Chapter 89: A Difficult Decision
1561words
When the sun starts to come inside from the hut's simple window, Eki does not stop thinking. These days, what happens changes all things. Kunle is not just my friend; he has now become my helper and protector. Yet, she still holds a bit of doubt. The secret codes, the hidden society - it all felt like a game with parts that didn't fit.
Then, there was Dapo. She was her artistic partner, a friend in creation. They had helped in building what she aimed for. Their bond was not as strong since the party night. Trust, which was their previous main bond, became delicate.
Eki stood up and walked away. The beach was glowing with the morning light, gentle waves softly touching the sand, looking peaceful compared to her thoughts inside. She took a deep breath, trying to clear her head.
When she came back to the hut, Kunle was still awake. He sat near the door, looking very worried.
"You okay?" he asked.
Eki nodded, forcing a smile. "Just thinking."
"About last night?"
She hesitated. "Yeah, about last night. And about everything else."
Kunle gently came nearer and held her hand. "I understand, maybe you feel it difficult to accept everything at once," he said. "But we will work on this together."
Eki held his hand tighter. She wanted so much to trust him, but a small part of her still felt careful.
At last, they decided to go back to Lagos when the day was ending. What used to be a calm fishing village now looked like a prison for them. When driving back, Eki had many thoughts in her mind that were like a stormy sea with big waves. She thought about Kunle and Dapo and what might happen to all of them in the future.
When I arrived at Eki's flat, I felt very strange. Things that were always normal now seemed different and unfamiliar to me. I missed the untidiness of my studio and the lively disorder of my creative projects.
At Eki's flat, when we got there, I felt a weird sense of being disconnected from everything. Ordinary things looked unusual to me. I missed the mess in my studio and the excitement of making things. But thinking about seeing Dapo made her very scared.
The next day, Eki made a plan and went to Dapo's studio. She knocked on the door, her heart beating very fast. Dapo opened the door but his face did not display any emotion.
"Eki," he said, his voice flat.
Eki came inside, feeling a little bit uneasy. The studio had many unfinished paintings - showing there was once much activity between them.
"We need to talk," she said, her voice trembling slightly.
Dapo nodded, his eyes fixed on her. "I know."
They stood there in silence, the tension between them palpable.
"I'm sorry about everything," Eki finally said. "I messed up."
Dapo looked at her, his expression unreadable. "We both did," he replied.
Eki's heart felt a little heavy. She understood that she had caused pain to Dapo, and this made her feel regretful. However, Eki also noticed that something was not there in their working together—a spark which used to light up their creativity.
"I believe we should have a pause," she expressed, almost inaudibly.
Dapo's eyes widened. "A break?"
Eki nodded. "To clear our heads, to find ourselves again."
Dapo looked away, his jaw clenched. "Okay," he said finally.
Eki left Dapo's studio feeling comfort but also sadness. For her, making the decision was not easy, but she understood it was the correct one.
As she walked down the street, her phone rang. It was Kunle.
"Hey," he said, his voice filled with concern. "How'd it go?"
Eki hesitated. "It didn't go well."
"I'm sorry," Kunle said. "I'm here for you, you know."
Eki smiled. "I know."
After the call ended, she raised her eyes to the sky. The sun was setting and it made every part of the city appear golden. She felt both uncertainty and hope. The coming days were not clear, but she got ready to face them all.
But, when she began to exit the park, something Eki saw made her feel very frightened. Across the street stood a person in a cloak who was staring directly at Eki - this was the same person who had rescued her from that monster earlier. Their eyes locked and it caused a chill to run down Eki's back.
Eki's heart was beating very fast. The person who had saved her and Kunle from the monster, now dressed in a cloak, looked directly at her. She feels a chill of fear go through her. What did they want? Why were they following her?
There are many ideas in her mind, thinking about what she will do next. She cannot stay here; escape is needed soon. Eki did not take long and started moving fast, looking straight in front of her eyes. She wished the person would not see how she responded.
She started to run faster, and while she did this, she looked back. The figure stayed there without moving - its shape outlined against the fading light of day. She felt very scared and started running even quicker. She needed to return to her apartment, back to Kunle.
Finally, she reached her building, breathing very fast and trying hard to make her breaths slower. Her hands were shaking as she fumbled around searching for the keys awkwardly. After she found the keys and put one into the door lock, she looked back at the street again. The figure is not there anymore.
She felt relaxed, but not for a long time. The uneasiness remained within her. She felt like someone was watching her, but she could not understand why.
She walked in and saw Kunle, who was sitting on the couch reading a book. When he noticed her, he lifted his head with a worried expression.
'Everything okay?" he asked.
Eki nodded, trying to mask her fear. 'Yeah, just a long day."
Kunle set down the book and stood up. 'Want to talk about it?"
Eki was in a tough spot. She didn't desire to cause him anxiety. At the same time, she knew it was not possible to keep hiding this anymore.
'I think someone's following me," she said, her voice barely a whisper.
Kunle's face turned serious. 'What do you mean?"
Eki talked about what she saw outside Dapo's studio. She described some parts of her experience, like how it was rescued, and mentioned that this same figure was also there at that time.
Kunle was listening with very strong attention, his face becoming more serious each time Eki said something. When Eki stopped talking, Kunle stood up and started moving around the room.
'We need to be careful," he said, his voice low. 'This is serious."
"I understand," Eki replied with a voice that trembled. "I do not know what they want too, but I am also feeling very scared."
Kunle held her hand. "I'm present," he said with resolution in his voice. "We will unravel this puzzle as a team."
When she is resting and holding Kunle's hand, she feels a strong sense of steadiness. The trust he gives her is very big; it makes me feel powerful also. Yet the fight continues - it was always there and bothersome.
As we try to be more calm, suddenly the apartment door breaks open with a loud noise. Two people come in very fast, holding guns pointed at us and their faces covered by masks.
Eki and Kunle became like statues. Their eyes were very big from fear. They start to move quickly, each action looking sharp and dangerous. Kunle jumps first, but one bad guy shoots a bullet that flies very close to his head. Eki quickly bent down low, her heart thumping loudly in her chest.
'Don't move!" one of the intruders shouted, their voice distorted by the mask.
The people who entered without asking now walked to them, still aiming their guns. Eki and Kunle exchanged looks with fear in their eyes. They had no way out - it was a question of survival.
Just as one of the not-welcome persons was coming near to Eki, suddenly a bright light flashed and they vanished. The apartment became dark after that. In this quiet, first, there was the noise of a gunshot and then followed by someone's scream.
Eki and Kunle looked at each other with confusion. They sensed the presence of these strange people close by, but their voices were soft in the stillness of the night.
'Stay here," Kunle whispered, his voice barely audible.
He walked slowly, going to the spot where he heard a sound. His fingers came very close to touching some pieces of broken glass on a table near him. Eki strained her ears, sensing her heart thumping in them.
A voice spoke from the dark, a voice that made her feel cold inside.
'It's over, Eki."
