SHADOWS OF KAYLA

CRY FOR HELP

Kayla.

The pain from my insides, I felt trickling down my face in a salty warmth. Brewing in my insides was tea of rage that I wanted so badly to spill, hot, scalding and destructive. I felt so helpless, things were starting to fall to pieces while I watched from the winds uninvolved. I didn't know what to do.

I didn't know what to do, I had thought, until remembered Festus. Although, I had no knowledge of why I was what I was, but it seemed to me like I was taking the opportunity the universe had put my way—Festus, for granted. Him being able to see me without anyone else being able to was not ordinary, and if he indeed had some special gifts not everyone had, then I believed it was given to him for my sake. And I wasn't going to hold back anymore.

Guided by my determination to put an end to Van and his atrocities against my family led me straight to where he called his home. And in an underground room of his were my mother and sick brother tied mercilessly up, unconscious. I boiled with rage and clenched fists, wanting to make sure that Van was put behind bars to rot for the rest of his life.

My family suffered in a dark prison, like slaves of his while he wined in his luxurious lounge with his prostitutes, like the world was at his feet. And I didn't plan on making him go scot-free for it. I didn't know where dad was, or what he was planning, but I wasn't going to wait for him to implement any plans of his.

I headed straight for where Festus lived, neither ready to take no from him as an answer nor return helpless again. I was ready to be completely involved.

“Festus!” I bellowed the twelfth time as I felt the invisible tears of pain travel down my cheeks, feeling a strain in my throat each time I raised my voice to shout his name. There was no response from him, but I wasn't ready to give up just yet. If he was ignoring me, then I wasn't going to stop until he came out of that door.

“What are you doing here?” Festus asked as he approached the front porch. He had not been indoors and ignoring like I thought. There was a cold expression on his face and his forehead creased in a few wrinkled as he brought his brows into a knit.

I countered his uninviting expression with a fake smile, but the burden I was holding in me wouldn't let me pretend like nothing was wrong, as I hiccupped and swallowed back the tears. I needed him to see how helpless I was on my own.

He did seem affected by my condition, his tightened countenance slowly loosened into one of worry. But rather than approaching me to ask what was wrong like I had imagined he would, he took a few steps back from where he stood before bolting off with the speed lightening carried with it.

I hurried quickly behind him, overtaking him—I was faster. Standing in front of him I held out my hands sideways to block him from running any further. He panted, not taking his fearful eyes off me. I felt sorry for tormenting him, but I really had no other choice left.

Before anything else, I went straight on my knees and let the tears flow freely as they pleased, there was no point bottling it all up anymore. If I could not convince Festus with words from my mouth, I needed to move him to pity the condition I was in.

“Please don't leave. I beg you in the name of everything you believe in, please don't leave. I need your help, Festus! You're the only person I can think of. I know I shouldn't be doing this to you but I really have no choice,” I sobbed, looking up to face him, but the tears blurred my vision.

“My mum and brother have been kidn*pped by a man. Van's his name, he's a beast. He's keeping my family in a basement in his house, using them…he's threatening to kill them if my dad didn't show up. Thing is…”

I sniffled and swallowed mucus down my throat, continuing,

“...he's been after my dad for a long time. I have no idea what business they had together in the past but he wants to kill him. He's trying to drag my dad into his den using my mum and brother. He's going to kill all of them,” I rented, feeling my heart slowly rip into two as I forced the words out of my mouth. Images of my family all lying dead, riddled with bullets, swimming dead in their own blood made me shiver.

Festus.

I hated myself for feeling sorry watching her on her knees, relating the calamities already befallen and about to befall her family. I held myself strong, telling myself not to falter, but there was a tenderness in my heart that betrayed me every time.

“I just want you to help report this to the police. I know where they're being kept. I'll tell you everything. The police will be able to save them, right? Right?” She broke down into another round of bitter blubbers.

I stood before her, not looking in her direction, I wanted to leave. I wanted to return to the time I never met her so badly.

“He's going to kill them like he killed me.”

“Killed you?” I gaped, stupefied at the level of horrors Kayla must have gone through. I was becoming more interested, although scared of what I might be getting myself into. She was murdered and her murderer was roaming freely, toying with the lives of her family members. She did need being helped.

She continued to sob, hands to her knees. I never imagined a ghost would be able to shed tears. It was scary and intriguing at the same time. Adrenaline was rising up my body like a flooded bathtub, and I wanted to run, but the defying part of me wished to stay.

You'll be making history for yourself, Festus. The human who talked with a ghost and helped her avenge her death. A legend,” came another voice in my head that I wouldn't term as ultrapractical.

I crouched slowly in front of her, patting her gently on the shoulder, before she raised her teary eyes, dumfoundedly staring into mine. A cold chill ran through my veins and my eyes buldged at the blindsiding realization.

I could touch the ghost.