Song: Dw3 – Mr. Drew & Krymi ft. Sarkodie (I think I would rate this book PG 15/16)

*Unedited* (I've been writing essays for university students; I feel so accomplished. Making money too 😊)

Btw, here's Kofi again since some of you don't know what he looks like.

* * *

"Please, just go," I turned away. I didn't want him to see me cry, and him giving me all this false hope was just too much to bear. Suddenly, it felt like my heart was too swollen for my chest. I wished I could dig a hole in the ground and stay there till the rapture.

"Stop that crap, I'm serious," he replied, coming to my right and crouching in front of me again, "this whole thing is just completely disgusting. That decomposed devil is old enough to be your father, and he's even the father of your ex."

Michael. My goodness, he must be waiting for me. I turned away from Kofi and buried my face in my palms. Maybe this was punishment for me wanting to sleep with someone else's would-be husband. I couldn't even believe that I was thinking of having pre-marital sex.

"Hey," Kofi grabbed my hands and pulled them off my face, "look, don't be stupid or difficult. I won't force you to accept my help and who knows, I might change my mind and realise that this is too uncharacteristic of me, so you had better make use of this opportunity as quickly as you can."

I snatched my hands away from him. "Don't touch me."

He groaned and facepalmed. "This is so strange. I should leave you to your fate... but I can't okay? The thought of this makes me so uncomfortable that I want to throw up. I'm shoving my help down your throat whether you like it or not."

"Wh-why are you doing this?" I asked, frowning. I wiped my face clean of tears as he answered.

"I've already told you. It makes me feel queasy and this is just what I want to do. Don't ask me anything else."

I glared at him. "How exactly are you going to 'help' me?"

"Well," he grinned, "by using your very own trick against him." He said. He stood up and leaned his back on the wall, looking so proud of himself.

"What?"

"Okay, I guess this wasn't entirely your trick, more like the trick that was used against you–"

"Kofi, what are you talking about?" I interrupted.

"You're going to drug him, of course." He replied.

I rolled my tear-free eyes and let out a breath. "Then he's going to know that I did so and then he's just going to rape me. You realised you'd been drugged the following morning."

"Not with sleeping pills, you halfwit," he glared at me like I was supposed to somehow know his plan, "you're going to drug him with the exact same drug Mr. Mark's son drugged you with."

"What?" I stared at him. "Where are you going to get that? And... why that?"

"Gamma-hydroxybutyric acid also known as GHB or liquid X. It is perfect for a situation like this."

"You're trying to set me up, aren't you?" I asked. "You don't think the chief is going to realise that something is wrong when he starts feeling nauseous, dizzy, plus all the symptoms I felt that day?"

"Did you?"

"No, but my case is different because I was ignorant."

"Listen, you were given a low dosage, which is the only reason why you're able to remember anything at all. We're going to give the chief a much higher dosage than what you were given, and when he passes out, he's going to completely forget about what happened during the night. The next morning, you can cry all you want and tear your clothes up a bit, maybe pretend like you can't walk and do whatever you can to fuel his disgusting ego. He'll think he got to you."

I stared at him silently.

"What?" He quizzed.

"This is just too strange. There is no sensible reason why you're helping me like this, I feel like there's a catch. There's a catch, isn't there? What is it? Do you want me to kill myself after this or what?"

He looked at the ceiling thoughtfully. "That wouldn't be so bad."

"Then forget it," I turned back to the mirror, hating the sight of black tears running down my face. I grabbed a tissue from the tissue box and began wiping it off.

I heard him chuckle and I returned my gaze to him. "What's so funny?"

"I was just joking. I don't want you to kill yourself. Don't deny me of that pleasure." He said.

"Okay then, whatever you're doing, playing with my emotions like this, stop it. It's not funny to raise someone's hopes up then crush them."

His face became blank, just like what I was used to before I knew him. "Why do you think I'm fooling around?"

I swivelled my chair to face him so that not only was I looking at him, but also, my whole body was angled towards him. I frowned and asked, "Excuse me? Is that a real question?"

"What else could it be? A poem?"

I stood up, clutching the tissue like I wanted to choke the life out of it. "You really think I'm going to believe that someone who is totally fine with killing me after this night is over is going to do a one eighty and help me now, don't you? You must think I'm so stupid."

His expression didn't change, but I could tell that he was gritting his teeth by the ticking of his jaw. "I'm not the kind to play games or joke around. If I say I will do something, I'll do it. Sit your stupid butt down and listen to me."

"You can go to hell."

He turned his head to the right and let out a loud breath before he looked back at me. "On a normal occasion, I will leave you alone to get raped and killed, but not this time." I was about to say something but he held out his finger. "Shut up and listen."

I crossed my arms, but I went to sit down anyway. Even if there was a slight possibility that I could escape this night with my virginity intact, I was going to take it. "I already heard your plan."

"It's good you've realised that you're going to accept my help whether you like it or not," he said, "and no, that's not all. See, it will be stupid of me to stop this thing from happening tonight just to get rid of you the next day, so–"

"Are you about to say what I think you're about to say?" I cut in.

"Will you shut up and let me talk?"

"No wait. I need a reasonable explanation for this. It doesn't make any sense. You seemed enthusiastic about killing me a while back."

"I wasn't," he confessed, "I was simply putting on a show for the chief and the others. I must admit that I was trying to psych myself up for it, but it didn't work."

"I'm still waiting for the explanation."

He glared at me. "There's no use killing you, and it'll be too obvious that the chief did it. Michael won't rest. He'll do something to expose his father which will bring my family and me down."

"That doesn't explain anything." I deadpanned.

"What?" He frowned. "That makes so much sense. It seems like you have an explanation in your mind and the only one you'll accept is that one."

"No," I lied, "that's not true."

"Then believe me." He retorted. There was silence for a while before he sighed and said, "Fine, fine. I'm doing this for my brother. I don't understand why, and it's so weird, but he likes you okay? It's been a while since he's liked someone, he talks about you a lot – which is annoying – and I don't want him to lose you."

"Wow," I sighed, "so I'm being allowed to live just to please someone, not because it's my right. That's nice."

"Stop with the sarcasm, at least you get to live. Now here's what you have to do. The chief takes Viagra to help with his sexual performance – because he's old and all that – and he always takes that with a bottle of tequila. You're going to drug the tequila and stall him long enough for it to take effect. Maybe some prolonged foreplay or something. Please tell me you know how to suck d–"

"Stop! Just stop," I shivered. The thought of doing anything with that nasty old man revolted me, "can't we give it to him now so that by the time he's ready for me, it would've kicked in?"

"Who is this 'we' you speak of? You speak French too? That's interesting."

"Sarcasm doesn't fit you," I frowned.

He chuckled. "You're on your own, Elorm. All I'm doing is providing you with a plan and the drug, everything else is left to you. Wolfgang will take you wherever he pleases after tonight is over."

The thought of being Wolfgang's toy after I escape from that nasty chief didn't sound like a better fate, but at least, I wouldn't be dead. Plus, I had Wolfgang eating from the palm of my hand. I was sure he would let me have my freedom if I asked nicely. It was so stupid that I had to seek permission to be free in the twenty-first century.

"I can't engage the chief until the drug kicks in." I said.

Kofi shrugged. "That's up to you. He'll probably get some few minutes of action in then."

"I have to think of something else," I said, holding my chin with my thumb and index fingers.

"I just don't want that to start because it'll probably traumatise you, that's why I'm suggesting that you willingly indulge him in foreplay."

I glared at him. "Why do you care?"

"Believe me," he laughed, "I don't. My brother does though, and I care about my brother."

I sighed, "I'll figure it out."

"Good for you. I'll get you the drug now." He said.

I nodded, but before he left, he suddenly came and put both his hands on my armrests, caging me between him and the chair. He fixed his dangerous green-ish eyes on me and said, "I will help you only on these conditions."

I gulped just as my stomach flipped. "W-what are they?"

"Don't you even dream of coming back here alone or with the police. Don't break my brother's heart. If it happens that the two of you split, let it be his decision, not yours. You owe him your life."

"I don–"

"If," he spat, cutting me off, "you even think of going against either of these rules, I will find you, and I will make sure that you suffer before I put you six feet under. Don't mess with me, village girl."

I breathed, trying to calm my racing heart. Whatever I was about to say before was gone completely, and all I could think about was the blood rushing into my head and that chilling feeling of fear. "I won't."

He gave me a sadistic smile. "Good."

* * *

My hands were shaking, my breaths were short and I couldn't even walk properly. I became aware of every throbbing in my body, every involuntary process taking place inside me that was keeping me alive.

My hands were burning under the weight of the tray. The bottle of tequila and the glass were shaking so badly along with my hands that I thought they were going to fall and shatter.

Due to last minute desperation, I looked to my left, then looked to my right, thinking of escape. They weren't that foolish though, because not only were guards stationed at all the exits – which was unusual because the guards were always outside – but there were also cameras glaring at me.

I hoped either Kofi or Wolfgang was watching the footage. Beside the glass was a packet of Viagra pills. Now that I was in front of the chief's door, I wondered what kind of stupid combination this was.

Viagra pills were supposed to enhance his libido, while the liquid X would slow down his nervous system. What if the Viagra somehow rendered the GHB useless? What if I would really have to go through with this night?

I was thinking of making a run for it when the door suddenly opened. I was so shocked on seeing the chief there, dressed in a casual t-shirt and a pair of jeans, that I dropped the tray in shock.

He looked at the tray on the ground and frowned. "You're lucky nothing is broken. I hope you're not this clumsy in bed."

It seemed the tray had taken the brunt force; none of the glasses were broken. I looked at the chief again, then bent over and picked it up. He made way for me to enter, and I set the tray on a coffee table in the middle of the room.

I was aware that the chief was standing behind me, and it made me so uncomfortable that I didn't even realise that I was holding my breath, almost suffocating myself. How do I stall him for the drug to take effect?

"Lie on the bed and take your clothes off," he said.

I stilled.

How could he say that so easily when he was old enough to be my father? How disgusting could this undead ancestor be?

"No, better yet, I'll take them off myself," he laughed.

Then, I felt so disgusted that I hurried to go and sit on the bed, itching to be away from him.

I watched as he took the pills and drunk so much tequila that if he were a lightweight like me, he'd already be drunk. I noticed that the chief looked a lot like Michael. He had the same plump lips, the same gorgeous hair, that dark complexion that I was in love with and I couldn't help but think about Michael again.

This was supposed to be our night. He would think I stood him up. Would he look for me? And even if he did, what good would that do? Kofi took us to a room that was weirdly segregated from the others. He'd never find me.

The chief had slightly greyed hair though and it was thin in some places. It was only a matter of time before he went bald. He had wrinkled hands, a slightly sagging face, and a medium pot belly.

He was looking at me with a predatory gaze as he came forward. If my heart could beat any faster or skip anymore beats, it certainly would. I backed up until my back hit the backrest.

He laughed and began to crawl towards me. "It's finally my turn to taste what makes these boys so crazy over you."

Before I could move, he wrapped his hand around my throat and slammed me against the backrest. I clutched his hand with both of mine, but I couldn't get his one hand off. He was strong for an old man.

The dress they'd put me in – which made me feel like a virgin sacrifice – was made of some cheap fabric, because he easily tore it into two. I gasped, feeling the cool wind touching my vulnerable parts.

He looked at my lingerie and frowned. "Why did they put you in all this? I don't even like this nonsense."

It made me glad that the complicated attire they'd put me in would waste his time. I could fight back at least.

The old man shook his head and suddenly grabbed hold of both my ankles, pulling my whole body onto the bed so that he was hovering over me. When he began to unbuckle his belt, I realised that Kofi was right. If I couldn't effectively stall him, the bastard would be done with me before the drug even kicked in.

"Wait! Wait, stop," I struggled under the hold on my neck.

He ignored me, and with strength that I could only dream off, tore one of the straps which connected the panties to the stockings on my lingerie. One more strap and he could push my panties to the side.

"Wait!" My voice was lost on my lack of air. "Let me..." I gagged, "let me do something for you."

At that, he stopped his assault on my attire. He leaned back, sitting on my legs. "What do you mean?" He asked.

I fought hard to keep the bile down my throat as I gestured to the part of his anatomy below the waist with my eyes. He seemed to have gotten the hint when he looked at me deviously, licking his disgusting outmoded lips. "Really?" He asked.

I nodded frantically. His block on my oxygen made me feel like I was going to lose consciousness. He nodded with a smug look on his face and released my neck.

I coughed. It was like my lungs were flattened and I was trying to cough them back into shape to receive the air that they were unfairly deprived of.

He got off my legs while I wrestled oxygen back into my body, but he soon grabbed my neck again, bringing me into a sitting position. His hold wasn't breath-restricting this time.

Once I was breathing as normally as I could after that attack, I glared at the man, hoping that my hatred for him will be evident through my gaze.

"Don't look at me like that. Get to work," he said.

Stupid, disgusting tasteless old chicken.

I exhaled and looked at his jeans, hating the evident bulge in them.

I couldn't do this. I couldn't. I just couldn't.

I looked at him through my lashes, then leaned forward and grabbed his belt. He laughed as I gagged, not understanding that I was really in danger of puking all over him and the bed.

I couldn't do this.

I just couldn't.

I began to unbuckle the belt, taking my time.

"You're such a tease," he laughed, "I won't stand much of that."

You won't be standing by the time this is over you stupid criminal.

His belt was off, then I unzipped his flap and removed the button. The sight of him in his boxers reinforced my urge to vomit, and I felt my lips stretch into my ugly crying face.

I couldn't do this.

I looked at him. He was grinning like an excited toddler when he said me, "Go on. What are you waiting for?"

That was it. I couldn't take anymore. I jumped off the bed and made a run for it.

For an old man, he had surprisingly quick reflexes. I barely made it to the coffee table before he grabbed my ankle and pushed me off my feet. Luckily, I was able to grab the tray, making the bottle of alcohol and the glass fall on the ground.

He shoved me against the coffee table and pushed me onto my knees, forcing me to rest my upper half on the table. He used his unimaginable strength to keep me down, while he was working on the second strap on that leg. He didn't even need to get to the second leg.

Each leg had two straps that connected my stockings to my panties and another two each that connected the panties to the corset. He'd gotten rid of one strap on my right leg and if he tore the other one, my underwear will be free enough that he can tip it to the side and get to me.

I couldn't let that happen.

With my hands, I pushed the coffee table from underneath me, making both of us topple over and causing him to lose his grip. Using that advantage, I turned us over and lifted my tray, bringing it down forcefully on his head.

He cried out in pain, but I didn't relent. I brought it up again, but he caught onto my wrists and shoved me off him. He crawled over me, looking enraged as he snatched the tray from my hands and threw it halfway across the room.

Realising that I was practically done for now, I spat on him and slapped him hard. He paused, wiping the saliva off his face, only to let out an enraged cry and slap me back. His slap made my ears ring and my brain rattle inside my skull. The world around me felt like it was dancing.

I barely recovered from his slap when he delivered a powerful punch to the left side of my face. I gasped when the pain hit me like a freight train, knocking all the wind out of me.

He didn't stop. He kept hitting me all over my body. The punches he delivered to my stomach made me want to give up the ghost. When he punched me on my face again, I sagged, closing my eyes when I heard the undeniable sounds of bones cracking.

He picked me up and shoved me against the wall. I was too weak and bruised to even think of doing anything.

Every breath hurt.

Every thought hurt.

Everything hurt.

I was only conscious due to sheer determination, knowing what could happen to me if I passed out. I opened my eyes, confused that there were no more blows targeted at me. I hoped that the drug was finally taking effect.

When I saw the chief, he wasn't dizzy or nauseous. He was looking at my right leg deviously.

"No," I whispered, figuring his intentions out.

I desperately tried crawling away, but he delivered a powerful kick to my ribs that shook my entire skeletal system. I fell on my face, struggling for breath but not breathing too deeply because of the pain in my ribs.

I felt when he grabbed hold of my right leg, then I closed my eyes.

"Please God," I whispered.

I envisioned the blue lake Michael took me to, that night on our remaking of our first date. It was calm. I was calm. The sculpture in the middle who was shooting love arrows at everyone was imprinted in my mind.

I felt calm and at peace.

I felt numb.

When I heard the undisputable sound of cracking bones, I thought about the lake and how blue it was. I remembered the sound of laughter escaping my throat when Michael was telling me the corniest jokes he could think of.

I thought about how even the wind carrying my laughter couldn't disturb the serenity of the lake. I thought about how still and unbothered it remained, so when the fiery sensation of pain shot up my leg, I bit my lip and tried to be unbothered like the lake. I blocked every thought, and more importantly, every feeling.

I focused on the lake.

I would've made it through without feeling any pain, but just then, the door burst open and Kofi came in. His entrance broke my concentration; he broke my numbness.

Tears pricked my eyes. My whole body was on fire.

Pain.

Such detailed and elaborated pain. I wasn't sure if anyone had ever gone through what I went through that day. I wished it upon no one, not even my worst enemy. But the chief, he was more than my worst enemy. He was my personal devil. I wished it a thousand times more on him.

Kofi looked at the chief, then he looked at me. I'd never seen that kind of look on a human being before. It was a strange mixture of rage, disgust, pity, shock, and other emotions that didn't have words describing them yet.

He lunged for the chief, but before he could get to him, the chief fell back, letting out a cry that sounded like one that would've been made by a wounded animal.

Kofi didn't bother checking up on him, rather he rushed and knelt beside me. He was alarmed, even panicking, and I wondered what was going through his mind at the moment. It looked like he was about to touch me, but then he saw what condition I was in and withdrew his hand like he was burned.

The chief let out another cry. I was on my stomach, so I couldn't see him, but I could see his reflection through the window I was facing.

His hand was clutching his chest, where his heart must've been. His eyes were wide, his mouth was open and some of his veins were visible and popping. He let out another cry as his body convulsed on the ground.

He was having a heart attack.

Kofi briefly looked at the older man, who was reaching out with his hand at Kofi like he could do anything to help him. Kofi's expression was like the one with which he saw me, except there was no pity or horror anymore. It was filled with satisfaction.

Kofi rose to his feet and stood beside the dying man's body.

"Kofi," the chief struggled to push the single word through his throat, reaching for Kofi with his hand again.

"Die, you bloody bastard," Kofi spat, kicking his arm away.

The older man gasped, bringing the hand Kofi had kicked to join the other one in clutching his chest as the heart attack became even more serious.

Since Kofi had his back to me, I couldn't see his face, but I spied his clenched fists and his rigid stance which was emanating so much hostility that even if the heart attack didn't finish the chief off, Kofi's presence would.

"You thought you were so powerful, didn't you? You thought you could rule the world, make anyone bow down to you, didn't you? Now look, as the Ones who have the real power snatch everything away from you." Kofi spat.

The chief was still looking at him, mouth open, eyes wide, body taut with pain, until he started to relax. His hands lost their grip and fell away as his eyes lost the intensity that marked him as a living being. Before he left completely, his eyes fell on me through the window.

I didn't know whether he could see me, but through my pain and my probably broken cheekbone, I forced a smile – which was more of a grimace – before his last breath escaped his lips.

Kofi waited for a while, then bent over to check his pulse. "Good riddance," he spat, after making sure the man was really dead.

It was like he remembered me all of a sudden when he whipped around so spontaneously that I shivered. He rushed back to my side, his hands hovering over me, yet not wanting to touch me. He finally touched my face, but he touched the cheekbone that was broken, making me hiss in pain.

He withdrew his hand sharply. He looked at me all over and when his eyes settled on my probably mangled leg, he gasped. With how shocked he looked, I was afraid that he was in danger of a heart attack himself.

"It's okay," I wheezed, "I'm fine. Just get me into the bed. I'll be fine. The floor is cold."

He stared. "You're fine? Fine? You're even more stupid when beat up than you usually are. You're broken."

I laughed, but broke into a coughing fit when I felt a certain liquid in my throat. It must've been blood. "Wasn't that your goal?"

"Wh–" he cut himself off like he had run out of breath. "I..."

"You? Loss of words?" I coughed again as the liquid was forcing itself out my mouth. "Strange."

He sat back on his legs, looking lost and confused. "I don't want to hurt you."

"That's a first. Don't worry, the way I feel right now, nothing you can do will be worse. Don't worry about my leg too. I can't feel it."

"You're saying that like it's a good thing," he replied.

I shrugged.

He took his time psyching himself up for the task, but when he lifted me up, I regretted asking him to. He was staring at me intently as I squeezed my eyes shut, biting my tongue to stop the cry that was about to be released.

Every step he took with me in his arms was pure torture. It was like bouncing on a bed of scalding hot thorns.

I held back my vocal display of pain long enough till he put me on the bed. I gurgled, as the tangent taste of blood filled my mouth. I swallowed it all back.

Kofi was still looking at me with those intense eyes, his look softer than it had ever been. He was looking at me like I was a human now, unlike before when I felt like a piece of trash under his gaze.

"Your plan worked. He's asleep, but plot twist, it's forever." I wheezed pathetically at my own joke.

"The pain has made you delirious," he commented, "I know how that feels."

"I'll go to bed now," I told him.

"Don't." He said. He looked at my battered body. "You might join him."

"You don't care."

"You couldn't be more wrong."

* * *

Surprisingly, this was one of the easiest chapters to write in this book 😐 I've realised that I'm more of an action/adventure writer, which is why I couldn't stick to the simple regular teenage life problems I intended for this book.

It's nice that I'm discovering myself through this!

Anyway, thoughts? What about the new Kofi who has finally realised that Elorm is a human being?

Don't forget to vote! 🌟