Clear Vision.......

Let's do this!......

Voices...I hear voices......I kept drifting in and out, where could the noises be coming from?......The sounds seemed so far yet so near...I could swear someone was calling my name from somewhere and I feel like am about to freak out again, hope am not back to the scary mountain again ...

”Jenn"....Jo hit me so hard I yelped and jumped up from the car sit so fast that I hit my head on the roof of the car...

"Ouuuuch.....ouu....ouuch.....I cried out clutching my head in pain, while Jo was having fun from my misery. I was irked at that moment...

"Jo, it's not funny at all, am in pains and you are laughing , that's really not cool. I've told you several times to always tap gently whenever you rouse me from sleep, that's not fair. I nearly had a heart attack"

At this point Jo was trying hard to stop her ridiculous laughter though it's written all over her face that she haven't had her feel yet..."Am sorry Jenn, I kept calling your name, but you never answered. we stopped a long time ago, have even unpacked our stuffs that we'll use for the night from the boot and I was calling you to come pick yours but you kept sleeping..Even when I tapped gently you weren't responding. I grew scared and had to hit you hard. I grew worried, in fact am the one who nearly developed a heart attack. But that move was really hilarious" She said and resumed laughing... "Ok am sorry , no more laughs, come on , come and pack up Drew and Marvin has gone in to book our rooms for the night. The receptionist said no food for the night, that the kitchen quarter is closed, something about chef developing a fever. So we fast for the night, though Greg and I wants to check out the neighborhood for any cool spot to chill out....Coming"??..

"No... no..nooo"...I said smiling, "I couldn't intrude, go have fun. I'll just have snickers for the night am not even that hungry. So I'll just pick my stuffs and go in..I said walking towards the car to pick up my valuables ..."By the way be careful, we don't know this place , I said gesticulating with my hands , so don't stay long...Am serious Jo". I picked my stuffs closed the boot and together we walked inside to meet Greg still sitting in the reception area waiting for us..He stood immediately we came in and perked Jo, making my heart do a somersault ..Oh God when???...I left them after Greg gave me directions to my room , I climbed up to my room and was impressed. For a motel, it's totally cool. I quickly unpacked , entered the shower and washed out every grime on my body gathered throughout the day ..The water was like a music to my soul. I just stood there allowing my body absorb it all, I stayed there for so long that I soon became oblivious of my environment, closing my eyes I try to imagine my day starting from morning up till this moment...My family, or will I say my reformed family ...It was really awesome to finally be loved and to be aware of the fact that I am loved . I smiled unconsciously. Sometimes we live through life feeling like we are in charge or in control of every situation going on in our life. We try to be courageous and beat it with confidence . We feel like we can do without certain things and count them as major life challenges to be surpassed , we get used to it and then boom one day we are surprised by life. Those things happen....they just happen and we finally realize that deep down somewhere maybe we never really got used to not having them, we just try to live through. I always felt like I wasn't meant to be loved, I felt, so what if my parents didn't love me, that after all so many people were orphans but I had mine and even though no hugs, cuddles and constant cheek kisses that I am grateful that they kept me and never gave me out or dumped me by the road side, or even something worse happening to me. I felt that I was somehow lucky and maybe do not need all that and appreciate that Robert took care of me and gave me the love my parents never did give me...But today when mum took me in her arms ,I just can't remember being happy like this in my entire life. It just feels heavenly and all of a sudden I realize that I've always wanted this somewhere deep within but I couldn't control it so I just lived with it......There was sound coming from my room. My eyes snapped open I quickly stepped out of the shower and closed the faucet took my towel and went into the room . It was my phone ringing I picked up..

" Hey slog"..Twas Rob..Only he could call me that..I smiled

"Hey"...I replied

"Where are you now"

"Some where in the atlanta" I joked

"In your dreams...I laughed....He don't believe me...

"How are you Rob and how's the fam?

"Everyone is fine including your hyper Bosby whom has suddenly become super quiet, I think she'll fall sick"

"Awwn, my baby, I really miss her..Please do take care of her Rob, I do miss her too"..I felt bad hearing about Bos....I knew she won't take this lightly I haven't left her for this long ....

"It's OK Gem"...Yea..another nickname "reping" my zodiac...

"I'll take care of her...I'll take her riding tomorrow, she'll snap out of it..It'll be like you never existed..."

"Hey, I threatened...She's still my dog, don't be a b***h, ....."

"Yo J, am no b***h,, I going off now, you sound OK ,,I'll send your regards to everyone...Bye eee"

"Bye Robby..Love you too....."

I dropped the phone and went to change and did my ladies stuff after which I went straight to the bed and delved under it....I dozed off the moment my head hit the pillows .....

Something was burning somewhere, I don't know what it is but it's smells horrible, it smelt like s**t!...I opened my eyes and slowly my eyes adjusted to my environment..It was dark with a flicker of light somewhere. I climbed out from the bed and moved towards the light ...It was coming from somewhere beyond the room that looked like an adjoined room. The door was open , I pushed open the curtain, still wondering how come I never noticed there was an adjoined room when I entered here last night . Well maybe it was closed and I was really dizzy last night accounting for why I didn't notice.......But what I saw was sickening .....On the other side of the room, was a mantle piece ,,like a 19th century mantle piece and then there was something looking more like iron bars crossed over the fire,in an interwoven manner then on top of it, something was roasting, without my permission, like a force was controlling me 'out of my volition I moved towards the mantle .The nearer I came, the smell grew intensive , It was really gross, I grimaced , my hand immediately flew to my nose . What is this?...By now I was in front of the fire and my eyes grew like saucers.......What!!!!!.A human head!!!......Just as I opened my mouth to yell, a hand flew to my face and covered my mouth .My sound was muffled ,my chest was heaving frantically.....Have I been kidnapped?.... and then I heard it....That voice, that voice ,,no..no...no..no...I couldn't have sleep walked out of the motel had I ?..And even if I did, I couldn't have walked here, could I ?...

"Welcome back my queen, you are finally awake"...It was him!!!!

His hand slackened from my face. Slowly, with my eyes still widened and my mouth still agape ,I turned and stared into the beautiful eyes of the highlight of my worst nightmare ...With this consciousness, I turned and looked round , now everything is beginning to make sense, this is not the ...the motel, I am dreaming again, I moved towards the window, by now my eyes has become teary , I looked out , it was dark outside I couldn't see anything, I tried to focus ,nothing ....I felt something beside me , my breathe quickened ,I couldn't turn , it looked like I was paralyzed. I remained transfixed were I was..I could feel his breathe on my shoulder...Goosebumps rose from my pores ,I was too aware of his presence ...I kept having this feeling deep within me that I can't fathom...Who is this man ?...Why am I back to this place ?...I thought it was just a nightmare, why then am I still back here...

"Easy pretty one, you are running too fast. I could hardly have a thought of my own with yours running berserk...I'll answer all your questions.Just calm down "....He said to me...

"Wait what". I turned sharply and immediately realized my mistake..We were breathing the same air...Our lips were almost touching .....I immediately looked down...."Can you read my thought?...You....you can hearrr ...How????..Who a re you???..I murmured in awe.....

He hooked his hand on my jaw and pushed my face upward to meet his eyes...How can I survive looking into such magnificent eyes without delving in for the kill... It was like a force pulling me to it...You can't even decipher what color it was, looked like it was a combination of sapphire and gray, a touch of gold dust, with a contrast of mint....

"Mint"...He said laughing..

Yea..right he heard it....Now I don't even have right to my own thought again...Just perfect.....

..I was born like this you know??...And you loved me like this, you always kissed my eyes every morning, and you know you can always kiss me. I mean I never stopped you before...At this I stared at his lips, it was like a magnetic pull..Our lips touched. I heard a sound somewhere down my throat ...my eyes snapped closed, my hand moved to cup his .........."D'Val, it's time for the ritual"...I snapped back to reality and moved out from his vision immediately....

"Your highness, you are not supposed to touch her until after the purification, you know that. She's unclean!. since.....after what happened , you know that. So control yourself!..."

" I know what happened, Kamil...Don't lecture me..Am still your king...Leave me be for now, I need to clean up, I'll be down in a moment".....She remained were she is...

"Am not leaving you with her..It's not safe.."

"I said I am fine"....

"No you are not, someone needs to protect you from yourself, until after the cleansing....Who knows if your harlot will not defile herself again" ....What!?..Me...? harlot????

I gathered all the courage I had in me..Yea she's intimidating but I won't let her abuse me any further...

"Hello?, I am standing right here. What cleansing are you talking about?...I am no harlot you understand?, and I won't have you insult me any further or I'll have you arrested...I turned swiftly to look at the one called D'Val..."Now you tell your watch dog to watch her mouth lest I smack the stupidity out of her”...At that he seemed to have a shocked expression registered on his face which made me wonder but I continued..."Where I am, I slept in a motel, and ..and now am in this hideous place , what did you do to me huh, Did you kidnap me?, Did you hurt my friends, just,...just what did you do to me..Let me go immediately, or I swear I'll have y' all arrested the moment I escape from here....Yea. trust me...My friend Jo, yea that's my bestie, her Dad works in the state security department, the moment he realize we are missing, things will really go wrong for y'all in this hideous place..So let me go peacefully and I'll pretend like all these' I gestured with my hands 'didn't happen...."

" Firstly , you were not kidnapped, and secondly you are my wife, the queen, and you are talking to your king. And what friends are you talking about, are you okay???..Should we call the herbalist?...He appeared concerned and moved towards me but I stepped back.."You need to relax ..The cleansing will start soon, you need to be prepared"..He said all the while looking at me....And I keep wondering what are these flesh_eating people on about...Me a queen???..Queen, queen of which kingdom??...I wasn't kidnapped..I..I...I boasted out with laughter, I laughed so hard my guts hurt. They were transfixed all the while looking at me...Like I've gone mad....Me queen.....I sat down and laughed some more coz this people are ridiculous...

"Wait, first of all my name is Jennifer, and I am a grad student on an adventurous science trip with her friends ,I don't know what this '...I demonstrated with my hands, gesturing around the house ...'is all about..You are probably mistaking me with someone else...I am definitely not your queen .Am just an ordinary girl"..I said smiling trying to drive home my point...They just stood there staring at me like a miscreant child....Are this people crazy?....What is wrong with them.....OK now am done, I stood from the bed and went towards the door I came in from ......"Where are you going?...He asked me...

"Back to my friends of course, what does it look to you?...

"Which friends"?

"Where you kidnapped me from, you nitwit"......I said looking around, now becoming pissed..I opened another door and walked out ....I kept walking, not caring if they followed..I just kept walking, I came to the stairs and walked down...I saw different people wearing horrible looking dresses like we see in the movies....I was amazed , I stood and just stared at them for sometime. I still found it hard to believe my eyes..Who dresses in this manner in this era?....I moved down quietly towards a door that looks like it leads to the outside, those who passed me kept bowing and muttering something I wasn't interested in...I was focused on getting to the outside that I nearly collided with someone . I muttered my apologies and continued but not without noticing that the man looked like he wanted to pass out ...What is wrong with him??I just hope I didn't hurt him....I reached the door, went through it and lo and behold, there before me is a vast land with huge structures that beautified it. Several people were running about probably attending to one duty or the other..They all looked at me with fright and fell on the floor, stood up, dusted themselves and continue on their venture...I wasn't interested in them, I kept staring in wonder at the vast last land with so many structures. at this moment I felt like the earth should open and swallow me up....I looked ahead at the giant gate that stood there with men that looked more like aliens than humans ..That's it. I fell to the ground and cried out in pain...Where is this place and why do I keep coming here, the other time, I was in the bush and now, in a place that without doubt could be their palace ...Every one seemed to be shocked at my behavior and stopped in their tracks , all looking at me, but not daring to come close to me...After I've had a fill of my tears , I stood , dusted my clothes, turned and went back inside the palace..The moment I stepped inside , I heard clatter of steps running towards the stairs ,that drew my attention towards that direction, the one called D'Val with his female hound he called Kamil bounded down the stairs ...I waited. He stopped abruptly when he saw me, making the hound to collide into him, it was a funny scene, if only I was in the mood...But I wasn't so I looked away ...He muttered something to her and came towards me....

When he reached me he stopped...."You will no longer be allowed to embarrass the palace anymore Rosalind you understand?...I didn't say anything...I was already seething with anger and felt like slapping his face so hard he bleeds, here I am raging in misery while he talks about palatial dignity"....

"I am talking to you, woman and you will look at me immediately!, he said in anger...I still didn't flinch

" Oh....still feisty. I'll tame you Rosalind.he murmured coming close to me, I moved back, he followed ..You are a very stubborn woman Rose, but you are my queen and so must act as one you understand"??..I wasn't listening....I kept thinking what nonsense he would probably be talking about....

"We'll conquer the world together and shall rule...I fell in love with this fire Rose,,but trust me I won't let it burn us"...by this time he was standing directly in front of me, with my face inclined to the side, my breathe grew shallow. He does this to me, which is why I need to be far so I can think clearly, I made to move but he was faster he grabbed me..I yelped and raised my hand to smack him but he was faster and grabbed my hand too ..He hitched me up and hoisted me over his shoulder like a piece of clothe..I screamed and pounded his shoulders to let me go but he didn't even appear affected one bit. Instead my hands ached from smacking his chiselled body...I had to keep my peace and desisted from embarrassing myself any further as it seems everyone was watching now at their king and "miscreant" queen ..I sneaked a peak at the hound at the stairs and saw an evil smirk of victory on her face...Okay it appears she is ogling her king and is happy that am in pains right??...Now I have a rival in an imposed position ....Hilarious..