Esse - Episode 26

 

My head ached thoroughly. I tried to open my eyes, but my vision wasn't clear. I closed it for a few seconds, before I opened it again, but my vision was still blurry. I was hearing voices, they were arguing about something. By the time I tried opening my eyes the fourth time, my vision blurred, my eyes ached, but adjusted. My head was aching me seriously, it affected my whole body . I still tried, and used my last energy to sit up.

I was surrounded by a group if boys, in black and red. I could recognise only Joseph, Ethinosa and Collins. The rest looked strange, but familiar. Why am I in their midst? Why are they all in black and red?

I tried to speak, but my throat felt dry and was aching. I swallowed saliva, to wet it, so I could speak. But it ached instead.

"Why are we just looking?" the fair guy from earlier asked. The rest of the boys didn't reply him, which made him slightly angry. I think he's the leader. "Wo, let the ritual begin oh. We need to get out of her quickly, the new securities scare me. And I can't leave here unprotected."

I froze. Ritual ke? I found my voice instantly. "Joseph? What's going on?" I asked foolishly.

The fair guy started laughing at me. First time he made an expression different from frowning

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. "See this Mumu oh," he said, pointing at me as he laughed louder. "See." He went back to being serious. "You being here is all on Joseph's volition. We didn't beg him, he made his mind. He personally handpicked you. He chose you for our sessional ritual." He laughed again.

That was when all their familiarity started coming back. They are all ex-students from Rare Gems. Jerry is the fair guy, Jerry is being the fair jerk he always was. Wait! Did he say it was all on Joseph's volition? Joseph handpicked me for a ritual?

When it all dawned on me, I reflectively jumped to my feet. I wobbled, but soon gained my stamina. I couldn't run, because of my heels. I tried to look for an escape root, but there was nowhere to run to.

Two strong hands grabbed my bosom from behind me. I wanted to turn and slap the person, but the person was way too strong for me. Jerry moaned in my ear as he squeezed my bosom a little. "Damn, so full," he whispered.

I wanted to cry. I felt disgusted at myself. I tried to push my way through, but he pressed me tighter to himself. I closed my eyes as tears threatened to come out. "Please leave me alone," I begged him weakly. I was completely weak, that I couldn't stand on my own. The rate at which he pressed me and held me tightly, made me feel extremely weak and helpless.

"Stop it." That was the first time in heard Joseph voice, since we arrived in this unknown forest. "Please stop it, I'm begging."

I opened my eyes and looked at him, helplessly. He looked helpless too.

Michael, one of our seniors from the last set, laughed at him. "Dude come on, she's just a sacrifice." Joseph frowned, clenching his fist. Michael looked at him surprised. "What? Dude, don't tell me you've fallen for a sacrifice."

Jerry laughed balefully. "Wow! The almighty Joseph, has fallen in love." He chuckled. His hands were still at my bosom, and my body was still tightly pressed to his. Every word he said, sounded so close to my ear. "Then this ritual must be so sweet. Oya, Joseph come and disvirgin this pretty virgin."

Joseph didn't move. "I said leave her, I'd get someone else."

Terry one of Jerry's friends from their set, slapped Joseph so hard, I thought he was going to faint. "And we don't want someone else, we want her virgin blood. Stop being a fool and disvirgin that thing."

"She's not a thing," Joseph still tried to defend me. "She's..." He punched hard at his stomach, making him fall to his knees.

"When I say she's a thing, you simply nod," he said frowning. He hasn't laughed since I got here, not talkless of smile.

Ethinosa and Collins rushed to help Joseph, when Terry wanted to give him another life taking punch. But, before the could help Folu grabbed both of them. Terry's head snapped to them, he left Joseph to face them instead. He gave both if them the punch he wanted to give Joseph. They both went to their knees also. "You boys know the rules, why disobey?" Terry asked the boys. "I think this girl has used some charm on you boys, and I'm going to deal with her for messing with your senses."

He turned to me furiously. "You! You're going to be disvirgined, and your blood won't be used for any ritual at all." He turned to Jerry and instructed. "Do what you wish with her."

"Hmm, I love the sound of that. Do you?" he asked close to my ear. I squirmed. "Aww...come on, you're so pretty." He caressed my bosom as he made moaning noises. "Gosh she's the best Joseph has ever brought," he said out loud. "She's better than the science ogress and the commercial clown." He's talking about Ebun and Toyosi? So they're victims? Wait! This is what I was being warned about all along? Oh my God. I'm such a disobedient fool. Now the puzzle has being solved. They were threatened to not speak about it, to me or anyone. That if they do, they be killed. Now I get. So Toyosi was the one who sent that letter to the school headquarters.

I was pulled out if my thought, when Jerry jerked me forcefully. He carried me, and dropped me gently on the ground. I squirmed. "Leave me alo.." I was slapped hard on my left cheek, by Jerry. I couldn't hold it anymore, I started crying, silent cry. But that didn't stop me from squirming.

"Stop moving," he complained as me hit me again and again, and again. He hit me severally. "I guess now you'd stop."

And truly I stopped. My whole body ached, I felt extremely weak. More weak than I felt before. Joseph, Ethinosa and Collins were the last people I saw before my view was obstructed my dress. He tugged at my tight, before pulling it completely. The next was my panties, but he didn't pull it yet. I heard the sound of a zipper, I think that should be his trousers. I soon felt his hand on my waist, he pulled me closer, spreading my legs apart. I tried to close it, but he slapped my thigh, making me release it. He spread it wider than before.

"Stop there!" a thick voice shouted. "Step away from that young girl now." The voice commanded Jerry.

He didn't argue, he left me and stood up. I felt a soft hand pulled my dress down. "Stand up," Ebun said in a soft voice. I was shocked to see her, but I was too numb to express myself or do anything. So I laid down where I was. I looked to the sky, it was becoming morning already. The sky was becoming light blue, and few clouds were dancing about. I tried my best, and sat down. The new securities were the ones who came to my aid, I think Ebun went to call them. They were already handcuffing the boys.

"Are they among, or they are victims?" The man that spoke to my dad the day we resumed asked.

"Victims," I managed to reply. I didn't know why I did what I did, but I knew they were victims.

After the securitie had handcuffed the rest of the boys, they were up-to twelve; we were lead out of the forest by the securities, Ebun supported me in walking. Joseph wanted to carry me, but she pursued him away with mean abusive words.

When we busted out of the bush, we busted out to the senior school gate. That means it was within the school it all happened. The securities took the boys away, Jerry kept on ranting, but the securities didn't answer him or any member of the cult.

"Babe?" Joseph tried to call me.

My head snapped to him in slight anger. "Babe? Did you just, babe me?" I didn't wait for him to answer, before I continued. "You handpicked me for a ritual, and you're calling me babe? See...if you love yourself and your useless reputation, keep it low. Never you speak to me again, what I did back there, was all instinct. I don't like you, in fact you disgust me. Stay the hell away from me. And let today be the last day you call me babe, stay the best you can away from me. Never come close." I was about to pull Ebun, so we'd continue our walk. But, I remembered something, so I turned back. "And move your seat. I want to have completely nothing to do with you. Get your messing life together."

Ebun pulled me a little, and we continued our walk. Our walk was awfully quiet, and I didn't like it. I knew there was a wrong I needed to right, and it was then or never. "Err...about earlier, I'm sorry. I'm deeply sorry, I was blinded by a lot of things. My ego, pride and alot more. I'm so sorry."

She smiled warmly at me. "All I wanted was you as a friend. I don't know why, but I just like you, naturally."

I frowned at my awful self. "Why did you help me? We weren't even talking."

"I won't let a friend go through all the stuff I went through, and the aftermath? Oh please don't let me start with that. I care about you too much."

I felt so sorry and happy. "I'm so sorry."

"Now was that so hard?" she asked with a smile.

I smiled back at her. "TBH, it's one of the hardest things I've done in my life."

She first sorted laughing serious, before i joined her.

As we drew closer to the hostel, Ebun sighed. "What's wrong?" I asked concernedly. She pointed to the hostel gate.

I smiled at what I saw. Our ever rapacious housemistress was begging from the portal. I laughed at her. "She's such a gormandize, I hate her."

Ebun squeezed her face. "Gorman gini. Please oh, don't bust my head with your big big grammar." I laughed heartily at her. "Oya, what's the meaning?" she asked clueless.

I wanted to tell her, but I changed my mind. "Go and use your dictionary." with that I tried to limp away.

She grabbed my hands. "Ehn, I should go and use my dictionary? Ah! Yaf finish oh."

I wanted to run, but I fell on the ground. Ebun came to help me up, but ii dragged her down, laughing. She looked at me puzzled, before joining me in my laughter. And before I knew it, we were laughing like lunatics.

Now, I'm finally convinced that high school is not all about books and boys; it's about books, you and real friends.