LOST SOUL

THE NIGHTMARE

LEY'S POV

I could remember sitting on the bed thinking and wandering about a whole lot of things, then Mary walked in to check up on me requesting if I needed anything which I didn't so she left me alone.

"Do you need anything" she asked.

"No I'm fine" I replied.

"What about water" she asked further.

"No thanks I'm good" I said.

Shortly after, I slept off only to witness the strangest nightmare I've ever witnessed or heard about in my entire life.

I saw myself walking around our castle, it was like I was visiting each room then all of a sudden, I entered a very dark room but ironically enough I could see clearly in that room. I walked into the room touching stuffs until something caught my eyes it was my Dad standing in that dark room, he was looking exactly the way I saw him the last time before he died, he was looking messed up, dressed in the same clothes with blood all over him and he kept repeating this words "fight it, fight it don't let it take control of you".

"Aahh!!.." I screamed still rooted to the ground not being able to move.

"you have to surpress it" he said again and this time around I was already sweating profusely and vibrating physically.

I was so confused at what he was saying and immediately I regained control over myself, I ran towards the light only to see myself face to face with this creature it was looking more like a vampire or is it a Devan but it was non of those because they actually do not exist. This creature had blood gushing out of his mouth, his nails were too long that if he should Pierce it into my eyes, it will definitely come out from the back of my head, he had a very long hair, a bloodshot eyes, and when he smiled he revealed a very long Sharp set of ugly bloody teeth, his skin was the most disgusting skin I've ever seen. You can see his skin fall out one by one and still come back to his body fixing itself at it's different positions. I was so afraid when I saw him that I turned immediately in fear to run back to my dad for safety but before I could, I was grabbed by this hideous creature by my back, I struggled for my freedom and in the process of struggling with him, I unplugged one of his eyes and instantly, I woke up sweating profusely with both my hands folded.

As soon as I opened my hands, I saw his eyeball on my hand like everything happened physically In my room, looking to the left, I saw that my bed was stained with blood and I could see some pieces of skin lying around on my bed.

I screamed, cried out loud and threw the eyeball away from my hands. Immediately, I jumped out of my bed crying and running away to get Mary so she can see what I just saw.

I remember vividly that I saw her knitting in her room, I didn't even get closer to her before I screamed her name and asked her to follow me. She insisted on knowing the reason before she followed me, I kept on persuading her to come but seeing her mind was made up on knowing the reason first, I told her everything starting from the nightmare to what I saw on my bed. Instead of following me immediately, she laughed out so loud telling me that I was just hallucinating.

"Hallucinating?" oh how I hate it when people tell me that.

"I'm sure of what I saw, it's real, I'm not hallucinating I told her with a fierce voice".

"Things like that happens most times when one wakes up from a horrible dream so it's no big deal just relax yourself" Mary said smiling.

Watching her smile really made me angry and so furious at her.

"what does she take me for a crazy person" I muttered.

I went on to command her to follow me which she refused but after much plea and promises she finally decided to go with me just to make me happy and also prove to me that everything is alright.

I dragged her to my room but when we got their, my room made me a very big liar, everything was Just normal and I couldn't believe my self. I screamed and shouted like one going insane. Mary calmed me down and I couldn't help but cry so passionately.

"Please believe me I'm not going insane I'm saying the truth" I cried.

Mary tried her best in calming me down but it didn't work, I ended up screaming at her to let me be and leave my room.

Shortly after she left, I felt something pull my legs so I bent down to have a better look only for me to see the things I saw earlier right there, lying under my bed. I was able to stop myself from shouting but I couldn't hold the tears from rolling down my cheeks.

At that moment all I could hear myself say was"Whatever you are please what do you want from me , why are you tormenting my life" I said as I gradually sat on the floor with my hands on my face crying so bitterly.

I sat there subbing all to myself and ready for anything to happen and at that point, I started feeling tired and the urge of taking my own life was so strong then I concluded to give in to the urge and take my life so everything will be alright.

I walked down to the kitchen it was a very big room with different workers, I walked in not replying to any of there greetings and questions as most of them tried to know the reason I'm in the kitchen. I walked straight to where the cutleries were packed in a very big cupboard, took out a knife and walked straight back to my room.

I went inside my room, locked the door held the knife up and stabbed myself but the whole thing just healed instantly like nothing happened and a very familiar voice whispered

"it's not part of the deal, I'm not done with you yet".

I was so afraid, I cried and shouted on top of my voice as the voice kept repeating the words

"I'm not done with you" to me.

The first thing that came to my mind was to send for Jane and tell her what I just experienced.

Before the idea of going to call Jane came to me, I wanted to tell Mary but remembering she will say I'm hallucinating again I just refrained from doing so.

Who will even believe what just happened, the fact that I stabbed myself and the injury healed all at once is just impossible they will definitely laugh if I tell them but it doesn't matter anyways, I myself is even very much confused and tired of it all and I don't care again.

"I want things to return back to normal I cried"

I managed to stand up from the floor, wiped my tears and went straight to where my room bell is, getting there I rang the small Bell and about three servants came to my aid. I dismissed one but she insisted on cleaning my room before she leaves, then I sent one off to call Jane over and the other to get me something to eat and drink as I was already feeling so hungry and thirsty.

"Madam, do you want me to get you wine?" She asked with her face down.

"Yes, and don't forget to bring water too I replied".

She left immediately to get the food while the other one left to call Jane over then few minutes later the third servant left too as she was already done with her cleaning.

Few minutes later the food was brought but I lost my appetite at the sight of the food so I decided to go to the kitchen myself

"Madam don't you like the food? She asked immediately I stood up to leave.

"Don't worry I'll get another one" she said trying to stop me from going to get the food myself.

"Don't worry it's fine, I just feel like walking to the kitchen myself" I replied with a faint smile and left.

Walking down the hallway, I bumped into my mom and before I could even say anything she said something that shocked me

"Ridley, Ridley answer me"

"Yes madam" I answered with my face down

"Look up, look at me" she said raising my cheeks so I can look at her face to face

I looked at her without looking away because I won't want to upset her

"You are coming with me immediately" she said looking at me keenly.

I know she wanted me to say something but I couldn't, I won't dare it I just have to listen and obey because that's how she trained me to act when I'm with her.

After a very short time of silence she finally said something again

"You know you are the future ruler and will take over the affairs of this village one day right"

I nodded

"Answer me" she scolded

"Yes Madam"

"Good, now there are people waiting at the court room for me to look into there case and I want you to abandon whatsoever thing you are up to and follow me immediately she commanded and left"

I walked right off behind her without even saying a word and when we got to the court room I was asked to seat next to her and for the very first time I was able to stay that close to my mom in an official meeting.

Shortly after the case was presented and the case sent cold shivers down my spine.

The case was presented by a woman she was with a little girl who she introduced as Dorothy and I think she was about my age, she was looking so very bad, first of all the woman showed everyone in the court room her body before she laid her complaint.

I couldn't help but notice she was bald, her eyebrow was missing and few of her teeth was gone, still looking at her keenly I noticed she was missing an ear and there were scars all over her body when j talk about scars I mean ugly scars and I guess it should be from a knife or anything sharp. I really pitied her and I couldn't wait to hear what happened to her.

After showing everyone her body, she was ordered by my mom to lay her complaint which she did, I was really afraid and uneasy listening to her but my mom showed no emotions at all she was really a strong woman.

I saw this young girl last night at my door step fast asleep looking so unkept and like one who was just attacked by a wild animal and I couldn't help but ask her about her parents and how she got the scars but what she told me was so absurd and inhumane. She said it was her mom that inflicted the injuries"I on her I was so confused at first that I had to ask her how and why and what she said about her mom was not good at all. I think cannibalism is now finding it's way amongst us but at this point I'll want her to speak to everyone herself" . The woman said as she tapped the little girl to speak.

"My family was a normal one but everything changed when my mom started acting weird" she said as tears rolled freely from her eyes making her pause for a while.

"Little girl go on my mom said"

"My mom had just given birth to a baby girl and everyone was happy, one fateful day my dad and I went to the farm I was tired at some point so j was allowed to come back home, reaching the house I saw my mom from behind kneeling down on the floor, I walked up to her to tell her that I was hungry and needed food but the way she bounced on me, dragged me and flogged me Mercilessly the scars from all the beating I've been receiving from her are still visible till now, I couldn't help but wonder why she was flogging me, I cried and ran out of the house to meet my Dad, for help after that day she started acting different towards me. I thought I had made her angry so I went to apologise to her but she sent me away. The other day when came back from the farm earlier than I use to, my mom dragged me and locked me inside a cupboard and while she was doing all this, she was laughing not even minding if I was in pains. After some minutes of struggling to free myself from the cupboard, she brought me out with the strict warning that if I tell my dad, I'm dead.

I was afraid that my mom was slowly becoming crazy infact she's out of her mind I concluded. Just a day before that day, she almost baptized my dad with a boiling water if not that she was stopped and one night, I woke up and found her in my room seated on the floor crying and begging nobody in particular to let her be and when I touched her shoulders, she pushed me, came closer to where I was lying and gave me this slap that fell one of my teeth. At that point I knew my mom really needed help. I told my Dad everything the next day but he didn't believe me. The most shocking experience was what she did one fateful day, I was coming back from the market,my house and opening the door,I saw my dear mom feasting on my baby sister She was also looking like one that was tortured, she had stripes on her back like cane marks and also her clothes were torn." She said crying.

"Young lady, why didn't you tell anyone and why didn't you bring the case up, earlier?"

"I didn't speak up because I was scared and I feared my mom will be killed and I love my mom" she answered crying

"Get her a scarf so she can wipe her tears" my mom ordered.

"How can one eat her own child I wandered as I sat on the chair looking at Dorothy keenly as she wiped her tears and blew her nose".

Shortly after, the scarf was taken from her and discarded. "You can now continue your story" my mom said.

"I wanted to scream but I couldn't, I was visibly shaking, sweating and dumbfounded. My mom noticing my presence in the house turned and started coming towards me smiling like one that would eat my brains if she gets her hands on me. I screamed and ran out of the house heading to go get my Dad. When I saw him, I took told him everything I saw with tears flowing freely down my cheeks but as usual he didn't believe me. He even went ahead to laughed over it and told me to stop making up stories that I was too old for that. I tried convincing him to believe me but he kept laughing. I went on asking him to come home with me which he did reluctantly, I was so afraid to enter the house but as we entered the house, my dad and I sighted my mom crying. She was crying at one corner of the sitting room. My dad went close to her, I tried to stop him but it was too late as my mom raised her head quickly and forcefully pierced a sharp knife inside my dad's left chest, brought out his heart and ate it hungrily (Sniffs). My dad fell down lifeless while I stood rooted to the ground watching the whole scenario, and at that point I was in shock that I couldn't even make a noise or move.

The sight of it all was so horrible and painful as she went ahead to cut open different parts of his body drinking his blood leaving him all drained up like one who has been dead for days. As I regained myself, I wanted to run but the door was locked I couldn't open it fast so I can escape from my mom. I kept trying my best to get the door open banging it, screaming and shouting for help but no help came.

My mom came closer to me, I closed my eye and silently said my last prayer thinking she would take my heart out too but instead, she dragged me by the hair, took me to where my dad was lying and whispered into my ears "this is wat happens to those that don't behave" I was crying and shievering at the same time I couldn't help but wander what happened to my loving mother. I looked on the floor again my dad my best friend is gone, I couldn't believe it, I wished everything was only but a dream.

Still crying, my mom took me to my room and used a sharp razor to shave my hair bald and my eyebrows too. I was so devatated, I couldn't look at myself in the mirror but she forced me too. I begged her to leave me but she wasn't done having fun yet. She went on to get herself a plier which she used to uproot three of my lower teeth, She acted like she was enjoying seeing me cry out in pains. I screamed in pains as blood gushed out from my mouth freely. I couldn't help but think she has been possesed, she left me and walked out" (cries bitterly)

"Let's give her sometime before she continues" my mom said. I can remember vividly that the court room was full of people murmuring all talking about Dorothy I guess.

Few moments later before Dorothy continued, the servant I asked to send for Jane walked up to me. "Ma'am Jane is here" She said

"Alright, make her comfortable tell her I will be meeting up with her that I'm with my mom, Tell her not to leave" I said and immediately he left.

"Young lady, you can continue now my mom said"

"That night I was so afraid, I couldn't sleep not only because of the pains but also because I was afraid of what my mom will do to me in my sleep.

Sitting alone on the floor in my room, I grabbed the doll my dad gave me on my thirteenth birthday and hugged it so tight out of fear and looking around the room in tears. After some minutes I looked out from the window only to see my mom dragging my dad's dead body to bury and looking closely at the body, you will notice that some part of his body parts were gone like she feasted on them.

I sat down quietly on the floor crying and silently prayed for the night to be over but that night seemed longer than usual. At some point I looked out from the window only to see my mom hanging on a tree, She had killed herself, I guess she couldn't take the torture anymore. I ran away that night in fear crying and at some point I was tired so I decided to rest at a place and the place happened to be her doorstep" she concluded.

I was so shocked at what I just heard and I couldn't wait to tell Jane about it all.

The woman talked on how our village needs to be cleansed in other to ward off cannibalism from amongst us, everyone in the court room gave there own suggestions some even said she was possessed by a demon and I can remember saying to myself at that moment

"But Mary said demons are not real" After there deliberation, it was left for my mom to make the final decision which she did. She ordered the girl be raised by the woman but will be supported financially by her, she approved the village be cleansed and exorcism be done on Dorothy's mom corpse before burial. Immediately she made the final decision, everyone was dismissed including me.

I admired my mom's boldness and wished I will be as bold as her someday.

After the Court session, I totally forgot about the fact I was hungry earlier and also the strange thing that happened to me, I was just thinking about Dorothy's story and couldn't help but believe something like that used to happen in my village and it's trying to come back again.

As soon as I was asked to leave by my mom, I rushed to meet Jane who was seated in my room so I can tell her what I just heard.

Reaching my room I saw Jane seated on the bed so I told her about the case and she was surprised at two things, she couldn't believe that my mom actually allowed me in the court with her and she couldn't also believe that cannibalism exists. She was seated looking at me without saying a word

"How possible is that" she finally said

"I didn't even know it was possible myself, I pity the poor girl" I replied

She kept looking at me looking lost in that u had to pinch her

"Woah! that hurts" she said

"What are you thinking about, you looked lost so I decided to bring you back to reality" I replied smiling

"That was a bit painful" she said rubbing her arm

"Sorry, that's by the way" I said smiling

"Yeah, you sent for me, why?" She asked

Listening to her ask that question changed my countenance

"I think I'm going crazy" I replied with a very sad tone

"What is the matter" she said looking straight into my eyes that were already tearing

"I thought I tried stabbing myself earlier today and the injury closed up immediately, like it felt real but I don't know, maybe I was hallucinating (breaks) I think I've lost it" I said not being too sure of myself again.

"It's well and I think you should tell your Mom about all this you need help" Mary said as she stretched forth her hands to hold mine.

"Everything is going to be ok just tell her" she added.

"I hope so" I said as I dried my tears with the back of my palm.

Mary stayed with me for sometime and when it was getting late, I asked one of the servants to escort her home which they did leaving me all alone in my room with my thoughts and I also remember that I became massively hungry at that point so I stood up and walked straight to the kitchen so I could get something to eat.

The workers were already retiring back to there quarters, my mom was already fast asleep while me on the other hand was walking down the hall that night heading for the kitchen so I can satisfy my hunger.