ᴅᴇᴇᴘᴇʀ

54

Monsters did not always
Hide in the shadows,
Sometimes, they were the
All too familiar shadows, themselves.

__

When Chimdi was nothing but an innocent, albeit scared child, who looked at the world through an infant's eyes, she'd thought monsters looked hideous like they'd illustrated in the story books Antni read her at night.

Monsters who hid inside wardropes, under the bed and table at night. With red eyes, scaly green skins and sharp claws...

Time and age changed all that.

She learned that they lived in the same world as her, breathed the same air with her and were human who she came across everyday.

However, what she didn't realize even as she grew, was that monsters weren't only humans. That they could pretend to love you just the way the moon loves the sun.

"Of all the impromptu plans I've been making today," an amused voice sang out, sashaying into the room. "I'd say yours is the highlight of them all."

Chills crept up Chimdi's spines as she stared at the voice addressing her, in nothing but a black sweatpant and cotton shirt, but still managed to look elegant in them.

It all fell into place. Everything.

The She Farouq had mentioned.

The name the boy couldn't utter because he was too steeped in fear to do so.

The woman that had promised him everything in exchange for everything.

It had been her mother all these while?

"Mum?"

The woman sent her a glare that could cut through steel.

"Don't call me that!"

Chimdi recoiled.

Staring at the elegant woman, Chimdi discovered something else in the bolt of revelation she was receiving.

Ginika Gentry's eyes.

They were like hollow pits.

Cold. Dark. Empty.

And as the woman smiled, her smile came out like a stretch of skin on her lips.

It held no emotions.

No anger, no pity... Nothing.

It was like she was dead.

And that sent chills racing down Chimdi's spine.

The skinny girl breathed in as her heart began to beat loudly. The fear was sipping into her skin and based on human instinct, she was left to decide which way to go.

Fight or flight?

But as she tried to move, she discovered one more thing that had her stilling, as everything finally registered.

She'd been abducted.

By her own mother.

Her hands were bound together at her back, so tight that she was unable to move, as pain sliced through her joint.

Alarmed, she looked around, they were inside a dilapidated building.

All they had as company were large cobwebs, decaying wood and cricket sounds.

Not even her friends were with her.

That sent another bolt of fear inside her.

What had she done with her friends?