GHOST (The Shadow in the Dark)

Part Fifteen

          I should have thought of that earlier, I shouldn’t have ran away from the line of fire. I should have stayed back and allowed a stray bullet from Ghost to kill me. I just could not understand why my body kept revolting against my thought, I kept running when death came close even though I really wanted to die, to be free from Ghost but no more. He had deceived me enough, there was no deal. He was just using me. The police officers were still going to be killed, he was just buying time.
I was ready but I could still feel his presence. I knew I could not just go out if he was still around. It was past eleven in the night when I stopped feeling his presence. He was gone and it was time for me to carry out my plans.
The night was clear and the moon must have settled its beef with the sky because it was full enough to see. I had only been to Winners’ Chapel once, during my school clearance. I had promised one of their workers that I would pay a visit but I did not continue because I was already too used to orthodox churches.
I ran all the way to the church pausing only to inhale fresh air. I had to use Newton Street as route. I got there without encountering any of the night bandits. I tried to locate the uncompleted building but I did not see any. I walked a bit down the street stumbling in muds of water. I was going to scrub my feet when I get back, except I was not going back. I paused to think of what I was doing. I was mad and pissed off and I wanted to end everything but I did not really sit down to think about how I would provoke them to kill me.
But it was too late to rethink because I saw them. I was standing by the uncompleted building and they had sighted me. Fear gripped me as they walked towards me pointing their blinding sharp torch to my face.
“You miss road? Here na no go zone abi na you be our second vessel for night of passage?”
The guy was unfamiliar and I did not understand his question enough to answer.
“Wait, na she. Ghost girlfriend.”
I knew that one, he was a probating student.
“Ghost don show?” Leader asked coming out of the uncompleted building.
“Where am? Where Ghost?”
This was a wrong idea, the smell of cigar and cocaine was already permeating my nostrils. What was I thinking? My body was screaming for me to run but my mind told me to be brave, it would soon be over. I would soon be free from Ghost.
“He is not coming, I came to apologize on his…”
A slap landed on my face and I felt it on my forehead. It was the leader. But my mind continued telling me it would soon be over.
“You think say we dey joke? You think say this na Romeo and Juliet love? Shey you won sacrifice yourself abi? I go use you do example. Carry her go inside.”
I was already lifted even before he finished his statement. My mind told me to wait a little while. The smell of drugs, alcohol and sweat hit my nostrils as soon as the boy carrying me dropped me on the ground inside one of the rooms of the uncompleted building. I just knew I was foolish and my body was right when I sighted one of the guys having sex with a girl by the corner of the room. There was no sign she was forced. A cold metal on my neck pulled my eyes away from the scene.
This was it, I closed my eyes for the shot that would end my miseries. I heard the sound of the gun being cocked, I had watched a lot of movies and read a lot of books to know that the next thing would be my death.
“Capon wait first. I know say you dey ves say this Ghost guy don dey make people feel say dem fit disobey you, but this one here nor go reach do for the initiation. Make we just let am go, she nor even fine. Why you go waste this new fine babe without tasting.”
I did not know who spoke but I knew what he said worked because the metal was no longer on my neck. Fear like I had never known gripped me. How did I forget that I was a girl? How? I opened my eyes to see that the girl was already up and they were talking to her. I used that opportunity to run, I wanted to die not raped to death. I did not run far before I was caught. I struggled and kicked. The guy was not that powerful as Ghost. He lost balance and I would have escaped if another did not join him. They roughly dragged me back to the room and pushed me to the ground. One of them smacked me on the head but my fear made me not to feel the pain.
“Nor do, I want her fresh like that” Leader who I now knew was called Capon said coming close to me.
Without warning he grabbed my breast and there was nothing sexual and arousing about it. I slapped him and pushed him from me, then I stood up to run again but I was blocked by three of them.  They carried me back to my position and I received another slap from Capon. I tried to struggle but they were now four holding me down.
    Of all the decisions I had ever made in my life, this was the most idiotic and foolish decision. Fueled by my anger at so many deaths because of me, I had decided to find someone who would kill me without thinking of how the person would decide to kill, without thinking about the fact that I was female. Dread had a taste, it was very bitter and it tore through the heart and chest.
“No, I will rather die” I screamed as the leader raised my top.
He paused midway and forced a dirty handkerchief into my mouth as I tried screaming again. I could taste so many horrible things from the handkerchief. I struggled again, using all my strength but I was no match for four of the boys holding my hands and legs. The ones holding my legs widened it, I was not that exposed yet because I was on jean trousers. Capon went back to my shirt, his fingers grazed my bare stomach sending ice and chills.
I had read stories where victims described how repulsive they felt, some had written that it was the feeling one got from having tiny ants moving around their bodies but mine was different. It was like being touched by ice which could shock and make someone’s teeth clatter. It was a terrible feeling. I struggled again and succeeded in freeing my right leg and kicking the guy holding it. Capon stood up and slapped him.
“Is it just one leg you cannot hold? You come replace am. You go be last on the row.”
“Nooo” I shouted but my screams were cut off by the cloth in my mouth.
Amidst my futile struggle, Capon succeeded in pulling my blouse to my neck. He unclipped my bra and grabbed one of my breast. It was icy and disgusting.
“We were concluding rights of passage for two new guys using one of their girlfriend as our final initiation but you showed up instead of Ghost, what better way to send a message to Ghost by all twenty four of us raping you till you can’t breathe. You foolish girl, you think say you fit come beg us, say na film we dey act?”
He grabbed my right breast and applied force and it was so painful.
“So succulent and soft and standing” Capon said unzipping my jeans.
I struggled but the guys were now putting their all to hold me down.
    This was it? This was how my second miserable life would end. I had kept myself as Grandma said, I had stayed away from boys but I was about to be raped to death. For the first time since Sunday, I prayed. I wished Ghost would come, even if he was going to kill me, I just knew he would not have done it by raping me. But there was no way he would come. My phone was damaged and he had left believing I was asleep and he had no knowledge of what I had planned to do. There was no hope, my foolishness had contributed to the horrible way I was going to die. If only the cloth was not in my mouth I would have negotiated money with them, I had millions in my account and I would have offered them everything for them to just kill me instead of raping me to death. I cried and struggled as he started dragging my trousers down. I gathered all my strength and kicked at those holding my legs. It worked because they were not expecting it, I struggled to free myself from those holding my hands but I felt a heavy smack on my head followed by a slap. I still could not feel the pain because the fear was still much.
  Capon was no longer taking his time because he brought out a knife to cut out my trousers. There was no way he would not cut through skin. I watched in horror as the knife was brought to my stomach.
“You like it rough? I like rough.”
He was not planning on tearing my trousers, he was going to cut me as he raped me. He placed the knife on my breast. The cold metal sent waves of chills to my body. He pierced the knife a little on my left breast and I felt the sting, it was not a serious cut and it could heal without treatment but I knew he planned on doing more. He placed the tip of the knife on his lips and licked it.
“This is so much fun. Una feel am?”
They all started chanting Capon. I knew I was a sinner but this was not how I deserved to die. He pulled my trouser to my knees, exposing my red panties. He brought his nose to my pant and inhaled, then brought back the knife to my stomach. With one hand holding the knife which was placed on my navel, the other hand pulled on my panties.
This was it, no man had seen me in panties. Apart from my childhood when Ibrahim used to live with us, which would not be counted because it was my stage of innocence, I had never been this exposed.
I struggled and shifted my body away from his touch and it must have infuriated him because he raised the knife to cut me again and I knew it was not going to be like the last one. I closed my eyes, I could not watch but the pain never came.
I only heard a thud making me open my eyes. I had seen him many times, even though I had never seen his face, I had seen his stance and domineer but this one in the room was an entire different personality. I did not need anybody to tell me Capon was dead. I would have gotten a glimpse of what happened if I hadn’t closed my eyes. He was holding something that looked like a long baton but it was glowing. Most movies I had watched, the savior always had a time where they talked with the enemy before attacking but it was not so. He was striking at them with a kind of speed and doggedness I could not place and he was very flexible.
None of them ran or even put up enough fight because they were not given the time to absolve the shock of his presence. Even the ones holding me were still holding me when he hit them with the baton. It was then those at the corner knew they were facing a formidable opponent. They tried running but Ghost shot at them making them run back. I knew he did not miss, he wanted to keep them inside. They were remaining just three when one brought out a gun. He must have forgotten about the gun earlier. He never released a shot because Ghost stoned him with the baton electrocuting him like the others. He was on the other two even before the baton touched the one with gun. I wished I knew where he learnt his spontaneous movement. He knocked one down and caught the last one before he could escape through the door. He pulled him inside. He was the one who had carried me inside, who had smacked me. Ghost held his neck like he was going to slam him to the floor which would kill him instantly.
“Noo” I shouted.
I did not even know I had removed the handkerchief from my mouth. I understood the death of Capon but I just could not watch another death. I did not know how my plea went through to Ghost because he punched him on his head knocking him out. Then he started moving close to me.