THE LAST SURVIVORS
Episode 31
Usman must have found courage in Verah’s boldness. They all had forgotten he was still there. He shouted from the exit door where he stood watching Verah confront the devils, “You powers of darkness, I command you in the Name of Jesus, catch fire now!” If they all had not been there to witness it, no amount of persuasion would have made them believe what happened when Usman made that command. Right before their eyes, the scorpions on the floor caught fire and exploded. An invisible force lifted Anna and flung her on the floor. That gigantic scorpion which had gone into Anna crept out of her body burning with great fire. Usman must have got high on the result he got. He ran towards the scorpion and put his feet on it, shouting, “Usman shall tread upon serpents and scorpions!” Whatever happened to the scorpion when Usman matched on it, no one could tell. If he crushed it into the ground or it went into his body, there was no explaining it. When Anna got up from the floor, she looked stunned, wondering what had happened.
Usman was eager to hear from Melinda and her friends about the kind of demonic manifestation he saw that night came to hunt them; Melinda obliged him and gave him a detailed account of how it all began. Usman was shocked by the gory tale he heard. He however could not figure out why they failed to get Strong Pastor involved in their renewed plight. “Why didn’t you get the pastor whom you mentioned involved all these while?” asked Usman. “He has been out of Lagos for long. We gathered he is in the Gambia on a mission work”, replied Melinda. “I do not believe you need to get down to the temple of this occult group or the grave you mentioned to destroy this evil force. I can make a decree from here and your friend would be sent free from the bottle you mentioned. Oh my God! Young woman, did you see what God did to the scorpions? I can unleash the mighty name of Jesus from here and the scorpion spirit you call Ayari will turn against the occult men who invoked it against you! Do you believe this can happen?” Melinda and her friends, including Jeff echoed. “Yes we believe!”
“Now let us begin. Mark my words. You will get to their temple in the morning and see it in devasation. A battle is coming! A bigger battle is shaping up even as I speak, but before it begins, it shall end swiftly. Relax. God has raised a man to do your battle! I see him dressed in blood, I see him mocking at the lifeless bodies of his enemies. Who is Simon amongst you?” asked Usman. “He is the one locked in a bottle”, replied Ochuma. “He is the Man of War! We need to pray for God to break his spirit out of that bottle” They all began to pray as Usman led them. Even Doctor Briggs joined them. A passer-by would have mistaken the hospital for a church. Everyone prayed, including nurses and patients who dragged themselves out of their sick bed. The bottle in which, Simon’s spirit had been locked cracked.
When the bottle cracked Michael and the elders of Circle of Stars were in a meeting in one of their secret chambers in the temple. After laboring much in prayers, Usman told Melinda and the others to go to sleep. He assured them that the battle was over. Usman left the hospital and returned home that late night. Austin and the others were a bit skeptical about sleeping. However before long they all dozed off out of weariness.
About 4:00 am in the morning,a large cloud of darkness swept into the hospital while they all slept. Michael, in Simon’s body, emerged from the cloud, followed by two elders, one of the elders was okunowo. The three of them had razor sharp machetes. Michael walked over to where Melinda and the others lay and told Okunowo to lift Melinda into the cloud of darkness. Okunowo lifted Melinda while she still slept and carried her into the swirling cloud of darkness. “These are the heads I asked for and none of you could give them to me. Now I have to take them myself”.
Michael without hesitation swung his machete upon Austin’s neck and Austin body fell off the bench upon which he slept. Michael stepped over to Osoba’s body and asked the elder by his side to pick up Austin’s head.
When the elder stooped to look under the bench for Austin’s head, he suddenly m0aned and grabbed his neck. Between his fingers which held his neck, blood surged. Michael was shocked; he couldn’t figure out what happened. One of his elders was dying someone had slit his throat.
To be continued
