LAYLA

KISSED BY THE DEVIL

Exhausted and at the point of breaking down, the two police officers drove out of the government house and were immediately invisible among the numerous cars that usually pass this route at this time of the day.

They were as silent as a mouse through the drive, and it was when the car parked in front of Isabella's bungalow that she finally had access to the use of her tied tongue.

"Won't you come inside for a cup of coffee? This weather is too chilly."

"Thanks, but no thanks," Zuma answered back, releasing the car handbrake, looked at his comrade's face and let out, "I need to pick some files up in the office before heading home."

He drove off before Isabella protested and was immediately lost in his thought after. Not even the showers of rain that fell after distracted the fully engrossed man.

When Zuma arrived at Cumberland island as the chief of police, he had expected the interim chief to be an antagonist and brutish.

But when a beautiful and carefree lady welcomed him and introduced herself as the interim chief of police, the pessimistic man was shocked to his marrow.

Their relationship after that had been more of friendship than official, and the fact that both of them have no one, nor any other passion than to leave the world better than they meet it is one of the utmost reasons for their immediate bond.  

During Zuma's lonely hours, he had suspected that Isabella feel emotionally attached to him, and it was the fear of commitment that made him reject her unasked relationship. 

If truth be told, Zuma's feeling towards her was special compared to what he ever felt toward any other of the opposite sex, and if this is not love, the emotionless man wondered what it is.

Back in his office, he was seen hovering over a computer gadget, until late in the night. And it was when the day was about to break that he finally let go of the overheating desktop computer, breath out loud, picked up his discarded jacket and walked out with half-closed eyes.

If his investigation will be leading him to an island that is located almost a thousand leagues away, then the best he could do is to rest his weary bones for the journey ahead.

The stars were packing their baggage and about to go on recess when Zuma drove into his compound, and he mistakenly knocked his head on the wall as he wobbled like a drunk man into his room. 

At last, his sleep was filled with nightmares and the worst was the conversation he believed he had with the mysterious black-eyed demon.

'Click!'

A large bird shrieked louder and all the chirping insects keep mute as the serenity of the forest was disturbed. 

In fright, the rodents raced to safety, and the shrieking birds became silent at the sight of a naked man who suddenly scampered wildly into the forest.  

"YOU ARE GOING TO DIE!"

A thunderous voice shrieked somewhere far off and made him look at his back in fright, stepped on something, wobbled and fell.

"Oh my goodness. It's a snake!"

A black viper was lying on its own when the restless man stepped on it and woke it from its well-deserved sleep. And this seemed not to seat well with the annoying serpent.

"Get off my body!"

The naked man held the snake by its neck and hurled it away, sprang up immediately and resumed his race. 

"I KNOW WHAT YOU WANT, AND I WILL ONLY GIVE IT TO YOU IN EXCHANGE FOR YOUR SOUL!"

The voice after him suddenly became chilling and the frightening man immediately halted his race and lost his balance, slipped and fell.

How the girl that was some miles away arrived in his front in a blink of an eye, will forever remain a mystery to the man on the floor. And when the cat on her shoulder leapt on his chest and licked his two eyes and his lips, the immobile man understand the literal meaning of being kissed by the devil.

"DID YOU WANT TO SAVE ALL THE MORTALS?"

Still in fright and denied of any power to make use of his tongue, the man on the ground gaped when a tiny green snake curled out of the dark-eyed girl's mouth and wriggled towards him.

"YOUR SOUL FOR A MILLION SOULS... DID YOU AGREE?"

A power beyond his control pulled his jaw apart, and the green snake curled up his chest, towards his neck, then into his mouth and down his throat.

"DID YOU AGREE TO FORFEIT YOUR SOUL IN EXCHANGE FOR THE KNOWLEDGE TO SAVE THE WORLD?"

He felt his throat burning as the snake wriggled through it, heard a loud sound as it landed inside his stomach, and felt a pang as it nibble a part of its intestine.

"TURN THE PAGE AND YOU WILL SAVE YOURSELF FROM MISERABLE REINCARNATIONS AS WELL!"

Zuma shrieked as the telephone rang wildly, woke startled,  gawked around, and then shrieked as the telephone rang again.

"Where am I?"

It take him a minute to clear the emblazoned dream that seemed so real, and the telephone had stopped before he was back to himself.

"Thanks to the gods I don't accept that demon's bargain," he muttered as consciousness dawned on him, and the realization that it was all a dream was the reason for his cheerful mood as he stood up from bed, yawned loudly and removed the few clothing on his body, and then stepped into the washroom.

The phone rang again as he was in the shower, and again when he stepped out of the washroom. 

"Goddamit... Won't I enjoy a full night's rest again?"

He felt a sudden headache when he walked towards the ringing telephone, felt faint as he lifted the receiver, and the voice from the other side made him realise today is going to be another awful day.

"Good morning, boss. You need to come to the office now."