Chapter 31 The Girl

Love every single part of you; at the end of the day, you're all you've got. –Cinmisola

It was 5:29 and there were still not in sight. To say I was beginning to panic would be the biggest understatement of the century. Worst part was I didn't know how to describe my fears to one disappointed friend and a drunken one. What if Obinna was wrong? But I knew he wasn't, everything was beginning to fall in place, and it was all starting to make sense. The red décor, the hooded men I assumed were statues or dramatic figures.

5 seconds more

And a black Mercedes pulled up in front of us. The tinted window came down and Obinna's face appeared. I'd never been grateful to see anyone's face like that in my whole live.

"Get into the car, now!" he screamed with so much intensity that I wasn't surprised when the drunken Tomison found her way into the car. "Do you want to see what happens next? Or do you want to go?"

"What happens next? What is he talking about?" Lara asked, still pissed.

"Wait, what's that?" Tomison groaned, pointing at the building.

I watched as the gatemen transformed into hooded men and as the exterior decoration slowly melted off. I was like watching a cliché nollywood movie with 3D glasses. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. That's when it started, we began to hear screams, but we couldn't see anything. It was like the building suddenly went all dark.

"Obinna, what's happening here? Please tell me! What's happening?"

"This happens every year, haven't you heard about the sudden disappearance of teenagers every year?"

What? Is this real?

"Can't we call for help? What will happen to them?" Lara asked, this time she was crying. I wanted to cry too, I wanted to cry so badly, but what i was feeling inside was more than tears, I was losing my mind.

March! Oh My God! March! He only came to this party because of me! O lord!

"Let's get out of this place." Rotimi said. "Remi? Are you okay? You look....."

Everything else was a blackout as far as I can remember.

I woke up the next morning on my bed. At first I thought everything that had happened was a dream, but with Obinna and Lara by my side, I knew it wasn't a dream and I wanted to vomit. I was terrified. I was scared.

"Remi? Are you ok?" Lara asked.

"What time is it?" I asked.

"It's 6 o'clock." Obinna answered.

"Where's my mum?"

"We didn't meet her home?"

"Where's my brother?"

"He's trying to calm Tomison down."

Calm Tomison down? What happened to her!

"She couldn't handle it. Or maybe it was due to too much drink. But she started screaming when she saw the...."

"Let her rest, we'll fill her in on the details much later" Obinna said, interrupting Lara.

"Uh...I've got to go now. My parents will be worried" Lara said.

Go? Go where? You shouldn't go anywhere, we should be here together.

"Are you sure it's a good idea?" I groaned out.

"Yup. It's not as if they'll come and get me at home.....Obinna, thanks once again."

"No problem, you're welcome. I just hope you remember what I told you. You were at the party and you decided to leave early. You didn't see anything happen"

No problem? No problem! More than 100 teenagers were just used for money rituals right before my eyes.

"Yeah, I understand. I'll see you at school on Monday, Remi"

School? Is she mad? Who would go back to that school after this?

I said goodbye to her and watched her leave, leaving only me and Obinna.

"Are you sure you're fine?"

"Of course I'm not. Now tell me everything. I mean everything."

"Now that's the girl I know" he smiled.

How dare he smile? How dare he?

"....i was beginning to wonder who you were especially in this dress"

"Obinna, don't try to switch topics with humor. Tell me everything."

"You're not in the right frame of mind for such information. What if you pass out again?"

"I won't...pass out, now tell me."

"I don't even know where to start from"

"Start from Jax"

"Hmmm, that's a good start. Thanks." He smiled. It still amazed me how he could smile at such a crucial moment. Possibly the most crucial moment of my life.

"How can you even smile after witnessing something like that?"

"Because this isn't the first time, and this won't be the last. They've been doing this way long before I was born."

"Who are they?"

"I've only been able to gather 4, but I think they're more than that"

"Who are these four?" I asked with my heart beating fast.

"Alahaji Balewa, Chief Isong, Honorable Jokotade, and my father.Chief Ekene."

Okay, I felt like I was going to pass out again.