Chapter 14

Ofori stood in the dark side of the cave silently watching Mayra and Owusu as they walked away until they both vanished from his sight.

Deep into the cave, a rat moved all around sniffing the ground. As the rat moved, it reached where Osei was lying on the ground unconsciously. There was an open wound on his forehead where the rat started licking the wound.

Osei due to the irritation on his head he slowly open his eyes walking out of his unconscious state. After fully opening his eyes he realize something was eating his fore head where moved his hand to the wound that scared the rat away. He then pulled back his hand to his sight where he noticed it was bloody.

Osei weakly sat upright grunting and gently holding the back of his head due to pain. After the heavy hit, he still suffered headache. After some moment of sitting on the ground and gained some energy to do escape. The darkness that was around him was scary and he could not stay there for another minuet. He raised from the ground wanting to walk away where he found his leg chained.

Immediately he started trying to pulling the chain to break it but the chain were too strong for him. After some time of struggling to break the chain, Osei gave up where he sat down on the ground helpless not knowing what to do.

To where he sat on the ground, he noticed a rock that was beside him. He took it and immediately he started hitting the chain to break. The chain was built by strong metals it was impossible for an ordinary man to break it with hits from a rock. After some time of continuous hits, he accidentally hit his leg so hard that he got angry because of the pain and having no chances to break out and threw the rock away.

With faith of a young child when his thrown up to air laughing expecting to be, hold back. He started trying to squeeze his leg out of the chain having faith that he will escape from the place at the end of the day though it was also impossible. He finally gave up to escape from the dark place where he had no clue who brought him there and his motive by letting go of the chain and grouted. Osei due to the disappointment he fell flat on the ground. Not knowing what to do next, he prayed under his breath, “God please help me out of this.”

Suddenly Osei stood and followed the chain to wear it tied to. He slowly walked following the chain until to where it was fixed in to a gigantic rock. As he was gazing at the rock thinking how to escape, he heard a movement to his right side. He was sure that was the kidnapper.

He shouted, “Who is there?” the response that he got was quick movement behind him. He quickly turns only to find flaming torch lighted to him to give visibility to him. Slowly he walked to the flaming torch where immediately he took it he noticed human skulls where all over the floor, he got horrified and started turning all around.

Then he heard another movement where Osei shouted, “Ofori I know that’s you.” In the riverbed he had a view of who was the man but he was not sure of what he saw but stand with it strong. The response he got was an apple thrown to him. Osei took the apple looked at it closely then responded, “How will I know that you haven’t poisoned it.”

From his back, a deep voice responded, “Coz I still remember you.” Osei quickly turned back to see the person who responded only to find the guy vanished. He shouted again, “Ofori!” where he did not heard no response. He sat on the ground and said to himself, “Its ok if I die am a betrayer I deserve that,” then he ate the apple.

Back in the village, all the villagers gathered around the community podium chattering. On top of the podium, the clans of elders were sitting facing the villagers except Chief Ashanti. Suddenly Owusu the father of Osei stood walked to the edge of the podium still as the people were chattering.

Owusu as many people before addressing the public he first cleared his throat then shouted, ‘Hello the people of the Akan community.” One of the villagers disrupted him by shouted, “Where is Chief Ashanti?” He responded by facing back to the other clan of elders where they silently faced him waiting for him to give a convincing answer.

Owusu then faced in front were still the villagers were chattering not pay attention to him. Owusu assumed the reaction and continued with his speech, “Two of our guards were attached yesterday with a wild beast the family of the deceased will come for the bodies in my home. Also one of our brave guards Osei my son went missing yesterday where we have not a clear idea of where he is.”

Suddenly one of the villagers shouted, “Where is the beast now?” Owusu immediately went out of words where the same man shouted again, “Is the community safe for us now if the beast is still walking.”

Behind Owusu, Chief Ashanti appeared where he responded in confidence as a true leader, ‘Some of our best men are on the search of the beast.” Owusu shocked he turned back to faced Chief Ashanti where he silently moved back to give Chief Ashanti way. Chief Ashanti walked forth and added, “And yes the community is safe to stay. The meeting is over.”

Immediately the villagers walked away in confidence of what their chief said to them. Chief Ashanti angrily turned to Owusu who was behind him and said, “You thought I count know about this meeting.” He was the only person who that the chief counted and trusted the most because of his slow and sure moves. Owusu responded,

“Am sorry for that.”

“Or you wanted to overthrow the system.”

“No, no it was not about that.”

Chief Ashanti due to negative environment he turned to face the other clan of elders where they reacted by standing one by one to walk away. Before they walked out of the podium, Chief Ashanti shouted to them, “Where are you going.” Immediately the elders paused to face Chief Ashanti.

Chief Ashanti then added, “Did you all planned for this?” Owusu responded, “No I was the one who arranged this.”

Chief Ashanti pissed of he walked away leaving everybody hanging where Owusu shouted, “We have a problem.” Chief Ashanti caught up with the words he paused and Owusu added, “The thing that killed our men is not a wild beast is something else that we have never seen.” Chief Ashanti paused for some second after the words loading what to say then walked away assuming the words.

Akyaa was among the crowd that was moving from the community gathering. As she walked, she noticed Mayra at a distance seated on a rock drawing. Akyaa with no hesitation she walked to Mayra and stopped beside her.

Mayra faced Akyaa who was standing beside her for some moment then drew her attention back to her drawing while asking,

“What do you want?”

“Because you went with them what did you saw?”

“We found two dead guards no traces of Osei just the way Owusu has said,” and Mayra continued drawing her book. Akyaa peeped to what Mayra was drawing and asked, “What new have you saw today?” still as Mayra was still drawing she responded,

“Nothing important.”

“Mayra I know our leaders I know Owusu is hiding something.”

Mayra flipped the pages of her book to the drawing that she drew from the cave showed it to Akyaa and ask, “Is this drawing familiar to you?” Akyaa for some moment she faced the drawing where she had no clue of the drawing, she silently nodded. Mayra closed her book and said, “When I get answers about this you will be the first to know.” Then Mayra stood and said, “I have to go somewhere,” then she left away.

It was late in the evening Ama was standing under a tree looking at people as they were passing by. She was directly facing a specific home. Suddenly a man walked out of the home that she was facing. With a clear way, she sprung to the man’s back held the man’s neck, and placed a dagger to the man’s neck. Osei talked in private previously to that same man.

Then Ama as she was holding the man tightly she said,

“Where is he?”

“Who are you asking about?”

“Osei!”

“I don’t know where he is.”

“You think I don’t know you were the last person to talk to yesterday.”

“Yes he was with me but later he left.”

Then suddenly a woman passed them facing Ama and the man curiously. Ama to play cool before the eyes of the community she quickly move back silently to raise no suspension. After the woman walked away, she faced the man and said, “If it’s you I will be the one killing you,” then she left away.

Deep into the cave, Osei lonely sat on the ground looking at the flaming torch while saying, “Ofori I know you it’s you but I cannot believe this because I saw you with my two eyes as you were hanged until you died.”

Then Osei picked a rock where he threw it into darkness and continued saying, “I know I have done many awful things mostly on you and I deserve to die. But if you kill me today just know that I am sorry for what I did to you. The day we all saw you died I have never stop regretting what I did and all I want is just give me a chance to live and I promise I will pay for all my crimes.”

After the words, Ofori moved slowly closer to Osei and made himself visible him. Osei astonished he slowly stood off the ground to have a clear look at Ofori. He could not believe his eyes and he was a witness to Ofori’s death. Ofori stood before him silent where he apologized, “Am sorry but please spear my life. This will be a secret between us two.” After the words, Osei knelt and closed his eyes where he heard a large bang beside him. Opening his eyes he found the chain tied to his leg was broken and Ofori had vanished.