The Inner Gate – episode 9

THE INNER GATE
(Rising Bones)
Episode 9
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Written by Bright Daniel
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Captain Joe stopped on his way to slay Dave with his sward because of the noise he heard from outside; people began to run into their houses when a strange wind escalated. That was a sign of the return of Defity. Olivia became interested of whom she gonna take to the inner gate this time around.
Dave used that opportunity to escape with Rose through another exit of the house which could be found through his room.
“Get them!” Captain Joe ordered his men.
Without minding the presence of Defity coming like a tornado, the men ran outside in pursuit.
Dave ran with Rose in his hand as if they were not only running away from Joe but also from Defity herself because tradition demanded that no one should be seen outside at the coming of Defity otherwise carried by the tornado.
The strong wind kept blowing Rose’s hair and gown backward. She wasn’t a good runner which actually delayed the race. They looked back to see the men coming with full force while Difity as tornado from another angle.
“Come on, Rose!” Dave shouted before she hastened her pace.
Meanwhile, Olivia had seen them through a window running towards her house then decided to open the door for them.
“Come on, in!!” she shouted from the doorstep. Immediately they ran in,side the house, the tornado approached closer. It carried one of the men while others were able to dodge it by jumping into a nearby house through an open window.
After Olivia closed the door, she asked the two lovers, “What happened?”
Nana, the mother, sat on a chair with eyes close. Dave and Rose could see her mouth moving but nobody heard what she was saying. Therefore they assumed she was praying not to be taken by Defity.
“Joe tried to attack us” Dave replied.
“Why?”
“I don’t know” both directed their eyes to Rose as a way that shows: TALK!
“He wants to marry me. Captain Joe wants me to marry him but I refused” she finally talked looking at Dave to see his reaction. He didn’t say anything rather moved towards the window. Olivia did the same after staring at the young girl with a pitiful stare.
Rose wondered why they didn’t say anything about her statement which made her not to meet them at the window rather moved closer to Nana. She did not only sit beside her but also looked at her face fearfully.
The wind stopped as usual which indicated that the bones of Defity had risen and produced flesh. The next think everybody waited for was the cry or shout of somebody.
On the other hand, Olivia broke the silence at the window beside Dave saying, “She went towards the inner village”
“She will take no other person but Benjamin. I’m sure of that” Dave whispered. He looked back to see his eyes caught with Rose’s then he slowly averted them.
Olivia noticed it
“She has put you into trouble” she said very low not wanting the women behind to hear them especially Rose. Though they could hear their voices but didn’t hear their conversation. “Captain Joe won’t leave you alive especially if he discovers that both of you are in love” she added.
“I’m not afraid of him” Dave replied.
“But I guess you won’t allow anything to happen to her. Will you let her marry Joe?”
“I can’t stand that”
“Then what will you do?”
They both looked back at her. This time around, she rested her head on her thighs reflecting on how bold Dave spoke to Joe and his men. They averted their eyes from her at the same time.
“You must run away from the Village with her because after Defity leaves, Joe will start looking for both of you”
“What if Defity comes back next time and find us outside the walls of Jezra?”
“Before she comes back again, the pressure, anger and tension in the village will reduce” Olivia concluded.
Just then, they heard Benjamin’s voice shouting for help. That attracted Rose and Nana to the window to witness not only the departure of Defity but also who she’s departing with.
Olivia and Dave looked at each other without knowing what else to think. Would they say that Joe doesn’t have anything to do with Defity, or would they say that Joe betrayed Ben by assuring him that he would never be killed by Defity? They got confused.
Just then, the wind started again, they watched the tornado return back to the inner gate. After that, people began to come out from thèir hiding places to observe a minute of silence for the death of their own. Suddenly, Olivia and co. sighted Captain Joe and some men coming towards the house like hungry lions.
Olivia said to Dave, “Use the back door, run away with her to the mountains of Etha. I’ll will explain to the mother her way about. Also, don’t hesitate to tell me who next…” she paused so as not to reveal the young boy’s secret, but Rose was sharp enough to grab it.
 Nana didn’t understand.
Few seconds later, Joe bagged in once again to see only Olivia standing with her mother.
“Where are they?!” he shrieked.
“Who?” Olivia returned the question politely.
He moved closer to her then made his voice scary. “Don’t pretend as if they didn’t run in,side here. Pray I don’t see them here, coz if I do, your mother won’t see you again” he turned to the men and ordered them to search the house.
After doing as told, they didn’t see them.
“You’re lucky” Joe concluded and left the house. The search continued.
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Mountains of Etha could be found at a bit distant area from the walls of Jezra. Sun finally set, thus, bringing darkness.
Dave and Rose sat under a large rock that was attached to the mountains. She rested her head on his thighs trying to get a sleep while Dave rested his back on a rock.
“Dave?” Rose broke the silence from his thighs. “Why dis you choose to run away with me?”
“Which would you have prefered; to run away or to marry captain Joe?” he questioned the question.
“To run away..” she replied with a sudden pause. “What about you? Would you have let me marry him?” She asked.
“No” Dave replied as an afterthought. He understood that she was trying to get him say something, so he got ready for it.
“Why wouldn’t you let me marry him?” She indirectly threw a cat into his bag.
“Coz I love you, Rose” he let the cat out of the bag while Rose smiled on his thighs refusing to say any other thing. Dave held her hair and began to slide it gently.
After some moments, Rose said, “I love you too, Dave”
He also smiled.
The next morning, Dave woke up forcefully to the extent he nearly kick Rose out of his thighs. His heartbeat increased, while his temperature roase alongside with it.
Rose totally stood up. “What was that?” she asked.
“Nothing, just a bad dream” he also stood up. He never wanted to tell her the truth coz he actually saw the next to be killed by Defity in the land of Jezra and he couldn’t wait to tell Olivia. Also, he couldn’t believe the person he saw. “It can’t be” he said within himself.
“It’s another day, so what next?” Rose asked as she was packing her hair.
“We go back to the village” Dave replied.
“Not yet!” a voice came from a distance. They both looked up to see Olivia with a plate of food. Therefore, they smiled.
She went closer, presented the food to them and told Rose how she convinced her mother that she was in safe hands. Without opening the food, Dave dragged Olivia away from the hearing of Rose which got her not only jealous but upset too.
“What?” Olivia lowered her voice coz she had a clue what he was about to tell her.
“I’ve seen next to..”
“Who?” she interrupted.
“It’s Captain Joe”
Both remained quiet staring at each other. Suddenly, Olivia said, “This is a good news”
“No, it can’t be” Dave objected. “Have you forgotten we’re still suspecting him. He can’t just be the next to die”
“You predicted that of Ben..”
“I didn’t predict, I saw” he interrupted seriously.
“Fine, and it came to past. Now you’ve seen again, it shall come to past”
“I have a strange feeling about this one. Captain Joe cannot just die like that. I believe he has something with Defity, so she can’t just kill him like that”
“Well, let’s wait and see” Olivia concluded.
Days later, it was time for Dave and Rose to go back and face Joe coz they had no clue when Defity would return. On that day, Olivia was the one to come pick them and protect them. Therefore, as they were waiting, Rose asked Dave just beside a flower, “You seem to have something going with Olivia”
“What do you mean?” he asked.
“You normally have a close door conversation with her. What do you both normally talk about?”
“How to kill Defity before she kills us”
“You know that’s not possible. I have a feeling you’re hiding something from me”
They became quiet. Dave wanted to tell her his secret but the presence of Olivia who arrived put back those words into his mouth. So they began to go home.
At the gate of Jezra, captain Joe’s men apprehended them and took them to the residence of Joe including Olivia who decided to keep calm coz they had a plan…
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TO BE CONTINUED

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