Silent scre-ms batch 8

SILENT scre-mS

Sequence 14

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Written By: Ella

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‘Elope!’ she exclaimed, ‘That’s the craziest thing I have heard in years.’

‘I am not joking Leila, let’s elope.’ He had a serious look on his face.

‘You are not joking?’

‘No I am not.’

‘You hærdly know me, why would you want to elope with me.’

‘The truth is that I haven’t stopped thinking about you since we met. I was drawn to you the first day I set my eyes on you.’

‘I am a mess Chibuye, there is a lot going on, I wouldn’t want to put your life in danger. Owen died mysteriously I haven’t gotten over his death,’

‘Owen is dead Leila and as much as you loved him, you need to let go. He can’t help you but I can, allow me to help you even as a friend. Please!’

‘My father has connections, he will look for us till he finds us and when he does he will kill us both, I don’t want your blood in my hands.’

‘I can take care of myself I have my own connections too. You have seven more months before your arranged marriage that’s more than enough time to find you a place to relocate to without your father knowing.’

‘No,’ she shook her head, ‘I can’t do that Chibuye I really can’t it’s too risky.’

‘Leila,’ he held her hand.

‘I can’t I am sorry, there is so much at stake.’

‘You are making a grave mistake here Leila I could be your only help.’

‘I can’t spend my wh0le life running away, I need to face this.’

Chibuye drew in a deep sigh,’ You are not going to change your mind are you?’

‘No I won’t, thank you for trying to help though,’ she managed a weak smile.

Leila would have loved to start over in another place with someone like Chibuye but she knew her father would find them and if he did all hell would break loose, then there was the strange ghostly figure that was hunting her plus the tattoos on her thighs, there was just a lot she had to figure out on her own before accepting Chibuye’s help.

They spent the rest of the evening lost in their own worlds, there was nothing more to talk about.

At almost 21, the sound of a car hooting at the gate woke Leila from her thoughts.

‘That’s my sister I’ve got to go’ she said.

She stood up, picked up her purse and shoes heading towards the door.

‘Leila.’

‘Huh,’ she turned.

‘My offer is still on I will be here if you change your mind.’

‘I doubt I will change my mind but thanks for trying to help,’ with that said she opened the door and walked out, he didn’t try to follow her.

‘Hey.’

‘Hey,’ she closed the car door and sat down.

‘So I had a great evening,’ Leila said excitedly.

‘Oh.’

‘How was your evening?’

‘Okay.’

‘Just okay?’ Jada enquired.

‘Just drive me home,’ tomorrow is a busy day.

‘Okay.’

Jada sensed something was wrong with sister but she didn’t ask her anymore questions.

When they got home, Leila went straight to bed.

*

‘Leila! Wake up, we are going to be late,’ Jade woke her up

She rolled over to check the time on her phone it was 6 in the morning.

‘Isn’t it too early,’ she yawned.

‘Lazy ass just wake up, if miss this appointment it will take months for us to make another one.’

‘Fine,’ she got up and walked to the bathroom.

‘Be quick in there,’ Jada said before she went to take a bath herself.

It was the morning they were finally going to visit Mama Zuka with the hope that she would give Leila a solution to her strange dreams.

Leila took a real quick shower and by the time it was 6 thirty, she was dressed in jeans and a T-shirt.

‘Are you ready?’ Jada poked her head into the room

‘Yes I am.’

‘Let’s hit the road then.’

She picked her phone and walked out of the room, Jada grabbed an apple and a bottle of water on her way out.

Leila got into the car and Jada started the engine, she was anxious and agitated, a part of her wanted her to be convinced that Mama Zuka could help her out while another part told her otherwise, she had read a lot of stories about fake traditional healers and she just prayed Mama Zuka was real.

‘Lighten up a little bit Leila,’ Jada said as if reading her mind.

‘What if she fails to give me the answers to the questions I have.’

‘Mama Zuka is a powerful woman Leila, she never fails.’

‘You sound so sure, has she ever helped you out with something?’

‘She has helped Bertha a lot of times and I have seen results.’

‘I see.’

‘So my friend Bertha was telling about some girl called Isabel who visited Mama Zuka last year. She wanted charms to tame her boyfriend unfortunately she didn’t follow the instructions mama Zuka gave her.’

‘So what happened to her?’

‘She ended up being arrested and she went blind too.’

‘Blind?’

‘Yes blind and in jail, so you need to pay attention to all the instructions she gives you.’

‘She sounds creepy.’

‘Don’t tell me you want to go back home,’ Jada laughed.

‘I would lie if I say that thought hasn’t crossed my mind.’

‘Sometimes I wonder if you are even my sister, be a little adventurous.’

‘I don’t want to die young.’

‘Suit yourself mother Theresa.’

When they finally arrived, they parked the car on the side of the road and walked to the house because the road was bad. They weren’t many houses around this place and Mama Zuka’s house seemed to the biggest house around.

They pushed past the gate and walked into the yard.

At the door they met a young lady who instructed them to take off their shoes and place a k100 as consultation fee on the table.

‘Welcome and please take a seat, mama will see you in a bit,’ she pointed to a stool.

They both anxiously sat down and waited.

Several minutes later, a well dressed young woman emerged from the house she put on her shoes quickly and left.

‘It’s your turn now,’ the girl they met earlier told them.

They stood up and she led them to a room at the far end of the corridor.

‘Knock whenever you are ready,’ she turned and left.

Jada was about to knock but Leila held her hand back.

‘What?’ Jada asked.

‘Do you think this is a good idea?’ she whispered, ‘we could still go back.’

‘Really now!’Jada rolled her eyes and she tapped on the door.

‘Come in.’

They pushed the door open and walked in, they smell of herbs instantly hit their noses. There was a traditional crafted mat in the middle of the room and at the far end was a table filled up with a collection of her medicines.

Mama Zuka looked really old and her skin was wrinkled, she was wearing a black silk dress with bells on her ankles.

Jada cleared her throat to make their presence known, Mama Zuka looked up at them- her eyes instantly found Leila’s eyes and locked.

All of a sudden there was a shift in the pressure of the room and the walls began to shake so much that it seemed they would break apart.

‘What’s happening,’ Jada asked,

But before anyone could respond, everything went back to normal.

‘Leila! Queen of the night, daughter of darkness,’ Mama Zuka exclaimed.

Then she fell on her face bowing to the ground while holding Leila’s feet.

‘Blessed are you among women! ‘You are the most beautiful woman on earth & your beauty surpasses all jewels upon this earth.’

Leila looked at Mama Zuma and felt confused, why was this woman bowing down to her in this manner.

‘What’s the meaning of this?’ Jada blurted out.

‘To what do I owe this visit my Queen?’ she looked up at Leila.

‘I think you have the wrong person, I am no queen I am just a simple person.’

‘You are not an ordinary person Leila, you are a Queen.’

Leila laughed, ‘Is this what you call powerful?’ she asked her sister.

‘I am as confused as you are,’ Jada shook her head.

‘Coming here was a big mistake, this woman is not normal, she has some lose screws. Let’s get out of here before I lose it.’

Leila turned to leave.

‘You have been having strange and weird dreams a man in a black hooded cloak has been monitoring your moves. You are 24 years old but still a V-rgin because your husband wants you to be pure on your wedding night,’ Mama Zuka said

‘How did you know all that?’ she asked, disbelief evident in her voice.

SILENT scre-mS

Sequence 15

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Written By: Ella

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‘I know more than you can ever imagine Leila, you are such a powerful force & in your presence I feel like my powers are worthless.’

‘Can you help us or not?’ Jada asked obliviously irritated.

Mama Zuka looked at Leila, ‘Please sit down.’

‘I hope all this is worth it,’ she sat down.

‘An unfortunate event occurred before you were born and that event led to your being appointed as queen, the man you are set to marry is not an ordinary man, he is a king. He is so powerful he could strike us all dead with a twinkle of an eye.’

‘Who is this man do you know where he lives perhaps?’ Jada asked.

Mama Zuka laughed, ‘Oh yes I know where he lives but it’s not my duty to tell you that, when the time is right, he will avail himself to you.’

‘You sound just like my parents, this is absurd.’

‘This is your fate Leila, it was sealed even before you were born, you were never your parent’s to begin with you have always been his. He has watched you since you were a little girl, he has been here each step of your journey.’

‘I have had enough of this nonsense.’

‘You may travel the world if you have to but no one will ever give you answers before it’s time, the best you can do is accept what has already been done so that you don’t put the lives of others in danger.’

‘What if she refuses to marry him? What if she runs away?’

‘You can run but you can’t hide from him, he is everywhere.’

‘He can’t be everything, he is not God,’ Jada said defensively.

‘In our kingdom, he is God and for the sake of your family you better not try anything silly because he will kill you all one by one. You are the ultimate sacrifice you are your family’s Messiah. You can’t get out of this one Leila.’

‘Lord I can’t do this anymore, coming here was a mistake in the first place,’ Leila stood up.’

‘You are right,’ Jada stood up too.

‘How much do we owe you for this little talk?’ she asked mockingly

‘I can’t make you pay my Queen.’

‘I am not a Queen please don’t call me that.’

‘The sooner you accept who you are the better for everyone else, besides the kingdom needs someone fresh, someone young like you.’

‘This is just bullshit you are just a lousy liar.’

She removed a few hundred kwacha notes from her purse and placed them on the table, ‘I think we have overstayed our welcome.’

‘May you live long my Queen,’ Mama Zuka exclaimed.

‘Mtchew,’ the sisters clicked their tongues in unison and left.

As they walked out of Mama Zuka’s compound Leila felt her heart shutter, Mama Zuka was her only hope at unveiling the truth but now she was more confused with everything Mama Zuka had said. Why would she be made queen of a kingdom she knew nothing about, who exactly was she getting married to and why had he chosen her in the first place.

On their way back home, both Leila and Jada were quiet, they were each lost in thought.

‘Chibuye asked me to elope with him,’ Leila finally broke the silence.

‘He did?’

‘Yes.’

‘And what did you say?’

‘I said no, I thought this Mama Zuka was going to help me.’

‘But what do you think about all she said.’

‘There is more to this than what mum and dad are saying.’

‘I think we need to confront mum.’

‘Mum is dad’s puppet I doubt she would tell us anything.’

‘We could try though.’

‘This is all so confusing Jada, the dreams I have been having, Owen’s death, the tattoo, my supposed marriage, I just feel these events are connected.’

‘Yes they are connected, but who will give us answers?’

‘I don’t know.’

‘Wait I have an idea.’

‘What?’ Leila asked almost immediately

‘We could go and visit one of these famous Prophets. I have heard a friend of mine from school talking about this powerful man of God.’

‘We don’t even pray Jada, how will this man of God help us.’

‘He performs miracles and he sees beyond what we see, I am sure he can help us.’

‘Where do we find him? At this point I am desperate to find answers.’

‘He is always comes to Chichi’s primary school every Friday, we can go there this Friday. The key is to go early and catch him before his haling service.’

‘Okay I am in.’

‘Great, I swear I will help you get help for you even if it means exchanging my life for you.’

‘When did you become this loving? As far as I am concerned you hated my guts.’

She laughed, ‘I have always loved you Leila, I was just a little Jealous about you and how cool and calm you are.’

‘Oh shut up, why should be jealous about me?’

‘Because you are my sister, the only best friend I will ever have.’

‘You are such a doll. I love you.

‘I love you more.’

*

Chibuye awoke to what sounded like someone was trying to open his bedroom door, he sat up abruptly and when he looked up, he saw a large man standing in the doorway he was wearing a black cloak with a really big hood.

Chibuye thought this man was a criminal and he was here to rob him.

‘Please don’t kill me, you can get anything you want but please spare my life,’ he begged in a shaky voice.

The stranger stared at Chibuye for what seemed like an eternity. His eyes were glowing a deep royal blazing red and they scared the hell out of Chibuye.

Finally he broke the silence, ‘She is mine,’ he said over and over

Trembling so badly Chibuye asked, ‘Who are you and who is yours?’

‘She is mine and you must stay away from her,’ he said this time yelling

‘Please stop scre-ming,’ he said shaking with fear.

‘If I wanted to kill I would have done that already,’ He laughed out really loudly, ‘Leave her alone and no harm will behalf you. You have been warned.’

‘You have been warned! You have been warned! You have been warned!’

The stranger scre-med as he walked towards Chibuye.

‘Spare my life please,’ Chibuye cried

The stranger raised his hand to slap Chibuye and just before his hand landed on Chibuye’s face, the wh0le world went black and he collapsed on his bed.