CUSP
33

His life is in my hands now, I know with the last kick he will be gone and I will have no regrets whatsoever. I know I would have avenged my parents and even if they don’t come back I know I would have made them proud.

I look at him as he begs for his life, I want to make this count so I give him a chance to say his last words before I can take away his life.

‘I could have given up my life for you! I could have gone up and beyond because I have loved you with a love that is genuine. But what did you do?’ I ask tears falling

He coughs out, blood coming out of his mouth as he does that.

‘Wane I need you to listen to me, to know that I have loved you so hard and everything I did was to bring us to this moment.’

‘What are you talking about?’ I ask more tears falling even though I am ready to end it all, to end his life and forget all this ever happened.

‘Years back whilst in UNI I heard about a cult, it made my skin irk and I didn’t think it even real. In fact I thought that was ridiculous because those are things we watch in Nigerian movies.’

He pauses

‘And then things went south at home, I was about to drop out of school and dad’s cancer was slowly taking his life.’

He swallows hard

‘And then I met Besa.’

By this time his voice is horsy from the crying and he can barely speak.

‘He told me about the cult, encouraged me to attend one of the meetings and that everything would be fine after I made a decision on the way forward. He was my best friend, there was no way I was going to refuse to go with him.’

I feel my body start to heat up and water starts dripping.

‘None of us are going to make it out alive Wane, but I do hope you do because that is the only thing I have been working for.’

‘There is nothing you can say right now that will make things any better, there is nothing that will make me spare your life.’

‘I know, I know Wane. I wish there was another way of doing this, I wish I had picked an easier route but there wasn’t.’

I am about to open my mouth when I come face to face with the monster, the last time I saw him was when I was fighting for Yakari.

‘I didn’t know you were this weak.’ He says to Caleb and breathing out fire, burning him in the process.

‘I am not weak, you did what you did for your family and I had to do for mine the same thing.’

He breathes out more fire and I watch as my brother fights for his life.

‘I welcomed you into my life, into my family. I should have seen through you and not what you showed me.’

Caleb chuckles even though he is in so much pain.

‘I could have fallen for your lies like everyone else but I couldn’t, I knew your plan to destroy humanity. I knew your plan to get back your family and the only piece missing was someone that would bring the last power to life.’

‘What are you talking about?’ I ask and the monster breathes out more fire in my direction melting away all my ice

‘You will never win because in the land of the living there can only be one God and you and your family will never have the missing piece because what we have is deeper, what we have is love, we have purity and we have innocence.’ He says looking at me

O’Brien and Astridah show themselves, holding hands.

I smile, knowing this might be the end of everything until they stand with the monster.

‘O’Brien.’ I call out my voice almost breaking realizing just what Caleb has been trying to tell me

‘You dined, wined and slept with the devil himself.’ He says his body transforming to that of the monster too

‘This is not possible.’ I say tears falling

All three laugh.

Whirlwind.

Water.

Fire.

And my insides break like they have never broken before, this is about the worst kind of betrayal.

‘You had one assignment, one alone. To kill him, to destroy the innocence and kill yourself in the process. We were to get the powers and become a complete unit but you messed up everything!’ Astridah says blowing massive air

‘Yakari.’

‘And you bought that nonsense?’

‘But I was pregnant.’

‘For a devil and it was all a part of the plan.’

I look at Caleb who is struggling to breathe even though he has a huge smile on his face.

‘I love you.’ He whispers

Astridah looks at O’Brien and nods her head.

I watch as life is sucked out of Caleb, he doesn’t fight it. He relaxes his body and dies a peaceful death and for the first time in years I see him really peaceful. And when he is finally gone they all turn to me.

‘I am sorry.’ I whisper to Caleb’s corpse even though I know that he is gone

The three start chanting out things and I can feel my soul leaving me, I don’t know if I am ready to die. I don’t know if this is how people feel when they are about to kick the bucket but I have so many things running through my mind.

I should have treated Caleb better.

I should have been closer to Nancy.

I shouldn’t have slept with O’Brien.

I should have given Claudia a chance.

I should have.

Should have.

Should.

All these are regrets and I could never turn back the hands of time.

I slept with the devil.

Made my own bed.

And now to lie in it.

And as the last of my breath is sucked out I smile at how life is vain.

Bad things happen to that best of us and love conquers all but so does it kill all.

The end!

..

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Winnie

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