Scattered Stars

Chapter 36

Scattered Stars just won the African Awards teen fiction category. 😭😱 Wassup!!!!
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Naledi

I held on to the pole with one hand to ensure that I didn't fall over while the train was in motion my other hand pressed on the bag clutched against my chest.

Today my sister and boyfriend would be finally coming back from their different camps and I was excited to have them back. Sure I spoke to Dian over the phone but I didn't realise my heart would ache whenever I missed his lips or his hands or his whole body in general. I had grown accustomed to seeing him almost every day that I felt like I was missing a limb without him here. What made things worse was the fact that Lesedi didn't have a phone, we couldn't afford to buy her a phone at this age so my mom decided we would only get cellphones when we started high school.

My life has been solemn ever since they left and it became worse when we found out the news of Palesa's pregnancy. I haven't seen her since the test, she has been ignoring my texts but I know she is planning on going to the clinic to consult a professional about getting rid of the baby.

My excitement was dampened when I looked at the windows of the train and saw rain rushing down them. The image sent a chill spiraling down my back, reminding me of the nightmare I had last night.

We were at the park where I had celebrated my seventeenth birthday, everything looked just like the party did and it seemed to me like I was reliving the memory until I had to go looking for Dian but instead I found Lesedi drowning in the lake.

I rushed around looking for a floatation device or a stick or rope to help her out of the water but I couldn't find anything.

The image of her head popping in and out of the water, swallowing the water and choking on it sent ripples of fear through me.

I was screaming for help but I had no voice. And there was not a single person in sight.

I felt a presence behind me and for a moment I was relieved that someone was coming to help me only to find Big John standing there a wicked smile pulled on his dark face, his yellow stained teeth reflecting in the glow of the sun.

He called me Nana nice time before pushing me into the cold lake, I panicked for a second before I went swimming towards Lesedi. Somehow in that dream I could swim so I took Lesedi by her hand and tried to pull her to shore and when I looked at our destination Big John wasn't smiling anymore his dark brown eyes seemed to have turned black creating a vicious more demonic look on his face.

He narrowed his eyes at me and then I felt like something was pulling me underwater, I tried kicking at the unknown force while trying to keep Lesedi afloat. Her dark chocolate eyes were wide and frantic with fear and she kept trying to call for me as I continued to get pulled.

I ended up letting go of Lesedi while something pulled me deeper into the water.

I looked up to see Big John with a sinister smile on his face and his large paw wrapped around Lesedi's thin arm like a vice but they were on the shore, she was safe, she wasn't drowning. But I was.

I looked down to see a green fish-like creature with jagged sharp teeth lining its mouth, eyes big and black like that of a snake's. It's hands and feet had dangerously sharp nails or even claws.

I tried to pull against its grasp but it bared its ferocious teeth at me and swam faster. I was running out of air and the blue water was turning black or maybe I was swimming into a black hole, my vision was blurring.

I started to panic and clawed at the monster's hand but it retaliated by slashing me across the face.

I screamed so hard because it felt real like I wasn't dreaming. Like upon waking up, I would find deep gashes across my cheek. And still, no voice.