NEPHLEM

CHAPTER FOUR

“May I help you?” she spoke.

I didn’t even know what to say. I just stood there with my back facing her. If I showed my face to her — whoever she is she was going to recognize me since I was pretty well known at their church. And that was something I didn’t want to happen here.

I was doing his without Roland’s permission and if he was to know I was here, then he was going to be furious. He will flip. He told me to lay low and wait for tomorrow. But I couldn’t do that. All because I was mad at them.

“I was looking for a bathroom,” I spoke.

There was silence for a few seconds then she spoke, “bathroom here? Anyway, it’s on the other side of the church. And you should have just come to listen there without you hiding here. It’s not like the pastor will eat you or anything,” she spoke, and I heard her laugh lightly.

“I thought it was just for people that go to this church,” I spoke, but still faced my back on her.

“It’s for everyone that is tired of these murders. We just want to spread the news. And expose the supernatural world. Mr. Chileshe had reason to believe that it’s the work of the devil. He has taken the minds of innocent people and using them. And someone told us they saw something happening at our neighboring church,” she spoke, and I felt the hurt in her voice.

These people have been mind controlled. And the more time we allow him to speak to these innocent stupid people, the more he will get more follows for something that was not true. While the part about the supernature been involved with the murder was true, but about me been involved in it and been the one killing was not the truth.

“Yeah, I need to visit the bathroom and I will come there,” I spoke and pretended to be looking at the people.

“Sure, I will be glad to see you. What’s you name even? And why are you hiding from me, silly?” she asked.

I didn’t even have an idea what to tell her about that. Showing my face to her was not something I wanted to do. It meant I was going to kidnap her or kill her before she told her people their enemy was spying on them.

“Because you haven’t earned looking at me. And my name is Justine,” I spoke. “See you there…. What is yours?” having someone as a friend on the inside wouldn’t be wrong.

“Suzan. But how can I know it’s you the next time I see you?”

“You will know it’s me, pretty lady. You will know. Now leave. I need to visit that bathroom,” I spoke.

“Alright, hope to see you,” she spoke and her presence vanished from that place.

I sighed as I turned, and there was no one. I walked to the other side of the church as carefully as I could. Looking in all directions so that I don’t run into Suzan or anyone else that worked here. And lucky for me, I reached the bathroom safe and sound.

I zipped open a gateway there and walked in as fast as I could. Then saw it wink shut just as someone walked in the bathroom.

I flinched as Charlie spoke behind me, “hope you didn’t run into trouble?”

“Dude, you want to give me a heart attack?” I caught my breath. She was already ready for bed. And was in her polar bear pajamas. “No, all went well. But we need to act as soon as we could,” I explained to her everything I heard the pastor telling his people. What they made of what was happening and why he was involving us in all this.

Then when I got to the part of me and Suzan, she frowned her brows. I just gave her a dismissive hand and carried on explaining to her what she told me and then me been here.

“So, you were almost caught?” she asked.

“But I wasn’t,” I smiled as I walked to bed. “No word about this to Roland. I will tell him myself. They are gunning up on me more than him. So, I need to deal with this the way I see fit, do I make myself clear?” I eyed her as she walked to the bed.

“If I wanted to tell him, I would have called him the moment you left. But I didn’t,” she spoke and tucked herself in a blanket.

“Thanks. I need to sleep after the long day I have had. Good night,” I told her and before she could even reply, I was in the dream world on the couch. I was that tired, I guess.

*

I woke up to splashing water. I slowly opened my eyes and saw Charlie living in the bathroom. “Couldn’t you have showered any louder?” I asked, and threw a blanket over my head.

“Morning as well,” she spoke. “It’s six in the morning and I think you need to work up because Roland keeps on calling you. And he had texted you about the ring of the….. damned. What the hell is that?”

I removed the blanket from over my head and hurriedly walked to her. I took my phone and began going through my call history. He had called me twenty times, and I had ten missed calls from father Michael. I was dead.

I went to my messages and Roland has texted me multiple times.

Opening one, I found out the ring of the damned has been stolen, that he will give me the details when I get there. I felt my heart shatter, fear and anger all over me. This was bad, really bad.

I swiftly washed my face and cleaned my hair. “I will see you later,” I spoke.

“What is this about? And why didn’t I know about this so-called ring of the damned?” she demanded.

“I will explain everything later. I love you. Bye,” I spoke and shadow walked.

A second from the other, I appeared in the office. Father Michael was looking at the window, and I could sense the tension in the air. Roland was pacing up and down – beating his hands together. 

“Father, Roland,” I spoke as I stopped between them.

“Where the hell have you been? We have been calling and texting. I thought something happened to you or something,” Roland spoke as he walked to me.

“Are you okay?” father asked.

“I’m fine. And I guess I was just tired, so; I couldn’t hear your calls and messages. What’s up with the ring?” I asked.

Father gestured, and we took our sit on the couches. Me with Roland while father is opposite us. He pulled coffee into the cups and handed it to us.

I took a sip and sat the cup down.

“The ring,” I reminded.

I heard Roland sigh before he spoke, “you were right about something being off with father Michael last night,” he spoke. But I didn’t respond, so he went on, “that was not father Michael last night. He received a call that the bishop was looking for him, but that was not the case,” he explained.

“So, we gave the ring to an impersonator?” no wonder the killings continued last night.

“Yeah,” father responded. “And if we don’t get that ring by the end of today, we are all doomed. The abundant church will have more reasons to believe the supernatural world exists and that somehow, we are involved in the killings,” he spoke.

Roland slammed the cup on the table, it was even weird that the damn thing didn’t break. “This is my fault. I should have listened to you when you said something was off with him.” He spoke.

“We are all at fault here, Roland. I should have trusted my instincts more. And we wouldn’t be here. Instead of us crying about it, we need to make a move. Because not only are vampires involved in this, but shapeshifters and whatever might be involved,” I spoke.

“And why were you at abundant church last night?” Father asked.

Bad timing. I smiled from Roland to Father, “we have more pressing matter to take care of. Roland, you will go and check at Suny’s place. I will go and check their layer,” I spoke and stood up, but none of them made a move.

I was doomed.