SURVIVAL GAME

CHAPTER TWENTY TWO

Femi stared at the body. Trembling. His grip tightened around the red stained dagger .That song still hunted him. The guilt. What has he done.

No one must see the body. No one must see him here, he has...

" Your hands up! Drop your weapon now!" Someone shouted from behind. Femi already knew it was a cop. He had been busted. Femi swallowed hard, slowly bent down and dropped the dagger. He stood up slowly, and darkly turned around. His eyes locked the officer's eyes. And right at the moment, Femi knew he had been caught.

He still wished he could get Shade and Hannah image out of his head. The guilt was killing him.

***

That haunting music still linger in everyone ears. Even after taking Shade body away, Ava could still hear that song. That message. Ava sighed, who did this? And why now?

Ava knew it was just the beginning. And that feared her more, she...

Someone entered abruptly. Ava turned around slowly.

" Femi was arrested. He was standing in front of Aliyah body with the same knife that killed Shade!" Precious said confused and trembling.

Ava didn't know if she was the only one that felt it. But the haunting music just became louder.

The guy she fell high heel for, was a killer. What a nice taste she has.

Ava swallowed hard. They were right all along. Femi was a threat.

***

Kofi looked at the house. His eyes passing the message. The song, he couldn't still hear it, still feel it. He knew those deaths was a message for him. Did Dark Shadow send Femi to do this. Kofi closed his eyes. This definitely looked like Dark Shadow work. But why? And was the message really for him?

Ava was there, and he could tell that she knew something. Everyone is keeping secrets. And no body is ready to spill it out. Who was this message for ?

Kofi opened his eyes darkly. Something about Femi in all this makes it more confusing. Who is Femi?

* * *

The tears and mournful music annoyed her. Ava just figured out something. She doesn't like burials. Especially one that she is kinda related to.

It's been two weeks since the party and Femi's arrest . It still looked like yesterday. Ava could still clearly remember and live the whole experience again. Ava hated that. What she hated more was the guilt. Someone just died because of her. And questions still linger in her head.

Who is doing this?

Who's next?

Ava looked around, she saw Obi. Ava sighed. Obi has been acting weird. Ava thought it's because he just lost his girlfriend but something else keeps telling her that it's more than that.

Ava sighed again, she's felt like the odd one. Well she was the only one who couldn't bring out or even force out tears from her eyes. She wished Kofi was here. At least she won't feel like she is the only monster.

* * *

" I'm sorry about Shade " Ava said to Obi when they were in the balcony. Ava sighed and walked closer to Obi,who was still finding it difficult to face her.

" It's gonna be fine. Femi is gonna pay" Ava said warmly and touched Obi's shoulder. Her warmness was reciprocated with a cold stare

" Get your f*****g hands off me!" Obi said angrily, surprising Ava. Ava stared at Obi confused and a little bit apprehensive.

She slowly dropped her hands. Ava looked away from Obi then quickly stared back at him

" You are hurt I get it. But don't push..." Ava was cut off but Obi scoff.

Obi’s steps echoed down the empty balcony, slow and heavy, each one pulsing with anger. Ava kept backing away, her hands raised slightly as if that could calm him , but Ava knew nothing could stop the monster in him.

“Obi, please,” she whispered, her voice trembling.

He didn’t stop. His jaw tightened, and in one fierce motion, he grabbed her by the arm and shoved her against the wall. Ava gasped, her back pressed against the cold concrete. The air between them was tight, suffocating.

“she was a bait! She died because of you!” he barked. His voice cracked with pain." You and your stupid games killed her. It should have been you."

" Obi please, I'm also confuse"

" You killed her. You f*****g killed her" Obi shouted.

Ava lips trembled, she wanted to tell him it was Femi, that she knew nothing, that she might be innocent. But those words couldn't even come out of her mouth.

" I'm..." Ava voice cracked with fear and pain, she could feel the hot tears on her cheeks " I'm sorry " Ava said softly and broke down in tears.

Obi slammed his hand against the wall beside her head, and Ava flinched. The sound was sharp, echoing in the silence. His breathing was rough, uneven.

“She’s dead, Ava!” he shouted. “Shade is dead! And you—” His voice caught in his throat. “You are the reason she's dead"

Ava shook her head, tears spilling freely

" I'm sorry. I wished this never happened. This is also a nightmare for me...I can't bear to hurt anyone, I can't..."

" Where's Joke ?" Obi asked deadly surprising Ava.

Ava stared at Obi petrified. He knew.

" I don't...I am. I'm sorry " Ava said tearfully

" You have always been a selfish human from the start. But I stood with you. Now it's clear. You are not human. Just a monster who is desperate and would do anything for her own sake. You don't deserve to live” he snapped, his hand trembling as he reached into his jacket. When he pulled it out, the knife gleamed under the flickering light.

Ava froze. Her breath hitched. “Obi… don’t do this.”

He stepped closer until she could feel the warmth of his breath on her face. His eyes were wet now, burning with something worse than rage — heartbreak.

“I loved her,” he whispered, voice breaking. “She was all I had left.”

Ava’s tears fell faster. “Then don’t let her death destroy you too,” she said weakly.

For a moment, Obi just stared at her. His hand trembled violently. Then — he lifted the knife.

Ava squeezed her eyes shut, bracing for the pain.

But it never came.

Crack!

The blade slammed into the wall beside her, inches from her face. The sound made her cry out, her knees almost giving way. Obi’s sniffed. Stared at her for her while then walked away.

Ava knew he was gone. But she was too guilty to open her eyes.

Ava slowly opened her eyes. Her worst nightmare had just happened. She has lost someone she truly cares about. She just lost Obi.

Ava bent down and cried.