THE LAST SURVIVORS
Episode 28
When their leader who was on the ground saw that the bodies of his colleagues were being burnt, he began to make incantations and fearfully tried to crawl into the bush. He was really scared at the sight of his dead colleagues being burnt. Osoba plunged the machete into his back and asked him to shut up. “Cut of his tongue! Cut it off! Let me see how he would be able to make incantations”, said Austin angrily. “He is scared of fire; maybe he considers it dangerous”, said Osoba. “Or it destorys their power, remember Michael was destroyed with fire”, said Austin, “You are right Austin. Pour some of the gin on him. Verah use that stick to get some fire from the burning bodies!”
The man on the ground began to shout, “Please no! Don’t burn me with fire! Please no! You can kill me but don’t burn me with fire please!” While the man was shouting Verah used a dry stick to move over fire to where he was. The man shouted all the more as Verah brought the fire closer. Austin pretended to pour some of the gin on him and the man screamed much more. “You are going to tell me what I want to know. I heard you say Lord Michael, who is that?” asked Osoba. The man answered quickly, “Lord Michael is back to life, he is in Simon’s body. The elders invoked his spirit in to simon’s body and bottled Simon’t spirit in a bottle”. ” Where is the bottle?” asked Austin. “It is at the temple of Stars in Epe”. “How do I find the temple?” asked Osoba. “It is on 18 Shelman street, Ereshe, Epe. It is a big temple you can’t miss it! I have told you what you want to know please let me go!” pleaded the man. “You are wrong I am not yet done. Michael wants our head, how does he intend to capture us?” “By sending agents like us. We come in the bodies of our dead members. A spirit empowers us” “The spirit you mean is Ayari, right?”
The man’s eyes widened in shock when Osaba mentioned Ayari. “How did you know about that name?” he asked. “There are those who know about your secrets. Why are you afraid of fire? What does it do to you?” The man on the ground did not answer Osoba. Austin’s phone rang and Osoba gave it to him and said. “She will be pleased to know you are alive”. He turned back to the man as Austin conversed over the phone with Melinda. “Answer me, what does fire do to your kind?” The man didn’t answer him, he just lay on the floor staring at Osoba. “Verah I think he is all yours now burn him up!”
Verah went back to the burning bodies and lit the stick in her hand and brought it over to the man on the ground. Osoba signaled to Austin to give them the bottle of gin, he handed it over to Osoba. Osoba poured some of it on the man. Verah streched her hands to light the man up and he shouted. “Please stop! Stop! I will tell you!” “Talk to him fast, I am losing my patience!” warned Verah. “I am in a dead colleague’s body. If you burn me while I am still in it, I won’t be able to wake up in my own body. My body and my dead colleague’s body will burn”. “Verah burn him up”. Osoba began to pour the gin on the man, Verah waited a bit and threw the stick of fire on the man and he began to burn, yelling as flames engulfed him. While the man burned, Verah asked Osoba “Why have the people in that house not come out since we have been here?” “That was where they took us to when they capture Austin and I. This house is bewitched, it will move if you tried getting close to it”, replied Etim who just recovered from the spell that was put on him. Austin ran back to Osoba and the others and announced. “Someone called the police to quiz Melinda and Ochuma because of their injuries. They think they are thieves or cultists. We need to get back; Melinda has it under control though”.
They all began to run back following behind Austin. “Austin how will you find the hospital where they are?” asked Verah. “A doctor there has described it to me on the phone”.
The hospital was swarming with policemen who had come out hoping to arrest suspected armed robbers. Fortunately for Melinda, the officer who led the policemen to the hospital was her classmate. When he arrived at the hospital and Doctor Emeka pointed at Melinda as a member of the suspected armed robbery group, the officer began to laugh, instead of arresting Melinda, he hugged her and pecked her on the cheek before explaining to Doctor Emeka that Melinda was a friend of his and a responsible citizen. “Doc you shouldn’t worry about this woman, have you heard about Acorn?” Doctor Emeka nodded in the affirmative. “She has worked for them for years now, and only recently she came back to Nigeria from London. This doctor sef, so you no dey know butter pickin when you see one? This babe no fit kill fly na”.
The officer took Melinda to one corner of the hospital and asked her, “Who cut you up like this? What is going on?” “Are you going to arrest me?” “On what ground would I possibly arrest you? I was sent here though to arrest you and one other guy whom I was told has his arm chopped off………………” “He is alseep I think Doctor Emeka had to put him to sleep so he could get some rest or possibly so you could catch us”. “I came down here to arrest you, but now I think I have to protect you from whatever or whoever did this to you? Was it the guy? Did you chop off his arm for doing this to you?” “Look JEFF, the kind of stuff after me and my friends is not the kind of things you are trained to stop. I will be glad if you walk away; I wouldn’t want to put you in harm’s way”.
“I don’t understand you Melinda, since when did you become a tough lady? What is after you, tell me?” “Do you remember Michael?” “Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmh no; I don’t”. “Do you remember the guy who was often with me at the time you were in police college?” “Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! I remember him! If he is your problem then let’s go and arrest him. Where is he at this moment?” “Dead! Jeff he is dead and somehow he keeps coming back to life. Do you remember my friends Lanre, Obiorah and Angelique?” Jeff nodded, “They are all dead! Michael killed them in the most gruesome manner. Right now he and his occult group are after me, my fiance, Simon, Verah and a few other persons you haven’t met”. “Verah! The serious church girl I was going to date?” “Yes Jeff!” “I am sorry Melinda, I can’t help you. This is not my kind of work as a policeman. What exactly does this Michael wants? What did you and your friends do to him?” “He offered a sacrifice with my friends, we found out and destoryed it, now he is mad at us”.
While they spoke, Austin and the others entered the hospital. Austin came over and hugged Melinda, “I am glad you are alive. Thank God! Austin this is Jeff the policeman sent to arrest me and Ochuma. He was a classmate of mine. Jeff this is my fiance Austin”. The two men shook hands and greeted each other. “You all look like s–t, have you had anything to eat all day?” asked Jeff. “No”, replied Melinda. “I may not be able to arrest a ghost, but I think I can get you food”. “Get lots of food, at least enough to feed five hungry adults”, said Melinda. Jeff began to walk away and then came back to Austin and Melinda and said, “I am going to leave some of my boys here, I shall give them an order to shoot at any thing that moves like a ghost, make sure you don’t move like a ghost”. Austin and Melinda laughed and assured him they won’t act like ghosts.
To be continued
