Evermore

The sun slowly retreated below the horizon, casting an eerie orange light as two figures walked slowly along the beaches of Elmina. Hand in hand they made their way along the coast, away from the local dock created by the fishermen. In the distance lay the old slave fort. Long gone were the tourists who frequented her old halls and took pictures from her battlements.

Steve had spent a lot of time planning this trip. He'd made sure all the projects he was working on were properly handed over to his work mates. He didn't want to have to think of work whilst he was with her.

"She's beautiful. Who'd would've thought I'd end up with her" he thought, and with that he smiled and pulled her closer to him. Taking his time, he gently sniffed her hair and kissed her forehead. This made her giggle and hug him tighter. Making their way to an outcropping of rocks, they sat down together watching the waves and the boats that gently swayed in the wind. The whole scene almost seemed picturesque.

Clearing his throat, he spoke up saying,

"You've always been there for me Mispy, you came into my life when I was in a really dark place. I want to do right by you"

And with that he pulled out a ring from his pocket and said:

"Would you marry me?"

Tears slowly formed in her eyes when she heard those words. She wanted to tell him she'd be his now and forever, but she needed to let him know her burden. That dark burden she'd carried by herself for so long.

"Steve" she said "Before I answer that you need to know something."

"I'm not like every other woman, I have issues"

Smiling he replied "We all have issues"

"Not like mine" she replied

With those words she stood up and moved closer to the edge of the rocky outcrop. She turned around and looked at him and asked

"Do you want to truly spend the rest of your life with me?"

"Yes" he replied

With that she took two steps back and fell off, plunging into the cold depths of the Atlantic ocean. With an anguished cry, he leapt to his feet and jumped right in after her. He hit the water hard and that knocked the breathe out of him. Struggling to find his bearings in the cold waters, he felt something grab a hold of his leg and pull him down. Amidst his struggle, he felt a pair of arms around his waist and a voice in his head.

"Don't struggle Steve" the voice said. That voice, he thought. It sounds a lot like Mispy's.

He tried to turn himself, wanting to see his saviour when he felt a pair of fangs sink into his neck.

The pain was sharp then it was gone. He felt nothing now. Slowly sinking into the depths as he felt his life fading away.

The morning's light gently lit up the shoreline as the world awoke. Steve awoke on the sand with a what seemed like a bad headache caused by a night of drinking. He looked to left and saw Mispy there, with a smile on her face and a twinkle in her eyes.

"Now we can get married" she said.

DH: Remembrance

A faint buzz wakes him from his nap. He checks his watch and realizes he has done it again. This was the 4th time this week that he had dozed off in his office. It was too late to go home now. He might as well make a night of it.

Slightly stumbling to his feet, he walks up to his desk and drinks the last bit of coffee in his cup. It’s cold but yet he still savors its taste. It was a special brew which he had imported from Peru. Its makers claimed it was the same brew the Incas drank in celebration of their gods.

Moving to his window he looks out at the pale city, a city in which he had built his dreams and chased away his fears. He smiled to himself, taking pride in the fact that he’d turned his father’s little construction firm into a continental one spanning 46 countries in Africa. From his humble beginnings in that one storey office at Adabraka, to an 80 storey modern office complex which served as the headquarters to Badda Construction. 

The news of Dee’s disappearance worried him though. He knew she’d never just abandon her fashion business for anyone or anything. So the story her public affairs officer was feeding to the press that she’d taken a year off running the business worried him the more. He’d hired a private investigator to look into this claim but was yet to hear back from him.

He heads over back to his desk, reaching down into the last drawer to pull out a blanket he’d left for situations where he’d have to spend the night the office. The door clicks open and a man dressed in blue overalls pulling behind him a cart of cleaning supplies steps in.

“Oh sorry, I thought there was no one here. I’ll come back later” says the janitor.

“No it’s alright, come in” he replies

“Thanks. I’ll try and be as quiet as I can sir”

“No worries, I welcome the company. I can’t seem to fall back to sleep anyways”

“Well, that will be a problem considering the amount of coffee you’ve drank” said the janitor with a cheeky smile on his face, pointing to the waste basket full of discarded coffee bags.

“Haha, well it’s a price I have to pay to keep my investors happy and the business ahead of the competition” he says.

“Well everybody needs to rest from time to time” says the janitor

“That’s true. Speaking of rest, why don’t you let me help you finish up my office and this floor”

The offer somewhat startled the janitor but he knew that Moose Badda, owner of Badda Construction was used to having his way so he obliged. However he insisted he left the hard parts of the job to him.

After what seemed like 2 hours of careful vacuuming, spraying and wiping; they had cleaned the whole floor and were back in Moose’s office for a celebratory cup of coffee.

“I never quite got your name” Moose said.

“My friends call me Htaed, the “h” is silent though. So it’s pronounced ta-ed” the janitor replied

“Not to be rude, but that’s an odd name” said Moose with a chuckle

“Haha, yes that’s true. I think it suits me well though” Htaed said.

“Why?”

“Because I’m a collector of sorts, I like to hunt down the odd bits and ends that are left about” Htaed said with a sly grin

“Interesting. What exactly do you collect though” asked Moose

“You could say I’m a collector of souls. Particularly ones that upset the balance that has been in place before time begun” he replied

Sensing that the conversation had crossed into strange waters, Moose quickly excused himself and headed to the bathroom. Yet before he could reach it Htaed said:

“You know it’s time Moose. I’m here merely to set things in order”

The realization of who he had just spent the last couple of hours with dawned on him; like the reclusive twilight that gave way to the sun rise, the memories of that night held him in place.

Screaming he said:

“I need more time! the company just established itself as a major player on the continent! It cannot end like this! I won’t allow it!” 

With a cry he turned and lunged for Htaed, who in turn grabbed his throat and lifted him clean off his feet into the air. He was flung back at the cleaning cart which was at the door, breaking his back.

Htaed walked calmly to him, bent down and unbuttoned his shirt exposing his heaving chest. With a flick of his wrist he drew those same glyphs he had drawn on the girl’s head and stepped back.

Moose saw his skin turn ashen and felt his teeth slowly slip out of his gums as he crumbled away. His last thoughts were of his company and the dream he had built.

Htaed took off his overalls revealing a simple motif comprised of two letters…”D.H”. With a sly grin on his face he looked down on what remained of Moose Badda and said…

“They looked up and saw a pale steed called Despair, and upon it was a rider…he was called Kinslayer, Executioner…Death”

D.H. : Beginnings

A moth dances round a flickering flame, seduced by the warmth and the light. 
 Its gentle fluttering becomes a frenzied dance. 
 It dances too close and its wings catch fire. 
A dance of awe and wonder ends as quickly as it started. 

Wake up!

With a mild groan I flip onto my side to see my mother part the curtains in my room.

"Young man it's almost midday and you are still asleep? Come on, come on get up and go pick up the goat from Aunty Charlotte's place. What meat are we going to serve our at your party eh?"

I stand up and let out a mild yawn saying... "I don't know why it has to be a live goat Ma, can't we just get some meat from the mall"

Not waiting to hear her response as I try to slip past her into my bathroom, she catches me with a playful tap on my bum saying

"You don't know what is nice, why would you choose a week old frozen piece of meat when you can have fresh meat."

A quick brush and an even quicker shower and I'm out the door. I soon find myself weaving through Accra's afternoon traffic. It's a good thing Aunt Charlotte doesn't live far away. I arrive at her house in good time and with quick hellos and cheerful smiles I bundle what is to be my "party meat" into the boot of my car and head back.

Pulling up the driveway of my house I notice that there are no chairs or tents set up. The usual party seats and tables are nowhere to be seen. I take the somewhat frightened goat out and leave it tied to the mango tree in the side garden.
With a slight sense of urgency I head into the house, hoping to find my mother and answers as to why nothing has been set up. What I meet in the main hall of my house leaves me confused.

There seated, are members of my extended family as well as a few family friends. Even Aunt Charlotte was there. I mean how?...and when did she get here?

"Has something happened?" I ask

"No" my mother replies. "Please step forward"

I take small cautious steps till I'm standing in the middle of the living room.

"Have you been having any dreams of late" my mother asks.

"Ah Ma, what do you mean by dreams? I always dream" I reply, getting more confused by the events that are unfolding.

 "Dreams about moths I mean" she adds.

Shocked about the fact she knew about the moth dream I reply

"Yea, it's been a recurring one"

"He's ready" she says.

I feel hands grab me from behind. I'm forced down to my knees and my Aunt Charlotte steps forward. My mother gives her a nod and she opens a book she has in her hands. As she starts reading from the book in a language that sounds like a mixture of Ga and Ewe her eyes have a glow, like that of a cat. Confusion, sadness and anger fill me as I struggle with my captors.

"Be still my son, it will be over soon" my mother says.

I notice that Aunt Charlotte's incantations are now in English. She's now repeating what seems to be a mantra of some sort.

The fading crest of slumber 
The alluring vessel of madness 
Deny the seething urge 
The eternally self-destructing thirst 
Disrupt the sleep 
Unite! Awake! 
Fill the earth, claim your birthright 

Almost in slow motion, my aunt drops the book and reaches out. Snaps my neck.

The force she does it with is so strong that I find my self looking up at the ceiling, knowing very well my head is in the wrong place. My vision quickly fades and in the dying embers of my life, I see a moth flutter by.

The room is silent. For several minutes everyone just sits there watching the boy's body. It suddenly convulses. A slow grinding and crack can be heard as the head turns back into place. The young boy sits up, then stands.

His mother smiling, she asks "How do you feel"

"Thirsty" he replies

"Now you see why I asked you to get the live goat." she says

 I smile as she takes my hand, leads me to a seat and says. "Welcome, my eternal prince"

LaLa Land

"The looking glass so shiny and new...how quickly the glamour fades..." Florence was singing her heart out on the radio whilst she gently swung in the hammock. Legs coming up slightly every now and then. The gentle sway of the hammock and the light breeze was seductive, sleep seems to have wrapped her up in its lustful embrace.

Those last bits of Tobelerone still lingered in her mouth. She loved how its sweetness spread with little explosions of joy in every crunchy bite. With these thoughts she gently slipped into LaLa land, catching the Slumber Express as it pulled out of this reality.

Soon it was weaving through Gumdrop hills, where one could see the jellybean sheep playfully bouncing around on their wobbly legs. Past these hills was the Eclair Plains, full of light puffy chocolate eclairs that lay glistening near the wafer trees with the occasional hubhub bird preached in its nest.

With a happy toot and whistle the Slumber Express made its way into Marshmallow Valley, where one could find the Muggs, whose sole purpose and joy was to pick the wild marshmallows which gave the valley its name. Singing their happy song they skipped and hopped their way through the thickets that held all that goodness.

As the train neared its destination she caught a whiff of a familiar smell. That chocolatey smell that left a silly grin on your face. The train had reached the end of the line. Stepping off she was greeted by the awesome sight which was the Hershey village. Full of little pikmis that went about making those little bits of chocolate goodness filled with bits of wafer that made you feel like you just found a bit of heaven.

"If you're still breathing, you're the lucky one..."

Those words suddenly pulled her out of her slumber. The radio was still on and it was almost sundown. Gently slipping out of the hammock,  her feet were met with the discarded wrappings of all the chocolate she had had. Picking them up she smiled a little, with thoughts of her daydream still on her mind she let out a little sigh and said "till the next time..."

DH: Anima

A gentle breeze comes in from the balcony, gently caressing her skin making her stir slightly in bed. It gave her goosebumps.

She always liked that about the wind, it seemed to hold her in its fluttering embrace like a playful lover. Speaking of lovers, she gently turned over to see if he was still asleep. She had met him during one of her trips to Kumasi that she took quarterly to source textiles for her avant garde fashion house.

Running one's own business was never easy and there was never enough time to do the whole courtship thing. Her relationships usually lasted 2 months at best, yet somehow this one felt different. She remembered when she'd first bumped into him. She was trying to get to her seat on the plane when she tripped and sat straight in his lap.

She felt so embarrassed that for a moment there was nothing she could come up with for an apology. What made things worse was that he had this smile. This large grin that looked very mischievous yet playful and caught you totally off guard.

He had laughed and said "Quite comfy, isn't it?".

With an embarrassed smile she slyly replied "Yes, somewhat.".

"Would you like to have the seat next to me? You seem interesting and I wouldn't mind the company"

Doing something totally out of character she replied "Yes".

During the flight they had conversations about practically everything and she was amazed at how easily she opened up to him. He asked for her number in the arrival hall and promised to call. What followed in the weeks after that were even longer conversations about silly things, like the best way to make a cup of Milo or whether jam tasted better on toast.

Thoughts of him made her smile, and she would often find herself reading their old chat messages and laughing out loud at how silly there were. Earning her curious looks from people who seemed to wonder what would make a beautiful woman chortle like a little girl.

Slipping out of bed quietly she made her way to the balcony. She wanted to enjoy the breeze a bit more and to catch the twilight. Grabbing a t-shirt from a bag of his things she stepped out and stretched, fully extending her body like that of her yoga instructor. She felt happy and safe. 

Pulling the sleeve of the t-shirt to her nose she inhaled, she liked his smell and wanted to remember everything about the moment. Looking down, an inscription caught her eye. It was a simple motif with two letters....D.H. 

Wait.

"Why does this seem familiar" she muttered.

Then it hit her, all those suppressed memories of that night so many years ago came flooding back. The memories were so strong she let out a loud gasp. It almost felt as if she had been punched in the stomach. 

The laughter, the taste of the pina-colladas, the sudden chill of the room....and that grin. That mad grin that demon had on his face.

"Ahem, brings back memories doesn't it" he said.

She turned around quickly only to find him standing right behind her. He swept her up in a tight embrace and wouldn't let go.

"Looks like my job is over" he thought.

Drawing a strange glyph on her forehead with his finger, he gave her one last kiss and stepped back.

She felt frozen, the mark he had drawn seem to be alive and it felt warm.

Slowly her skin turned ashen and bits of her started drifting away in the breeze. Her last thoughts were of the love she thought she had found.

"Why?" she managed to ask, almost sounding like a whimper.

"You are an anomaly, the result of an inexperienced boy playing with things he did not understand. You have lived, loved and have been loved. Remember I promised only to come for you much later. All of you should have died that night, this is just me putting things back in order."

With her last thoughts she floated out on the fleeting breeze, her ashes swirling in the twilight.

He picked up his shirt and grabbed his bag. Stopping in front of a mirror he put on the t-shirt she had taken.

Smiling he said "Five more to go". Fading, as the twilight gave way to the darkness of the night. 



  

D.H.

It's 6am on a tuesday morning and I'm still in bed. Last night's coding session went pretty well, I'm almost done with all the classes I need for my app. Phone rings and its Moose:

"Hey, Moose gets loose...watta guan?"

"Why you still dey bed?....ei brodas"

"Oh naa, i just dey lie down."

"Chale the book club thing wassup? E go be anaa?"

"Yea, yea everything is all set, just make sure the others get a text reminding them of the place and time"

"Ok, i go do.Abi e be your there naa we go do for?" "

"Yea"

"Vim...see you in the evening then."

"Sure"

I slowly drag myself out of bed and walk over to my mirror. I seem more heavyset than i was a couple of months ago....taller too. Oh well I've got to start preparing for work or I just might be uber late today. Don't think boss man will be too pleased with that.

Fastforward to 7pm and Moose is already here with a couple of other people. I do a count and we are 7 in total. Perfect.

We are all seated having virgin pina colladas and arguing about whether The Similarion was better than The Hobbit and I must say some good points are being made for both books. Out of nowhere the young model-type looking lady remarks that she can't feel her legs. We all burst out in laughter but that dies down once Moose also remarks he can't also feel his. In fact everyone seated seems paralyzed.

The looks of horror on their faces is priceless. I have the biggest grin on my face right about now. That kind of mad cheshire cat grin which conjures up thoughts of mischief and evil. I decide to speak up.

"I don't know if any of you noticed the slightly bitter almond after taste in your drinks"

Almost in unison they reply:

"Yea, that's true"

"Well that's cyanide. That and a cocktail of other drugs to slowly dull your senses and to put you to sleep. Permanently."

They all looked shocked now. Moose speaks up and asks:

"Oh, chale but why?...what we do you?"

Before I could reply, the lights start dimming and it gets cold. Really cold.

We are not alone anymore. In the corner of the room sits an odd looking man. He's dressed in a black t-shirt and jeans wearing a tophat. There are two words printed on his t-shirt; "D.H.".

He carefully pulls out a book and flips it open, looking at each one of us in the face whiles turning the pages. I sit there transfixed but I suddenly remember what I have to do.

I speak out in a low clear voice "Absolam's crow flies without rest". He replies in a raspy voice that seems to come out of another time "But yet it perches on my soul"

He walks over and carefully hands me the book in his hands, and without a word turns round and walks back to the corner of the room, fading with each step.

I look down at the book only to notice I now have on a shirt that has "D.H." printed on it. I look at the others and realize they're still alive.

Standing up I say with the remnants of a giggle in my voice and that cheshire cat grin on my face "I will come for you guys later. A lot later than I actually should"

Walking over to my room I pick up my white fedora from my bed and grab my Ray Ban's. I head outside into the night with my fedora and Ray Ban's on, plus the book tucked safely under my arm.

Seems I forgot to tell them what the "D.H." on my shirt means. I smile again, repeating the words softly to myself ; "Death Himself".

I keep walking, whistling Kavinsky's "Nightcall" to myself.

Ramblings

Hmmm....*yawn*...this virtually sums up what life's been like after wrapping up my undergraduate course....finding it a bit difficult in finishing my thesis, most of the time I just feel too lazy to do anything productive. But things seem to be taking a good turn now...started a GIS sandwich course at aiti-kace and it seems to have delivered a dose of much needed inspiration into me...