Into The Dark

16.

Standing in front of the mirror, Selassi knew she had a long day ahead of her and looking down her growing belly, she was on a ticking time bomb to tell Theo the truth. The birds tweeted outside as the sun shone through the windows, tiredness was the only thing that Selassi was coping with these days.

Walking out of the bathroom, she leaned on the doorway, watching Theo sleep soundly. Things had been tense between for the last few days, they had been avoiding being intimate with each other and it was eating at Selassi a little bit.

She never knew that they would end up here, separated by foolish acts they had committed but somehow comfortable enough to lay in the same bed together like nothing even happened.  Adjusting her loose dress, she opted for leaving her hair, refreshing her coils to get some definition.

The image of Theo standing in the doorway some nights ago was still haunting her, how his eyes gouging blood like it was a waterfall and the ominousness of him shutting the door like that without uttering another word.

This demonic being's intention was becoming more and more clearer: it simply enjoyed tormenting her mentally and physically and had no problems using those she cared about to weaken her further.

From the grivieous insults to the twisted physical torment that only she could see, Selassi feared what was next for her. There was no telling how big or small the entity would attack her but whatever it was, she knew that fear would occupy her heart and the after-effects would surely drain her drive to go on.

Now being pregnant, she was sure that it would get worse before it could even better. Meanwhile, Nina shuffled downstairs, groaning since she was not a morning person at all and she couldn't understand how anyone wanted to be up right now.

Downstairs was quiet as Nina walked through the living room to the kitchen where she was greeted by Selassi's aunt. Something about her rubbed Nina the wrong way from the moment they met but she wasn't in the business of fighting people's aunties, only if they were disrespectful.

Plastering a fake smile on her face, Nina made her way to the fridge to get some chopped mango and pineapple to eat whilst Auntie Diane simply watched her with curiosity.

" Morning  Mrs Lamptey. Is there something you wanted to ask because staring at me won't get you an answer" Nina said, continuing to put the fruit into a bowl before leaving the rest in the fridge?

" Why are you here?" Auntie Diane asked in a cold undertone that Nina caught onto. Chuckling, Nina popped a few mango cubes into her mouth, leaning onto the counter.

" Am I not allowed to be here?  Selassi wanted me to be here, is that a problem for you?" Nina quipped in a sarcastic tone whilst eyeing the older woman. Auntie Diane wasn't a strong beauty like Ama but she definitely kept herself looking well, dressed in a long print attire and her relaxed hair put in a ponytail.

" It's just a very sensitive time for Selassi right now, what with her pregnancy and losing her parents. You can understand that it's important to have family around her right now." Auntie Diane remarked snarkley, swiping some lint offf her clothing.

" And you are exactly? Because I can recall Selassi telling me you're more of a 'family friend' type of Auntie. I guess we are in the same boat then, huh?" Nina stated, slipping a few more bites of her fruits whilst looking at Auntie Diane who seemed a little annoyed how right she was.

" I guess we should get along for Selassi's sake. No need for tension."

" I totally agree. Truce? " Nina offered her hand but Auntie Diane simply nodded, ignoring the hand.

The tension in the room almost escaped as soon as Auntie Diane was about to leave but Nina had one more thing she wanted to enquire about right now.

" Mrs Lamptey, Selassi has been telling me about some odd supernatural things happening around here. Now at first, I wouldn't usually believe that bullshit but I have witnessed some strange things myself, things that are not of this world. I guess what I wanted to ask is if you know anything about this or seen anything yourself?" Nina inquired, shrugging her shoulder and waiting for an answer.