Ini

𝕮𝖍𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖊𝖗 𝕿𝖜𝖊𝖓𝖙𝖞

Inioluwa slowly opened her eyes, feeling the sand tickle between her toes, and the coldness of the sea on her thighs. Her vision was blurry at first, everything happened way too suddenly. She didn't know where she was, her vision hadn't cleared up yet. Her head hurt, yes, it hurt badly and her chest too. There was a burning sensation from there, she wanted to cry but she felt too weak to.

She still stood, her legs shaking and her knees almost giving way into a faint. She shook her head slightly, and her vision cleared up a bit. She was in a river, the river, and there was a forest behind her. Birds chirping and flying around her, they were black. Probably Ravens, or crows.

The river was very cold, and that was all she could see. There was nobody around, even the goddess hadn't made an appearance yet. Ini knew that she would, soon enough, but she wasn't going to wait until she came. She was about to move, when a cough held her short. She coughed, coughed, her chest burning and hurting even more.

She didn't see it, but she could feel it. It was on her palm, her blood, thick and crimson but invisible in the darkness. She took a breath, as she remembered her mother. She missed her, she missed home, she missed Ayo too. She hoped he was fine, and that the goddess did no harm to him.

She couldn't even remember what pulled her. But it was quick, and the hands that squeezed around her ankles felt human, gentle and soft. It pulled her, and she went unconscious, only to be awoken into darkness.

She started moving, slowly and steadily, one step at a time. But the Sandy soil seemed thick and unwilling to let her pass through. Her knees began to hurt as she struggled against the wet soil–although, it didn't seem wet anymore. Her blouse got wet, and her body shook from the coldness the river brought. She sneezed a couple of times, and the cough was more fervent and frequent in the next seconds than it was earlier. She coughed and coughed, and her chest burnt fiercely.

She let out a small Yelp, a cry of pain, as she clutched her chest and fell to her knees. Tears, hot and painful, streamed down her cheeks in rhythmic motion. And that's when she heard it, the song of the river. It sounded like humming, and the river trembled beneath her. She felt the water boil, and she knew she had to get out fast.

It increased in temperature and Inioluwa groaned in pain, as she struggled to swim under such high temperatures. Her tears still stained her cheeks, her muscles ached, and she felt like letting life go and going deep. But she strived, swam harder, burnt out sweat, let adrenaline take control. She didn't care how she'd get to the shore, but she needed to get there quick.

She didn't imagine being boiled to death.

She got out, crawled onto the shore, coughed more and squeezed her burning chest. Her knees gave way, and she fell flat on the Sandy shore. Sand entering her slightly opened mouth, and staining her already wet clothing. She took deep breaths, still laying on her belly and squeezing her chest like it helped matters.

(I see you)

She heard it loud in her head, and the song of the river stopped. She trembling, her teeth shivering against her lower lip. And she began crawling again. She tried to use every fibre of strength she had left to crawl as far away as possible from the river.

But Orisa Ife would never let that happen.

Inioluwa let out a piercing scream; a scream of agony, pain and frustration. She clutched to her chest, and she rolled on her back. Thick dark blood running down her eyes, Orisa Ife was making her suffer. A loud sound pierced through her eardrum and she cupped her fists against both eyes.

"Omo mi." She heard, in a soft monotone. She looked up, and it was the goddess herself. The river was a little brighter than before, as Orisa Ife had an illuminated presence. She seemed to float above the river, and she was coming towards Inioluwa.

Run, Inioluwa's mind screamed, but she couldn't. She couldn't move, or speak or even think straight. She was too tired to fight, to go on. She watched as Orisa Ife walked on the shore. Her long legs looked human, very desirable and beautiful. She walked like a true Queen. Taking each step like her life depended on it.

The Orisa Ife had another look. She was human, and very gorgeous.

"Omo mi." She whispered again, and touched Ini's cheek, who flinched in response. Her chest still burned, like rapid fire spread across her thoracic cavity, she had never felt this sort of pain before. "Do not be afraid. Your family is here." She added, and gestured to the river, waves formed as though they agreed with her.

It was like they said yes, come home to us.

Inioluwa didn't even realize she was crying, until she felt tears run down her cheeks. The pain was becoming unbearable. She felt like she was dying, slowly slipping away into the deep sleep, but she could not. She wasn't allowed to, not yet at least.

"We have so much to catch up on. So much that you have to know, about your destiny, about your home." Orisa Ife continued saying, still staring at In, a small smile across her lips.

"Make it stop." Inioluwa groaned out, still clutching on to her chest. Orisa Ife's smile grew wider, as she bent besides Inioluwa. Her features seemed to frighten Inioluwa as her heartbeat raced. Orisa Ife could hear it loud and clear.

"Fine." Orisa Ife responded, and the pain ceased. Inioluwa let out a relieved sigh, as she breathed in and out, overjoyed that she was free. But Orisa Ife only let out a long laugh.

"You must go to sleep." Orisa Ife announced, and the river began to hum. Inioluwa didn't know whether it was people humming, but the sound came from the river. She blinked rapidly and tried to scramble away from Orisa Ife, but she couldn't. Her eyes drooped, and she felt a wave of tiredness wash through her.

The last she saw was people ascending from the river.

Author's note.

Hey! Y'all miss me? I'm sure y'all did. I'll try to finish this book, bow that I'm partially back. It's going to be epic, trust me!

With all of my love,
Victoria ♥️