Bisi's breath got stuck in her throat.
No. This couldn't be happening. It was all a dream. Wasn't it?
"What's wrong? Why don't you raise your head and look at me, Chosen?", came the familiar, hoarse voice again.
It was too familiar. She recognized it instantly. The whispering echoes that haunted the distorted voice was unnerving.
Bisi found herself unintentionally shaking.
"This isn't real...this isn't real...", she tried to convince herself.
"I truly find it unbelievable that such a weakling like yourself has caused anxiety for the mistress", the voice went on. "Pathetic human. Obey me now and lift your head and I'll spare you a painless death"
"You're the thing that tried to attack me yesterday", Bisi found her voice. And immediately those words left her mouth, the air around her dropped drastically.
She let out a cold breath.
"How dare a mortal like you speak back to me?", the demon spoke, venom and hatred spilling out of its voice. "You do not speak unless I tell you to"
Bisi shut her mouth, her pupils dilating in fear and anxiety.
Her feet had turned cold and her skin was covered in goosebumps. It layered her flesh like a second skin.
Her neck hair stood on end when she heard the demon speak again. "Maybe I should bring you back to the mistress, I'm sure she would like to have your head herself"
It sounded like it was closer.
Was she going to die? Was this how her life was going to end? Killed by her demon-controlled teacher?
"Fix your eyes on me, mortal", the demon's creepy, eery voice sounded.
Tears spilled out Bisi's eyes, through her lashes as she seemed too scared to even move.
What was she going to do? How was she to survive this? Where was Omolewa when she needed her?
'I'm right here, Bisi...', came a sudden, gentle voice in Bisi's head. She yelped, startled. 'I'm always with you. You can do this. You have a weapon good enough to win this battle, do not be intimidated'
Bisi's breathing turned heavy and difficult. "Please...come save me"
The voice took on a sad, solemn edge. 'Like I said, Bisi, only you are capable of saving the world...and yourself'
Bisi felt her eyes droop and she forced herself to stay conscious. She couldn't afford to lose consciousness at this moment.
"The angel cannot help you! You trust rather recklessly", came the demon's voice. It roared in laughter, the whispering echoes seeming even more unnerving than before. "Mortals....so fickle when frightened"
Something suddenly clicked in Bisi's head. Her voice! It had saved her once, may be it could save her again.
She opened her mouth but before she could even make a sound, she was flung to the back of the class.
Her back hit the door with a hard bang and she sank to the floor, coughing and wheezing.
"Do you really think i would let you escape my grasp again?", came the demon's nasty remark. "Though I acknowledge you are nothing but a weak, little thing, your voice truly has power. I will not fall prey to your rubbish again"
Bisi struggled to breathe but it seemed her lungs were unwilling to take in air.
Before she could recover, she was lifted off the floor again and thrown against the right wall. She heard her shoulder crack and she let out a pained cry.
The demon did not stop.
Multiple times, it threw her to the walls with force.
Left, right. Up, down.
Bisi was being tossed like a rag doll. Finally, it seemed the demon had toyed with her enough and it threw her away like a discarded, unwanted rag.
She crashed into the door leading to the class' storage room.
She coughed, blood running down her nose and coming out of her mouth.
How was she still alive?
With the strength of the force used and the amount of times she had been thrown across the room, it didn't make sense she would still be alive...or even conscious.
She opened her mouth again, desperately trying to form a tune and wordings to a song. But it was almost like her voice was broken.
There was no sound.
The whispering demon let out what seemed to be a taunting laugh.
"What a pity...such power given to such a weak life force", it drawled. "A recipe for nothing but death"
"All you've done...is taunt and beat me", came Bisi's unfiltered words. "You've called me weak and treated me like so....but if I recall correctly, I'm the one in possession of the power that can erase your existence"
She didn't know where she had gotten the sudden confidence.
Maybe it was because she was sure she had gone through the worst the demon could do.
Or maybe she had simply gone mad.
"Bold words, mortal. Yet you still do not dare look me in the eye", the whispers came, still holding its condescending and taunting tone.
"I'm not stupid. You've been persuading me to open my eyes", Bisi frowned. "I know a trap when I sense one...i won't let you lure me in"
"Then you can sense who is at the disadvantage here", the demon spoke. "You cannot use your voice...I won't let you"
"Who is the mistress?", Bisi frowned. "If she has sent you then she's someone I should worry about"
"You do not question me, mortal", came the demon's voice again.
Again, Bisi felt herself lift off from the floor.
She had expected this.
Opening her mouth, Bisi let out an ear piercing scream.
The demon wasn't letting her sing directly. So she would weasle her way indirectly.
Her scream took on a tune and she broke into an old, Yoruba song.
Her plan wasn't successful for long.
Before she could cause actual damage, she felt something begin to choke her. She tried to claw the hand off but there was no presence on her neck.
She could feel it.
But it wasn't there.