chapter fifty seven

Sucking in deep breath,I opened my eyes widely.

I was still in that hospital room,that wall I was studying in front of me. I felt cold air on the side of my sweaty face.

Panicking, I stood up and looked at where the air was coming from.

"Khair are you okay?" Uncle Haroon said in pure worry.

I slowly stepped backward as my eyes widened more.

"Ok I should probably call a doctor." He said and rushed out.

I touched my body for any pain or injury but found none. I pinned myself against the wall calling Allah's name in my mind cos my mouth was refusing to move.

"Miss! Miss! Pls come and sit." A nurse said coming close to me.

"Don't touch me." I said in fear.

"Ma'am I have...." The nurse tried explaining but I kept shouting 'don't touch me'.

"I will have to call the doctor." I heard the nurse telling the worried uncle Haroon.

I started moving myself to the door so that I could escape from whatever was happening but uncle Haroon rushed to me and held me forcefully.

Tears started steaming down my face as I continuously begged him to leave my life alone.

The doctor came in with an injection in his hand and injected the liquid in my arm. I let out a very loud scream before everything got blurred and suddenly dark.

.....

Maya's POV

"You have called me over twenty times and I already told you I'm on my way pls." I said in the phone through gritted teeth trying to keep my calm.

To be honest,I was still lying on my bed and I told her I was on my way.

Maybelle,that was her name. She was my only friend since I came to Las Vegas. She was the landlady of the small apartment I rented in and I got along with her cos she was full of vibes and fun.

I lazily got up and showered. I wore a casual T-shirt and a ripped jean. I put on a coat and applied my usual heavy make-up and wore my sneakers.

Giving myself a smile on the mirror, I took my bag and went out after locking my apartment.

"Gosh! How can it be this hot in autumn?!" I mumbled to myself annoyed.

Groaning, I walked back inside to keep my coat.

As I reached my doorstep,I heard my real name being called faintly. Based on the fact that I changed my name to Helen when I came to Las Vegas and that's what everyone there knew me with,I was surprised that someone knew my real identity here.

I turned around and saw no one.

I shrugged and kept my coat locking my apartment once again.

"MAYAA!" I voice shouted in my ears and I almost faint from how loud it was.

"Who the fu..." I started and turned around but no one was there.

Okay! What's happening?!

I heard "Zhhh....zhhh..zh" in both my ears and I have to cover them because of how disturbing the sound was.

"Maya!" A voice whispered. I got up frantically from my kneeling position and looked around.

I was still the only person standing in the apartment.

"What is that?! Who are you?" I yelled to no one.

Was I getting crazy?

"Maya listen to me!" The same voice said loudly and clearly.

"Wh...where are you?" I kept yelling.

"MAYA YOU CAN'T SEE ME!" The voice yelled back and I fall down and closed my ears which I was sure might be dripping with blood.

"Calm down and listen." Said the voice.

"Where are you?" I asked with shaky voice.

"I said you can't see me."

I,Sumayya Isah is crazy!

I started crying. My mental demons were messing with my mind.

"Oh Lord! Why are you acting like this? Calm down and listen to me for once." The voice sounded annoyed.

I covered my ears in pain and crawled back to my room.

"Maya listen to me. Maya!" The voice kept booming inside my ears.

I became terrified of my environment. I needed to get out of the house completely. What if it was a serial killer? God forbid! I wasn't ready to die before my time.

I picked up my backpack which already contained all the necessary things I will need and I rushed out of the apartment with a banging headache.

Calling a taxi,I got in and told him to drive me to the farthest hotel in the city.

Upon getting to the hotel,I paid the taxi man his money and entered the hotel.

"Welcome to luxury world hotel." The receptionist wearing a smile said.

"Thank you. Pls I would like you to....LEAVE ME ALONE!" I suddenly shouted covering my ears after hearing the invisible man's voice in my ears.

He was here again? The hell?

The receptionist looked at me as if I was out of my senses which I really was.

"Huh..I'm sorry. I'm just tired and...Ughhh." I tried to apologize.

"No problem." The receptionist said,her smile returning to her face once again.

In less than 10 minutes,I booked a simple room for 3 nights.

"Finally. So hear me out." The same voice spoke making me almost jump out of my skin.

I looked around in fear.

"Who...what are you? Who are you?" I asked shivering.

The only guess I got up in my head was that,it was demons,strong demons that was following me and I needed immediate deliverance.

"You're in danger Maya. Who I am should not matter for now. Just listen to me." The voice said.

"Where are you then?"

"It all doesn't matter. Just listen. So you know...." I didn't allow the voice to finish it sentence before I covered my ears and started shouting 'I don't want to listen'

"Damn you Maya. I mean no harm."

"I don't want to hear. I don't want to hear." I shouted and thrashed my body all around.

"MAYA!" The voice shouted and felt my heartbeat palpitate. I heard buzzing sounds in my ears and just for me to remove my palms from my ears,I saw fresh blood covering my palms.

Panicking,I went to the front of the mirror and looked at my ear.

It was indeed bringing out blood.

At that sight,I started feeling dizzy and I staggered back to the bed.

"Who.. Are you?" I said with much difficulty.

My vision was already getting blurred.

"Since you insist,then I will tell you."

" " I didn't say anything.

"I'm Smith. Smith Gaulten. Happy?"

"Sm..Smith?! How?!" I was shocked.

"Nice to speak to you again partner in crime."

"WTF!" I cursed and held my spinning head.

"God!" I called and collapsed on the bed unconscious.

.....

Khair's POV

Words can't express how happy I was to go back home.

I was finally getting discharged.

"Hello!" I said as I picked up uncle Haroon's ringing phone.

"Khair, how are you? Are you at home already?" Habiba's voice said.

"Not yet. I need to go to the optician to get my glasses and uncle Haroon is with the doctor. In an hour or so,we will leave the hospital." I explained.

"Alhamdulillah. I can't wait to see you." She said and squealed. I smile and hung up after saying goodbyes.

"Who were you talking to?" Uncle Haroon said appearing at my front.

"To Habiba. Who else?" I rolled my eyes.

"This girl,you have exceptionally been so rude since when you came into this hospital. Is it because you know I can't murder you in the hospital?" He frowned.

"See this one. Come and give it a try. Remove my head if you want." I said and crossed my hands on my chest proudly.

"I won't remove your head here cos if I do, the doctors can easily glue the head back to your neck."

"You're so ridiculous. Let's go and get my glasses joor." I said pulling his hand and leading him to the optician.

"Ahmad here you are. We are heading to the optician now." I said as I saw Ahmad entering the main hospital.

He nodded and followed us. We went to the optician together and after some minutes,I got my glasses which was so beautiful that I could wear them everyday.

"Uncle Haroon is going to stay with me and I'm going to drop you off at your house." Ahmad announced and I frowned.

"I don't want to go back to that house. It will be lonely and scary. I want to stay with both of you." I said sincerely.

"What are you scared of? See this child." Uncle Haroon said eyeing me.

"I know why you might be scared but don't worry. She is not even in San Fransisco again and the cops are going to arrest her very soon." Ahmad,the only person who understood me and know how to say calming words said. Uncle Haroon too understood me but he will rarely say soothing words to me.

"There's not free space in our apartment I would have let you have there and beside,everyone there are all males." He added.

"OK." I sighed.

"Who is that I'm seeing like..." I started and trailed off.

"What? Who?" Asked Ahmad.

"Like Habiba." I said squinting my eyes to get a better look.

"Where?" Ahmad asked.

"There." I pointed at the place.

"There isn't any Habiba there. We need to change your glasses cos it is not working. Its making you see what you are not suppose to see." Remarked uncle Haroon.

"Khair!" A figure yelled from afar.

"Habiba?" Uncle Haroon asked himself in a whisper but I heard him.

"OMG Khair!" Habiba yelled and started running towards me.

"Habibaaaaa"

"Khaaiirrrrr"

We squealed like excited mice as we hugged ourselves spinning around.

"Girls!" Uncle Haroon scoffed.

"Oh my God Khair. How are you? Its been quite a while." Habiba grinned.

"We talked....like an hour ago." I said.

"I know but physically,it has been so long."

"How did you come here? Why did you come here?" I questioned.

"I..." Habiba started but uncle Haroon interrupted by faking a cough.

"Ahmad, since we have become invisible, let's carry our invisibility and go." Uncle Haroon said loudly and I laughed.

"You just need attention, I know from the start." I sang

"Habibiiii." Habiba squealed again and ran to uncle Haroon and gave him a tight hug.

I gasped.

"Isn't it okay like that?" I frowned at how they refused to leave each other.

Wasn't uncle Haroon the same person who glared,shouted and preached to me just for holding hands with Ahmad? And now,there he was, hugging his girl tightly.

"Well done lover donkeys." I praised as they finished hugging.

"I will slap your mouth Khair." Uncle Haroon said glaring at me.

I kept quiet for the moment but I won't keep quiet forever. If I let the matter go, then let me die.

"Khair." Habiba said as she slide her hand from uncle Haroon's hand.

"What?" I said without a smile.

"What happen?"

"You and Uncle Haroon. How comes I didn't know. I know actually but why didn't you tell me?"

"I was about to." She whined.

"I was about to." I mimicked.

"OK seriously I told Maya. And talking about Maya, where is she?" Habiba looked around and my face paled.

"Huh..hmm..." I stuttered

"Habiba let's go. I will tell you everything in details." Uncle Haroon came to my rescue.

Habiba looked as confused as a little fish in the sea but she still followed uncle Haroon and kept mute.

We all entered Ahmad's car and drove to my house.

"Now you guys are really leaving me alone? Even you Habiba?" I said in hurt as I looked at each of them.

"I have a flight to catch today. In the next hour to be precise." Habiba said.

"And it is not like we are leaving you alone. We will come here after every hour." Ahmad tried to convince.

"OK. Whatever." I frowned.

I kept quiet as the three of them engaged themselves in random conversation.

"But why can't uncle Haroon stay with Yakub?" I suddenly asked. Yakub was the guy uncle Haroon came with.

"You mean Ismail? Ismail Yakub?" Uncle Haroon corrected.

"Same thing." I shrugged.

"I told you he has left already. Since two days ago."

"Oh." My shoulder slumped.

"I need to get going." Ahmad announced

"Let's go. I need a long rest and a long shower." Uncle Haroon said getting up from the chair.

"Habiba why are you still sitting?" Asked uncle Haroon.

"Uhhh.. To gist with Khair obviously" She answered.

"You come with us. I have things to tell you."

"But..."

"Let's just go. We will come back to Nigeria this week too. Maybe after three days and you will gist with her all day long."

"OK. Khair take care. Bye."

Anddd they were gone.

I was home alone.

What was I suppose to do now?

Eat of course!

I suddenly remembered that I have food to eat.

Dragging myself to the kitchen,I grabbed a spoon and walked back to the parlour. I dug in the food Ahmad bought for me immediately. I didn't stop until I finished everything.

I took my medicine and sat on the floor trying not to think about my life until sleep took me away.

.....

'Knock!' 'Knock!'

I groaned and woke up.

"Who is there?" I shouted but I got no answer.

I hissed and stood up from the floor and went to the Parlour's door. I opened it but no one was there.

'Knock!' 'Knock!' 'Knock!'

I followed the sound and it lead me to my bedroom.

Okay!

What was going on?

"Who is there?" I asked cautiously but I got no answer. I waited for a while but I heard nothing. No reply,no knocking.

I was just imagining things. I was the only one in the house and no one is there to knock the bedroom's door. And besides,I have never heard of someone knocking the bedroom's door from inside.

After giving myself assurance that no one was here and it was my brain messing with me,I released a breath of relief and turned the doorknob slowly.

"Hello Khair!" A figure with a large smile on her face waved at me.

My eyes widened as I staggered backward and fall down hard on the floor.

"Long time no see." The figure added.

"Innalillahi wa inna ilaihi rajiun." That's what I kept chanting.

"Ma....ma...Maya?" I asked myself unsure.

"That's my name baby." Maya beamed.

"How?" I whispered shivering.

"I also don't know but all I know is that I came here to complete my unfinished business." Maya announced and in the next second,she pulled out a giant axe and aimed it at me.

My numb brain registered what was about to happen so I sprinted out of the house with the fastest speed I got.

I didn't look back and I kept running. I had no idea about where I was heading to but I just kept running.

After what I calculated as five minutes,I stopped running to catch my breath. I looked around and I was the only one in the surrounding.

"Where am I going to now?" I asked myself in laboured breath.

"God! My phone.!" I groaned.

I started running back to where I came from. Not to my house tho,not when a psychotic patient was in there.

I stopped at my neighbour's house. I knocked and kept looking around.

"Hey Khair." A lady walked outside.

"Hi Jenny, can I please borrow your phone to make a quick call pls? Its really urgent." I went straight to the point.

"Sure. Come in." She said opening the door for me.

"I will stand here. Thank you tho." I smiled and she also smiled nodding.

"Oh..Jenny." I called before she closed her door. She turned and looked at me.

"Water pls." I requested when I remembered how dried my throat was.

She looked at me,to my house that was just two minutes walk from hers and looked at me again weirdly.

I knew she must be thinking why I couldn't go to my house and drink water.

"O..OK." She said in an unsure voice.

Girl,you won't understand.

She came back a minute later with a bottle of water and a phone.

I drank the water in two gulps and collected her phone. I put in Ahmad's number and dialled it.

"Alhamdulillah." I whispered as he picked the call.

"Hello Ahmad. It's me Khair." I said urgently.

"Khair. Is everything okay?" He asked over the phone.

"Nothing is okay."

"Maya is here." I whispered.

"What?! How? Where are you now?" He asked worriedly.

"At my neighbour's. Maya is inside the house." I kept whispering.

"You're wrong. I'm here." I heard a voice behind me and I turned to the direction frantically.

Maya was standing just three feet away from me with that freaky axe in her hands.

"Oh my God she's here. Ahmad pls come now." I started crying.

"I will kill you before he comes." She smirked and charged towards me raising the axe high up in the air.

I was glued to my spot due to shock. I just widened my eyes as my heart was trying to leave my ribcage.

Before the axe reach my head,I already fainted or maybe died.

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