Before the light.
After Niola died, the mark on her arm vanished, the sky became dark and the moon was bloody, the trees in the forest dried up and the leaves withered… the streets caught fire and buildings burn. People ran to hide in tunnels, but nowhere was secure, demons dragged people out and torture them.
The air was filled with weeping and reeked of death.
Amargonia took his real form since hell was wide open, he had two heads and horns, and his breath was as hot as a furnace. And demons from hell and purgatory rejoice because they were free.
But in the devil's chamber in hell, cupid was tortured and the other end was Ifárànmī, screaming as he was tormented.
Then the brightest divine light shone from the sky and everywhere rumbled and it began to rain blood.
Everything it touched came back to life, demons shrieked away, and they ran back to the gate of hell, every single one of them. And the light shined even brighter and brighter and drove every demon on the surface back to hell and the gate shut, and the gargoyle sunk back to the underworld.
Green came to the trees and the flowers bloomed again and darkness vanished.
Zap!
Danielle woke up on her bed in her house as the sun came up over the city. The weather was warm, and the sky was brilliant blue. Chiamaka was already downstairs before she did, and had already made bacon to go with their noodles. She poured herself a glass of orange juice and put the kettle on to make tea for both of them. She was pouring the water into two mugs when Danielle walked into the kitchen. She was wearing an old flannel nightgown with discernible hearts on it, and her feet were bare.
"Smells yummy," she said, as Chiamaka handed her a mug of tea she found in the cupboard.
"Is that noodles?" Iman asked coming from the living room. She sat beside Danielle on the kitchen stool and sipped Danielle's tea.
"How did you even get in?" Chiamaka asked setting out plates.
"The door was opened, Danielle did you even check your phone at all? I tried calling, but it was switched off. I was planning to drop by yesterday but, I was so exhausted after service."
"Off, Seriously?" Danielle got up and went to search for her phone.
"Yesterday was all Netflix and chills, we had a little alcohol, can't remember the rest, I don't even know when Niola left," Chiamaka said as she set a plate of noodles down on the table for Iman and Danielle.
"Niola is your cute friend?"
" Yeah," she replied.
"You are bad with alcohol," Iman said and they both laughed. "You hurled in Ade's car the other day."
"I'm a bad drinker."
"My phone was dead," Danielle said coming back to the kitchen with Chiamaka's phone with her. "Dude, you have about fifteen missed calls."
"Are you kidding me?" Chiamaka collected the phone checking her call logs. "It's Niola, I'll call her back."
Niola sat at the table with her mother, Ifadahunsi and kunle, everything was back to normal except for them, they could remember every single thing that had happened, and it was a wonder that they were all alive.
"How come?" Tolu touched her daughter's dreads that was now all white.
"I found grace," she said softly with a breath of relief and her mother held her hand. And truly she had, now everything that was always a puzzlement to her was solved. She understands that; the world was never going to end until the appropriate time, and nothing takes place on earth that the heavens aren't aware of.
Ifadahunsi sighed still marveling at the knowledge, but the joy that filled his heart was incomparable." What will you do about your hair, won't people… like your friends, ask?" he asked and tolu nodded.
"Oh, that's ok, I can tell them I bleached it," she said and her phone rang.
"Who's that?" Her mother asked.
"Danielle… you know what, I should go, we should live our normal life. Old things are past away… says my hair," she said and they laughed, she hugged her mom and Ifadahunsi. "Grandpa, it's good to have you here… I'll see you guys later," she picked up her keys and phone and then left. Ifadahunsi's heart melted when she called him grandpa, he was more than great full to have this family.
Niola drove to her house, and as she stepped inside, flashes of everything that had happened there ran through her mind. But it was over now, she smiled. Something had changed in her, she was the person she use to be, but now she felt more in control of her mind and she felt strength.
She look around the house and went to her bedroom to change, she put on a black shirt and jeans, staring at the mirror her eyes glowed blue and she made them soften again, there was one thing she didn't tell her mother; It was her morality died that night of deaths. She wasn't resurrected, she was reborn into immortality.
A few minutes later she heard the doorbell.
"I'm coming!" she said and went to answer the door. She opened the door and it was Danielle.
Her gaze melted her heart as she stared into her blue eyes with a smile, "Hey," she said and she stepped inside, then her eyes when to her hair. "Your hair, what did you do…"
"I went to the salon to change my look a bit," Niola said running her fingers through her locks with a grin.
"It is beautiful," Danielle said stepping closer to her, she wrapped her arms around her neck and then smiled, she could feel her warm breath fanning her face. "I love you Niola." She said with a look of astonishment. Niola stared into her eyes and all she saw was sincerity and love. It's a new beginning for her in this new body she was, but what she felt for Danielle was still the same, she was in love with her.
"I already do, not because you're super attractive and you make my heart flutter"
Danielle chuckled, "so I do make your heart flutter?"
Niola nodded with a sneer, "but despite it, if that makes any sense."
"That's all I want, you are all I want." She said and kissed her.
Niola kissed her back and Danielle deepens the kiss, hot and urgent, she felt as if it'd been a year since she first kissed her. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the feel of that hot mouth on hers, the firm pressure of Niola's thumbs tilting up her jaw so she could nibble and suck her neck. Danielle shivered, then winced when her shoulder hit a doorway. "Your bedroom," Danielle gasped into her mouth.
Niola guided her past the guest bathroom and to the bedroom. She scrabbled backward with her hand for the door handle, turned it, and pushed it open. Danielle took control. It had been so long since she'd been with someone who wanted all of her. She peeled off Niola's clothes and pressed her down into the bed, planting kisses over every inch of her she could reach. Chrisanne smelled like lemons and desire. Danielle kissed and bit her all over, making up for the hours that felt like a year she'd been away from her. She inhaled, pressed her nose into the small creases, sucked her fingers, and lifted her mouth from Niola's, and down to her breasts. Niola moaned and rolled her over like she weighs nothing, she made her slow way down the writhing body, pausing to kiss and stroke the curve of her belly, her sharp hipbones, the silken skin on the inside of her thighs. The night before flashed in her mind; how they stared at each other throughout that evening, Danielle thought of the magic of that night had been due to the drinking and dancing at the bar, and the rush she felt anytime their eyes met. But she felt the same sense of wonder now, her entire self focused on Niola's pleasure, her body burning with a need to satisfy.
Niola knew what was on her mind, the whole narrative had changed. What happened during their first night together had changed, but she was the only one that knew what happened. Of course, it had to change, the burn on her arm had vanished, and whatever memory anyone had of it had cleared, except hers.
She pressed her hips into the blankets to relieve some of her ache, an unconscious movement that she intensified once she realized she was doing it. They both groaned at the first stroke of her tongue on Danielle's center. A deep and shuddering connection clicked between them. "…I think you're trying to kill me," Danielle chuckled and her hand dropped away from her head to clench in the blankets. Her slick center lips were meaty and hot under Niola's tongue, sliding wet and humid, tasting of sex and everything good. She reached up to stroke her nipples and twist them while her mouth devoured and sucked and licked. Danielle whispered her name, bucking up so hard that Niola had to brace an arm across her hips to hold her down. With her mouth lavishing on her, Niola stroked her entrance with light fingers. Her center opened up for her, slick and greedy. Niola licked the soft pink flesh to prepare her, then slid in two fingers, and curled them up. "Oh!" Danielle propped herself up on her elbow, staring at Niola. "Oh," she gasped, her eyes heavy-lidded, stroking deep in her hot center, grinding her hips into the sheets. Danielle moaned and dropped back into the blankets. "You're so fucking perfect." She gasped again. "So perfect…" She went in deep and slow with two fingers until the muscles of her arm burned with the effort and sweat dripped down her spine. Danielle's face twisted, her look becoming desperate with each thrust of Niola's fingers and every flick of her tongue on her. Even with her hands occupied, Niola kept her eyes on Danielle's face, wanting to see every play of lust there. There was so much beauty. So much! her muscles tightened. "Fu—!" She grunted as an unexpected orgasm burned through her own body. The rhythm of her fingers stuttered but she kept going. Her eyes slammed shut and her hips bucked into the blankets at the same time she felt a clenching around her fingers. Danielle stiffened all over and cried out. "Oh my… oh.." They shuddered together, pleasure rippling between their bodies in a feedback loop until she collapsed into the sheets, laughing through the last of her orgasm.
"You are so Corny" Danielle kissed her. "I told Chiamaka I was going to buy groceries."
"This is groceries." They both laughed.
Life went on, Ifadahunsi stayed around a while, then he went back to Oke-osa, he started writing a fictional book about the tales he'd encountered, he kunle with tolu to attend the university and they came to visit him often at Oke-osa.
Chiamaka's YouTube channel grew bigger with her duo shows with Niola, and the two became social media sensations with the help of Danielle. Danielle was at the peek with her brand with Niola signing to be one of their top models, and of course, Chiamaka finally knew about their relationship and she made sure she teased them every time. While Niola on the other hand, was going to do everything she could to protect her family and everything she loved, the evil was gone but that doesn't mean it wasn't coming back.
Fagbohun gasped for air as his eyes opens, he had heard his father's scream. He was lying on the rocky ground in the cave of Ranmi, he remembers everything that had happened, and he got up to his feet and looked around. He felt the anger he has never felt before, his father was being tortured in eternal pain, for trying to save the world. He Shook his head in despair, he wasn't going to let that happen. He searched everywhere and found his father's book, where all the spells about demons and magic were. He grinned. It was about time he made his father proud.
The
Angel
Amongst
Us.