SHADOW TWELVE

A tear dropped from her eyes as she exited the room, feeling the watchful gaze of her mother linger on her retreating figure, and she hurriedly wiped it, the same way she wanted to wipe the fact that her mother may be the same as Sister Gabriel. Beside her, Father Chibuike was humming a song, a graceful smile stretched on his lips as he greeted the women and waved at the girls who had hidden at the corner to watch. She heard a woman said in Bini, "So the man will not pass this feminine beauty to anybody?" And Ivie wondered what Father Chibuike would respond with if he had understood the language. Maybe bask in the glory of being praised, or he would rebuff, that immodest rebuffing of something you knew was true, so that the other person could sing your praises the more. She told him what the woman had said when they got into the car, and Father Chibuike laughed and said, "But is it quite correct, feminine beauty? I'm a man."

"But your features are feminine."

"Describe a masculine feature for me then"

"Bulging biceps, tall and sturdy, beards and rough face, afro or bald head," Ivie explained, demonstrating with her hands. "But you have smooth chin and a baby face, your fingers are long and slender, your body is lean with no bulging biceps, just like a girl."

Father Chibuike laughed, one of his hand was controlling the steering, the other cleaning the tears from his eyes. "At least I'm tall."

"Well, some girls are tall."

"Should we talk about what happened at your place, or do you still need some time to digest it?" Father Chibuike removed the gaze from the road to look at her.

She shrugged.

"I didn't see her pass through the door, I didn't hear her either," he continued.

"I know."

"Ivie, you know you are a strong girl right?"

"What does strength have to do with knowing your mother is a witch?"

"A lot of things dear, you're not shoving a finger to her face and accusing her, it takes strength to not do that. Now we know that both your mother and Gabriella are involved. I need to speak to Itohan, infact with the others, Gaga has limited time, we need to find out what they are and what they want."

"Are you going to tell the Bishop?" Ivie asked him.

He shook his head. "The lesser the people who knows, the better for us."

Ivie nodded and when she got back to the chapel house, he told the others what had happened, told them about her and why she came to the house. Aisosa's eyes shone in disbelief. "I used to think Itohan was making it up, but to hear it from you too, God, I'm so scared."

"What do we do now," Paul asked.

"Father Chibuike says he need to speak to all of you first."

"With tht crazy woman around, do you think it's possible?" Simone said.

"I don't know, God will make a way."

A woman sat atop a man, her legs astride as she wobbled on him, her slickness smeared over his length that went in and out of her. He held her waist and moved at his own rhythm, thrusting so deeply so that she swallowed him whole. She clutched the bedsheets in pleasure, her eyes closed, and moaned. He grunted, his movement faster. Then he flipped her over and changed positions, so that he would be on top. Inside her, his length spurted out seeds, and she relished in the warmth of him, both of them moaning in orgasm. He fell off, lying beside her on the bed, their bodies soaked with sweats, panting. When their breaths calmed, the man placed his arm around his partner's waist, to have it flung away.

"Why are you angry?" He asked.

"Why wouldn't I be? She's growing suspicious. And, I thought you said you could stall him for a little longer?"

"Whether she's growing suspicious, or whether he's around, our plan is still going to work." He reassured.

"There's something called doing things quietly, and that's what I want to do." She stood up from the bed and grabbed her robe.

"Where are you going?" The man asked her.

"We have a meeting this night or have you forgotten?"

Grunting, he replied, "I was hoping we'll go again. Just once?"

The woman flicked her hand, and the mirror was thrown at him, but he jumped out of the bed just in time.

"Fuck the mirror." Then she took her broom and flew through the window.

Ivie did not know when she fell asleep that night, but when she opened her eyes she knew she was not in church. The land was vast, filled with sand, and devoid of any other person. Turning around, what surrounded her were tall palm trees. "HELP!" She shrieked, bringing her hand to cover her mouth, and heard the echoing of her voice from distant away. She started walking, going from trees to trees and marking X to the ones she had passed. She walked for a long time before realizing she was going in circles, all the trees had X on them.

She heard the rumbling of something that sounded like thunder, so she looked up. But what greeted her instead was the shadow descending on her. She started running. She dodged the trees as she ran, and she regretted all those unresolved plans of exercising, if she had known such a day would come, she would have worked on her cardiovascular endurance. She felt her heart drumming against her chest as the breeze whooshed passed her. She looked back to see the shadow on its heel, and didn't look front fast enough that she crashed into a tree with a force that repelled her to her bottom. She rubbed her forehead as her eyes glistened with unshed tears. The rumbling of the shadow got her alerted, and she wobbled back on her feet. The shadow wavered in front of her, and she watched, with wide eyes how it transformed into the Sister Gabriel figure. Or Sister Gabriel herself?

She tried her luck and called her name, "Sister Gabriel?" The figure opened her mouth, and black smoke emerged from it, so fast that Ivie did not see it, and it sent her smashing against one of the trees. She groaned as she clutched her shoulder.

The figure started waving her hand, swinging it this way and that way, and the sand rose to form a volcano, the wind supporting it. Ivie had never seen anything like that, but she smart enough to hide behind one of the trees before it engulfed her. Then the tree she was hiding on started shaking, the leaves rustling above, Ivie took a step back. The Sister Gabriel's figure was floating on air, and was still waving her hand. The bark of the tree was coming off, hot red liquid seeping from it. Ivie screamed when the liquid touched her skin and her flesh peeled off. One of the tree uprooted, and fell in front of her, and before she could dodge, the liquid spurted out. Luckily, it touched her dress, and it burnt. She coughed as she inhaled the smoke, the burning pieces of her dress falling on her, she screamed again, tears rolling down her cheeks. She looked up at the figure but her sight was obstructed by falling spikes. One sliced through her shoulder and she cursed. The figure opened her mouth, and darkness came out. Ivie began saying Our Father, bruised and wounded, she murmured the prayer as she ran.

On the bed in the living world, Ivie was jerking. Simon and Paul who Aisosa had gone to call when she first witnessed the movement, held her down. Her body was soaked in sweat and blood.

"Should I call Sister Gabriel?" Aisosa asked, scared.

"I'm sure Ivie wouldn't want that." Simon coughed when her movement gave him a painful nudge in his stomach. "Bring the Bible," he said. "Bring your chaplets!" He shouted over the creaking sound the bed made as Ivie's jerking got worse. She rolled off the bed, and Simon who now had the chaplet placed it on her chest. "Let's pray, let's tell God to take this evil away." He said and the murmured voices of different prayers filled the room, the boys still holding her down.

Then the jerking stopped, and Ivie who had now returned, opened her eyes. Her head ached and she wanted to touch it, but realized she didn't have the strength to lift her hand.

"Are you okay?" Simon asked, and that was the last thing she heard before she saw darkness.

"She passed out," Paul said.

"Oh no, this is not good," Itohan said. "What if Sister Gabriel comes?" At the mention of Sister Gabriel, they heard distant footsteps, that became more audible with time, approaching them. Simon looked around the room, and when his eyes locked on the bath door, he said, "Fast, bring the duvets that has blood in it", and together they dragged Ivie to the bathroom. After they closed the bath door, with Ivie secured inside, they all looked at each other, silently asking what to do next, then Paul started a song, a well known gospel song, and the others followed before Itohan took the lead.

"What are you doing?" Sister Gabriel asked when she opened the door and saw them holding hands, eyes closed and mouth moving, her own breaths uneven.

They stopped, and Simon responded, "We decided to do a midnight prayer." But they all knew from Sister Gabriel's facial expression, that she did not believe them.

"And you did not bother to tell me about it?"

"It's for our repentance, so we'll stay away from sin and not have our parents bring us here again." Paul stressed in a hurried tone, as if he could not wait to get back to the prayer.

Looking around, she asked, "Where is Ivie?"

"Her period started, so she went to change her clothes," Itohan quickly said.

"Okey then, let me join you."

Before Simon could reply, there was a knock on the door and he opened it to reveal Father Chibuike. He almost sighed in relief.

"I thought I heard something," Father Chibuike said. He stepped inside, accepting Simon's open door invitation, and his brows furrowed, a slight furrowing, when he did not see Ivie.

"They decided to do a midnight prayer, isn't that wonderful?" Sister Gabriel said to him.

"Your teachings are effective," Father Chibuike praised. "You're the best for this job." Then he asked, "Where is Ivie?"

"Her period started, so she went to change her clothes," Itohan answered, hoping her voice sounded normal.

Father Chibuike's eyes zeroed on the bathroom for a while. It was normal that it was quiet, since Ivie would be too shy to move knowing that there were people outside, what was not normal was Ivie telling them about her period, he had known Ivie enough to know that it was a lie.

"I want to join the prayer." Sister Gabriel said.

"No, Sister, this is strictly for us," Simon told her.

"Why, are you hiding something?"

"Do you think we have anything to hide?" Simon retorted, and that was clue enough for Father Chibuike to know that something had happened to his favourite, something he felt he wouldn't like.

"If that's what these young adults want, then we should consent to it," he intervened.

"But now that you are here, Father, we want the presence of a priest."

"Meaning?" Sister Gabriel flared up. "What would you have done if he wasn't here?"

"We would have done it without anybody, but since he's here, we want to make use of the opportunity."

Sister Gabriel looked riled up, and she wanted to argue, but she didn't want to look petty in front of the priest, so she turned around and banged the door when she got out. The others continued singing thegospel songs, but with eyes open as they watched Simon take Father Chibuike aside.

"Something happened to Ivie," He told him.

"How bad is it?"

Simon went to the bath door and opened it, and the smile on Father Chibuike's face fell.