Fated Through Hell

Chapter Three

Doyin had just woken up from a sour evening nap. She got up wearily from her soft bed looking more tired than she was before she fell asleep.

She had intended to rest that evening to calm her troubled mind but it turned out that her bad dreams had more troubles prepared for her.

It felt as if resorting to sleep was the worst idea her mother could come up with for her, and as she took her haggard steps towards the living room, her restless expression could be detected a distance away.

"Do you still feel sick?" Her mother asked as soon as she heard her footsteps in the living room. She came out of the kitchen to tend better to her unwell daughter.

Doyin was the only daughter of the Johnsons.

Her mother was a doctor who worked at The Infirmary, one of the biggest health centres in the state. So, she took great care and attention to the physical and mental health condition of her family members.

As she would say, of what good was a medical whose acquaintances were not medically fit?

Such was the mentality of Jorja Johnson, wife of Wale Johnson and consultant of the prestigious The Infirmary.

"No mom," Doyin fell on a sofa with visible distress written all over, "I'm not sick, I'm only worried".

"Worried about what? Is this about that boy? Just trust your dad okay? It's all good". Sitting beside her, Mrs Johnson put Doyin's head on her own chest, assuring her of her friend's safety.

"But I feel like it's my fault.."

"That he's missing? Was he not the one who asked you to come out at an odd hour? How can it be your fault he's missing?" Mrs Johnson could not bear the sight of her daughter taking the blame for another person's misfortune.

Alex had been missing for a few days. The last anyone saw of him was when he asked to meet Doyin outside of the school.

She agreed to see him and hear him out. After all, Alex was just a harmless friend who might want to share delicate information.

But since that day, after their talk together, he stopped coming to school. His mother also visited the school to report her son's disappearance.

No one could guess where he was except for one thing - his friends knew of his secret meeting with the school's beauty.

They informed the school principal about it and he invited Doyin for interrogation. But being the daughter of a police detective, she was able to evade implicating herself while answering his questions.

But deep within herself, she felt guilt for his disappearance. She knew what she had done, but she kept it from everyone else.

Even her father who was a high-ranking police detective could not detect it out of her, but yes, she knew her fault.

Thus when her mother asked the question, she could only sigh and fall back deeply into her thoughts.

Mrs Johnson rose as she glanced at the wall clock. "I have to be available for night duty. Your father will come soon, make sure you ask him about your friend." She was already dressed up.

Doyin didn't want her mother to leave. "Can't you stay today?"

"There's an emergency, you know. Jack Dean. He's not woken yet. He's as important to his mama as you're to me." She kissed Doyin's forehead as she made to leave. "Love you babe. Bye!".

Of course, Jack Dean. The heir to Crystal Space. As precious as diamond. Doyin sulked angrily as she watched her mom drive out of the compound.

Then she went online to her school's social media group. If there was any progress on finding Alex, they would surely talk about it.

What she found instead was not what she had anticipated. The entire chats were filled with talks of her secret meet up with Alex, what it could be about and if it had anything to do with his disappearance.

She fumed angrily as she read through some of the texts.

"What if she's cheating on Dave? Wtf! I can't even imagine!!".

"Don't take it that way! I think they just met up as classmates".

"I think they just met as classmates.. lol. There's always more to shits like this".

"Maybe he wanted to ask her out and she rejected him. And baba went for suicide?"

"In that case, can't wait till his corpse is found out. Ohh this z soo cold from me but.."

Doyin felt really sullen. Those people took less concern in the sudden disappearance of their comrade but rather chose to speak ill at his back.

As she kept scrolling her eyes through their rumour-sourced comments, most especially those of her female classmates, hot anger built up in her stomach with her body temperature slightly increasing.

Just then her phone rang.

"Dave!" Her boyfriend had called.

Why was he calling? He didn't even defend her on the group. One word from him and the kids would have kept shut.

Unless he also believed the rumours!

Why would he?

"Hey", she said, rather coldly.

"Gurl Doy," his tough yet young voice muttered over the phone.

"What's up?"

"Not that great. Did he really ask you out?"

"Seriously?! Is that what's important right now?" Doyin couldn't believe her ears.

"That son of a b***h!" He growled lowly as the call ended abruptly.

Oh, Dave! One of the most handsome kids in Port Academy, he was strong-willed and certainly possessive.

He was one of the most notorious students in the school. No matter how tough and complicated the chain of gangs was, he always seemed to be at the very top of it.

They had been together since the beginning of their fourth year, striking forth a relationship that shook the entire school like a bomb. She was the beauty queen and he was the charming trouble, it was a match no one had expected.

Since then, she had been the only centre of attraction. The female power. The alpha's luna. So much respect she earned by being with Dave.

But what was that? Had he begun to doubt her now?

Feeling exasperated, she threw away her phone in fury and focused on the TV. It was filled with news of the billionaire kid who had an accident.

Jack Dean again. She hurried to change the channel when someone knocked on the door.

Before she could get to it, the door had opened and a man had found his way into the living room.

He was dressed in a casual black jacket pulled over to his neck. He also had a cross bag resting on his shoulders, a cap over his face, and in his left hand hanged a burning cigarette.

"Dad! You're back!"

"Isn't that why you see me?"

Wale Johnson, state police detective. Best in Harcourt city. Father to Doyin and husband of Jorja Johnson. There was more to his personality than what met the eye.

He was the personified version of the saying "as crude as the police". Although, he seemed to have a soft spot for his wife and child.

As he made to enter further, he noticed the expectant look in the eyes of Doyin. After a slight sigh, he walked back to where she stood and held her by the shoulders.

"You need to brazen yourself, my girl.

She knew then that he had no good news. But whatever news it was, she needed to hear it.

"Your friend was abducted.... he may be dead already!"