The night smelled like rain, not the soft comforting kind-the kind that whispers peace and wash away worries. No, rather this rain carried something heavier, something suffocating. It clung to the air like secret waiting to be told.
Thunder rambled in the distance.
Shola stood stood at the edge of the narrow street,his back turned to the others, his gaze fixed at the flickering street light ahead. It buzzed faintly, casting unstable shadows that danced along the cracked pavement.
His hand rested inside his pocket and his fingers curled tightly around something small, cold, metal. He didn't realize how hard he has been gripping it until it began to hurt.
"Shola " Rose voice came from behind him, shaky and unsure. " say something " she begged.
He didn't turn, he didn't respond, because he knew the moment he did everything would become real, and he wasn't ready for that.
Not now!
Not ever!
Behind him silence stretched like a rope about to snap.
Then….
"This wasn't supposed to happen " kcee muttered, his voice barely louder than the rain.
" that's what you keep saying " Ben said, his tone sharp, almost accusing " but look at her, kcee, look at what we did!"
"Shut up!" Derek's barked suddenly, pacing front and back like a man losing his sanity. His hands were buried in his hair gripping tightly as if he could pull the situation out and reset it. " no one is helping by panicking "
"Panicking?" Ben left a hollowed laugh. "You think this is panicking? Derek she is…..!
"Don't say it " Rose snapped, her voice breaking. The words hung there anyway, unspoken. But loud enough to echo in every mind.
Shola closed his eyes, the rain grew heavier as though understanding his emotions. Slowly he turned around and his eyes fell on her again.
Marilyn, she lay on the ground, eyes closed, hair sprawled around like a dark halo, strands of hair sticking to her pale face. The rainwater left drops on her mixing with something else, something more darker and she was still and quiet .
Shola's heart tightened
"No!" He whispered, though he wasn't sure who he was talking to.
Himself?
God?
The rain?
Or her?
He crouched beside her slowly, knees hitting the wet ground and the cold seeped through his clothes, but he didn't care. Nothing mattered except what lay in front of him.
"Marilyn!" His voice was softer now, almost fragile. " hey!… this isn't funny!"
No response.
Behind him Rose let out a quiet sob.
Kcee turned away unable to look again.
Ben prayed for a miracle.
Derek stopped pacing, but only because he has ran out of space to escape.
Shola hesitated. Then with trembling hands he reached out his hands and touched her.
Cold! Too cold!
But something about it felt…. off. He furrowed his brows and leaned further, his face inches from hers.
For a brief second, only a brief second, he thought he saw something.
A movement!
So slight that it could be his imagination. His breath caught
"Did you see that? He whispered
"What? Rose asked
"I think….. I think she moved !"
Silence.
Then..
"No!" Derek shook his head firmly
" that's not possible!"
"She didn't move " kcee added quickly,almost too quickly "you're just...you're in shock "
Shola didn't respond, because deep down he wasn't sure.
He stared at Marilyn's face again, waiting, watching, but nothing happened, just rain, just silence. Then he burst into tears that he has been holding, he tried to scream but Rose rushed and closed his mouth so he wouldn't draw attentions.
"Shola "Ben said more calmly this time but his voice still carried tension. "We need to think. We need to fix this!"
"Fix?" Shola's voice echoed, his tone distant, his voice turning from pain to anger "You think this can be fixed? He asked but Ben didn't answer. Shola was right, how is this going to be fixed.
Derek exhaled sharply, trying to calm himself and regain control " listen to me, all of you " no one spoke. They just looked at him
"We agreed to scare her, that was the plan,that's what was supposed to be. She wasn't supposed to….." he stopped himself and looked at her " something went wrong " he said
"Something?" Rose asked " you hit her with that and pushed her "
"I didn't push her! She slipped!" Derek snapped defensively
"On what? Ben challenged
No response
Because there was no good explanation.
"Arguing won't fix anything " kcee said " we need to decide on what to do next "
The words settled heavily. That's what was the real problem, not what they did but what would come after.
A slow laughter shattered the atmosphere. Shola finally stood up, his movements slow and mechanical.
He turned and looked at them. His hands slipped back into his pocket and gripped that same object. Tighter this time around .
" If anyone finds out….." Rose said choking on her tears
"They won't!" Derek said immediately "they can't "
"And how do you plan on making that happen?" Ben asked
Derek hesitated .
Just for a second .
But that was enough.
Shola noticed. And something about that doesn't sit right with him. Not at all.
"We will handle it!" Derek said
"We?" Shola asked
"Yes we! We are in this together " Derek said and Shola burst into laughter
"No we are not!" Shola said " I was never part of this. I was against it right from the start." He said pointing at them, making Rose to cry more . "Greed has always been part of you Derek and you succeeded in imposing it on them, not me. I tried to stop this, but..." he broke down again " but I was scared of you. I don't even know why I was scared, but I knew you were dangerous when greed creeps into you "
"That still doesn't change the fact that we are in this together " Derek said and something doesn't seem right with him. His voice changed, his eyes turned muderous again.
"Derek!" Rose called out
"Don't you think you can exclude yourself cos if I am going down then we all are going down together " he said and everyone felt silent.
A silent agreement none of them wanted-but was already part of, settled within them.
Shola looked back at Marilyn lying still on the floor. The blood has washed most of the blood away, leaving her looking almost…..peaceful.
"Fine" Ben said
Rose shook her head weakly, but didn't argue. Kcee avoided everyone's eyes. Shola said nothing.
But as he turned to look at her again, he paused. This isn't a feeling, not his imagination either. He saw it, he's sure he did.
Marilyn's fingers, they twitched, barely noticeable but he noticed. It was real, not tricks.
He rushed to her immediately and called out her name, but there was no response. He pressed down his ear on her chest and this time, he felt her heart beat but it was slow.
"She's alive!" He said and they rushed towards her and Rose placed her ears and felt it too.
"We need to rush her to the hospital" she said and they tried to carry her up but something happened.
Derek's words shocked them
"No!" He said
"What!" They yelled in unison
"If we let her survive then we would be dead!" Derek said and shola looked at him wide eyed.
"Are you out of your mind?" Shola asked and he nodded.
" Ben, Kcee,Rose, if she survive then the whole of Lagos will have our have our heads hanged on a high way. Do you think we will be forgiven if they found out we tried to kill her" he said and Rose burst into tears. God why is this happening to her!
Then a weak voice sounded
"Shola!" It was from Marilyn. She slowly opened her eyes and saw them looking down at her and tears rolled down her eyes.
Shola held onto her. There's no way he would let Derek hurt her again.
Derek began to approach her but shola immediately stopped him.
"I won't let you do this Derek" Shola said and Derek looked past him to Marilyn whom Rose was helping up and trying to protect too. He saw hatred in her eyes. At that moment he knew he was done for if he let her live.
Sensing the danger, Marilyn got up and with the little strength she could gather, she began to run towards the bush.
Ben went after her but rose grabbed him pleadingly. Shola grabbed Derek and threw him on the ground and ran after Marilyn. He needed to get to her before she reaches the cliff ahead of her.
Rose couldn't move, she held on to Ben and cried her eyes out. Derek got up and went after them, and Kcee closed his eyes, he didn't want Marilyn dead but remembering the consequences he would go through if she survives he turned and nodded towards Ben
"Derek is right" he said and went after them as well. Rose held onto Ben asking him not to go but at last he forced her hand away from him and went after them.
Rose fell to the ground and sobbed uncontrollably, few seconds later she heard Shola's screams and knew it has happened. She wanted to go but her fragile heart couldn't take it. She was about to make a decision when she saw Ben running out of the dark bush.
"She Jumped off the cliff"
"What!" She was shocked. Now her tears turned into fear. They are really doomed!