Chereads / Tragic Trilemma / Chapter 16 - Episode 16: Seizures and Butterflies

Chapter 16 - Episode 16: Seizures and Butterflies

Vulisanii could still remember the stressful visuals as he drove off, still remembering being pulled and dragged away from his uncle's bed during that seizure - surely his uncle would not have wanted his last memory of him to be that horrific one, but Vulisanii had already caught the primary glimpse of the scene. What he couldn't get was why his uncle had still bothered to even rekindle his relationship with Aneni-Anesu's mother, if she had snitched on him and set him for prison... All due to failure to understand the kind of life he led - dangerous but financially secure.

Dangerous enough to cause Uncle G to lose out on the last few years with his twin brother, Vulisanii's father, since he was brutally attacked and killed by an angry mob during Uncle G's imprisonment. Death of the same father whom Vulisanii now felt as though would have still been alive if he hadn't been separated from Unlce's help and guidance in the field of crime and hijacking gigs.

Vulisanii tried to picture it all, how Uncle G had felt the exact moment he had been informed of his very brother's young passing. Wondering if he had even bothered to pin the blame on Nomsa or not. But when his phone began ringing, from an unknown number, he applied more pressure on the accelerator pedal and opened the window a bit more whilst fully piercing his gaze through the windscreen and viciously envisioning his evening plan, a plan which would have been better executed with the help of the now arrested Darren.

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Meanwhile,

At the Rosebank compound, Minutes after the post-naive Kimm JM had successfully infiltrated the Butterfly force by disguising herself as Dee Monique. Using an outfit she had stolen from Dee Monique herself alongside wearing a beige coat which stretched halfway down her thighs, black silky boots which Dee Monique like to wear alongside blond-dyed Afro buns. Which easily granted her access through his Rosebank parking lot as she walked to the house with a walk which replicated the detective.

Stepping on the first and second step, she could feel the moonlight watching over her as she sniffled deeply and ignored the greeting of the two butterflies at the door. A big brown door which they opened as she got in and scanned her gaze through out the tiled hallway as she walked along it, seeing closed doors on both sides of it until she passed the stairs, a staircase directly opposite a room where she saw Mr Rosebank's forever cute kids which she had only seen amongst the artwork-plague of the fertile walls of his office...

"Riley no, sit down you're blocking my view, Revolutionary love is my favorite K-series," She saw girl get up the couch to pull her brother from the screen. "Don't make me tell dad Riley.

"Relax Roselyn, I'm just kidding, we don't want him to come over here and... preach to us about the importance of business and politics!" He slapped the air floating above his left shoulder with the back of his hand.

"And also tell you to stop wasting your time with video games? So you can rather focus on the Rosebank empire!" Kimm watched as the girl helped in adding to her brother's sentence, before they both laughed.

"When is Kelly coming, shouldn't she be here by now?" Riley asked his sister before turning to her and looking at her with puppy dog eyes. His pale skin tone, freckles, and ginger hair, mildly complimenting hers - enough to leave Kimm JM realizing that the two were indeed identical twins.

"Leave Kelly alone, you can't have my bestfriend Riley, you know that," she jumped up to her feet and turn away from the TV to her brother - before seeing a figure in the doorway, a figure with lipstick that matched with her outfit and eye shadow, alongside a hairstyle which matched her coat. "Ms Dee Monique, you're here already, thought you usually came around 9."

"Matter of urgency," Kimm Jayde-Maxworth said frankly to avoid ruining her cover, slightly worried that the real detective's relationship with the kids would make it easy for them to catch her out, "Where's your father? I'm in a rush."

"Could show you if you want, he's busy with the usual...," Riley took her hand and led her upstairs actually quite surprised that she had finally let him do so. "And since you come here quite a lot why don't just move here, plenty of rooms you know." He winked at her as he reached the end of the stairs, before following the direction of his pointed finger towards a slightly open door not many rooms away from the stairs.

She walked towards it and tried to keep her beat synced to her walk, before gracing the door with a light knock slowly before walking right through. With two big beige envelopes, which had been hidden in her coat, only to hear him speaking about Zanele's wedding...

"This one will definitely work, Zanele and her unexpected groom have done it," she finally saw him bussling his fingers all over his desk. Which was 2 double fridges and some meters away from a jacuzzi that was steamy and bubbly. "Told you to lay low for a while Dee Monique, my wife is becoming suspicious," he murmured to her without looking.

"Your wife is away Mr Rosebank, I don't see why you're stressing... Plus my boys and some of your butterflies have already stolen some cars." Kimm Jayde said back, smiling without exposing her braces.

"Wait dear, like since when do you call me Mr. Rosebank," He finally took his eyes of his circular desk with 5 big monitors, "You could have fooled everyone but not me Kimmy." He laughed and wiped his specs.

"Glad, wanted to cut through the chase anyways, here to settle a score," Kimm JM closed and locked the door before briskly rushing towards him and dropping the two envelopes before him. "Your Butterflies are clearly blinded in the moonlight, but as for you, have a look," Kimm JM took out her pistol and inserted the silencer on it.

Bang! Bang! Rosebank hit his fist against his desk and smiled at her, as though to mock her. "You're surrounded Kimm, do you really think that I wasn't ready for your arrival." He drove his chair backwards without dropping his eyes off her. "I always knew you would dare bite the hand that feeds you," the disgust showed on his face.

"Either way, either we'll die together or we'll both leave here breathing," pointing her gun at him she sang one of her favorite lyrics, "love is too faaast, why do allllll goood things come to an end?" She then blew him a kiss before placing the two beige options on his desk.

"For the sake of time I'll play along and take B," Rosebank slowly opened it and was facially colonized by surprise, while watching a familiar document sliding out, "can't be, where did you get this?" His eyebags shivered in error.

"Isn't it obvious? From Dee Monique's handbag, next to her safe, above which this same coat was hung." Kimm nodded to the truth, seeing how his priceless expression could make a potential frontpage image. "Luckily for me I've beat her to it and fortunately for you I'll only ask 23 percent of the shares you own to be signed over to me - unless you want the contents in the first envelope to reach your wife, the public and eventually your twins."

"No can't do Kimmy, that's for my kids, that's my family's legacy -and you seem to forget that I gave you a chance as an intern a few years ago when no one seemed to want to, " He almost stood up but the gun ensured that he remained on in his chair. "If you do this, the company's value may crumble - including the value of your journalism licence."

"I was grateful at first, until I discovered how you were letting your senior, corrupt editors dilute the truth in my articles, before they could be published," She placed a pen on top of the document and breathed out any doubts, "Plus what good would it be for the twins to inherit a corrupt, exposed, legitimately defunct, and insolvent firm - since the shares and respect for it will shrink after I expose it."

"I suppose you're right, but good luck getting out of here alive, my butterflies are now aware of your little intrusion," He paged over the contract, "hence let me make your last wish come true for the last 5 minutes you have." Rosebank forged his signature laugh, just to spite her, and generously scribbled his signature away, laughing like the corrupt godfather he was.

"That's if this gun doesn't blow you a kiss soaked in a sea of death," She watched him sign it over, just before knocks arrived at the door she had recently locked - making her contemplate pulling the trigger as soon as he had signed it over. "And quite sadly that's the last thing you will ever sign, I mean it."

"You would be dumb to kill me, my butterflies will skin you to death, plus the contract would be deemed invalid against the figures on my will, aside from the fact that it hasn't been certified." He reached his opened bottle of wine and tried to make it spill on the contract whilst pouring himself a glass."

"Don't worry about that, your corrupt ways of doing things have taught me to crack the system, plus I said you won't sign anything ever again, not that I'll kiss you." Kimm JM laughed before a prick of adrenaline touched her soul and raced throughout her veins towards her index finger, as she closed one eye, paid attention and pulled the trigger whilst pointing directly for Rosebank's elbows - shooting both amidst his screams, before dashing out though the glass door of that room's balcony - leaving curtains dancing in the wind - just like her favorite movie character; Cat Woman. Just as the butterflies barged in alongside Riley and Roselyn Rosebank into that bloody, scream-filled room, and going after.

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Meanwhile at the wedding, Aneni-Anesu left leg's blisters still feeling the wind from her little helicopter ride, which she had seized after hiding in it and listening to Dee Monique telling Vulisanii something whilst on top of the roof, as she bumped into Anathii in the corridor of the backstage - his suit pleasing to her eyes - whilst her look left left him wondering...

"Wow, love the ring, but Zanele? Not really," A-A said after hugging him and seeing the compassion in his eyes.

"Missed you, thought you were kidnapped, apparently by your boyfriend, you should have stuck to Yonella," he jumped slightly backwards in anticipation of her elbow jab and light slap.

"Long story Anathii, but right now we've gotta get everyone out of here, Dee Monique has planned a a major heist," she whispered as loud as she could until his confusion jumped onto her face contagiously. "I forgot you don't know her Vulisanii..., I mean Anathii.

"Think you mean Dumisanii, he's here with his men out there, they took over my wedding with Zee," Anathii laughed at the humor within his statement.

"You mean reclaimed it, It was his wedding all along...," She leaned against the wall and smiled until she realized: "but if Dumisanii is here then Dee Monique..." She hadn't even finished that sentence when she heard a voice she thought to be the evil detective's coming out of the main hall, flying through the wall against her back before flying into her ears.

"At least change into something descent, mom is probably out there," He took her hand and dragged her to the dressing room, the same one he'd changed into his wedding suit when he had recently arrived in the morning. "Don't argue Aneni-Anesu, just come!"

She watched and allowed her brother Anathii to drag her towards the changing room, as flashbacks of her previous two days made faint resurgences within her mind, especially when she saw two unconscious bodies of two bridesmaids on the floor just adjacent to the closet. "Keep it down," Anathi said to her as he had anticipated and blocked her scream well by cupping her mouth fast enough - though such a move had left him feeling kind of disgusted as he felt as though he has just transferred the friction from Neliswa's butt onto his bisexual's sister's mouth. Whilst wondering as to whether they were still alive or not, as Anathii bothered to go on his knees to check their pulse. Alas it was then when a bridesmaid walked in and looked at him in a funny manner whilst standing at the door to assess the situation, before he cunningly jumped at her and wasted a few minutes with her whilst Aneni-Anesu went to assess the situation in the wedding hall, for at least a few seconds before she would return to Anathii.

Yet when she peeped over to look into the wedding hall whilst still hiding at the end of the backstage corridor she was surprised to see Genna walking in with Detective Dee Monique towards a smiling Dumisanii who seemed to be standing by Zanele Mandalay, as several armed men whose suit's pants matched Dumisanii's cloudy blue suit seemed to be dispersed amongst the guests. Same guests who were now feasting, and dining on a range of meals as the bridesmaids, groomsmen and cooks seemed to be dishing out food. Even in Genna's vocal outburst.

"Dumisanii, why would you do this, she left you for a reason?" Genna walked in, still in her long hoody and Yeezy kicks. "Mom wouldn't be proud of this and I'm sure."

"Stay out of this Genna, this is between Zanele and I," He looked to Zanele but she didn't seem to approve, but her stepfather Darwin Mandalay had been taken hostage by Dumisanii's men, alongside her very own P.A, so she felt inclined to play along to his little sick game of obsessive romance.

"Hence I'm afraid I will have to stop you myself, Dee Monique said as she took out her badge and stepped towards the altar, until her phone beeped and a text bubble crossed over her screen with Rosebank's name, though she shook her head and ignored it for the while.

"Stay out of this detective, don't make my men harm these guests," His cocky response left her looking around, looking at the guests who seemed too smiley to be enjoying yet too meek to voice out their response - whilst eating their stress away.

"Let's just leave and rather focus on my wedding Dumisanii, Anathii and I would appreciate you being part of that rather." Her words strangely drowned out any other sounds in the room.

"Don't know how to tell you this, but he isn't the one for you sis...," Dumisanii looked away from Detective Dee Monique who seemed to be on her phone again, "Best not be calling for back up, 'cause that might just cause a slaughter house session over here. He then looked back to his sister and prepared his words.

"Then I'll say it for you Dumisanii," Aneni-Anesu ran towards Genna who seemed caught up in thought whilst anticipating her brother's words. "Genna love, the wedding that was happening here..."

Zanele herself interrupted Aneni-Anesu: "was between Anathii and I, oops! Anathii and I are in love darling."

" Here's your ring Dumisanii, and I thereby deem any hope of a happy ending between us invalid." Zanele added before anyone else could say anything.

"Then consider your stepfather and P.A dead then, you know I never joke," Dumisanii stepped up to Zanele Mandalay, his jealousy written all over his face as he grabbed her hand and tried to convince her otherwise, "Zanele Zee don't make me do anything that will torment your heart," Swallowing his pride he braced her cheeks with the warmth of his palms.

"How could you let this happen A-A, thought you and I had become more of sisters?" Genna looked at Aneni-Anesu with disgust, "I don't what I ever saw in your brother anyways.

"Frankly I never wanted him to marry you Genna, you deserve someone better than him, aren't all guys dickheads," Aneni-Anesu looked into Genna's eyes and placed her hand on her cheek - a move which she had learnt to use recently to calm Genna down, if not Yonela, just before kissing her on the cheek, right at the corner of her lips as though to indicate something.

"And now? This is supposed to be my wedding, not this little emotional catch up," Zanele interrupted them, and jumped her eyes between the both of them. Until her eyes were drawn towards someone in the front row who suddenly fainted, not so far from her feet.

"Sorry Zanele, and Genna but we really have to get out of here," she looked at Dee Monique who seemingly had her eyes glued on her like a hawk, "I really don't feel right standing right here, a dizzy sensation colored her cheeks before she let her lips fell onto Genna's lips, shortly before she fainted - leaving both Genna and Zanele running to her rescue as the milkshake in her hand dropped next to her.

"Aneni-Anesu! Anathii shouted as he ran into the room, "somebody call an ambulance, he ran towards his sister, "call an ambulance, there are unconscious bodies in the backstage." He placed his hands on her forehead, pulse and heartbeat; feeling her body temperature high and heartbeat running faster than usual, before Genna dropped to her knees too and grabbed Aneni-Anesu's hands shortly before their eye contact crossed each other. "I'm really sorry Genna, but I honestly thought that accepting Zanele's marital offer would change my life for the better.

"What are you saying Anathii, was the promotional offer not good enough for you?" her words were heard by a few as screams in the background grew out of pitch, alongside complaints and cries of stomach cramps by the guests - including both Dumisanii and Dee Monique's forces. "We are married now after all Anathii, but as for Dumisanii, the marital contract will never be signed."

"Will you marry me?" Anathii heard his sister asking Genna, to which Genna nodded with teary eyes before placing a kiss on her foreheard, before she helped Anathii lift up A-A, amidst that chaos of screams ready to leave; the main part of the wedding had been defaulted finished anyways. After which they walked, Zanele walking by Anathii's side, before running upstairs after hearing a series of gunshots. Leaving Dee Monique and Dumisanii Gumede standing by the priest, also looking for cover, before taking out their guns like Mr and Mrs Smith.

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Whereas, Vulisanii Gumede finally arrived at the wedding venue and jogged towards the entrance where he could hear confusing sounds coming out of the halls, as though an orgy was concluding the wedding, before he entered with eyes wild open, alas the last of the last butterflies were standing and ready for action, before they began shooting at him. Leaving him stepping backwards and dashing out of sight shortly before he ran into Mastermind.

"Dude, we really have to go, both Dumisanii and Dee Monique are here, things won't end well."MasterMind said and apologetically offered his hand as a gesture of trust and support to the fuming Vulisanii.

"If it isn't the senile Mastermind, keep your hands to yourself," Vulisanii clearly wasn't interested, enough that he actually pointed his gun at his former associate.

"Dude Divvy Jaars is on his way, alongside his little policemen, so I suggest that we leave."

"No Mastermind, today is the day I dealt with Dee Monique, by the time I wake up tomorrow my mind should be free of her," Vulisanii's tongue had begun feeling salty whenever he would say that dirty detective's name.

"Vulisanii listen, what good is it to exact revenge but lose your life in the process," Mastermind jogged with him and took cover by a random sedan, keeping his eyes scanning around the cars for any Butterflies. "Aneni-Anesu is in there too, the shooting may get to her."

Uncle G's nephew actually didn't care. He wanted revenge on Dee Monique and maybe A-A's mother too for sending Gummy Bear to prison. His burning desire for her love had kind of dissolved and shapeshifted into hatred. But his love for her as his sister had actually just blossomed - he couldn't wait to tell and show her that sisterly love; excitement had him by the jaw - despite the fear that awkward moments would prevail.

"Divvy Jaars catching you here could mean prison time, he could actually pin your name down for some of the hijacks which Dee Monique and her butterflies orchestrated today," Still ducking, Mastermind remained cautious - keeping his stealth in motion. "And you know he'll definitely grab the chance to reunite you with Mastermind.

"My father and uncle have both been in prison, I wouldn't be an exception either." Vulisanii Mukwevho stood to his feet and dashed towards the back - tempted to leave the once legendary Mastermind in a pool of blood.

"Rumor has it that...," Mastermind's words followed Vulisanii, "Katlego Gumede is now Darren's associate in prison." MasterMind wished to be heard for he knew exactly who Katlego Gumede, but before he could think of the time he'd helped Gummy Bear send him to prison, due to their disputes regarding running the carjacking ring, he looked down onto his beeping phone and noticed an incoming call from Kimm of all people he was expecting a call from.

MM just kept his crouchy stealth and made his way to his car, listening to a breathless Kimm requesting a pick up, requesting a getaway driver - and without further due, MM took the chance to be reunited with her - without asking of her latest scenes.

Whereas, Vulisanii, about a 100 metres away, already by a little entrance of the backstage to the mainhall; also received a call from someones by the name of Riley and Roselyn, asking him for a meeting - later that night if possible. Leaving Vulisanii, tempted to accept if not forced to - especially when he finally saw with his eyes as blue and red sirens invading the venue from its northern entrance. "How about in 30 minutes, I'll send the location."

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"Go on Anathii, make a choice, if you want the anecdote to your sister's condition," Neliswa said as Dumisanii, Dee Monique's or Zanele's helicopter's landed on the roof. "then you'll have to tell the truth, and I mean tell us all the truth." She had a gun in her left hand and the backpack full of anecdotes in the other hand.

"That won't be necessary Neliswa, I don't see the relevance of that right now," Caith too arrived by the rooftop, her voice drowning in the helicopter sounds, her goosebumps ready to dance to the thrust of winds they caused.

"No Caith, I say it is, it's time the little love cycle between you and him ended - he's married now," Neliswa's words left Anathii's humilated jaw drop amongst a string of shocked reactions from Genna, Dee Monique and Dumisanii, Darwin Mandalay and even Zanele and her P.A.

"Stop patronizing me Neliswa, now pass me the anecdote so I can assist A-A," Caith stood up to Neliswa, who seemed ready for a fight as well, "And look at what you've done, you weren't suppose to drop too much poison into the foods and drinks - just had to drop enough to cause a tummy ache.

"Don't look at me, Dumisanii was the one who changed the orders - he really wanted to ruin Zanele's wedding that bad," Neliswa looked at Darren and pointed her gun to him instead leaving him in regret for leaving his very own gun downstairs.

"Can't believe you went this far Darren, just for the sake of selfishness," Genna and Darwin Mandalay helped Aneni-Anesu to the helicopter shortly before it flew off, much to Neliswa's dismay - who then tried to shoot at the helicopter only for that bullet to hit its propeler before hitting Caith's neck, before Anathii jumped to her - the pain of an unconscious sister now doubled.

"Caith, not you too, stay with me lovey, staaaay wiiiith meee," Anathi whisphered as he saw the same pain he had seen hidden beneath Aneni-Anesu's eye lashes, in hers. Especially as he saw her hand moving into her pocket. Before following it into her pocket cave onto to see her pulling an open envelope - which he pulled out, shortly before seeing the results DNA results which left a major lump in his throat as he realized he realized there was 62% probability of him being her baby daddy, the father of her unborn baby. Knowing Caith he knew it could have been forged, but in that moment he had no mental room for any doubts against her.

Anathii was left hopeless, feeling his soul melting through the corner of his eyes as he watched Caith bleeding before him, as her eyes lost their reflection of the moonlight, just before Neliswa too rushed towards her bestfriend and helped Anathi in lifting her towards the helicopter Dumisanii's helecopter. The same Dumisanii who was beginning to stress as the sounds of sirens began tormenting him. Dee Monique standing next to him with lit eyes which provided him with comfort as she held his hand, making him feel at ease but still cautious enough to listen out for any handcuffs.

Until Dumisanii realized that his helicopted was rushing away in elavation, leaving him with Dee Monique's helicopter for his only chance of escape. Zanele Mandalay too had gone and now it was only him and her. As lovely as it seemed and sounded he wasn't quick to delude himself even though the celebrity priest had recently married them - he weren't sure if she had gone through it all to catch and arrest him, for her gold digging schemes, for his royal position as the future heir to the House of Gumede, or if she really needed a man with passion and potential to settle down with. They were both evil in their own right but Dee Monique was just too demonic, as though she was the devil's daughter.

As he looked into her eyes and pulled her closer, he tried to look deep into her hazel-turned-grey windows of the soul - to see if the same deception which had led Gummy Bear to prison, led Divvy Jaars on a path of failure - as well Dumisanii Gumede's own father, Katlego with the assistance of the betrayal of Gummy Bear - was still there. Yet he couldn't find it, unless he was wrong, unless his sudden feelings for her had suddenly clouded his judgement or her moist of her soft lips wettened the usually solid walls of his prudence and emotional defence.

But little did she know that he who held vengeance against her was fast approaching, through the very wedding venue which had gone from resembling an utopia to being a dystopia in the same day. Especially in the eyes of Dumisanii Gumede who slowly went through the backstage corridors before taking the chance sneak through the dying sea of wedding guests as an aromatic scent of strawberries, chocolates filled his nostrils especially as he hurt his ankle after ruining his sneaking sequence after picking sight of the 3 big chocolate cake which were halfway cut - some slices on the floor amongst the bodies which were dressed in designer suits. Wedding seats all over the place leaving the venue's sense of peace disfunctional.

But Vulisanii had no time to be worried about that, he scanned through the venue looking for Dee Monique but she wasn't there, until a fright caught him from behind as a guy jumped at him - though not much defenses were needed as that dying culprit turned out to be a zombie without teeth or strength. As Vulisanii pushed him right over before heading to the stairs where he could hear a helicopter ready to leave, before looking at the wedding floor once again. Leaving his state of mind elongated in sudden similarities to the state of the country...

Given that the middle class, had been floating just well above the working class, until the problems and incompetence of the working class began affecting them just enough to pull them below the breadline. More like the breath-line if not death-line in that matter. All thanks to the failure of those with power to justly use their power and might in finding solutions to the problems affecting those in situations below the... Instead, the rich and powerful could be quickly found on the roof ready to escape the rising problems.

As he dashed through the stairs he heard cops rushing in through entrance of the hall, meaning two things: That fortunately for the guests in the critical health condition - the help had come; and that unfortunately for him the cuffs had arrived as well. Hence he rushed forth rushing up the stairs, before eventually jogging to the top of the roof, only to get their and see her Kissing Dumisanii Mukwevho of all people.

"Dee Monique! Just stop, don't you get tired of being a whore definition of an undercover detective," He said as he jogged to the helicopter whilst pointing his gun against them, before they snapped out of the illusions which their tongue twisting had used to imprison their brains. Vulisanii's own face imprisoned beneath his signature bear facemask, protecting him against the wind as he leapt onto the helicopter, watching the pilot too incase that same pilot had a gun of some sort.

"She finally turned to him, Dumisanii too spotting his gun, before she said some words which faded in the loud wind of the chopper, before pictures of his bleeding uncle motivated him to shoot at her with his SMG, just as the cops which arrived at the roof began shooting at the helicopter - making him order the pilot to fly away, especially when he saw Dee Monique falling off the roof - in a similar way his uncle had fallen off the balcony - leaving bits of rage elavating as the helicopter flew, whilst the venue similarly shrunk in the distance - just as thoughts of his love for Aneni-Anesu began to haunt him. As the cops seized Dumisanii Gumede.