Muur Chronicles

EPISODE THREE

***

As evening fast approached, Tracy and Nora both thought it wise not to spend the night in the place; though there were arguments in support of spending the night there. They packed their things, and as they were strolling out from their location, Nora drew Tracy's attention to a shiny, though dimmed but brilliants beautiful light glowing just a few meters away from them in the same mountain. Deep in her mind, Nora would have loved to go and observe, but Tracy read her mind and discouraged her accordingly.

"We can't, my Love!" nudging her to bury the thought and to see the wisdom in not going. After all, and for all they care, ritualism’s or any other no-good could be in the same vicinity with them and they will foolishly walk into their scheme all because of some stupid glowing light, Tracy thought.

***

Steve opened his eyes after the fall to a superficial superfluous ethereal light; the environment shone brightly but not blinding to his eyes. Slowly, he looked around, perhaps not so sure that he saw things right. To his amazement, his surroundings are the only one exhibiting the ethereal rays.

“What is happening?” kept ringing like an echo in his mind; what he is witnessing didn’t look real to him.

  He stood up, trying to ascertain if maybe the lights only shone on him as he sat there on the ground after the fall, but realized that he was one with the light, and shone brightly alongside the light. “Do you like it?” a voice whispered to him. He pretended as if he did not hear the voice and relapsed to his previous conviction that this is purely a c******s induced ecstasy. As soon as he did this, he closed his eyes very hard for some minutes and then opened it to see a shifting figure right in front of him. He closed his eyes again, pinched himself real hard and then opened it; the figure was still there when he opened his eyes a few seconds afterwards.

“Are you done?” it asked Steve.

“What!” Steve screamed out.

“No, no, no! This is not real” he screamed out again.

“Are you sure about that?" asked the lightly colored figure standing in front of him.

Steve turned around, away from the figure and tried to walk away, totally believing that he is about to run mad, but can avoid it by not talking back to the figure and walking away from that place.

“Steve, I have seen you, the real you, and we both can help each other out” the figure stated, fully materializing in his front. Steve stopped dead in his track. Though he could make out some of the shape shifting light covered figure right in front of him, the blazing light surrounding the environment prevented him from seeing the figure fully.

“Is this real?” Steve asked again, not wanting to believe what he is witnessing.

“Well, at this point, you make your own reality. This is the best way in which I believe I can effectively communicate with you at the moment after so many tries.” The figure replied.

“After several tries?” Steve asked.

“Yes” the figure replied.

“I don’t believe this crap” Steve shouted and slapped himself heavily.

“Why do you keep inflicting hurt on yourself?” the figure asked to his surprise.

“Please stop talking to me…stop making me feel like I am going nuts” Steve begged, still in disbelief.

“You are not going nuts, you are perfectly normal. I just thought you were ready today, guess I thought wrong then” the figure stated with feigned disbelief in the voice which sounded male, and then started dematerializing in Steve's presence.

“Wait, wait, this is real?” he asked himself.

“Yes…Don't you remember any of the dreams?” The figure stated, re-materializing again, but in full this time around to reveal him.

The feeling of disbelief and how unreal what he thought he is witnessing quickly disappeared. He shifted backwards a little from the figure before posing his next big question after conquering his fear that he might be talking to an extraterrestrial being after all.

“I know what you are thinking, but we don’t have time. This is what is going to happen.” The figure stated. Steve sniggered and smiled.

“I have time, go on” he stated.

“I am Linagu and no, you don't have time. However, let me fast track this for you.” Linagu raised his hand used his telekinetic powers and drew Steve closer to himself with a brief shot of blue light which spurted from his right palm. The shot engulfed Steve's body just as quick and brought him closer.

Linagu placed a device on his wrist and reconfigured it with his Anani. Before Steve could react, he quickly released the object into the air. It attached itself into Steve's face while he screamed. Slowly, the robotic object, about one inch in size and height, crawled into Steve’s closed eyes and spread out quickly like a virus all over his eyes. The eyes were quickly turned dark red, revealing a lot of universal hidden knowledge, mostly about the Muurians and early earth history as recorded in the Muurian archives and kept in the Elder Chambers of the Odena.

“My God!” he exclaimed.

 “So, you know what you must do for me?” Linagu asked.

“I do, but I doubt if I will.” Steve replied.

“Doubts?” Linagu asked.

“Yes, doubts!” Steve replied.

“Explain yourself” Linagu retorted.

“I don’t have to explain myself.” Steve replied.

For a moment, there was calm as they both stood there staring at each other, until a beam of light escaped from Linagu’s Anani and shot Steve at his forehead, paralyzing him this time around. He wanted to say something but couldn’t. Slowly, Linagu glided through the light-filled air towards him. Horror and fear registered on his face as his eyes got filled with an expression of sudden fear. His struggles to wriggle out of the entrapment made his neck muscles fully visible and pumped. Linagu shot him with the newly released Nergen by Riatech which combines an environment's magnetic force with the Unerg to spellbind its mark.

 He tried to put up a supposed final fight before his perceived sudden demise at the hand of this powerful entity, but his only areas of strength in Linagu's entrapment are the areas not meant for physical brawls. Like a tied up cow to be slaughtered at the s*******r house, Steve stood there eyes popped out, watching in horror as Linagu walked towards him and stopped just within an inch of his eyes, staring him convulsively. The one thing Steve clearly made out from Linagu's facial appearance and total body disposition was that Linagu didn't look as though he didn't belong. Except the dressing of course!

He felt his spine tingle a bit, and then the rest of his body died except his brain and his eyes. Steve didn’t know and couldn't figure out anything in that moment as he saw himself reduced to a spectator. Then his mind told him to calm down, reminding him that if Linagu wanted to kill him, he will not be dramatic about it. As soon as he told himself this, he shut his eyes in preparation for whatever comes next while Linagu continued to stare at him.

“Open your eyes.” Linagu kindly whispered to him.

The moment he opened his eyes at his command, a force overshadowed him and took full control of him, causing Steve to fall down as a result. Mildly, slowly and gently, a bright blue light started spreading all over Steve’s body. They started from his veins, and quickly spread all over his body, lightning up his skin in the process. His eyes were as captivating and blazing as the sun setting on an aurora aureole in blue colors. Steve’s body transfigured totally, taking on all the light-shimmered attributes of the secret process Linagu initiated. He did not know how Steve will react after this, but has figured out that the gain far outweighs the risk, so he plunged on.

Though Steve’s body reacted visibly with the contact, his mind remained intact as Linagu wanted it. He had figured out it is better to perform the highly dangerous Ami Nri with his refined magically powered ritual on Steve and let him decide for himself than any storytelling will tell. Ami Nri is a dark forbidden Muur ritual which bestows unparalleled powers on the host upon successful completion.

Till date, only one known person has successfully completed the ritual and attained its true immense powers. Linagu decided to perform the ritual without invitation or permission because of his sister, Neerudi. This was two years after the twin siblings perfected the Ami Nri ritual and simplified its process using the Anani. The only reason none of them has performed it on themselves was the fact that it is now forbidden in the Muurs and their physical environment cannot allow their body structure adjust normally to the after effects of the Ami Nri. Their physical structure can no longer bear the Ami Nri, even if they were to succeed.

   An unknown element bonded together with trace iodine in Steve's cardiovascular walls, initiating a violent metabolism that took over his blood viscosity, automatically changing his vascular resistance and myocardial blood demand. Light colored cells rushed out from the left and right ventricles of his heart, joining with his coronary arteries and created a magnified perfusion pressure which made Steve shiver slightly on the ground.

The light cells continued its violent movements and metabolism on the arteries as it joined up with the cerebral blood vessels, fusing with his heme to alter the pump power of his heart. The reactive unknown element moved on to his cerebrovascular, and all the major glands in Steve's body system picked up activities immediately. From the pituitary to the pineal, to the thyroid and the whole endocrine system in his body, they all lighted up and continued to metamorphose in line with the process Linagu started. As the light cells continued to move around his body, it continued to bond and change a lot of his internal structures, creating molecular activities with thin heavy metals like lead, mercury, cadmium, chromium, arsenic, antimony and thallium while also electrifying his immunoglobulin which gave it a hyperactive boost. From there, the light cell activities engineered by Linagu moved on to Steve's bones, and then filtered into his skin as it lighted up totally while intracellular activities went on within. It continued this way within every part of Steve's body until the Ami Nri was completed five minutes later.

Moments later, the whole light in the environment faded, except the light covering Linagu. He didn't know what next to expect as he watched Steve who was still lying on the ground. But, he knew the process was always going to be excruciating.

When Steve opened his eyes few seconds later, he moved his hands to check if he was still paralyzed, but was not. Quickly, he stood up and turned to where Linagu stood. There was no visible form of surprise or reaction at what just happened from him. But, he knew and could feel a lot has changed in him.

“I know what you are thinking, but…” Linagu started.

“I know what you did, but I understand!” Steve replied immediately.

“You do?” Linagu asked.

“Yes, I do.” Steve replied.

"You know what to do then." Linagu said to him.

"We will see!" He replied and watched Linagu set something up on his Anani before asporting off!

*

Steve went straight to his bag, picked up one or two things, then started strolling down to the foot of the mountain, to the place where he can connect with the path that leads to the road he came from. Suddenly, he started hearing female chatters coming from the direction he is headed. He smiled, maybe Linagu decided to make things easier for him. He changed his path, with the direction of the voices as a guide. He plied through the rougher parts and edges of the bush, tracking the voices stealthily as the voices canvassed about the wonderful time they spent.

On making up his mind that they will be fit for the purpose he intended, Steve’s mind relapsed. It relapsed into a state of confusion, of uncertainty, like these people are meant for something else and not what he had in mind at the moment. After relaxing his mind and braced up accordingly, he came out from one of the other sides of the mountain and decided to ask them for directions instead once they reached the foot of the mountain.

 **

   On reaching down the foot of the mountain, Tracy and Nora saw Steve coming out from the other side, about 25 meters from where they stood. He asked them for directions and Tracy directed him accordingly.  He didn't know if he made the right decision with them as he thanked Tracy and walked away from them.

As he left them, Nora couldn't help but make a remark about him. For a brief moment as they canvassed and walked to where Tracy's car was parked, he was their topic. They finally left while he followed them at a distance. He stalked them to the Street leading to Clifford Crescent before the doubts came back. He backed away from the stalking, and went to a clubhouse in the main town where he figured will be the best place to get what he really wanted.

The moment he arrived there, he walked into KlubLite, a popular night club at Andrew Street by Fire Service Avenue. He took a seat at a clearly visible space on one of the cushions in the main club hall and started his stealth but sleek observations.

“Hey!” someone called out to him. He looked up and smiled at the female figure standing over him and waving amidst heavy blast of hip-hop music by the DJ in charge.

“Isn’t awkward to be in a place like this and just stare? Look out, so many girls dancing around.” The girl said to him before drinking from the cup in her hand.

“What about you?” he asked with a smart smile on his face in the best possible courteous manner he can mutter.

“Taken!” she said with a smile and walked off, back into the dancing arena. He smiled again, and then decided to do as the girl have said. If someone has noticed that he is staring awkwardly, and then he had to change that, he realized.

He went to the bar, got himself a bottle of an expensive Cîroc wine, and changed his seating position. It wasn’t long before two girls came by his table and chorused “hi” to him.

*

Steve woke up feeling exhausted the next day at the mountain. Everywhere has darkened and the candle lights have burned down and no scent whatsoever. He frantically rushed to his bag in search of his phone to check the time. "Oh boy! " he almost screamed out. "How did this happen?  What happened to me?" started ringing like an echo in his mind. 

Quickly, he searched for his phone and didn't see missed calls as he grabbed it. He switched on his phone light, packed his belongings into his bag and kept it hidden in an enclave somewhere within where he is. His mind was totally troubled. He does not recollect the events of the previous night, and for some reason he totally became angry at himself.

"How could i have been in the bush till now?"  He kept asking himself. As he hid the bag and tried to make his way out of his unique personal spot in the mountain, the light from his phone made him saw drops of blood on leaves and the ground. He was taken aback.

"Whose blood?" started ringing in his mind as he flashed himself the light, weighing and observing if he had perhaps unknowingly harmed himself. The blood was not his. A little agitation started taking over him as he kept seeing a lot of blood around the place as he flashed light around him; too many blood droplets. Then he saw the real shocker, two corpses, and both girls. He became stunned and terrified at the sight. A quick flash across his mind reveals him stabbing one of the dead girls. "It had to be done" a subtle voice whispered in his mind immediately. Steve didn't know if it was his own voice or another.

"This is not possible...l…this is" he bellowed and kept muttering to himself severally in denial of what his mind kept putting on replay for him to remember. Then he remembered, he remembered it all.      

He left the spot where the dead girls lay, made a fast thinking and decided dumping them where the act occurred is the best move; wayward girls possibly killed for money, he figured. On a second thought, he decided that dumping the bodies farther into the bush was the better choice. He went to his bag, brought out a hand glove and wore same on both hands as he moved closer to one of the bodies. Once he was three inches near the body, he bent down, looked at her and saw two lacerations with unknown markings apart from the actual stab that killed her. He didn't know why he did that, seeing as the other body had one stab. From the look on her whole body, a huge struggle occurred before her death.

He succeeded in dumping their body further into the bush, and left the mountain with his bag. Slowly, he started reminiscing on the events of the last two days while he made his way down the mountain foot. A zillion thoughts fluttered through his mind, each taking priority than the last. But there is clarity, and he knew what to do. He smiled, and then he smirked. It didn't take long before he was at the foot of the mountain. After alighting from the cab he booked to his hotel room, Steve gently walked in and headed straight to the bathroom upon entering his room! 

***

 In the evening of the next day, the town was filled with news of two girls who were murdered in the same place Tracy and Nora both had their adventure. "Tracy, are you seeing the news?" Nora asked as soon as she picked the call.

"What news?" Tracy asked her, a little perplexed.

"It’s everywhere Tracy, two girls were murdered in that place we went to yesterday. It could have been us Tee" she echoed, almost at the point of crying. "Oh my God" Tracy exclaimed! Tracy implored Nora to visit her that day as they shared their escape stories with each other on the phone. She agreed. 

***

The events kept replaying in Steve’s mind as he stretched himself out inside the bathtub in his suite, smoking a tab and reminiscing on what he has done. It was regretful, but it has been done and so moving forward seemed like the best idea to him he figured. It wasn't what he wanted, but who gets what they want anyway, he told himself. He thought of calling Christie, his girlfriend, but declined to do so, citing that he is not in the best possible state of mind to call her at the moment.

As soon as he was done smoking the tab, he finished his bath and ordered for food. He wanted to tell one of the hotel attendants to arrange two girls for him to ease off the tension inside him, but decided it is the wrong move as it's not who he is. After taking the meal, he lay down and forced himself to sleep by doing a lot of breathing exercises coupled with the specific mudra to induce sleep, it worked.

He woke up towards evening time with the thought of certain girls he saw the previous day for no reason whatsoever. He figured that if they are on his mind, then there must be a connection. He remembered clearly that he had asked them for directions, and had tracked them home but had to stop because his mind did not accept his intentions towards them. He dressed up, hailed an Uber ride and directed the taxi driver where to take him.

He kept hoping that he will somehow see one of the girls, and engages in a conversation upon reaching. He planned to leave town the next day and wanted to use this as an opportunity to pass time, no matter how fruitful or unyielding the outcome is.

One of the things he observed as he reached the area around Clifford Crescent is a mini-mart and phone plaza. He figured it will be a nice place to stay and observe, and hope luck runs into him.  On reaching there, he waited for a while, but nothing. He decided to go, asking himself what he's even doing. Then, he thought again about the other girl, and figured he should just try his luck there. He was about living when he saw Nora enter the mini-mart. He smiled and started walking towards the entrance of the mini-mart from where he sat. He was about entering when Nora bumped into him.

"I'm so sorry!" she echoed.

"It’s alright" Steve replied.

"Hope there is no armed robbers inside?" He added in reference to the speed with which she was rushing out, causing her to smile.

"Oh no, nothing like that!" she said smiling. As she made to leave, she turned back and hailed Steve with a 'hey!' as he tried to leave.

“Have we met before? You look exactly like someone who asked me for directions yesterday."

"Well, that wouldn't be odd, seeing as I am new here and have been literally asking everyone for directions." he chipped in jokingly.

"Do you recall where?" He asked Nora.

"I was with my friend at a Mountain foot, the one near Sangel Fountains."

"Yeah…That could be me!" He calmly replied. From the look on her face, she didn't know whether to be excited or not about the confirmation. She didn't know why she bothered to ask in the first place.

"I have been sick worried to tell you the truth. I remembered you girls immediately I saw that news about two girls murdered in that mountain. Honestly, I thought you guys were the ones. I'm really grateful and happy it was not you guys. “He finished, observing the concerned reactions on Nora's face and body.

"I know it's awkward, but please can I hug you?" he asked, to show how concerned he actually was and the relief he feels at the moment.

"Umm. No!" she replied instantly. He simply smiled to it, and wanted to say something before she cut him off.

"Maybe some other time" she said. Steve smiled and told her" I doubt that though!"

"Why do you say so?" He was about to say something when Nora's phone rang and Tracy was the one calling.

"You won't believe who i am standing with at the moment" Nora said immediately she picked the call. "Who?" Tracy asked.

"The person we have been talking about since yesterday" Nora replied.

"Can you come with him to De Lars Palace?" Tracy asked.

"Hold on a second let me ask him!" Nora told her. She turned towards Steve and asked him if he is free to join them, and he agreed.

"He agreed" Nora told Tracy on the phone.

"I am waiting for you guys!" she said and ended the call.

"So?" he asked.

"Mujé!" she replied.

"What’s that?" He asked feigning ignorance of the word she spoke.

"It means let's go" she said, smiling!

They both left the Mini-mart, called a taxi who took them to the place. She offered to pay. From Steve's observation, she is probably very buoyant enough, though he would have preferred to pay the fares.

"Hey!” Tracy uttered as she hugged Nora, who introduced Steve. Tracy felt a spark in her eyes when it met Steve's as they greeted each other.

"Hello! Everyone, people are watching. Can we all sit?" Nora asked, observing the connection herself. They sat down and ordered for some drinks with a lot of other edibles.

"So, what brought you to our town?" Nora asked, automatically taking charge of the discussion after seeing that her lover is literally finding it hard to control herself around Steve.

"Your town you say?" Steve asked. She nodded in affirmation, smiling.

"I am from here, though I did not grow up here." he answered.

"I love the place anyway," he continued. "So, sometimes i just look for an excuse to visit, stroll around for a while and then go back."

"Stroll around?"  Nora asked.

"Yup!" he replied.

"That’s what you were doing that day right, or were you lost?" Nora asked.

"You are on affirmation now, the truth and the truth only." Tracy added, making them laugh a bit, drawing unusual attention from other customers.

"Actually, I  just went to that place to smoke a tab, and meditate. You said to say the truth." he finished, with his eyes sternly fixed on Tracy, smiling casually. For a moment, they both paused, with a certain non-curious yet curious look, saddled with an expression of amazement. Tracy wondered at how he could just feel free to tell total strangers about a private aspect of his life without minding the reaction it may create. She admired his courage and boldness.

"Tracy!" Nora called.

"You have been staring at him unnecessarily!" Nora uttered.

"Don't mind me"

"Really? That I should not mind you?" she asked.

At this, Tracy turned to Steve. "Can you excuse us for a moment?"

"That’s cool!" he replied, though he wasn't really aware of what was going on between the two. Tracy held Nora by the hand and led her to a corner of the De Lars building, far from Steve and noise.

"You have been acting very weird, Tracy.” Nora uttered as soon as they were in the clear.

"I know." Tracy replied immediately.

"I know?  That's all you will say, I know? "Nora asked, visibly irritated.

"I can't help it Nora. There is something about him, my attraction to him is so forcible, i can't control it. The only other person with such power over me is you, but not like this even!" she stated.

"We should go" Tracy finally ended.

"Nah. We can't. It will look somehow. Have you thought about how he will feel?  I mean, you are the one that told me to bring him to this place. We have not even been here for more than seven minutes, and you want us to go!" Nora questioned.

"Okay, okay. I will try and control myself around him." Tracy said.

"I will tell you my own truth though, I think I'm into him!" Nora said.

"Whaaat!" Tracy said, almost shouting it out.

"That's the truth. But, i am not showing it. You see the difference?" Nora asked rhetorically. They both stood there for a moment, staring.

"This is awkward, like really awkward!" Nora said.

"Yes, it is" Tracy added.

"Maybe we will just take his number, and leave" Nora said.

"That too will be an awkward thing to do." Tracy said.

"How awkward do you mean?" Nora asked.

"Taking the number of a total stranger we just met, totally know nothing about!" Tracy replied.

 "I could say same about us!" Nora stated.

"Okay, we will take his number then. Let's go back before he thinks that we have deserted him" Tracy said.

"Yeah"

They went back to their table afterwards, but he was no longer there. They both looked at themselves, and would have started the blame game before he showed up.