GHOST (The Shadow in the Dark)

Part Twenty Two

            I was back at the uncompleted building and Capon was trying to pull my trousers but I struggled to stop him. He got angry and stabbed me on my stomach. I felt a piercing pain and started screaming. I woke up sweating and feeling cold. I picked my phone and started dialing his number, it was when he had picked the call and I heard his voice, I realized I really called his line.
“Ella say something, you are panting.”
“I can’t sleep, he was trying to rape me, I refused and he stabbed me.”
“Ssh Ella, it’s just a nightmare.”
“No, it felt real.”
“I’m sorry, I wish I’m there with you.”
It was same with me, I wished he was with me, I knew what he would have done and I would have felt safe and warm.
“I’m afraid.”
There was no answer and it made me panic.
“Don’t go, please.”
There was no answer.
“Are you there?”
“Ella, I have a brother who wants to help you. What you are going through is called a trauma. Your experience shocked and horrified you, maybe because you were not expecting it. Your body is yet to recover from the shock and it may continue if you don’t get help. My brother can help you.”
“How?”
I was just getting to try trust him but to meet his brother was another thing.
“He will talk to you now, if you want.”
“But how will he help me on phone?”
“You just need to say yes and find out, please Ella.”
I just could not understand the new Ghost. His voice was so filled with concern.
“Okay, anything that will make me not to have another trauma.”
There was silence for a long time, then the call ended.
“No, no no.”
But before I could redial, my phone started ringing.
“Ella, sorry I cut the call. I needed to do something and call you back. Put that device in your ear.”
His voice always had a way of calming me. I searched for it on the floor and inserted it in my ears.
“Hi Ella.”
Ghost’s voice was masculine and deep but the voice I just heard was more than deep, like a baritone. Normally, that kind of voice scared me but his own was sending waves of calm to my body, like I was being entranced.
“Hi.”
I wanted to ask him his name but I felt it was not necessary.
“My name is Wild and Ghost told me what happened but from his view point. I want to hear the full story from you.”
“I don’t know if it will be okay to go through that horrible moment again.”
“Where are you right now?”
“On my bed.”
“Are you lying down?”
“No.”
“Okay do as I say. Lie down and place your head on your pillow, make sure the pillow is placed a bit high. Drop your phone beside you.”
“Okay” I said after following his instructions.
“Make sure your eyes are not closed until I say so.”
“Okay.”
“Now let’s go through this together. You may be horrified as you tell me and you may want to stop but don’t. For you to be free, you must go through that moment and walk past it, okay?”
“Yes.”
“Tell me Ella, every single detail.”
I really did not know how going through what happened to me would help me, but his voice was very coercive that I found myself talking. At a point, when I got to the part he cut my breast, I started panting but I continued till the end. I felt so cold.
“Thank you Ella, thanks for sharing. I have some questions. I ask,  you answer.”
“Okay” I panted.
“Do you have lectures tomorrow?”
“Yes.”
“Did you meet any of them yesterday?”
“No, yes, the girl.”
“What happened?”
“She always harassed me and had slapped me once but for the first time she could not look at me in the eyes, she was afraid of me.”
“Apart from the girl who else?”
“None, rumor has it that they were injured and taking treatment.”
“So what are you going to do if you meet Capon tomorrow?”
“I don’t understand.”
“There is a tendency that he would try it again when he meets you.”
I should have known nothing would come out of it. I was speaking with a dumb person.
“I thought I told you Ghost killed him.”
“Are you sure?”
“I just told you I watched him die and students confirmed he is dead.”
“Think well, they must have been talking about someone else and he must have survived and he can come back to you.”
“Are you trying to scare me? I thought you were supposed to help me.”
“Don’t deviate Ella.”
“I am very sure he is dead, rumors don’t just fly like that. I remember some group of girls discussing that they saw Mabel crying and telling her friends that Ako is dead, that she was yet to believe it because he was her cousin. Is that enough proof?”
“So you are sure he can’t come back and hurt you again?”
I felt like throwing the device away.
“Yes, he won’t hurt me again.”
“Why?”
“Seriously?”
“Ella.”
“Because he is dead, as in D.E.A.D” I let out my frustration.
“And his boys?”
“They won’t dare, even Dr. Bright the reason behind this whole thing is afraid of me.”
“So you are sure they will never bother you again?”
“Oh my God, this is not working. How on earth did I agree to this? I should have remembered you guys are not normal and you are not humans, how else do you want me to tell you that they can’t hurt me again. They will even be afraid to come near me because they know what will happen to them. Please can you stop asking me same question? I have already told you many times that Ako is dead and his boys won’t bother me again.”
“Are you still afraid?”
“Afraid of who?”
“Ako and his cult boys.”
“Oh my gosh! No I am not.”
“Because they won’t hurt you again, because Ako is dead and the others are afraid of you?”
“Finally, yes Wild. Yes.”
“Good you can close your eyes now.”
And then it all made sense. I was no longer cold from the memory because I could actually remember it and I was not afraid, I could see Ako trying to pull my trousers and trying to stab me, but somehow, I was not afraid, it was like I was acting a script and I knew the ending. I knew Ako was going to die before the knife gets to me. There was no fear. He was dead, it was just a memory. Ako was really dead, he would never hurt me again.
“Thanks. How did you do it?”
“I can’t tell you the secret of my job Ella.”
That voice again, it felt like waves of calm were rushing through me.
“Have you closed your eyes?”
“Yes.”
“Take a deep breathe. Breathe in, breathe out.”
I followed his instructions.
“Good, just breathe in, breathe out. What intrigues you Ella?”
“Nature.”
I did not need to think to answer, nature had always intrigued me.
“Me too, I love nature especially the jungle filled with deadly animals. Do you love that kind of nature?”
“Jeez,that’s Wild not nature.”
“That’s me.”
I started laughing.
“I don’t like wild nature.”
“Okay cancel Wild nature. If you have an opportunity to visit a natural tourist site which would you prefer?”
“Waterfalls.”
“Okay, let’s visit one.”
“How?”
“I will take you there, just make sure your eyes are closed and your head is resting on your pillow.”
His voice was making me feel entranced.
“Okay.”
“You are standing on a flat rock surrounded by water and tall trees with thick shrubs, green and fresh. There are noises of birds and crickets because it’s night but you can see everything because you are wearing a night vision goggle.”
He paused but continued few seconds later.
“You are not afraid because you know there is someone beside you, someone who will protect you. An owl hoots making you raise your head to locate it on the branches of one of the trees. You don’t only see the owl but more rocks looking like steps and it’s not just rocks but foams of water flowing down from the first step. You cannot see the source because shrubs and branches of trees have covered it. From that height, it flows endlessly to a large round rock where it splatters to the ground, which explains why the flat rock surrounding the tall round rock is a bit submerged in water wetting your feet. The sound of the waterfall is like music of a loud orchestra with clap, clap clap sound mixed to it.”
I could actually see, feel and hear what he was describing, it was so beautiful. I felt like touching the large round rock. I moved towards it and rubbed my hands on it’s roughness, the water splattered on me.
“Can you hear the music of the birds? Listen to the crickets, there is another unfamiliar noise, another night creature. Listen.”
I could hear it, like a cackling sound. It sounded so beautiful.
“You can sit down there Ella, let nature envelop you, just rest on that flat rock, feel and listen to nature.”
I found myself lying down on the flat rock, my clothes got soaked but it was okay, I felt so peaceful. I let the sound of the waterfall and the music of the night creatures take me to oblivion.
           The alarm woke me up. I checked the time and jumped out of my bed. It was already 8:30 on Tuesday. How on earth did I sleep through five alarms? I had set it to repeat every thirty minutes except I stopped it. I ran all the way to class and was just entering when the lecturer entered. Ken waved at me. He was sitting at the middle of the rolls of chairs.
“Thanks” I said sitting down on the space that was made available after he had removed his bag. He did not answer but kept staring at me.
“What?”
“You look different, you look refreshed and stunning.”
He was smiling as he spoke.
“Mr. Ken as much as we are discussing romance as a theme in one of the poems, I don’t think I want to see the practical in my class.”
The whole class started laughing, it was their hubby. I turned to face the front feeling embarrassed.
“Sorry Ma’am” Ken apologized.
“Let’s not repeat it again.”
“Yes ma’am.”
   I kept receiving stares throughout the lecture making it so hard to concentrate. It was when the lecture was over, I remembered there had been no message from Ghost. I quickly brought out my phone. I was wrong, there were numerous messages. I had never slept like that, never. Not even before my family were murdered, maybe when I was still young and when Ibrahim was still alive but this was a first deep sleep I could remember. I opened the message box, he had sent four messages. I scrolled to the first one.
‘Hope you slept well? I love you so much.’ That was 6:12AM
‘Wake up sleepy head. Love you.’ 7:01 AM.
‘Ella, you will miss your lecture. I apologize on behalf of my brother, he went too far.’ 8:02 AM.
‘Stop giving Ken hope, try correct the romance impression from the lecturer before you break his heart. Don’t forget I love you, love you my Ella. All mine. Don’t miss me too much, night will soon come.’
“Why are you laughing?”
I had almost forgotten about Ken.
“Sorry, a crazy friend.”
“Okay if you say so. So what are we reading?”
My phone blinked before I could answer Ken.
‘I agree with the crazy part but hell no, we are not friends.’
‘Then what are we?’
‘You are my one and forever love, I won’t force you to feel the same but remove that idea of a friend and find something else. See you this night. Try focus on your book and try think less of me. I don’t want a dullard as my love.’
‘You wish’ but the message bounced back as not sent.
“Why do I feel so jealous of that guy? Are you sure you guys are just friends because you are blushing.”
“Let’s say he is an admirer like you.”
“So I have a competition.”
If Ghost saw him as one.
“But you know you are weird.”
“How?”
“You are not supposed to tell me that I you have another admirer.”
“I don’t understand.”
“That’s why I said you are weird.”
“Is it something good or bad?”
“I will say something very unique and it makes me fall in love with you over and over again.”
“I thought…”
“Hey, please don’t give me that face. Let’s just read.”
   And so we read but stopped when someone mentioned Emeka. They were sitting behind us. I could not believe I had forgotten about him.
“Hey, Ella don’t please.”
He pulled me to him and allowed me cry.
“I’m sorry, I wanted to tell you but you were looking happy and I did not want to ruin it.”
He thought I was just hearing it for the first time.
“I’m sorry. I wish I could have helped him. I heard his mother arrived very early this morning and she is now in the hospital. Boss is nowhere to be found. Rumor has it that he ran away. Normally they always show up to make people are aware they are watching them in case they decide to talk to the police. That’s what I heard but this is the first time they are silent, no one has seen them or heard from them.”
Because Boss and the boy who shot him were dead, they would never hear from them. Somehow, his cult members must have started the rumor that he had ran away. They would not want to admit he was dead because rumors like that wouldn’t just fly. Everyone knew when Ako was killed but none knew they were dead and they would never know. I wondered what they must have done to their bodies. They would remain missing forever. I wished there was a way to make his parents know that justice had been served. I had thought students would know after the news of Boss’ death must have spread but that would never be.
“Are you going for the candle night?”
I turned to look at them. The girls were already leaving the hall.
“It’s at Hall 2 car park by 8:PM” Ken said.
“I know you will want to go.”
I nodded.
“Okay, should I come pick you up?”
“No, don’t worry I will find my way.”
“Do I really have a chance at your heart?”
I did not answer.
“Your silence says a lot but I’m not going to give up on you Ella.”
I still could not answer.
“I really like you as a friend but…”
“Don’t Ella, don’t say it. Not yet.”
“I don’t want you to get hurt Ken.”
“It’s my hurt, let me choose to get hurt, don’t also take away that choice from me, please Ella.”
I did not answer.
“I’m not saying you must answer now but just give me a chance please.”
I nodded.
“Thanks. I have an art class now.”
“Education class” I said standing up knowing fully well there would be no shooting.
   As I got close to education faculty, my phone blinked.
‘You really want to go for the candle night?’
‘Yes’ I responded immediately.
‘Okay, but you will wait till I come for you, there is somewhere I want to take you to after the candle night.’
‘Where?’
‘It’s a surprise.’
‘Okay, but I hate surprises because I won’t concentrate.’
‘You are almost late for class. Don’t forget I love you.’
His words were doing a lot on me, I was becoming enclosed, encapsulated and enveloped by this man called Ghost.