VESSELS OF WAR

CHAPTER FOUR

His hulk muscular self towered over me, eyes piercing straight into my soul. The only thing on my mind was to flee. But that thought seemed to come a second too late because my oppressor had thought of everything thing before my mind could even fathom it.

From his mouth came a mind numbing laughter that shot terror into my soul. All the horror movies I'd watched didn't even come close to the beast standing above me.

"Femi!" It hissed, snarling.

I shudded. My brain froze for a minute, forcing a thought to cross my mind in the same instance. "He even knows my name".

I willed my legs to move, the response to that action was the sound of rattling chains. It gripped my two legs and held me in place, keeping me just where my tormentor wanted me.

"Fe.....mi!" It's voice rang out like a thousand bells, forcing the depths of nature to respond.

"Let me go, please!" I begged.

Another set of laughter rang out into the cold night which was thicker than darkness itself. My bones, nerves and skin trembled beyond control. I felt I was going to melt any moment.

"You dare war against me?" It howled, pushing its masked face towards me.

"Please!" My hands went up in the air, shaking nervously. "Please, let me go!"

It's frame moved closer, dressed in all black armour of war. A thick long cross stayed on its right hand while the other housed a bloody long spear. If not that I was yet to feel pain on my body, I would have thought the blood came from me.

As it continued to stare at me from its hidden mask, I knew it was time to plead for mercy, even when I hadn't even done anything wrong.

"You want the church!" It dead panned.

My head moved allover the place, intentionally missing the spot here he stood. "I...I....don't understand."

A loud growl followed my answer, then, it stilled and pointed the cross at me. "Salvation? Or Judgement?" The cross simultaneously swapped places with the spear as it viciously taunted me.

"No, no, please." I tried backing away as the tip of the sword collided with my forehead.

"Those who dare me end up in sorrow!" It's mask gently came off and on his face was the face I never expected. I just couldn't believe it.

"Adrian!" I screamed.

"Yes, it's me. Don't say you were not warned!" And with that it vanished.

~ ~ ~

I woke up with a start, my whole pillow wet with sweat. Thank God, Nara's wasn't anywhere close or this would have turned into family court. Slowly, I sat up and check the time, it was 2am.

The sheer horror from that dream numbed me to silence. The only thing that moved was my nervous limbs.

Regardless of the fear that sat in my stomach, I pushed myself to my office. Morning heat was beginning to gradually take over the atmosphere, signaling a very hot day ahead.

My schedule mirrored a busy day. Over fifty deliveries to make. I intentionally pushed the dream to the back of my mind and focused on the hustle of the day.

The loud ringing of my phone forced me grab it from the table where it was being charged. "Good morning." A faint voice came on, barely audible.

I knew right away it was Bolaji on the other end. I had been waiting for days to get a call from his fat head, yet no show. Words were forming rapidly in my brain, I wanted to unleash all my bottled up anger on him. The memory of how he walked out on the other day was still fresh in my mind.