PrologueDOOM IN THE ROOM3 May, 20109:08pm*******************Najah*******************She carefully tiptoed to the door in her room. She stopped just right behind it, slightly opened it in such a way that it gives her the room to peep from where she was. She could see the sitting room from there and she could see Amira too. Amira was sitting on the sofa which was directly opposite the wall where the flat TV screen was fitted into. Her eyes remained fixed on the network news broadcaster on the TV screen. Najah slammed the door shut in disappointment and anger not worrying if that got Amira's attention.She went back inside her room and flung herself on her bed as she fumed internally. Amira, once again sabotaged her plans unconsciously. Najah knew she was supposed to be out of this house already but somehow, she had managed to remain inside it because of her stepmother who wouldn't leave the living room.Her escape out of this house wouldn't have been a problem if the only entrance and exit out of the building hadn't been the living room door!It never came to mind before but in her situation, she couldn't help thinking the architect who designed this building was an asssss.She rolled over until she was lying on her back while her pair of brown eyes stared blankly at the ceiling. She was simply upset and she felt restless lying down, doing nothing. Why wouldn't Amira just stand up and leave'Her thoughts got interrupted by the short beep that came from under the pillow. It was unmistakably an SMS alert through her phone and she knew exactly who that came from.She fished her phone from under the pillow.It was a text from Kunle, her boyfriend of two years.'What is holding you up this long' Hurry!'The text seemed to increase the work efficiency of her brain as she stood up immediately she was done reading the text. She walked to the medium sized closet beside her bed and hurriedly selected eight pieces of clothing which she tucked impatiently into a black backpack lying idly on her bed. She walked to the window in her room with the now heavy backpack in her hand, sliding it open, she threw the backpack out and she could hear it land with a thud into the cold, dark and almost empty street.Satisfied with her action, she wound a black shawl lying on her pillow right around her head. Tucking her hands inside her sleeveless leopard prints Jumpsuit's hip pockets, she slipped on a pair of floral flip-flops after which she made for the door hoping she looked casual enough for her stepmother's assessment.Hopefully she prayed Amira wouldn't even assess her.'Where are you going'' Amira asked turning her head in Najah's direction, her eyes narrowing suspiciously while a frown played on her thickset lips.Najah stopped in her tracks. She was at the door already thinking she escaped Amira's scrutinization but it appeared she didn't. She could sense a strange feeling surging through her body. It wasn't fear nor was it boldness. She felt the need for a final show between Amira and her.A show to let her have a piece of her mind.A piece of what she thought of her.She threw her head backwards as she turned back to look at Amira. Folding her hands across her chest, she cautioned her tongue from lashing out the wrong words as she gently bit her lips.'I want to get something down the street.' Najah forced the words out through gritted teeth.Amira had always been a pain in the ass right from the first day she walked into the house as her dad's new wife. She was her mum's best friend for goodness sake and it was more than awkward when her dad introduced her as his lover.Najah was no kid when her mum ran away with her lover leaving her dad and her heartbroken. She left them and never looked back.Najah wasn't so sure if she'd recall what she even looked like. Not like she wants to anyway. But then, even if her mum had been some slut, even if she had abandoned them, her dad and her for some richer dude, even if she never acted like a mother when she was around, Najah couldn't fathom the reason why her dad had to get married to her best friend!It was just so uncool that 'Aunt Amira' turned to 'Mother'.She never called her mother anyway and that had been the main reason they had been at war with each other. They had always been at each other's throats and literarily scratch at each other's faces with Amira trying to enforce some kind of stupid rules on her.Najah could still remember the day Amira had gasped breathlessly when she had only told her dad a day after her valedictory service in college about not being cut out for school and would rather learn a trade and get married afterwards instead of proceeding into higher institution. Amira wasn't invited to the daughter-father meeting but somehow, she eavesdropped behind closed doors and had came out of hiding to show her disappointment while gasping for breath like she had never heard anything so utterly insane when Najah was done talking. Her dad, being a half literate himself and having the wild dream of his daughter becoming a lawyer, had told her plainly to forget about her crazy wish as she would continue studying while Amira just urged him on.It wasn't even her life!Like that wasn't enough, the duos had resorted into thinking she intentionally failed in order to have her way after two consecutive SSCE results came out and she performed woefully in both. Najah knew she put up her best to make good grades. She even tried to get illegal help but even at that, she wasn't lucky.Trying to force her to study had always been like trying to force a fish to climb a tree.And it amazed her that she was the only one who saw how impossible that is.Her parents refused to give up on her despite the disappointing results every year and Najah knew it was high time she left them to achieve her own dream when her dad talked about registering her for another exam this week.She was tired of achieving her dad's dream for him.Amira scrutinized her expression slowly and Najah raised the sides of her lips in detest.'The 'something' you'd be getting outside doesn't have a name'' Amira finally asked giving her a stern stare.Najah looked sideways with a slightly agape mouth like that would stifle the impending insult her tongue was about to lash out but unfortunately, her method didn't work.'I don't see why I have to report my movement to you.' Najah uttered serving Amira an equally stern and daring stare.Amira's expression changed not and Najah wasn't surprised as she had always been ready for a word battle.Witch! Najah muttered under her breath.'If you haven't noticed, it's been five years since I had been with your father. As his wife...''And for five years, you haven't even missed a period. Talk more of having a still birth.' Najah stabbed and a pretty smile formed on her lips as she relished the horror on Amira's face. She was dumbstruck and completely stunned.It appeared she wasn't prepared for that.'Stop acting like you own me, Amira. You aren't even my mum...''Well, she may not be, by blood but she is by law.'Najah need not turn to look at the person who said that. The voice and what it spelt all suggest her father and she could tell, from his voice, that he was angry. How could she have not hear the door click open when she was just standing inches close to it''Then the law sucks.' Najah turned to face her dad and it was then she saw the scowl on his face. It was so scary she would have cringed but instead, she found herself looking boldly at him in the eye. '...why would the law make her my mum when the same law could have penalize you for sleeping with your wife's best friend!' The slap stunned her. It was expected but unexpected at that very moment. She could feel her dad's palm linger on her cheeks even after he withdrew it. Her head spun and for a second, she would have sworn she lost her sight.It was when she raised her head back that she realised her head had turned to the right due to the impact of the slap.'That's it!' She screamed. Her cheeks were wet. It was tears but she wasn't crying. 'I'm out of here!' She yelled in his face and ran out through the opened door.She could feel the wind on her face and she could sense the freedom.She ran into the street until she was beside her room's window. The backpack lay on the floor beside it and she hurriedly picked it up.Punching the dust out of it, she strung it on her back and ran down the street. The street was empty and cold but she could hardly feel it with the excitement surging through her.She was out into her own world.A world where her fish won't be forced to climb a tree.++++++++++++++++++++++++++++**********Kunle**********He slid his index finger right from her neck down to her hips. His lips caressed her neck and he proceeded down to her well rounded breasts from right under her dress. She was just nineteen but she has a hefty breast for her age. The softness of her skin drove him crazy and he could feel stiffness right under him. He could hear her silent moans and it just drove him crazier. He increased the pace at which he seductively bit her skin and he fondled with her breasts aggressively. The moan that escaped his lips was loud and that was because she leaned away from him and turned to look him in the face. He drew her closer to him and she rested her head on his broad chest while he embraced her tighter closing the tiniest space between them'Why are we here'' She asked as she moved away from him while he stretched his hand for her hold but she only wound her hand around her body making him withdraw his hands to his sides. He was bare chested and the blue short cladding his lower body was the only clothing he had on.'Why are we in this hotel'' She asked again. The flicker of light in the room shone brightly on her face and he saw a reddened mark on her left cheek marring her sweet fair skin. He moved closer to her and touched the mark. She winced when he did.'Stop!' She yelled and tried to move away from him but he brought him closer.'I'm so sorry sweetheart. Who did that to you'' She was mute and she avoided eye contact with him. 'Najah, tell me. Tell me who it was so that I can teach the person a lesson. I can cut of the arm that hurt you if that would please you. No one dare touch you. No one dare touch you or my baby. Just tell me who it is...''It's fine!' She yelled then calmed herself. 'I'm fine.' She ran her finger across his chest. 'Just forget about it and tell me what we are doing here.' The words slowly slipped off her lips and he felt like kissing her lips closed but resisted the urge.'Baby, we would leave this town. We'd leave this country. We'd be fine. You, me and junior here.' He patted her stomach lightly while grinning. 'We can live that life we've always dreamt off. Trust me.' He kissed her neck and she moved away.'Let me clean up first. Then, you can tell me more about it cos I don't understand a bit of what you just said.' She slipped away after winking at him.'Should I join you'' He asked, wetting his lips.'Nah' She coaxed.He stared at her as she wiggled her hips into the bathroom.'Baby, where is the bathing robe!' She called out to him.'It's...' His voice trailed off as he fell to his knees first, then his whole body was on the ground. It was after he fell that the gunshot echoed in his head.His sides hurt and he knew that was where the bullet penetrated.The back of his head and body felt wet and he knew that he was waddling in his own blood. His vision blurred and he couldn't make the face of his shooter who appeared to be on mask. The black clothed human stood over him and watched him die. He felt sick and life drained out of his body slowly. He could hear a distinctive voice which he guessed belong to Najah but he couldn't make out what she was saying. She sounded distant and incoherent. He wanted to speak. He wanted to warn her of the doom in the room but he couldn't. He could only form incoherent murmur instead. Slowly his eyes closed. And right before it shut eternally, he blurrily saw Najah emerge from the bathroom in the bathing robe.She appeared stunned as she stared at him on the floor then back to his shooter.He saw his shooter direct the gun to her.He wanted to stand up and snatch the gun away from the monster.He couldn't find his strength. He laid lifelessly on the ground as he watched his shooter fire a deafening shot at her. She fell with a thud on the tiled floor and her pain ended immediately it started.She had been shot on the forehead.Kunle couldn't help the tear that fell off his eyes.Najah is dead.Along with his baby.And he was in so much painHe was dying.As if, listening to his pleas, the shooter directed the gun to his forehead. Pulling the trigger, Kunle's pain ended in one horrific second.
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