Ini

𝕮𝖍𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖊𝖗 𝕹𝖎𝖓𝖊

"Maami, what did you do?" Inioluwa asked her mother and almost immediately, Abike's eyes shot up. She averted her daughter's gaze as she thought of another way to lie out of this situation. She was sad that everything was gradually come into reality; her past sins were finally destroying everything. She should have waited but now it was too late.

Abike feigned ignorance as she said, "What are you talking about?" Inioluwa narrowed her eyes in anger at her mother. She was obviously lying, and Inioluwa could tell because her mother avoided direct eye contact with her.

"Really? But you saw those things Maami. You saw them, why are you lying to me?" Inioluwa asked and her mother got up from her bed. She stared at Inioluwa, daring her to speak another word. She wouldn't let her own daughter call her a liar, even though she was one.

"Are you calling me a liar?!" Abike yelled and Inioluwa flinched as she looked down at her feet in what felt like shame and at the same time, didn't feel like shame. She didn't even know why she looked down, maybe she did so because of her mother's strong glare.

Deep down, she felt like she had gone a bit too far, calling her mother a liar was something she didn't intend to do. She just wanted to get the truth out of her mother.

"I will not sit here and watch you insult me, Inioluwa!" Abike yelled again and almost at the same time, Folashade dashed into the room, looking perplexed. She had heard their loud voices from the living room.

"Maami." Folashade called out but the stern glare her mother gave her shut her up. Folashade stared at her mother and sister in disbelief as she wondered what would make them argue. Infact, she never imagined that they would ever bicker or her mother would ever caution Inioluwa for anything. To her, Inioluwa was the perfect child.

"Whatever is happening is nothing you should know or get involved with. Mind your own business Inioluwa and get out of my room!" Abike, completely ignoring Folashade, yelled for the third time and instantly regretted it when she saw her now teary eyed daughter. Inioluwa took in a deep breath before she walked briskly past her mother and sister.

Abike coughed out fervently as she tried taking in deep breaths, the pain again residing from her ribside. She turned around and was a bit shocked to still see Folashade standing by the door.

"You're still here?" She said, her eyebrows creased together at Folashade who, in turn, recoiled in fear. Folashade hastily left the room, and walked down the hallway to the living room before the loud bang of her mother's door being shut.

Abike sat on the edge of her bed as she recalled everything she had said to Inioluwa. Tears stained her cheeks as she knew everything was whisking away from her. She covered her face with her palms as she cried out unspoken emotions. She was scared, Orisa Ife was getting lethal. She even sent those things to her. Abike regretted, she cursed herself for getting involved with Orisa Ife, she should have listened but she didn't and now, she was paying the price.

⁕⁕⁕

Ope ran through the forest, adrenaline almost running out of his system but he just couldn't stop. The message Orisa Ife had given him kept ringing in his ears and the fearful expression she had still gave Ope chills.

He looked up at the blue background that illuminated the forest with its tiny stars. He wished the sun had risen because it would make his running easier.

Orisa Ife had accepted the sacrifice but she declined the offer. Ope knew he had to inform his father as soon as he could because now he was fully convinced that she was getting more and more dangerous by the day.

The adage she had used was enough to tell Ope that she was going to get the girl at all cost. Ope wondered what connected his father and the girl; he was still oblivious to the happenings that occurred around him. He didn't know anything about the sacrifice that Abike had made years ago.