CHAPTER 29

By nine o' clock that night, Ezinne, Ihunanya, Akunna and Udodi were decked out in white wrappers tied beneath their arms and were adorned with beads around their necks and waists.

Using white chalk, Ogadi helped them draw religious symbols on their foreheads, arms, and feet, all the while feeling bad that she'd been left out.

Earlier in the day, Udodi had looked her up and down and proclaimed her too inexperienced for what she had in mind.

Ogadi had been so embarrassed and had silently thought Ezinne would come to her defense, but Ezinne had remained mute.

Not one to give up easily, Ogadi pulled her grandmother aside and complained to her, “Grandmother, don't you think I should join you? I'm a certified Gate Keeper after all.”

Ezinne gave her a long-suffering look, “Ogadi, believe me I know that more than anyone but this is Udodi's show. If she doesn't want you to be a part of it, then there's nothing I can do.”

Ogadi started to protest, “But—”

“But nothing. Our fate hangs in the balance. There's no time to soothe wounded egos. Moreover, you'll be there just not a part of a circle.” Ezinne assured her.

“Yeah, because it's so much fun to watch when you can participate.” Ogadi muttered under her breath.

“What did you say?” Ezinne glared fiercely.

“Nothing.” Ogadi replied quickly.

“Good. Now make sure you don't go sulking because you weren't allowed to join us. Be on your best behavior.” Ezinne warned.

Ogadi nodded and watched desolately as her grandmother joined the three women and they began to converse lightly.

Seeing them dressed in their traditional regalia made her feel...inferior. In fact, she felt like a fake, and a poor one at that.

Those women standing over there were about to show a dark god who was boss, while she was only good for exorcising demons.

At least, if they destroyed Dike Aru's chances of resurrection, she'd be free to go to the concert tomorrow without feeling guilty.

* * *

Ezinne could hear her own heartbeat as she waited for the appointed time for Udodi's ritual. Her palms were sweaty from clenching and unclenching and she had butterflies in her stomach. If someone had told her she would be this nervous at her age, she would have laughed at them but now, she was ready to pee herself.

Not that it was her fault. She, like the rest of the women knew such rituals such as the one Udodi suggested sometimes backfired, which was why she was happy when Udodi had proclaimed Ogadi unfit to join them.

Looking at the other women, she noticed that Akunna and Ihunanya seemed to be as nervous as she was, only that they were really good at hiding it.

Meanwhile, Udodi looked confident and indomitable. Looking at her, one would think it was just a simple offering she was about to perform, not a deadly ritual to kill someone.

“Is it twelve o' clock yet?” Udodi asked Ogadi.

Ezinne watched as Ogadi answered, “Ten minutes more,” in a monotone and sighed internally, the girl didn't know they were trying to protect her. Ezinne would bet her life savings Ogadi was thinking she wasn't good enough to join them.

“Ten minutes? Let's go to the shrine.” Udodi ordered.

They filed out of the house and into the little mud shrine situated in Ezinne and Ogadi's backyard, with Udodi in front and Ogadi at the rear.

When they entered the shrine, Udodi hurried to the dais where Ala's idol stood and knelt down, “Ala, your daughters are here to do as you have commanded. Help us succeed in our endeavor.”

The other women followed her lead and got to their knees, each seeking the goddess' divine aid.

When they were through, they stood up regally, their faces devoid of all emotion. Gone were the nervous women. They were replaced with formidable Gate Keepers, the descendants of a sect ensured with keeping the earth out of the underworld's reach.

“Get me the amulet!” Udodi said to Ogadi.

Ogadi seeing the change in the women hurriedly did as she asked, passing her the amulet with both hands.

Udodi took the amulet without acknowledging Ogadi and placed it on the wooden dais right next to the idol of Ala.

“Gather round sisters and link arms!” She ordered. Immediately, the other women surrounded the dais and held hands.

When Udodi found everything satisfactory, she inhaled and began to speak in a distinct voice, “Ala, when you chose us to protect this world from the underworld and all its entities, we swore to do it even at the expense of our lives.

Now, we have come to ask you to grant us the strength to do our divine duty.”

After a beat, in a smaller voice, she said to the women, “When I say the word, I want you to channel over your wishes without any distractions whatsoever. Free your mind from every other thing. I don't need to remind you that if we don't do this properly, it might backfire and kill us.”

“Wait! What?” Ogadi asked, speaking for the first time, “You can't do that. What if you all die?”

“And so what?” Udodi asked, apparently annoyed by the intrusion, “That's a risk we're willing to take to make sure Dike Aru stays put.”

Ogadi continued her protestations, “But—”

This time, Ezinne took it upon herself to interrupt her, “But nothing, Ogadi. If we die tonight without achieving our aim, the onus falls on you to complete our mission.”

Ogadi looked to be overwhelmed by the staggering responsibility that was placed on her shoulders. She stammered, “But, but—”

Udodi gave a little growl, “Enough of this. We're wasting precious time. Let's continue, and whatever happens, don't interrupt us.”

Before Ogadi could reply, Udodi faced the women, “Now, I want you to focus. Chanel death to this person.”

In a clearer voice, she continued, “Oh, great goddess! We are about to seek out the traitor who wants the downfall of our world. Guide our path!”

She took a deep breath and said to the other women, “Repeat after me.”

“You, the one in the shadows, The one who has been consorting with Dike Aru, It is time for you to pay for your treacherous ways.

As the osprey seeks out its prey, So I seek you out with the aid of the sacred amulet of Ikala.

Amulet, be true this night and find the one who has Dike Aru's best interests at heart.

When you find them, suck their life force out, Kill them so that the world may live.

Kill them so that we may not know the hideousness that is Dike Aru.

Kill them so that darkness may not visit the world again!”

All of a sudden, Ezinne felt the atmosphere become electrically charged and her heart beat faster. The ritual was working.

She quit thinking of any other thing except wishing death on the murderer. She closed her eyes fiercely in concentration and hoped nothing would go wrong. As hard as it was for her to actually kill someone, she knew it was the only way to save countless lives.

Suddenly, the dais began to shake, the amulet and the idol with it. Ezinne felt a fist clutching at her heart and she choked.

“Don't fret! That's the amulet working!” Udodi admonished when Ihunanya and Akunna began to cough.

The fist squeezed tighter and Ezinne cried out painfully. She felt the other women grip her hands tightly as if they were afraid. She returned the pressure because she was also scared.

“Oh my God!” A scream came from outside the shrine.

At the back of her mind, Ezinne thought the voice didn't belong there.

* * *

Ogadi watched with trepidation as the women began to cough and choke, with the exception of Udodi. She had half a mind to interrupt the ritual but she knew it wouldn't go down with them, so she kept herself busy by nervously biting her nails to the quick.

When someone screamed, “Oh my God!” Ogadi was shocked.

The scream came from outside the shrine, so Ogadi turned around and made out the lithe figure of Florence running away.

Ogadi wondered what that was about. Scratching her head, she came to the conclusion that Florence had seen Ezinne and the others performing the ritual and had run away frightened.

“Good riddance,” Ogadi said to herself as she resumed watching the women, who now looked like they would collapse at any moment.

Seconds later, various voices carried over to the shrine. They sounded angry. Ogadi wondered what was happening. Leaving the women to complete the ritual, she stepped outside to find out what was going on and was confronted by a mob of people coming to the backyard.

There were about six men carrying flashlights and machetes and they were led by none other than Florence, who looked as formidable as her frilly pink night-dress allowed.

When the mob came closer, Ogadi was able to recognize some of the men. They were her neighbors. It seemed Florence had rounded them up to come and destroy the shrine again.

Boldly, she walked up to the mob and held her palm out to halt their movement.

“And where in the world do you think you're going to?” Ogadi asked, her voice as cold as ice.

“We're going to destroy the devil's handwork!” Florence shouted, saliva pouring forth from her mouth.

“Then you're in the wrong place. I suggest you all leave.” Ogadi said forcefully, trying not to betray the fact that she was scared. If the six men descended on her with their machetes, they'd certainly maim or kill her.

“Don't you talk to me like that!” Florence replied, wagging a finger at Ogadi, “You think I don't know what's going on in that horrible place you call a shrine?!”

“I bet you have no idea.” Ogadi said, crossing her arms over her breasts.

Her confidence disoriented some of the men and they began to lose their enthusiasm. They probably expected Ogadi to grovel and beg for her life but that was not going to happen, she thought.

“Of course, I do.” Florence shouted, getting more annoyed by Ogadi's fearless attitude, “I was asleep when I suddenly woke up. Something told me that all was not right. A voice told me to go out and find out what was wrong. I came out of my house, and my spirit led me to this heathen shrine behind you. I hid behind outside as I watched your grandmother and three other women wish death on an innocent fellow.”

Ogadi laughed mirthlessly as she tried to buy Ezinne and the others some time, “Florence, you're just a paranoid woman. You heard wrong. Yes, my grandmother and her friends are holding a ritual but it's innocuous.”

Upon hearing the word ritual, the men became incensed once again.

Without warning, they surged forward, knocking Ogadi out of the way as they descended on the shrine.

* * *

Ezinne felt so weak she could barely stand. From the way their grips on her hand had slackened, she could also tell Akunna and Ihunanya felt the same way. Meanwhile, Udodi looking as energized as ever, was still muttering curses upon their target.

Suddenly, the night exploded with people's voices and the sounds of steel hitting walls.

“You see what I told you? Look at the evil witches!” A voice which Ezinne recognized as Florence's announced.

Ezinne was about to survey the intruders when Udodi warned, “Whatever you do, don't lose concentration.”

Sweat broke out on Ezinne's forehead as she remained still and wished death on her target with all her might.

Her eyes popped open when a strange hand clamped on her arm and forcefully separated her from the other women.

She opened her eyes and saw that it was one of their neighbors, Fabien. She also saw some other men hacking at their shrine's walls, trying to destroy the place.

“Fools!” She shouted angrily, “What are you doing? Do you not know this is private property?”

Her anger was enough to stall the men's effort to destroy the shrine.

That was until Florence stepped up to her, “Private property or not? We will not sit down and watch as you kill an innocent fellow.”

“Innocent? You don't know what you're talking about.” Ihunanya voiced and Ezinne saw that they'd all been separated from each other.

“You useless woman!” Udodi scolded, “Have you any idea of what you've just done?”

Florence, who wasn't even a bit intimidated by Udodi's demeanor replied immediately, “Who do you think you're calling useless? Do you think because you're dressed like an ancient witch, I'll cower before you? You might not know this but he that is in me is great—”

Her words were cut short by the thunderous slap Udodi gave her. The slap sent her sprawling on the ground, crying out in pain.

Seeing one of their own get hurt, the men went berserk again, pushing over and hacking all the idols and the instruments used to pray in the shrine.

Ezinne made a grab for both the amulet and the idol sitting on the dais but she got roughly pushed aside by a strong young man who then proceeded to hit the amulet as hard as he could with his machete.

The amulet cut into two and both parts were sent flying in opposite directions. The man then turned his attention to Ala's idol and began to hack it to pieces, grinning gleefully as he sent pieces of wood flying in the process.

Tears of anger and frustration ran down Ezinne's cheek as she watched the desecration of the shrine she'd built with Ogadi. Silently, she called upon the goddess for help.

Unexpectedly, the roof of the shrine gave way and huge six-foot python landed on the ground with a resounding thud.

Everybody in the room screamed as loudly as they could. Ezinne saw Ogadi running into the shrine at that time. Her clothes were dirty and torn. In fact, she looked like she'd been trampled upon by a horse.

Upon seeing the python, Ogadi froze.

The mass of scales moved from its position, baring its fangs and darting its head towards the intruders. The men in return, waved their machetes threateningly at it as they slowly but surely backed out of the shrine.

“Wait for me! You can't leave me here!” Florence shouted from her position on the floor. Her shouts attracted the python to her and it approached her stealthily, its scaly brown skin seeming to have a life of its own.

Florence instead of running stayed put, looking hypnotized by the enormous reptile.

The snake crept up to where she was and fixed its glittering eyes on her.

Florence began to shake and cry uncontrollably. The snake looked at her with intelligence in its eyes and shifted to the side, giving her space to run out of the shrine if she so wished.

Florence's eyes widened when she saw what the snake had done. She brought herself up to her full height and ran out of the shrine, stumbling a few times in her haste.

Finally, the snake turned to the five women that remained in the shrine, transfixed by its enormity. It stared at them for a moment before it turned its tail and slunk out of the shrine, hissing all the way.

The women all broke out into joyous smiles. Pythons were often regarded as Ala's agents.

To them, there was no doubt the python had been sent by Ala to help them.

Closing her eyes, Ezinne thanked the goddess for sparing them.