now Nora." Kate said crying and turned to Craig who has been standing, silently crying. "I am really sorry for your lose Craig. I wish there is something that could be done to bring back Philip. He was like a son to me and his death is a huge blow. I am sorry fate decided to play us this way Craig."

_____

Few weeks later, Philip was buried in Kate's compound as Nora had wish. Though they didn't buried his body cause the plane and everyone was razed down to ashes.

In those few weeks until the burial of Philip, Nora didn't visit her secret garden.

Two nights after his burial she visited the garden. But she was not in the mood to dance.

"This isn't fair at all, fate didn't even give us a chance to let him live, even if he was crippled, I would have still love him, but fate tricked us." Nora told Daisy cleaning away the tears from her cheeks. "Why didn't fate give us a second chance daisy, why? When I thought I was being myself once again then this happened. Why does circumstances always choose me? I have given up on ever finding happiness, I just want to die and go and met Philip." She’d been crying, so her voice still cracked and caught in her throat.

"Sometimes, life do play us tricks Nora, but it depends on how we look at them. Everything always gets better, no matter how bad things seem, better things are yet to come, so smile and don't lose hope."

"I don't get you Daisy, I should not lose hope? Philip is gone for good and you said I should smile and not lose hope? What do you mean by that?" Nora asked in bewilderment as she stare at Daisy.

"What I meant is you shouldn't lose hope on your life. Time is best companion like every good time, bad time will also be consider as past very soon. Just wait and keep your hope, strength and courage. The hope is there. The sun is rising. Our best days are yet to come so don't ever think of killing yourself." Daisy told her encouragingly. If only she knew what faces her ahead.

"Thank you so much for this piece of advice. It is just too hard for me to believe that Philip grave lays in the compound, that he is buried six deep feet and I can't even see him to tell him how much I still love him."

"I know that Nora and I also know how you feel, but show fate how tough you can be, don't let fate win you. Of all the things that you will accomplished, your greatest day is yet to come." Daisy said and flew around her before stopping in her face. "Come, let's go and dance I still have one finally dance step to teach you."

****

Nora finally told Kate about her dancing skills which Kate was surprised and astonish when she saw it. Nora's dancing was out of the world.

Nora who always sit at Philip grave sometimes had promised herself that no one else, apart from her beloved grandmother and Craig, would ever see her face again. She told Kate who quickly made a face mask for her which concealed her face except her eyes and nose.

Since the boy's quarter which Craig and his late son reside brought old memories to Craig, kate locked it up and ask Craig to be living with them at the main house, which after much plead he comply. They were there for Craig.

3 months later, Mark came down to Floda to see Nora. He had earlier called to inform his coming. Renting a car, he drove straight to the residence of Kate Dante.

He was greeted and welcomed by Kate who usher him in.

Calling out Nora who was being escorted by Craig by her hands. As usual she wore her face mask. Kate went to meet her and took her to a sofa to sit.

"Hello Craig." Mark said as both men hug themselves, they were friends and so was their sons. "I am so sorry about your lose and also sorry I didn't attend his burial, I couldn't make it. He was like a son to me, I don't know why death choose him." Mark said trying not to break down into tears in front of them.

"Thank you Mark, I really appreciate."

"So Nora, Philip told me a lot about you and how you got amazing dancing skills." Mark said directing his speech to Nora.

"It's Ora sir not Nora." Nora told him with braille words.

"Oops, my bad. Sorry Ora. So can you demonstrate a little bit of your dance?"

"Sure sir." Nora answered, stood up from her sit and allowed her body to flow with the imaginary music playing inside her head. Kate who knew about his coming had cleared and created space where Nora would demonstrate her ballet. Nora soon stopped dancing.

"Wow, that was fantastic." Mark said really impressed by her little performance. "There are high places in Floda were you're going to perform ballet dance, and with this beautiful dancing style, you will soon be a household name." He added with a smile.

Nora smiled at that and wish Philip was here. "Sir, I don't mean to sound rude, but any performance I want perform, I wish to perform alone." Nora told the man. Her last dance she had with someone was with Philip and she intend to keep it that way.

"No problem Ora, you're just like my son David who prefers to dance alone whenever he dances his ballet. One of these days I shall introduce him to you."

To Be Continued

Do not try to plagiarized this story.
All rights reserved, the whole of this story is a complete fiction. Any role related to someone either alive or dead is a mere coincidence.

Dance With Me (Silent whispers)

Written by
Ifeoma Isabella Okeke

Chapter 6

'Life is like dancing. If we have a big floor, many people will dance. Some will get angry when the rhythm changes. But life is changing all the time.'

"Yes, it is a promise Philip." Nora answered him smiling as her fingers still lingers on his face.

Philip smiled again. "I have wanted to hug you for a long time Nora, can I hug you? Please?"

Nora nodded her head.

Philip smile and pulled her closer to him wrapping his arms around her.

His embrace was warm, and his big, strong arms seemed very protective when wrapped around her frail body. Nora smiled at that and hug him.

The world around her melted away as she squeezed him back, not wanting the moment to end.

"I love you Nora from the bottom of my heart. I have fallen for you. I fall for u today, tomorrow and forever and ever." Philip said under his breath without Nora hearing it.

**

"Son I am glad you have told her about.. you know. If you haven't summon up the courage to tell her, would you have know she loves you back? I am glad it went well." Craig happily told his son that night.

Philip had told his father about confessing his feelings for Nora and how Nora had accepted it.

Philip beamed in joy and went to hug his father. "Thanks dad for everything."

Craig returned the hug. "Life without love is like a tree without blossoms or fruit." He said and patted his son on his shoulder. "That was the kind of love I had for your mother, and I hope that is how your love for Nora is. She has been through a lot." He added.

"I know that dad, that is why I want to be there for her at all times."

"I know you love her but think about your future you want to have with her." Craig said and brought out a white envelop from his back jean and drop it in front of his son on the table. "The sponsors are now giving you a last chance son, think about it carefully tonight. Remember, it is one of the top university." With that he left his son for his room.

Philip looked at the envelop right in front of him, he was confused on what to do. Should he stay or go to the University?

That night he came up with a decision.

**

Daisy has just finished teaching Nora some dancing steps and returned her back to her normal size.

"Your face is glowing today, what is the secret?" Daisy asked.

"Philip told me he loved me and I also told him I love him." Nora replied happily.

"I am glad you both has confess your hidden feelings, I for one know how much you love him."

Nora nodded her head and sigh in contented. "I wish to see how he looks daisy, I really want to see him." She said in a sad tone.

"He is a good looking guy Nora, you will see him one day."

"Does it mean I could see perhaps in the future?" Nora asked in hopes.

Daisy laughed at that and lead Nora back to the staircase. "That is for fate to decide Nora, and always remember the love trial you will face."

Nora nodded her head and left for her world.

***

Philip told his father his decision and Craig smiled.

"That is good son, glad you did some thinking."

Later in the day Philip went to give Nora something and he met Kate. Kate then told him where Nora was, in her room.

Their closeness didn't escape Kate hawk eyes but, she was happy that Nora was slowly becoming herself. She knew deep down her, that they both love each other, but pretended not to know anything. In fact if God hand was on this, she would have love Philip to be her son in law. Philip was a caring and jovial person, plus his cooking. She smiled at Philip as he walked towards the staircase.

Philip went and entered Nora's room without knocking. He was astonish by what he saw.

Nora was dancing.

She was dancing without any music playing, it was as if she was listening to a invisible song.

He didn't know that Nora could dance, not any dance, but ballet.

Her moves were far different from the ballet dancers he used to watch or see.

Nora stopped and bowed down to her imaginary audience. Philip didn't know when he started clapping, startling Nora half to death.

"WOW, that was a nice moves Nora, where did you learn those steps? Do you dance? How come none of your family knows that?" Some many questions.

"Dancing is my hidden talent that no one knows I have." Nora answered him through her sign language.

"Can you dance again, please, I love it. You got talent Nora real talent, I am definitely going to tell Mark (one of his sponsors) that you are a ballet star." Philip said in enthusiasm.

"You really like it?"

"I love it Nora, dance it again."

"I can only do that if you dance with me." Nora sign back.

"But I don't know how to dance Nora." Philip said as he scratch his head. It has been long he had dance. His late mother was the last person he had dance with, his mother had always dance ballet with him.

"You don't want to dance with me because I am a handicap?" Nora sign, her face crestfallen.

Philip quickly went over to her and held her hands. "I have no such thought Nora, I will dance with you, though I know a little ballet."

Nora face light up immediately.

They danced without any music, they were perfect.

After a while, they stopped to catch their breaths.

"Before I forget, I came to give you this." Philip said, he pulled out a sliver chain, inside was a round stone fixed, he let Nora feel it before putting it around her neck. "That’s the symbol of Mamaquilla. She is the goddess of the moon in South American culture. She was married to Illapa, the god of the sun. You give that to the one you choose and she will protect that union for the rest of your lives. So I was told.” Philip explained. “I’ve had it for years, intending to give it to the one I love. That’s you. I love you, Nora Dante.” he added.

Nora touched it and smiled brightly. "Even though I cannot see it, I love it. It is beautiful, thank you. I love you, Philip."

"As long as you wear that. We can never be torn apart.” Philip said and place a gentle kiss on her forehead, now is the time or never. "I have gotten admission Nora, but I don't want to go, I don't want to leave you alone."

"Philip, you can't joke with your future, go, I will be fine. Be rest assure I will wait for you. Your future is important Philip, don't use because of me to give excuses. I will be fine." Nora told him with her sign.

Philip breathed a sign of relief when he read those signs. He was afraid of her reaction but now, he was glad he told her. "Thank you Nora, I will always call you every chance I get, every sound you would make on the phone, I will understand. I won't forget you Nora, my promise necklace is with you, it is my heart Nora, please always keep it save. As long it is with you, I will always return to be with you. Thank you Nora for everything." Philip said and for the first time, he kissed Nora. This time on her lips which Nora returned.

***

True to his words, he texted Mark about Nora's ballet dancing skills.

A week later, he left Floda, Nora was there with him at the airport. They both hug themselves ignoring Kate and Craig who smiled. They were sitting in Kate's car.

Reluctantly, Philip came down from the jeep. He went to hug Kate and then his father.

Finally he kissed Nora. "This is not a goodbye kiss Nora, I will be back before you miss me." He whispered in her eyes and with a teary eyes he left them.

___

Kate who was teaching Nora braille were in the sitting room when Craig barged in, his eyes red from crying.

"What is it Craig?" Kate asked suddenly alarmed.

"It is Philip."

At the mention of Philip Nora's heart beat fast as she waited to hear it.

"The plane he boarded caught fire, they said there was no survivors." Craig said in tears.

To Be Continued

Do not try to plagiarized this story.
All rights reserved, the whole of this story is a complete fiction. Any role related to someone either alive or dead is a mere coincidence.

Dance With Me (Silent whispers)

Written by
Ifeoma Isabella Okeke

Chapter 5

'Life moves on, it never stops. Forever turning, forever burning. Just like the eternal flame of your soul.'

The joy that embedded Nora's face couldn't be told.

"You mean you're going to teach me how to dance?" Nora asked joyfully as she stare at the little fairy.

"That was what I said Nora." Daisy answered with a little laugh.

"Thank you so much Daisy, you don't know what this means to me."

"I know Nora, there is no more time, dawn will soon catch up with us." Daisy said to her. "Close your eyes and block out every sound you hear." She added.

Nora did as she was told, closing her eyes, she blocked out every sound sorrounding her. She felt something warm touching her body, it felt strange but she didn't want to open her eyes to know what was that and lose her concentration. She trusted Daisy.

"Now, open your eyes Nora." Daisy said, her voice now louder than before.

Nora opened her eyes and it grew wide in shock. She was seeing Daisy more clearly, she looked down and gasped out in surprise when she saw she was of the same length with Daisy and she was flying like her. She was now a FAIRY!

"Is this real? Am I now a fairy?" Nora asked as she flew round Daisy.

Looking closely at Daisy, Nora noticed how beautiful she is.

"Yes this is real Nora, unfortunately, the spell wears off in the next two hours." Daisy replied her.

"So why did you transformed me into a fairy?" Nora asked as she flew next to her. She loves this.

"The dancing steps, for me to teach you how to dance you must become a fairy. I told you how I and my sister were the last dancing fairies in our world before she gave up her dancing skills for a beautiful voice. I am the last dancing fairy and me teaching you, we are now the last dancing fairies. The steps I am going to teach you will make the humans want to be like you, but no one except you and I will know it. Even if you want to teach someone, you won't be able."

"Why will my kind want to learn it?" Nora asked not understanding.

"It is an ancient dance which humans don't know of, even our kind became jealous of it. Do not tell anyone where you learn the dance from." Daisy told her.

"I will not tell anyone, but I nearly show someone I have come to love the door to this place, but we couldn't find it. I thought it was gone forever." Nora told the Daisy. Calling Philip her love made her blush in embarrassment.

"This garden choose to revealed itself to you for a reason, a reason I don't know of yet. But I know you have a great battle ahead of you. The garden won't reveal itself to any other person than the person it had chosen, which is you. This guy you spoke of, the one whom you said you love, have you told him about your feelings?"

"Not yet Daisy, I am scared to tell him, I don't think he loves me."

"That's where you're wrong." Daisy said and gently took hold of her hand in hers. "Nora, you're going to have a great love trial in the future, who will choose is what I don't know of. Love is like a wind Nora, it fly's wherever it went, you're like that wind, look carefully the direction you choose to go. Not all roads ends up straight, always remember. Now close your eyes."

Daisy told her and Nora did. "Open it." She added and Nora opened her eyes once again.

They were now in a room where all kinds of instrument are.

"Where are we Daisy?" Nora asked looking at the beautiful tiny room that accommodated their size.

"This Nora, is where I developed my dancing skills." Daisy answered her.

She clap her hands together, sawdust came out of it and flew around the room, every instrument in the room came to life.

"Now is the perfect time." Daisy told Nora with a smile.

***

Philip couldn't sleep a wink, he has to summon courage and tell Nora his hidden feelings for her.

But if she reject his love, just like his father had told him, he will mend up his broken heart and hope that Nora comes to love him.

Yes, she might not love him now, but perhaps in the future she might realize her love for him.

He won't give up.

He couldn't wait for morning to come so that he will tell Nora his heart.

With that thought he slept off, dreaming of Nora.

***

In Casala:

Lora was happy with the way everything had played out.

Her twin sister has been forgotten with time as she did everything to make sure her name was on everyone lips and not her twin.

This was what she wanted. This was the kind of life she wanted to live.

Her parents loving her and only her.

For the first time in three years Nora death was faked, she congratulated herself and voice for her success.

***

Floda:

Philip was seen holding Nora as he took her for a walk round the huge compound.

"Nora I really want to tell something that has been giving me sleepless night." Philip said. He took her to the corridor and gently made her sit on the only sofa chair in there.

"What do you want to tell me?" Nora asked using her sign language to demonstrate.

"I don't know if you would hate me for this after telling you, but I have to say it out, I can't hide it any more." Philip said crouching next to her.

"I won't hate you Philip, tell me." Nora said in her sign language.

"I love you." Philip finally throw the bombshell.

Those words Nora heard gladden her heart that she tried not to smile. Philip love her?

"You love me?"

"Yes Nora I do. I have loved you ever since I saw you, the day your grandmother carried you. At first I thought I was only attracted to you but as the days rolled by, I realized that it was love and not attraction. I really love you Nora, you may reject my love but I won't give up on you."

Nora removed her hand from his. "Please I want to touch your face." She said and Philip place her hands on his face. "I wish I could see you to tell you this. I love you too Philip, and no matter what the future brings, I won't let go of you." Nora said and finally let the smile she was holding to appear on her face.

"Is that a promise Nora?" Philip asked feeling happy when he heard those words. Nora love him also?

"Yes, it is a promise Philip."

To Be Continued...

Do not try to plagiarized this story.
All rights reserved, the whole of this story is a complete fiction. Any role related to someone either alive or dead is a mere coincidence.

Dance With Me (Silent whispers)

Written by
Ifeoma Isabella Okeke

Chapter 4

'In life, what you really want will never come easy.'

The smile that aggrandize Kate's face was one in a billion when Nora used the Braille words to reply her. Thank heavens that she could hear, just a little time and she will recovered.

"I am so happy for you Nora. This has been the best news I have ever heard." Kate told her and hug her tightly, Nora returning the hug with a smile of her own. Kate soon left Nora's room in a happy state. She won't give up on her grandchild, Nora deserves everything.

Soon Philip came in and pull Nora gently to himself for a hug.

"My dad told me that you can hear once again, I am so happy for you Nora." Philip said in a happy tone after he released Nora from his hug, he sat down next to her on her bed she sat on.

Nora smiled at him for the very first time she had came here. "I am happy too, that I can hear you Philip, especially to hear your voice." Nora wrote through Braille words and Philip read it.

The smile that graced Philip face when Nora had smiled at him made his love for Nora to grew the more.

"Since you've regain your hearings, I know one day Nora, one day, when you least expected, you will regain your sight and voice back, mark my words." Philip said with hope in his voice, he surely believe Nora would recovered what she had lost. He doesn't know how, but he strongly believe she will one day. He wanted to hear Nora's voice, to hear her sweet voice. His father had once told him about Nora's life before the accident. He had quickly searched her name on Google which appeared and he quickly download some of her songs she sang in her various movies. Listening to her music made him realize how talented she is.

Seeing the news of her death, her fake death, he was surprise. Kate asked him and his father to keep it away from Nora, which they did, that was two years ago.

"You really do believe that I will see again Philip? Do you?" Nora asked him through her Braille, surprisingly enough she was very fast with it.

Philip smiled at her and peck her on her forehead in a friendly way.

"Nora, you should know that even in the darkest of nights, a light of a single candle can guide you, illuminating your path. Your darkest hour lasts for only 60 minutes, and when you step back into the light, you know that you are truly alive. You are that light Nora and I believe your 60 minutes of darkest will soon be over and your light shall shine again, and you will be you."

Nora smiled.

"I lo-like you a lot Philip, you have always been there for me ever since I came here two years ago. I hope and I believe what you say Philip. Whenever I regain my sight, no matter how long it takes, the first person I want to see, is you, can you do that for me, as a friend?" This time around, Nora did her sign language to Philip who understood what it meant. Nora heart nearly skip a beat and pray Philip didn't notice the sign she had wanted to use in saying Love, once she realize what she wanted to display, she quickly changed it to like. She had long realize her love for Philip but was scared he won't see her the way she wanted him too, probably because of her age. She will let him know of her feeling once she becomes older. If Philip get to know her feelings she has for him, their friendship would be ruined. She is okay being his friend for now, one day she hope he sees the feelings she had for him.

Maybe that one day wouldn't come. Nora thought as turned to face Philip where she heard his voice.

"I will be right there with you Nora and don't forget, I like you also."

"I want to show you something." Nora said in her sign language. She wanted to show him the secret door she found out last night.

"What is it Nora?"

Nora gestured to him for them to get down from the bed.

Philip took hold Nora's hand and together they stood up from her bed.

"What next Nora?" Philip asked.

"Push my bed to a side of the room please."

Philip did as he was instructed and pushed the bed towards the door.

"I have done that Nora, what else again?"

"Look at the floor and tell me what you see."

Philip took a minute to check it. "There is nothing here Nora, just the tiles." Philip answered.

"Are you sure? You did not see anything like a door hand on the floor?"

"No Nora, I did not see anything." Philip replied and went on to hit his feet all round where the bed was.

Nora not believe went down to her knees and uses her hand to touch the floor, she was surprise when she couldn't find any door handle. She slowly stood up.

"You see, there is nothing here." Philip added and moved the bed back to its place.

He gently made Nora sit on her bed once again.

"I have to go now Nora, I will see you later." Philip announced once Nora got comfortable on her bed.

"Okay Philip." Nora said with a smile towards him.

Philip left her room with his own smile that graced his lips. Nora had smile at him.

***

"Philip, this would be the third time you have rejected the scholarship to go to the top university, don't you have any ambitions of yours? Don't you want to be someone great in life? Through the cooking competition you partake and won, they have given you a scholarship which you have been rejecting, why my son?" Craig asked his son as soon as they finish eating their dinner in the comfy of their sitting room.

"Dad don't do as if you don't know why I keep rejecting the scholarship." Philip answered nonchalantly to his dad.

"I know it is because of Nora, but don't use because of her to kill your education. Any way have you told her your feelings son?" Craig ask his son.

"Not yet father, I am buying time. I don't know if she will love me back, that is my only fear." Philip said sadly.

"In life, we should choose happiness above all. There is the constant fear in us that things may or may not work out. Instead of letting fear stop you from confessing your love to her, why not take that leap of faith and tell her your feelings Philip? If it works out, great. If it doesn't work out, you learn and keep moving." Craig advised his son.

"I will tell her dad, but not now."

"Okay son, but you should think of your future too, you're no longer getting any younger."

***

Nora was about to sleep that night when she felt that pull once again, this time, she heard a voice telling her to come. Climbing down from her bed, she pushed it to one side of her room and felt the ground around her. Her hand collided with the door handle. Nora was surprised, why wasn't the door there when she and Philip had checked it. Or does it appear only in night time?

Shrugging her shoulder, she opened it and once again her feet carried her to the garden. She smiled widely when she could see again.

Without wasting time, she took the road that appeared next to her, she walked on a little bit before she saw the lifeless tree, once again, the dead fairies were surrounding it and were floating.

Nora noticed some of them were missing. Did Daisy took them?

"Yes, I took some of the dead fairies to bury them." Daisy answered her as if she knew her thought.

"How did you know my thought Daisy?" Nora asked the little fairy in front of her.

"The expression from your face told me." Daisy answered.

"Okay, what do you say about my demand Daisy, will you still teach me how to dance? You haven't given me an answer yet, you told me you would give me your reply today." Nora said excitedly as she told the fairy.

"After you left, I did a lot of thinking Nora, and I realize that my dancing skills shouldn't die with me, so yes I am going to teach you how to dance." Daisy told her as Nora smiled.

To Be Continued...

Do not try to plagiarized this story.
All rights reserved, the whole of this story is a complete fiction. Any role related to someone either alive or dead is a mere coincidence.

Dance With Me

Written by
Ifeoma Isabella Okeke

Chapter 2

'Everything happens for a reason. That reason causes changes. Sometimes it hurts. Sometimes it's hard. But in the end it's all for the best'.

"It came as a big shock to us to hear the sudden demise of the Star Reality super star, Nora Dante, who committed suicide yesterday night. It was announced by no other person than her twin sister, Lora Dante, who posted it on her Facebook page early this morning. Nora was a bright and intelligent girl who rose into fame when she acted 'When the Star Sing'. She is the highest paid young actress in Casala, her country home. The story of how Nora, a 10 year old girl, who came into limelight has been told repeatedly, her story is from grass to grace. Before her death, it was said she willed all her properties in Lola's name should in case something happened to her, which also Lola posted." The newscaster said and the picture was displayed on the T.v. "It's a pity Casala lost one of its very own, a special one. The date of her burial hasn't been fixed yet, we all sympathize with the grieving family."

Somewhere in Floda:

Once the plane landed them on Floda, Kate texted her driver to come down to the airport to pick her and her granddaughter up.

In less than 30 minutes the driver pulled up beside Kate. He quickly got down from the Suv Jeep and open the door for Kate and Nora to enter. Nora who was asleep rested comfy against Kate's shoulder who carried her in.

The driver open the car booth and put the little luggage in it, closing it, he entered the car, started it and drove them out of the airport.

"How was your little trip ma'am?"

"It was fine Craig thank you, you did not come with your son Philip to the airport?" Kate asked.

"No ma'am, he doesn't want to come with me today, he wants to stay at home and welcome your granddaughter." The driver now known as Craig replied Kate.

Kate smiled at that. "I hope you told him about the situation of my Nora? I don't want him to start asking questions."

"Yes ma'am, Philip is fully aware of it." Craig answered.

"Good, Philip is just like you Craig, I am happy Nora will have someone to play with."

"Thank you for your complement ma'am."

Craig lost his wife some years ago in an accident which claimed her life. Philip, his son, was young then. After his wife burial, things became so difficult for them that his son has to drop out from school and join his father in collecting and throwing away dustbin from door to door and were getting paid.

They met Kate when they went to her house to ask if she has any dirt to throw away.

Kate took pity on them especially his son and asked his father which other job he could do.

"I can drive ma'am, I was once a driver in a company before I lost my wife."

Kate immediately employed him and gave him and his son the boys quarter to stay, her kindness didn't end there, she also enrolled Philip in one of the best schools in Floda. For her kindness Philip prepared a delicious delicacy for her, which she ate. It was then she got to know that his late mother was a cook in a big restaurant and that was where Philip had learned how to cook. Ever since she tasted his food, Philip get to prepare her a special delicacy on her birthday.

They soon reached her house and the gate man quickly open the gate for them. At that moment Nora woke up.

"Nora we are home." Kate said sadly, she has forgotten that Nora couldn't hear her.

Philip a young boy of 15, was waiting patiently for them at the corridor, once he saw Nora getting down and standing next to Kate, he was taken aback by her beauty and noticed there was no trace of smile in her face, then and there he swore silently to himself that he will make her smile and always be her eyes and ears.

He later told Kate once they were inside the house that he would be the one to prepare the evening meal that day, at least to welcome Nora.

A week later, Kate paid two teachers who usually come to her house everyday to teach Nora sign language and Braille. With time Nora was fast learning it.

**

In Casala:

Lola announced that they have buried Nora that it was Nora's last wish which she had written before committing her suicide.

Lola soon became famous for her singing roles in movies that people all over the world would buy her movies just to hear her sing. Nora was soon forgotten in time as Lola take over.

***

Floda:

As the months rolled away, Nora wishes to see and hear everything that is going on around her, especially Philip, she got to know his name through Braille, when Philip wrote it out for her. She wish she could tell him how nice he was and how she loved his food. She was scared to write out her thoughts, how could she write something she couldn't see. Everyday she woke up hopping to see the world like she once did but every time she was disappointed.

With each day that passes, Nora and Philip became close.

One stormy night, Nora was trying to make out some words with her Braille book when she felt it.

She shrugged her shoulder and continued her reading, she felt it once again as if someone or something was calling out to her. She had mastered the whole house and sometimes wander around the house on her own, sometimes with Philip.

Nora got down from her bed and find herself bending down beside her bed. As if she was being controlled by something she pushed her bed to one side of the room, with her two hands she felt around the floor and her left hand caught something. Touching it carefully she noticed it was like a door handle. Nora find herself pushing it, it gave a quiet squeaked as it gave way, revealing an ancient staircase. She touched around and felt the staircase.

Nora tried to stop herself from going down but couldn't, she wanted to scream but remembered she couldn't.

Why was her body not obeying her? Did her grandmother not know about this secret door in her room when she brought the house?

So many questions ran through her mind that was left unanswered. She closes her eyes and walk down the stairs.

When she felt her feet touched the mere ground, she opened her eyes and got the shock of her life.

She could see.

She closes her eyes and opened it again, she could still see.

She tried to say something and heard her voice, she could also talk.

She turned back and look around her and saw herself in a garden, she saw the staircase she has walked on staying in the middle of the garden. She quickly climbed the staircase as soon as her feet touches the staircase on her third stride, she couldn't see nor talk.

Her body automatically turned back and she find her feet touching the ground once again.

As soon as her feet touches the ground, she could see.

She took her time and look around the garden, this time, she noticed that this wasn't a mere garden.

To Be Continued...
Sharing is Caring....
Do not try to plagiarized this story.
All rights reserved, the whole of this story is a complete fiction. Any role related to someone either alive or dead is a mere coincidence.

Dance With Me

Written by
Ifeoma Isabella Okeke

Chapter 1

'When life gives you a Lemon, make Lemonade.'

Somewhere around a mountain:

A little girl of about 10 years old was seen crying as she quickly dialed a number from her phone. On the third ring it was picked.

"Hello mummy." Lola said in tears.

"Yes, what is it? Why are you crying? You and Nora aren't back from the walk you both took one hour ago." Mrs Mary, the twins mother said worriedly as she put the phone on loud speaker so that her husband will also hear their conversation.

"Mummy Nora fell of the mountain." Lola answered sobbing badly.

"What!? Oh my Gosh, how did this happened?" This time around it was James, their father who asked.

"We were both playing around the mountain when Nora feet suddenly slip and she fell off the mountain, please come quickly and help her mum. We are at the mountain close to our house, hurry up please." Lola answered still crying.

Soon ambulance and helicopter came down to the mountain, the helicopter went down to the bottom of the mountain and fly out with a bloody Nora.

They quickly put her body in the ambulance which zoom off.

***

The Next Day:

News reporters were seen littering around the hospital and were been blocked from coming inside the hospital by the police.

When they saw the white limousine that drove the Dantes, they rushed to meet them, but their bodyguards and police prevented them from getting closer. A reporter successfully maneuver the guards and police and reached the couples heading worriedly inside the hospital, holding up his phone to them as he put it on record.

"Sir, sir one moment please, is it true that the young star actress and singer who has appeared in numerous movies met with an accident today?"

James stopped briefly to answer the young man.

"Yes, one of my precious daughter met with an accident today, I don't know her condition yet."

"Will she be okay?" The man asked still persisted.

"I don't know, I can't answer that question now." With that, James quickly left him and entered the hospital with his wife.

_________

The doctor in charge requested for them immediately in his office.

"What were they doing in that mountain all by themselves? Didn't someone go with them? Assume someone went with them this wouldn't have happened, so why where they alone?" Doctor Maliki asked Mr and Mrs Dantes.

"We didn't know they went to play on that mountain, we thought they were at the back of the house, please is Nora okay?" James asked in a worry tone as his wife, Mary, sitting beside him and crying out her eyes.

"She is okay, though she is now awake, it still baffles me that Nora would survive such a great fall," Doctor Maliki said with a smile, Mary and James breathed the breath they didn't even noticed they were holding, and smiled at the doctor.

"But I am sorry to say this, the fall didn't kill her and for that we are thankful to God, but some of her body won't be the same again." Maliki added, the smile on the faces of the Dantes vanished as it had quickly came.

"What do you mean doctor, won't she be able to walk again?" Mary asked her deepest fear.

"I wish that was the case ma'am, but it is not, it is more than that." Doctor Maliki answered.

"Then what is it?" James demanded.

"She has lost her sight." Maliki finally told them.

"I don't get you doctor, please elaborate."

"Your daughter Nora is blind, and no, there is no operation that can fix that. My guess was she belabour her head against the rocks many times she fell down the mountain."

"This can not be happening, how can Nora be blind, is there nothing we can do doctor, we don't mind the amount, we will pay you." Mary said crying.

"I am sorry but there is absolutely nothing that can be done in her condition now, and also, the impact of her, hitting her head on the bottom of the mountain so hard, made her larynx, which is her voice box, got damaged as well, she can't talk again. Like I said, I am still in shock she survived that fall, her bones weren't broken, it still a miracle. This is the time she will need you both most, and with your support and love for her, she will pass through this deep waters."

"Okay doctor, thank you so much for your help. So can we see her?"

"Sure, follow me." The doctor said and took them to the ward Nora was, in there, she was greatly bandaged, her throat that was slash before had been stitched.

***

Lola switch on the T.v. in the living room as she sat down on one of the sofas to watch the latest news. Lola and Nora weren't identical twins so it was easy to differentiate the both of them.

"We just got an information from an insider who confirmed that Nora, the star reality child was met with a terrible accident, the insider also informed us that the accident she had has rendered her blind and her voice box was damaged permanently. In case you don't know the accident victim, she is the Popular child actor who rose into fame in a T.v. reality show, Sing with Nora, where it was widely known to the billions of viewers how melodious her voice was. Not only is she good at acting, she is also good at singing. Her twin sister Lola, famous for music, hasn't been seen since Nora's accident. We do hope and pray that the trial moment for our young celebrity reality actress should pass her by." The T.v. news reporter said.

Lola heard her parents car driving in, she quickly switch off the T.v. and ran upstairs to her room she shares with her twin sister, climbing the twin big size bed, she pretended to be asleep.

Mary quietly entered the room and saw Lola asleep. She gently woke her up.

"Lola dear, wake up."

Lola opened her eyes and yawned out loudly in pretence.

"Mummy is my twin sister okay?" Lola asked in a concern tone.

Mary started to cry afresh again. "I don't think she will ever get better, the fall she had damaged her eyes sight and it also affected her voice. Doctor's report said she wouldn't be able to sing or see again. I kept on asking myself why wasn't it her bones that break when she fall off that mountain?"

"Don't worry too much mum, I am here for you and daddy, I will make you guys proud." Lola said hugging her mum.

***

The days rolled by as weeks passes by, Nora was discharged a month later after the stitch she had in her throat and head were removed.

She was put in a wheel chair and Mary took her home blocking the questions throw at her by the reporters, once at home, things weren't the same again, everyday Nora finds herself getting lonely in the house, since she couldn't see or talk she find herself feeling dejected. Although even with the state of her blindness, she knew her way round the house like the back of her hand.

Her parents would leave the house for their beloved daughter T.v. reality show, Sing With Lola, she has overthrown her sister and taken the show from her. Mary and James wouldn't come back until midnight, they have to be there for their beautiful daughter, Lola, always. By the time they arrive, Nora would have gone to sleep.

Lola then quickly requested that Nora was moved into another room that she can't stay with her twin in the same room again, which was carried immediately.

James couldn't take it anymore and he decided to call his mother, Mrs Kate, to come and carry Nora.

Kate came and took Nora but not without exchanging some words with her son and wife.

"I am deeply disappointed in you two."

"Mum, it's Lola wish, she doesn't want her friends or her growing fans to ridicule her about her twin sister who is a handicap, try to understand us mother." James tried to let his mother see his reason. Lola was hiding and listening to their conversation.

"I just hope that you don't regret your actions you took today James, one day you both will realize the grave mistakes and decisions you make today, mark my words, I just hope then, it wouldn't be too late." Kate said and gently took Nora's hand in hers and lead Nora to her rented car, she drove off. Lola came out from her hiding place.

"Mum and dad, since Nora won't be coming back ever again, from now henceforth, I don't have any twin sister, okay."

"But people know that your are a twin and also know that Nora is much alive." Mary said.

"Not for long, leave everything to me."

The following day, the whole T.v. station talked about the sudden death of Nora.

To Be Continued....
Sharing is Caring....

All rights reserved, the whole of this story is a complete fiction. Any role related to someone either alive or dead is a mere a coincidence
Do not try to plagiarized this story.
[color=#000000][/color]

Chapter 3




Two males made their way out of their hut, one hut was facing the other. One of them was carrying a bow and a arrow, from the look of things they were about to go for a hunt. Ikenna and Ikenga, both were twins. They were born and brought up in Ogunme village. Ikenga was a very skilled fighter, who had wrestled with all the whole young men of his age in a wrestling ground and had always won. He had never be defeated in a wrestling ground before. He was muscular and has a great height. His twin brother, Ikenna was the opposite. Ikenna a very slim young man was good with arrows, he was known to the people as a hunter who had never missed his target before, what surprises the villagers the most was how he was able to catch bigger games, like lions, tigers, antelopes etc, while their other hunters came home with nothing and sometimes they came with a bush meat or grasshopper if the gods of the land had remember to bless them that day.

Ikenna and Ikenga are not your typical kind of twins, they are unusual. Apart from his strength, Ikenga had the ability to see anything that was far. His ability had always made him know where the games are and will then inform his brother, Ikenna. Apart from that, he was a very skilled fighter. Ikenna on the other hand was very good in shooting arrows. When he shoots, no matter how far that animal is, it will be hit. His arrow shoot can go as far as into the evil forest that was close to their village and sometimes his arrows had always come back to him. The two brothers had always use their gifts to help each other.


When Ikenna and Ikenga came out from their respectively huts. Their parents had died when they were still young and since then they had been the one taking care of themselves. They were preparing to go out for their usual hunt when Ikenna told Ikenga of his dream he had.

"Nga, enwera m nro unyaahu-I have a dream yesterday night".


"A dream? What did you see this time?" Ikenga asked his twin.

"I saw ourselves running through a thick forest. There were some unknown people who were with us. I couldn't make up their faces, but I keep on hearing Umu-Igodo from their mouths and that we have to come and join them". Ikenna explained his dream.

"Umu-Igodo? I don't think I have heard of such a village that bears that name before". Ikenga said

"Me too. But I am very sure they need our help".

"I see, you know that your dreams had always come to pass". Ikenga sigh and then continued "We are not going for any hunting today. Rather we are going to search for the village that bears that name". Ikenga concluded and they went inside their huts to change their clothes.
They soon emerged from their huts with some wrappers tied securely around Ikenga's shoulder.

"How do we go from here? We have never been to Umu-Igodo village before so how are we going to locate that place?" Ikenga asked his twin brother.

"Nga, I don't know how we are going to locate there but I thing I am sure of is, Amadioha will lead us there". Ikenna replied.

Having make sure that their huts were securely locked they walked out of their compound, locking the bamboo fence tightly and began their journey in search of Umu-Igodo.



******************************


Odum had woken up early to the quietness of his compound. He vividly remembered how he had lost his wife who had died immediately when she had given birth to his son. And after struggling for (17) seventeen years to train his son, he died. How could Amadiha been so wicked.


"Amadioha if you had known that my son will not reach the age where he'd be call a man then why did you give him to me at the first place?" Odum soliloquy to himself.

Not too long, a robust woman she was beautiful and dark in complexion walked into Odum compound and met him talking to himself.

"Odum, gini mere I na agwa onwe gi okwu?- Odum, why are you talking to yourself? O bu na agwaghi m gi ka ighara ichegbu onwe gi?- Have I not told you not to worry about your dead son? Amadioha our great god will give you children, biko ebezina". The woman consoled Odum.

"I know that Obidiya, I am just thinking when our lives will be better". Odum heaved a sigh and then continued, "Any way, what had brought you to my home early this morning. I hope you and your husband are not fighting again?" Odum asked the woman now know as Obidiya.

"Yes, I came to beg you to come and help me to remove the iroko tree that fell across our farm land. I have sent people earlier to carry the tree from our farm, but they couldn't and so I decided to seek you". Obidiya explained why she had come that early.

"Okay Obidiya, is it that farm land that is in Nkpor side?" Odum asked

"Yes, exactly that one".

"Be going, I will be there soon".


"How much cowries am I going to pay you?" Obidiya asked.

"Obidiya you have come again. I don't need your money and beside you have been there for me since I lost my wife and my son. You don't have to pay me any money inugo". Odum said.

"Odum, you are truly a man with a good heart. Thank you, let me be going".

Obidiya thanked him again and left for her place.

Soon Odum was walking towards the direction of Nkpor where Obidiya's farm land was. When he got there, he saw a big Iroko tree and without sweat lifted the big iroko tree with one of his hand, carried it out of Obidiya's farm land and dumped it in the forest.


He use that opportunity to check on Igodo.

******************************

Igodo and Uzodinma sat down and they were eating the roasted yam Uzodinma had roasted for them when Odum came to meet them.

He was surprised to see a beautiful stranger eating and laughing with Igodo. Igodo was the first to noticed him. Uzodinma followed Igodo's eye and it landed on Odum that was some distance away from them. Igodo smiled and turned to look at Uzodinma.

"You were right, Odum is here as you have told me. Truly you are really gifted and I hope your gift will guide you all as you journeyed to the land of the dead".

Uzodinma gave out a charming smile when Igodo praised her gift, back in her village her gift was regarded as witchcraft.

Odum soon joined them and asked Igodo who the young lady was.

"Oh, she is one of the children of Amadioha". Igodo told Odum

"Oh, you mean to say a lady is among the choosen ones?" Dike asked surprised.

"Yes, the ways of the gods are different from the ways of we mere mortals. She is a gifted seer. Come and join us".


"Thank you my father", Dike said and took a piece of yam and ate it. After he had finished eating the yam he had took, he stood up and addressed them. " I only came to check on you to see how you are faring". Odum said

"Oh, you did well my son. Don't worry about me, I am being taken care of by Uzodinma here".

"Okay. I will be on my way now though I will be back this evening to check on you. Thanks for the fod". Odum said and left them for his hut.


******************************


Ikenga and Ikenna had walked for a long time without knowing where they were actually heading too. They decided to asked anyone they will meet on their way. They hadn't walk far when they met a woman, she had a basket full of yams to the brim on her head.

"Good day mama, please we are going to Umu-igodo village and we don't know where the village is. Do you know the way we can follow to get to Umu-Igodo?" Ikenna asked politely.

"Yes my sons, you see that bush part?" The woman said pointing at a narrow road. "Follow that road and do not branch anywhere, it will lead you and your twin brother to Umu-Igodo village".

"Thank you mama". Ikenga said and they started walking towards the bushy part the woman had told them to take. The woman walked a few pace and disappeared into thin air.

After walking for a while, Ikenna stop his brother and asked him. "Nga, come to think of it, how did that woman know that we are twin?"

"Maybe we had told her earlier on". Ikenga replied.

"Well you may be right". Ikenna agreed with his twin and they walked in silence going to Umu-Igodo.

Unknown to them, the woman they had met was a spirit sent by Amadioha to show them the short cut that will lead to -Umu-Igodo village and the road they had followed will lead them directly to Igodo's home.


******************************





The whole people of Amaeze troop to Ojadike's hut, including the Igwe of Amaeze.

Ojadike had started playing his flute, and many of the villagers were already there eagerly to wait for his beautiful song. As soon as Ojadike saw that the Igwe had sat down, he pauses in his flute playing and after a while started singing.


Igbo version

Onye di ka eze anyi
Ndi Amaeze na asopuru
Eze anyi niile huru gi n'anya
Eze anyi nwere obi olaedo
Nke ahu nwere ike iga leta ndi nki ti di ka m
Ndi Amaeze ekele gi niile
Anyi nile ga-ebi n'udo, ahuike di mma ma na-enwe oganihu mgbe niile
Aha m bu OJadike
Nwa mgbei nke huru egwu n'anya
Eze na ndi Amaeze m na ekele gi ozo

English version

Who is like the king
The people of Amaeze respect him
Our king we all love you
Our king has the heart of gold
That can even visit a commoner like me
The people of Amaeze I greet you all
We all are going to live in peace, good health and always be prosperous
My name is Ojadike
A orphan who loves music
The king and the people of Amaeze I greet you all once again.


The igwe was so pleased with his song and gave him a bag full of cowries and left. He had always felt better whenever he hears Ojadike music. The villagers started leaving Ojadike hut one after the other till it remains Ojadike.


Ojadike a orphan who had lost his parents to a brief illness that had claimed their lifes has the gift of playing flute and songs. Once he had start, his music can melt a cold heart. The villagers had always believed that his songs where given by Amadioha.

When he had lost his parents, the Igwe decided to take care of Ojadike. He was very young when his parents died so the Igwe took him in as one of his sons. Ojadike was so grateful to the Igwe that no day that passes he won't sing for the Igwe. Soon the villagers got to know about his songs and from their he started becoming popular amongst the people. Years later when he had reached the age of men the Igwe gave him a portion of his land and build him a hut like that of his children, after all he was also his son.

Many villagers have heard so much of Ojadike and they always troop in groups to hear his songs every morning.


His fame gradually came to light when a Lion who had been terrorising the people of Amaeze was killed by him with his music.

He was very young then when he had used his music to tame the Lion and brought the wild animal to where the trap that was set for the it. The Lion was so pleased with the music that he had followed Ojadike and unknowingly walked into the trap and was immediately killed by the hunters.

The villagers then named him 'Ojadike, god of Music'

That was how his name Ojadike was spread and people from the neighbouring villages came to Amaeze to see the young boy who had tame the Lion.


After he was alone in his hut, the people had left him to continue their daily works at their various homes, he was left alone.

However his mind wasn't at peace, he had been having these strange dreams of recent. In that dream a old man who had appeared to him had told him to go to Umu-Igodo village and look for a man that bears Igodo that they need his help.

He had woken up to think why he was told to go to that cursed village. Who doesn't know the story of Umu-Igodo and how the curse came to be.


At first when he had the first dream, he had thought that it was just a normal dream but when it became continuously he knew it wasn't a normal dream but a message.

The old man had always pleaded with him that he was needed.

He was needed?

He decided to go to Umu-Igodo to look for Igodo.

After, having his bath and had packed some of his clothes he set out to the Igwe's Palace to tell him of his journey.

"My son", the Igwe began after Ojadike had informed him where he had intended to go "I won't stop you from your journey. But you have to promise me that once you had rendered your help to Umu-Igodo, you have to come back to me safe and sound".

"I will father", Ojadike said and bowed to him before leaving Igwe's presence.

As he walked, he brought out his flute and started playing it. He knew the road that leads to Umu-Igodo and went through it, playing his flute. The birds flying in the air had to perch from tree to tree following his music. Even the trees swayed at the sound of his music.



******************************


It was noon when Odum came to Igodo. After he had greeted the old man, he sat down on the mat Uzodinma had sat on. Hardly had he sit down when Uzodinma announces.

"We are going to have some visitors tonight. I can't really see their faces, but they will soon be here



No sooner had she utter the words, they heard some foot steps coming towards their hut.

Igodo smiled, he knew them. Amadioha children are gradually becoming complete.

To Be Continued......

Chapter 2


Everyone was quite as Igodo finished his story.


The Igwe cleared his throat and asked "Igodo, there has to be a way you can die. Tell us, is there no other way you can be killed?"



"In all my years of living, I had given up on death". Igodo replied.


"Igodo, there has to be a way. There has to be something that will put an end to you. I beg you, please to tell us. Umu-Igodo people are dying day by day. There has to be a way to lift up this curse". Odum pleaded.

"My only answer to you all is, since Ikemefuna is a child of Amadioha, then only Amadioha can kill me". Igodo explained, then he slowly stood up to his feet with the help of a guard and made his way out of the crowd.

The people of Umu-Igodo watched as Igodo left their presence and approaching his hut.


In state of... they all left one after the other to their various home.


Odum has no other option than to carry up his son and left the Igwe with a message. "I will sure get to the root of this. I will bring an end to this curse placed on us by this Ikemefuna. I Odum Ahamuefula will surely remove this curse from Umu-Igodo".



Odum then left the presence of the Igwe to bury his son.


**************************************

Odum after burying his son later that evening went straight to Igodo's hut. He saw the old man sitting down on his old raffle mat as he was staring at the moon without interest. He greeted Igodo and sat down on the bare ground, facing Igodo.


"Wise one", Odum began, "Please there has to be a way to stop this curse. Look around you and you will see as the people of Umu-Igodo are dying. Something in my gut tells me you alone carries the answers to our question, tell me what to do my father". Odum said.


"Father? No one has called me that in years. My son, you are right. There is a way out, but the consequence are grave".


"Then tell me, I am willing to risk it all and save the lives of the innocent people of Umu-Igodo. Tell my father what we must do to break the curse".


"Like I have told you and the villagers earlier on, the only way to break this curse is to kill me". Igodo said.


"Yes, but you told us that there is nothing that can kill you". Odum replied.


"Indeed I said so. I will tell where you can get what you will use to kill me, but first let me tell you another story and you have to listen very carefully to what I am about to say".


"I will my father".


The words 'My Father' made a smile to grow at the old lips of Igodo. He hasn't heard such a word in a long time.


"When I realize that I was the course of Umu-Igodo predicament I decided to look for a solution and my search led me to Okike, a dibia who had fought with the nine spirits of Oku and lived to tell the tales. I traveled through many villages and forest in search of Okike and eventually I found him by luck, you see my son one thing about Okike is, he never stays in one place for long. Well, luckily for me I found him......."



*Generations Ago*


Dike Igodo found the man he had been looking for in the great forest of the ancestors. Earlier on, he had met an old man on his way, Dike Igodo helped the old man to carry his raffle mats and bag, unknown to him the old man was the great Okike in disguise. After walking for a while, the old man pretended to be tired and asked for a stop. Dike didn't complain, rather he cleared some part of the bush where the old man will sit, he was about to put the raffle mat on the ground but the old man wave it away.


"Don't worry my son, I have a better way". The old man said and waved his arm on the air, suddenly two wooden stools appeared right in front of Dike.


Dike was shocked and stared at the old man in awe.


"Who are you?" Dike asked the old man.


"I am known as Okike. And I know why you are in search of me. You can sit down on the other stool".

Dike quickly had his seat and stared at Okike, the great dibia.


"I have been watching you ever seen you set you foot on this ancestor's forest. I decided to come to you. I know what brought you to me". Okike spoke his mind.


"Great one, please tell me how to break the curse placed on me by Ikemefuna?" Dike hurriedly asked.

"Ikemefuna said that only when you die will the curse be lifted, but you and I know that you can't die".


"That is why I need the answers to know what can kill me. I am tried of hearing the cries of Umu-Igodo everyday. I am tired of seeing little children dying. I am tired of seeing our young women turning into a widow. I am tired of seeing mothers watching their sons and daughters die. The great one, please tell me what I must do to stop all this".


"Seven days, they will journey into the ancient forest of the living-dead and come back with the knife of Amadioha. When Ikemefuna died, you and those warriors took his dead body to the evil forest you couldn't find his body, right?"


Dike was speechless, how did the old man know what had happened that faithful day. "Yes great one, we couldn't find his body".


"You see, Amadioha took his body to the ancient forest of the living-dead and transformed Ikemefuna's body into the knife and only that knife can kill you".


"But great one, there is one thing I don't understand". Dike poured out his confusion.


"And what is it my son?" Okike asked, he knew what Dike was about to asked.


"You said, seven days they will journey into the ancient forest of the living-dead. Who are they? Does it mean I can't go in search of the knife myself?" Dike asked trying to understand.


"You won't be the one to go and bring back the knife, Amadioha had already chosen who will go but, they're yet to be born.


"What did you mean by they are not yet born? Does it mean they are not in our time?" Dike asked again.


"The chosen ones are not yet been given birth to. They are the children of Amadioha and you can't go and bring the kinife, they will be the one to do so". Okike said.


"But When and how will I know when they are in the world?" Dike asked.


"You don't need to know my son, they will come to you when its time and when they do, bring the Seven people here".


"Here? Why great one?"


"I will be waiting for them to fortify them for the journey ahead. The road to where Ikemefuna body lay is far dangerous, I can see it".


"Okay, so how long will I wait for them?" Dike asked.


"I can't answer you. All I will say is this, the curse was placed by a child of Amadioha and only a child of Amadioha can bring back the knife. The seven children of Amadioha will come for you, I don't know how but that is what I see".


"But how will I find you if I bring them here?"


"Find me?" Okike laughed "I will come to you. Don't worry about finding me". No sooner had the words left his mouth he vanished into thin air.


Dike thanked Okike and began his journey back to Umu-Igodo.


He waited and waited for the children of the gods to come. But none came.



At first he saw himself aging and thought that he would die of old age, but alas he was wronged.


A hundred years passed, then two, then, three and lastly the fourth. He felt it. The seven children of Amadioha had been born.


He then await for them to come and strangely enough one of them came to him, Odum.


******************************


Odum heaved a sigh as Igodo finished his story.


"But, where are the remaining six? Will they come?" Odum asked. He was prepared to go to the ancient forest of the dead only him if it was possible.


"I don't know, I am afraid we are going to wait for them. Okike told me that they would come for me and for once I did not doubt his word. The way you came to meet me is the same way the remaining six will come. Just have a little patient child of Amadioha".


"I have heard you my father. I will be on my way now, but I will come and check on you in the morning". Odum told Igodo.


Igodo watches as Odum left.



******************************



In another village, Umu-Dike inhabitant had all gone to sleep expect for one as she silently made her way out of the outskirts of the village.


Uzodinma had heard a voice telling her to go to Umu-Igodo village.


Uzodinma at a very tender age had the gift of seeing things that are about to happen. The villagers gave her all sorts of names, some called her a witch while some said that she was practicing magic. But for Uzodinma she knew she was gifted.


Uzodinma had once met with Amadioha in her dreams. The god then told her she will be needed in Umu-Igodo soon.


When she woke up and told her parents, they believed her and went to appease the deity to see if he can change his mind towards their daughter, but they were wronged. No one can change the ways of a god.




Soon enough she left her village and started her journey into Umu-Igodo. Amadioha had shown her the road that leads to Umu-Igodo's village.


*************** ***********



Dike Igodo opened his eyes, someone had woken him up from his sleep.


He saw a strange lady staring at him. He had fallen asleep outside his hut.


"Are you Igodo?" The lady asked


"Yes I am Igodo and what is your name my child?"


"I am Uzodinma, I came from the neighbouring village. I was told to come here that I will find you here". Uzodinma said.


"Who told you and if you are not from this village how did you know my name?" Igodo asked.


"Amadioha told me everything I need to know. He told me to come here that I will find you here".


"May Amadioha be praised", Igodo said and continued "Then you know why you are here?"


"Yes". That was Uzodinma short reply.



"You will stay here till you all are completed". Igodo said and pointed into the hut "You can go in".


Uzodinma thanked Igodo and left his presence going towards the hut. For now this will be her new home for as long as the mission last.

To Be Continued...

.

Chapter 1



"My son is dead. Nwa m nwoke naani anwuola- my only son is dead", the cries of Uju, the third wife of the Igwe of Umu-Igodo pierced the day. Her co-wives were beside her, consoling her about the death of her only son.


Not long, a man was seen carrying a boy of seventeen years old in his arms going towards the direction of the Igwe's Palace, behind him are the villagers of Umu-Igodo who troop in groups as they made their way to the Igwe's Palace.


The people of Umu-Igodo had been known as a cursed village, they were being curse by their ancestors. Everyday that passes, a living being must sleep with the dead. The land had long forgotten the taste of joy and happiness, it was now plague with darkness and sorrows, that was what they only remembered. Everyday the villagers live in fear, they don't know who will be the next. And so they prayed to their gods, Amadioha, but their pleads always fell on deaf ears.


Igwe Omenika of Umu-Igodo with his elders sat down to discuss about what is happening and what had befall the Igwe's family.

"Igwe on the behalf of the elders and myself, please accept our condolence" Mazi Okeke, the Onowu said.

"My elders I thank you all". Igwe Omenika reply soberly

"Igwe, things are getting out of hand for us in Umu-Igodo. We have to do something now". Mazi Okoro said

"Yes I know, but who will help us to remove the curse placed upon our ancestors which is affecting us today?" The Igwe asked

Before any one would say anything, the man who was carrying the dead body of the young boy came in and drop the body at the feet of the King.

"Igwe, another one is gone Igwe. A day before yesterday it was Ugala son. Yesterday it was Izaga whose daughter died at childbirth, and today my son followed. Everyday people are dying in this village, there is no day that passes that you won't hear a cry of a villager. Igwe we are all tried. It is either you bring back my son or you will bury both me and my son here and now". Odum said.

"Igwe not only him will you bury, but all of us together". A woman said and the villagers that has now gathered in the Igwe's Palace all echoes

"Yes".

"People of Umu-Igodo please be patient with us, we are surely going to get to the root of our predicament". Mazi Okeke said to the villagers.

"Mazi Okeke, this is not a new song to us, we all are going to stay here till our problems is been solved". Odum said and the villagers agreed. They all sat down on the bare ground.

The Igwe sadly shakes his head.

"I think we should call IGODO, the oldest and wisest man in this village to tell us what to do", Mazi Ikenga spoke out.


IGODO was a old man who had lived for a long time that many had forgotten that he existed. He was often seen by the villagers as a mad man who lives all alone in a hut that was old itself.

"You are right, we have no other option, let us send for IGODO maybe he will know why we are being punished for a crime committed by our fore fathers", Mazi Okeke said after a minute of thought.

The Igwe then told three of his guards to go to IGODO'S hut and escort the old man back.

The three guards went out to carry out their orders.


Not long afterward they soon emerged with the old man into the Igwe's Palace. Everyone including the Igwe stood up and greated the old man, some shifting away so that they won't be touched by Igodo.

Igodo sat down on the ground in front of the Igwe and the elders on his raffle mat he had placed. He looked sadly at the dead child laying beside the Igwe's feet. When he had adjusted himself well he addresses them all.

"I know why I am here", he began to the bewilderment of them all. "The course of our predicament starts from this very place. Something which I could have prevented if I had know who's son he was".

"We don't understand you wise one. This curse we all are facing now were caused by our ancestors. Something we the generations today don't know how it all started. Umu-Igodo have been suffering from this curse for as long we can remember. Wise one, I have know you when I was barely three years of age till now you are still the same. We don't know how old you are, but we believe you might have a knowledge to our predicament. Please Igodo help us, we all are dying one after the other". Igwe Omenika pleaded to the old man.

"Hmm, Igwe" Igodo sigh then continued. "There is a story behind this curse Umu-Igodo is suffering from. Let me tell you a story..." a cough stopped him from continuing. The old man continued when the cough had subside. "No one knows what had really brought the curse, no one knows expect me".


"Please wise one, tell us how we came to generate this deadly curse from our ancestors". Omenika said eagerly.

"Four hundred years ago it all happened right here, where we all are sitting. A child of Amadioha was brought to your great, great, great, great, great grandfather........"


Generations Ago

"Igwe I am innocent of this accusation being placed on me". Cried Ikemefuna as the palace guards held him down. He pleaded, but his plead fell on the deaf ears of the King and elders.

"I have nothing else to say to you Ikemefuna. You brought this upon your self when you decided to steal my Ofor. Tradition is tradition and there is no two ways about it. You must die". The Igwe of Umu-Igodo said showing no remorse.

Ikemefuna cried out the more.

Ikemefuna, an orphan which the gods, Amadioha had blessed turning him from a beggar to a wealthy man and started on he had five big barns of yams to his name, four plot of lands which he had planted Maize, cassava, yams etc. He was not only rich but good at heart. He had always help some of the villagers, he was loved by everyone. But unfortunately for him, not everyone loves him as he had always thought. Some group of jealous friends planned and they stole the Ofor from the Igwe's Palace with the help of the Igwe's personal guard and hid it in Kemefuna's hut. The guard went ahead and told the Igwe, when he couldn't find his Ofor. They were Seven in numbers including the personal guard to the Igwe that had carried out the dirty plan. He told the Igwe where he had seen the Ofor and who he thinks stole it. Earlier on, Ikemefuna had paid a homage to the Igwe, he had brought with him the best tubers of yams to the Igwe. The Igwe quickly summon up his three of his best warriors to go and search the hut of Ikemefuna. The Ofor was found hidden in an earthen pot in one of his yam barns, it was the guard who was among those that conspire to kill Ikemefuna that found it there, after all he was the one who had planted it in there in the first place.

They beat him all the way to the Igwe's Palace with the Ofor tied on him. He pleaded but no, no one cared to listened.

No one knows he was much innocent no one but the Seven culprits who were behind it.

"Igwe, I swear on the graves of my dead parents I did not steal your Ofor. I am innocent Igwe. The gods are my witness, I did not steal the Ofor". Ikemefuna tried his best to tell the Igwe of his innocent, but the Igwe did pay any attention to the young man in front of him rather he turned to the warriors who had brought him in and told them in a cold voice.

"Take him to Dike at once. Tell him what this man did, he knows what to do with the thief".

The tradition of Umu-Igodo was a scared one, that even a day old child knows of. If anyone was caught stealing he or she would be put to death immediately. But in this case Ikemefuna situation is far more worse. If anyone was caught with the Ofor he or she will be cut limb by limbs starting from the toes of the said person after that, they will be pounded on a scared Mortal that was dedicated to the gods of the land. After which his body will be burnt to ashes and finally his ashes will be throw into the evil forest.


And this was to be done to Ikemefuna who the igwe had believed he stole the Ofor.

Ikemefuna cries of plead filled the air as he was lead away to Dike. The seven who had being the brain to what was happening to Ikemefuna where rejoicing in their hearts.


Ikemefuna cried

Ikemefuna begged

Ikemefuna pleaded

But no one paid any attention on him.

The people who had felt pity for him and strongly believed that he was innocent was those he had helped. They were afraid the Igwe will put them to death if they plead on the behalf of Ikemefuna. So they kept quite.


Ikemefuna was dragged on the bushy path which lead to Dike's as they took him to where he would be slaughtered.

Dike had been waiting for them, he was sharpening his sword, he knew of their coming and was preparing.

Ikemefuna tried and worn out, blood pouring out of his wounds the warriors had afflicted on him, his voice hoarse as he used his last strength to look in the sky.

"You kill an innocent man!
You kill an innocent man!!!
But remember when the father comes for the son
Be prepared to answer
The blood you spill today shall cry for vengeance and none will be left out.
Amadioha! Amadioha!!! You alone knows I am innocent of what I am been accused of.
I place a curse upon this village,

Death will be their morning song
Tears will flow like a river
As they have afflicted me with pains so shall you afflict them with pains
Umu-Igodo and its generations shall know no peace
They will cry, beg, plead but no one will lift up the curse
I placed the curse on Dike only when he dies shall the curse be lifted
As I have spoken
Amadioha has spoken".


Ikemefuna said to the hearings of the warriors and Dike and gave up the ghost.

Dike was terrify as such a thing had never happen in all his whole years of living. People that were brought in here didn't die, rather he would be the one who will kill them while they are still breathing. This case was different, which means something. Dike stare at the warriors shaking his head sadly, "What happened here now shows that Ikemefuna is innocent. You all know that these had never happened before. The three of you will carry his body to the evil forest and buried it there, no one should say a word to anyone". Dike said and they all swore never to reveal what had happened to Ikemefuna.

"Amadioha knows that I innocent". Dike said looking up at the sky fearing at words Ikemefuna spoke out before he died.

They all went into the evil forest, Dike was with them. As they dug a part of the ground from the mouth of the evil forest, all were concentrating on digging the grave. After they have dug enough for the body to enter the ground they turned to take Ikemefuna's cold body and lay it inside, but to their surprise they couldn't find the body. They searched and searched around their environment but still yet they couldn't find the body. They gave up and journeyed back to the Village.

The 3 warriors all lied and told the Igwe that Dike had killed Ikemefuna as in the most gruesome way.

After Ikemefuna's death, things started happening mysteriously in the village. Fowls, and their crops started dying one after the other. The seven who had plotted Ikemefuna's death all died mysteriously and in the most painful ways. Those three warriors that had dragged Ikemefuna were not left out, they all died in a strange manner.

Dike was the cursed itself and he alone carries the curse. Throughout the four hundred years, Dike live. He can't be killed no matter how hard he tried to kill himself, he was immune to everything and sadly he watches as everything and everyone he knows dies as the new generations were born.


The curse manifest.

He couldn't do anything.

DIKE IGODO couldn't help the innocent people that were dying.

To Be Continued..