Red Monkey

Tap. Tap. Tap.

The rhythmic sound of running water came from the bathroom. After a while, the sound of dripping water stopped before the door got pulled open.

From behind the door came a beautiful, dripping figure wrapped in a towel.

She had a shower cap on her head and stood on the green hello kitty foot mat while drying herself with a second towel.

A few seconds later, she stepped off the green foot mat and walked toward her bed.

Her room was wide and painted in a light grey colour. The leaf-patterned curtains were pulled close and the light the lit the room came from the lightbulbs at the corners.

Her bedroom's decor was simple, beautiful and organized. As every object in the room appeared to have its own designated space.

Sitting on the bed, she grabbed a few bottles from the side and began her daily routine.

Not long after, she was finished.

The shower cap on her head had been placed aside carefully while she walked to her closet and changed into a pair of white shorts and a white t-shirt.

When she was finished, she tidied up her room and walked out the door.

Passing the light-coloured walls, she walked down the staircase and reached her intended destination, the kitchen.

There she grabbed several snacks and drinks from the refrigerator, after which she strode to the living room with her long braids swishing side to side behind her.

Sitting on the sofa, she placed the items in her hands on the coffee table, then opened a bag of chips and a bottle of Fanta.

Placing one chip after the other into her mouth, she picked up the remote and switched on the TV before changing to the news channel.

While she waited for the familiar jingle to end, she opened another packet of biscuits and began to eat.

Separating the biscuits to reveal the buttery insides, she licked it clean before gobbling the entire thing, causing a sweet banana flavour to encircle her tongue.

It was three minutes past eight and the jingle was over.

She thus relaxed and waited for a bit.

Tejumole's house was large. It was big and spacious but didn't seem lonesome.

Instead, it gave off a homely feeling.

The living room decor was elegant and vibrant. It had a few potted plants placed in the corners of the room, and there was a hanging glass chandelier with a circular shape on the ceiling.

The walls were painted white and held a few abstract and surrealist paintings depicting unusual images.

Tejumole increased the TV volume when the reporter started speaking. She crossed her legs leisurely while listening to the news report.

"…. Here live at what seems to be another murder incident. In just a few hours, after the Obi supermarket tragedy, another horrifying incident has taken place in the outskirts of Meje town.

An investigation by the police is underway, and the number of victims has yet to be ascertained. However, the information gathered reveals that the victims were members of the popular terrorist group known as Erujeje.

This factory…"

With a straw in her mouth, Tejumole sipped the orange drink and played a game on her phone.

Just then, her ears perked up, and she raised her head when the reporter said something that caught her attention.

"With the investigation still ongoing, the intel reaching us now has revealed the total number of dead to be seven. Six of which have been identified as members of the Erujeje group thanks to the markings found on their skin.

The last corpse is yet to be identified and has being taken away for further forensic analysis.

The situation at hand does not appear to be a rivalry between gangs as, how these corpses were found point to the modus operandi of the popular vigilante dubbed, 'The Punisher' by the citizens."

The camera view changed to show several stretchers getting rolled out from the factory.

Accompanying them, were a few officers trying to stabilize the crowd.

The number of people here caused one to wonder if they had nothing else to do on a Sunday morning.

The female reporter saw a casually dressed man heading in her direction and stopped him for questioning.

"Excuse me, officer. What can you tell us about this situation?

With such a gruesome scene, do you think this is the work of the punisher?

What words can you give to the people who were victims of the Erujeje's tyranny just hours ago?

Is the police department going to do anything about the rising levels of insecurity in the city?"

Bombarded by questions, the dark-skinned man answered in a firm and unfazed manner.

"In response to your questions, I'll say that what happened in this factory is a thing of grief.

Although those men were evil and immoral, they should have faced the law for their crimes instead of being murdered in cold blood.

I want to offer my sincerest apologies to the victims of yesterday's shootings, and I pray that the good lord will heal your pains and help you find solace.

I also implore the citizens to have a little more patience with us. The police department is currently doing all it can to resolve the crisis in this city.

Rest assured that we shall find the perpetrator of this and every related incident and bring them to justice."

"Thank you, detective. However, there are speculations about this incident being related to the punisher.

Countless opinions have risen, but the majority of them seem to be supporting the actions of this anonymous vigilante.

The image of the punisher has risen to an unprecedented level in the past few years.

Don't you think the police would inquire the citizens' displeasure if you go against, and I quote, "the lord's messenger"?"

The reporter held the microphone close to detective Daniel's face.

He kept silent for a while before saying in a solemn tone;

"Hmm, despite the reasons a person might have, once they take a life, they would be forever branded with the mark of a murderer.

Their hands will be stained with blood and no cleaning soap will ever wash it off. The punisher's actions of taking justice into their hands do not make them a hero.

Instead, they are the same if not more dangerous than the "sinners" they castigate on their own accord.

Looking at the gruesome methods used by the punisher, we can conclude that they are a very dangerous and unstable person.

Who is to say that one day they wouldn't go after normal citizens?

It is wrong to condone the actions of such a cold-blooded killer and if there are people who agree with such methods, I can only say that they are no different from the criminals, who they condemn.

That will be all."

Ignoring the surrounding reporters, Detective Daniel turned and walked away in brisk steps.

Evidently, having other matters to tend to.

"And there you have it. With the officer's statement and the evidence gathered so far, it is safe to assume that the Punisher is responsible for the deaths of the members of the Erujeje terrorist group.

Are the Punisher's macabre actions against these malevolent fiends an act of enforcing justice, or are they just another insurgent assailant on the loose?

Hopefully, the days of living under the tyranny of these outlaws will come to an end and the streets shall once again be safe to tread.

This has been Eke Adaobi from LSA news…"

"She really went all out." Tejumole said in a relaxed tone.

She changed the channel to a kids station, then stood up and walked to her workout area at the end of the room.

This special area was a miniature gym for Tejumole where she had arranged a treadmill, an exercise bike, drum bells, kettle bells, an adjustable bench and a barbell set for her workout sessions.

"She was just a little more excited than usual. This level of enthusiasm is what this mission needs. If she were like you, sure, you'd complete the tasks before the time limit but, it wouldn't be any fun. You're always so serious, sheesh."

"Why should I waste time doing unimportant things when I can complete a task easily?"

She balanced herself on the treadmill, placing her feet on the frames before turning it on.

She then set the speed to one she was comfortable with and moved at an unhurried pace.

Gradually, she started to run as the machine got faster.

"Sigh…host, you should learn to have fun." The system said in a resigned tone, thinking that his host was more like a forty-year-old than a girl in her early twenties.

"How many points did I get from yesterday?" Tejumole changed the topic and questioned. She paid no heed to what Ranta had said.

"We've had a ripe harvest, host. The system has awarded you a total of nine hundred and twenty points for completing the side quest. In addition to your previous eight hundred points, you now have a total of one thousand seven hundred and twenty points. He-he, host, you've broken the bank this time."

"So much? Why is the system so generous? Normally, I would need to exhaust myself before getting even two hundred points. To award so many, what are you up to?"

Tejumole was very suspicious of the system's motives.

She wondered what bizarre things the system had planned.

It better not be another suicide mission.

"Ahem…host, you shouldn't jump to conclusions so quickly. And I'm just the S.A.I(Supreme artificial intelligence). How would I know what the higher-ups have in mind? Why not check for yourself? Maybe they were touched by your efforts and decided to reward you."

A pitch-black screen with sinister blood-red letters appeared midair in front of her eyes and Tejumole, who was now doing push-ups, diverted her attention to the words in front of her.

As luck would have it, she was down to the last of her exercises, so she sat cross-legged on the yoga mat while drinking water from a bottle.

Peculiarly, even after working out for half an hour, she still looked as pristine as prior.

If not for her slightly ragged breathing, one would not even think that she had just finished an intense workout session.

Next to her was a small, red monkey that had suddenly appeared from thin air.

It had black striped patterns on its body and was hovering above the ground in a cross-legged position, mimicking Tejumole who was drinking water in the same posture.