Episode 4
The Possessed ๐ช
I continued doing mischiefs in the house with my power throughout my third grade with no one suspecting till I was promoted into a new class.
In the meeting the night before our first term exams, I was given my very first assignment which was to initiate a new member.
That wasn’t a difficult task for me because I had a lot of my classmates hovering around me as I was one of the few brilliant pupils in my class.
During break the next day , I bought sweet which I shared with Henry and he was initiated that same night.
Two weeks later, I was asked to bring a soul to the kingdom.
I was confused at first but after much explaination by the queen, I understood the task.
“But, I can’t do it, I can not take a life”. I had cried.
As usual, they all drove into their laughter of mockery.
“You must!. And it should be the one you love most in your family”. Queen mother, continued.
I left the meeting with a heavy heart that night.
In as much as I enjoyed causing havoc at home, I still love my family so much, I cannot trade any one of them for anything in the world.
In school the next day I was sober. I went and sat alone under the mango tree when Pauline walked up to me again.
I shared my worries with her and she tried her best to cheer me up.
“You’re even lucky you were allowed to think over it…. I had no time to lament as I was initiated the very day I was born and was given just one task”. She lamented.
“Which is”. I asked, curiously.
“To ensure my mom do not give birth again”. She blurted.
“How?, how do you do that?”. I further queried.
She bent her head with her hands on her jaw
“I get the signal any time she conceived, then in the pretence of sharing a mother child bond with her, I hit her stomach severely with the invisible ring in my hand… I had watched my mom lost two pregnancies in the past five years”. She said.
I raised my hands to my head and opened my mouth wide in disbelief.
So this girl is this evil and she looked so innocent?. I shrugged.
“Why did you put me into this?”. I asked.
She smiled.
“Why did you bring Henry?”. She asked me.
At this point, I had nothing to say as I understood it wasn’t actually her fault that I was part of the mess. I got in because of greed caused by underfeeding on the part of my parents.
That night, mom and dad came back home with dad shouting angrily at mom.
“Why will you allow that man to hold you?”. He screamed while dragging her into their room.
After sometimes, we heard her scream in pains and we made to rush into their room to save her. But he banged the door at our faces.
I went to bed angry because I knew he hit my mom.
When I got to the meeting I told the queen I was ready to sacrifice my dad.
“I love him so much”. I had lied.
They all started their annoying laughter again.
Do they know I was lying or what?
After that, there was a total silence.
“You can’t lie to the cult, son. Your heart is open before me like a chapter in a book….Queen mother broke the silence.
…I know the one you love the most and the white hands are coming for the person tonight”. She finalized
“All hail the queen mother!”. Pauline declared.
“Hail!”. Everyone responded to the end of the meeting.
I went home sad again. Kambili was sleeping soundly as usual when I entered the room.
I looked at her pretty face for a while, shook my head before laying back on my body.
She had been a wonderful big sister and partner in crime and I knew quite well I was going to miss her … so much….
Story by โ Joy Ifunanya
