YOU FOUND ME

CHAPTER 10-PART 3

KOREDE DASILVA

   I opened my eyes to utter darkness.
A couple of minutes ago I had been out partying with Chuks and Jide at the club.
I remember having a lot to drink and passing out as soon as I got home.
I squinted, trying to make out images through the dark shadows. I wasn't cut out for night vision at all. I got up from the bed, stretching out my hands to reach for the walls. At least I should be able to find my way downstairs so I could grab my phone. I remember leaving it on the couch when I just arrived.

Whatever was the cause of the sudden power outage, it still baffled me. I had never experienced such since I moved in. This was strange. Moreso that I owned an inverter to provide my own electricity; so why wasn't it switched on? Maybe it developed a fault; but I expected Godwin, my gateman to have informed me. With my arms firmly pressed against the walls, I slowly dragged my heavy feet along; all the while trying to imagine a picture of my apartment.
I moved through the hallway, my arms stretched forwards to feel for any obstacles. I felt like a silly ghost in one of those American horror movies that liked to scare little kids.
A sting of pain shot through my big toe. I hit what seemed like an iron object.
"Ouch!", I screamed, a grimace masking my face.
I bent forwards to massage my throbbing toe, filled with pain and anger; yet reminding myself that I still had to get downstairs.
I got to the edge of the stairs, glad to be able to make out the railings.
I gripped them firmly, slowly walking down the stairs one step at a time to avoid slipping.
The journey down the stairs seemed to take forever, but I was relieved when my feet finally touched plain ground.
I stretched to feel for the rough walls which were characteristic of my living room; my best bet not to jam into anything.
The room was silent filled except for the sound of my loud breathing. I dragged my feet gently across the floor when I suddenly felt like I was hearing footsteps that were different from mine.
I paused.
Utter silence.

   I could feel my heart rate becoming more fast paced, and I shut my eyes tight while taking in a deep breath.
"Korede, breathe", I whispered to myself.
At this point the sound of the footsteps became louder, and I wondered if a thief had broken into the house. The thought weakened me.
A thief? How come?
I had never experienced a robbery since I bought this house, so why now? What did they want?
A barrage of questions stormed my head, choking me like a clogged pipe.
I decided that the best thing to do was to remain calm and focus on getting a light source.
After a while, I could no longer hear the footsteps. I hope what I heard earlier wasn't my mind playing tricks on me. I mean, I definitely downed not a few bottles tonight.
Well, it seemed like the coast was now clear. Or so I hoped.
I continued in the search for my phone. I swinged my arms from side to side hoping to feel the plush softness of the cushion but the best my arms could do was beat air. It was becoming difficult finding the chair despite my frantic hand swirls. I moved forward slowly, and for a moment it felt like I was in outerspace. Well, so much for having a large living room.

   A feeling of sadness and helplessness engulfed me for a moment, and I wondered what it would feel like if I were blind. If this was it, then it felt horrible. I wouldn't even wish it for my enemy. I slowed my pace, realizing that was the only way I would be able to locate my phone, and most importantly, not injure myself.
"One, two, three...", I whispered, counting my steps till I got to the couch.
The plush feel of the cushion brushed my fingertips and I heaved a sigh of relief. I traced its outline till I felt a hard object, tucked at a corner underneath the throw pillows. I wrapped my arms around it.
My phone. Finally.
I picked it up, and it wasn't difficult for me to locate the power button at the sides. I turned on the phone torch and raised it above my head to illuminate. It was great to be able to see everywhere clearly.
I was still pissed at the sudden power outage and I decided to call my gateman, Godwin. I wondered if the dude was asleep because he should have noticed the light had gone by now and would have knocked on the door to notify me. So much for being paid.
Peering at my phone screen, I dialled his contact. No network coverage.
What the hell?

I struggled to suppress a fresh anger that was welling up inside me. First no light, now this?
I wondered why everything decided to go wrong all at the same time.
I told myself that I shouldn't let it get to me. I must get this thing sorted out ASAP.

  I walked towards the entrance of the house, despite the reluctance I had to go outside so late at night. I was still concerned that someone might be attempting to burgle the house. Didn't I hear footsteps earlier? Or maybe I was just overthinking things. Probably the latter.
  I turned the door knob open, swinging my phone in the air as I had seen people do in movies; even my mum did it sometimes to find network. Still, my enlightened mind knew that that couldn't really improve the network coverage. But I continued anyway.

A fresh breeze blew against my skin as I stepped outside, providing a temporary feeling of calm. The full moon was out, flanked by a constellation of sparkling stars adorning the sky. I could hear the gentle ruffle of the trees from the garden. I shut my eyes, savoring the moment and trying to clear my mind off anything and everything. If this was what peace felt like, then I would give anything to be like this forever.
A firm tap on my right shoulder jostled me out of my brief moment of bliss. I turned backwards swiftly.
"Godwin?", I asked, getting ready to reprimand him for the power outage saga. Surprisingly, I saw no one.
My surprise soon turned into fear and all of a sudden, I broke into a sweat.
I held firmly to my phone, so that in case anything was about to happen I could quickly call the police. The reality hit me. Someone had definitely broke into the house and did all this on purpose.
Shit.
I should have stayed indoors and locked myself in my room. I had put myself in danger by coming outside. Loads of thoughts kept racing through my head. Who was this person? Or are they more than one? What do they want? Where was Godwin? I really hoped he was safe.

  I could feel my heart thudding loudly against my chest. I knew I wasn't safe anymore. I needed to act, and fast.
Run.
I didn't take an extra second to process the thought before I took to my heels, running towards the garden as fast as I could. I could hear footseps from a distance and increased my pace, panting heavily.
I continued to run, scrambling my way through the tall trees and flowers, feeling a sense of protection in the midst of the vegetation.
I stopped in my tracks. I had stepped in a slimy liquid, as I felt my feet unable to move freely. I turned my phone torch downwards.
I gasped, shocked at the sight of a red liquid dripping from my feet. I almost lost my mind when it finally struck me.
Blood.
I froze. So much fear gripped me that I would have sworn that I had already peed on myself.
This was more serious than I thought. Someone had been killed; and this further confirmed that whoever this people were, they were dangerous.
I breathed heavily, unsure of my next line of action when I heard the sound of footsteps closely behind me. I'd been found.
I couldn't possibly run anymore, I had nowhere to escape to. It would be an unwise thing to do; I could even get shot. I remained perfectly still, goosebumps covering my entire body like a blanket. I was prepared for the worst.
The sound of a crying baby startled me.
A baby? Who in their right senses would bring a child to an armed robbery operation, or whatever this was?
The footsteps drew closer and I could feel whoever the person was standing directly at my back. The baby was crying so loudly now, and whoever was carrying it didn't seem to be bothered the least bit.
My heart raced heavily waiting for the worst. My heart had reached its limit, I was sure. Any level higher than this and I would definitely pass out.
I felt a hand on my right shoulder just like it happened earlier. A moment of deafening silence. This was the end.
I felt a brush of lips close to my ears with a gentle whisper, "You are a murderer."

   My eyes flashed open, chest heaving and head spinning; with my blanket drenched in thick hot sweat. I looked at the ceiling fan rolling above, my eyes rolling in circular motions. It was a dream.
And an extremely terrifying one at that.
I sat up on the bed, propping my elbows on the pillows. I gazed downwards at the beads of sweat trickling down my hairy, bare chest; the signs of my laboured breathing still visible.
I had thought that the nightmares were over. It had been weeks since I'd had them; and they all seemed like a movie remake with the same theme; that I was a murderer.
That incident was never going to leave my memory anytime soon, and I wasn't going to be able to forgive myself.

   I still felt guilty. I had consented to end the life of an innocent child; a child that didn't ask to be conceived as a consequence of my foolishness. And that incident continued to haunt me ever since.
I buried my head between my thighs, sobbing quietly, ashamed of myself.

  If there is truly a God, wherever you are, I hope you can forgive me.

All I want is peace.

Thanks for reading🤗♥️