There were clues everywhere. If I looked closer, I could have saved myself from the spiderweb that kept me tangled for ten years. But how could I have known that people could be so malicious? How could I tell? I am not a mind reader.I can call myself lucky,but I had to learn their tricks to manipulate them with their own tactics or rather use them against them.
No one leaves once they ever get tangled in the spiderweb. There are only two ways: either dead or mentally broken. If you know of any powerful man you've ever encountered, then he's just an erand boy compared to what I'll expose to you.The spider web, I call it. An organization that controls the world with the enormous power of the most powerful. They are the ears and the eyes of the universe. Giants fall by the sound of their name.
The question is, how did a small girl like me end up in such a big circle? I also don't know. But as they say, don't underestimate a small ant; it can bring a mountain down. I was this ant, and the mountain is still standing, held by just a string. That is what am digging up today. It's just a single string left, and yet so strong, so deep . I don't know how deep it's runs ,but deep enough to keep the mountain afloat.
My name is Annabel . As I write this, I come from the dead,and this is the ghost of me chasing the shadows of unknown ghosts who have destroyed the lives of thousands , raped, kidnapped and trafficked people including women and children . I am broken and tired , I fought with every fibre in me to the last drop. I am full of wrath and vaponized to get back what I lost and avenge the death of my family.
Bitterness,pain,heartbreak and loss can break the hardest bones.It can make a man betray his own master,make a powerful man squeal like a little boy.Pain and loss changed me.It hardened my heart and soul.
In the echos of silence, sometimes I hear the scream I let out-the scream of pain and agony.It was so deep that it sent me shaking in fear and loss.what pain could compare to loosing your love and also your flesh and blood?I would have been happier if he had left me for another person but still breathing and kicking.But death?I see ghost and talk to them.Alone in the house ,lost in deep thoughts, I see him.I talk to him.I see his smile, him teasing me and correcting my language,his frown when I wrong him.But the problem is I can't touch him.He disappears any time i try to.
How do people live a normal life after loosing someone they love forever? How do they sleep at night? My nightmares are catching up with me.The night are long ,and the liquor bottles are empty .I don't know how to pick myself up .I was strong when we fought together,he was by my side against all odds.when we walked down this road , we never knew what we were walking into. It's like a tip of an iceberg, and the invisible giant tail. If I had accepted the loss of my daughter, maybe he would still be alive . Or was it fate as the Japanese would say. "You can't evade fate or else it'll catch up with you." But it can be manipulated to longevity. That way I would still have him by my side.
Not all love stories have a good ending. Atleast not mine. Some end in tears and sadness, that is so deep and takes ages and ages to heal. Sometimes, it comes in flashes of memories, alittle thing reminds you of the good old times you hold on to,to push for another day. I miss him.I miss his deep soft voice. His big brown watery eyes, that were full of life, but his life was cut so short. There was so much to see, so much to experience, and much to achieve. But why? I could have traded my life for his.As long as he was standing on his two feet , strong and able, was enough for me.
All I remember is his lifeless body on my arms , blood oozing out of his gunshot wound. "I love you." he said," God gave me a chance to meet you in this life. I'll tell our daughter you loved her and... a.. n.... d ," he stuttered," the... ring...will guide you... always..." He held his three fingers to his heart and looked me in the eye as his life faded and said, "together" as he coughed blood off his mouth.With tears in my eyes, I raised my three fingers to my heart and also said, "together" and that's when I knew he was leaving me. "Please don't die", I cried. "Our daughter is still alive . She needs us both. I want to prove that am not crazy, and that I can feel the connection.Please....." " shhhhh," he raised his lazy hand to my lips as he said, "she's gone.I want you to live..." you could here the siren from a short distance but I knew it would be too late . He was gone before he could utter his last words.
It had taken me a while to pick myself up and face the world. I had not visited the grave for a while . I was in disbelief that he was really gone. My first move was to visit him and pay my last respect, before I left town . Whatever led to his death ,I would get to the bottom of it. Or whoever killed him , I would make him bend. I never knew I could be this raged until what's mine was taken, and that, my dear listeners ,woke the sleeping, dangerous waters that would swallow them.As the saying goes, "Be careful of the waters you tread , or they would swallow you" .
* * *
It was on a Tuesday morning, of the second week of February of 2022, when we received an invitation to a secret house party by one of the admired public figure, who was quite wealthy and influential in the country. These kind of invitation doesn't come by easily. For you to be invited, you have to be somebody in the society. These are the kind of parties that happens and also doesn't exit in the outside world. They exit to the people invited and no word in the streets about them.Meaning, no one knows about them.
"Adam, there is a chip inside with your initials in it. There is no message in the card, but just numbers and letters that doesn't make sense." I explained. My husband walks towards me and takes a look at the card. "Looks like a code honey." he says as he walks to the couch without putting too much thought in it. "What a way of inviting someone! Is this the digital way of inviting people now?" I asked. "The world is evolving, we need to give ourselves a chance to learn and catch up with it before it drugs us to it's roots." my husband would say. He was the optimistic kind. He would always see the positive side of people and find joy in the little things. Am the inquisitive type, always curious about everything, seeking to understand the world around me.
I was curious about the card no return address, no name, just a beautiful card with a chip and a code in it. I took a closer look at the chip and there were little lines in it,curved lines that looked like small fingerprint and a small hole in the middle. I put my finger on it and immediately all electronics in the house start beeping and buzzing. I means Tvs, phones and laptops,with a female AI sound playing the invitation message, "Adam and Annabel,Join us for an unforgettable evening of opulence and extravagance at our exclusive high-end party. Indulge in the finest cuisine, sip on rare wines, and mingle with elite guests in a luxurious setting fit for royalty. Elevate your social experience and immerse yourself in the epitome of sophistication at our prestigious event.
"Adam!" I called.As I looked in astonishment,he was already up on his toes turning to every electric gadget in the room.There were writings on the screen requesting for a code.I looked at the card to get the code but noticed a prick on my finger."No,No,No,No this is bad.Adam,they have my blood!" I said as my voice broke in fear. "what do you mean blood?" you could here the tremor in his voice.He walked across the living room in a few strides towards the kitchen counter ,where I was standing and grabbed my hand, taking a closer look at the finger.There was a blank look in his eyes,like he was deeply thinking about something.I noticed something on the screen and stepped aside towards the TV.It was a countdown,like an expirely period of the card. I quickly grabbed my phone and tapped the number to the screen that unlocked a mysterious drawing, kind of complicated or intertwined logos with a word 'welcome' on it.Something about this logo gave me some de javu feeling,a sort of familiarity that didn't settle well with me. I captured the picture, picked up my bag and keys ready to leave for work. I kissed my husband who was on a two weeks leave and said "Bye, see you later" as I approached the door.
"Don't overthink or do anything crazy. Try to live at the moment and see it as a privilege and a chance to welcome a new phase in our lives, of unlocking a whole level of new opportunities, that would have taken a century of us scratching the ground to achieve. Honey, we gonna take advantage of this to expand our network. We will talk about this later after work." I stopped, turned and smiled as I left for the day. I thought alot about so many things ,during the day. The logo, code, prick on my finger and the AI message ,played alot in my mind. But the main question was, "why us?" What do we have that the biggest shots in the country would be interested in? My husband knew me so well, to know that I would overthinking about it the whole day. I tried to shake it all off my mind and take it as a privilege to be invited to such a party. Such parties would have a theme. I thought to myself. But nothing was written or said about what the theme would be.
Later in the day ,as we were having dinner, I mentioned it to my husband ,who seemed unbothered, as he had spoon after another of rice and chicken stew.He would pour a glass of wine after another, and a sip of water in between while stealing a few glances watching me eat.I used to compare his calmness to that of a snake, sizing itself to attack it's prey. He was a very calculative man. A kind of man who knew what to do in any kind of situation,what's to gain or loose, when to let go or when to attack . He had a good head over his shoulders . "This is a high-end party of the most elite and wealthy figures. No one is interested about mere outfits and colors and what's not. They are always interested about making deals and who is above who. " He said as he gulped the last glass of wine." Exactly." I said. " The most elite and wealthiest figures, love the order of things, they judge people by their expression, character and the impression you give at first sight.You will never see a president address the nation in jeans and t shirts, or air hostess dressed in short and cardigans, it's called the code of dressing. You've seen it in movies, such parties always have a theme! I exclaimed.
He loved watching me get emotional about little things .he would say"you look beautiful when you frown and sexy when you're mad. He would always cut me short with a kiss on the lips , then on the neck , his hands on my waist then a steamy sex on the couch, wall , floor, or the kitchen counter. On this day,it happened on the dinning as we dropped a few plates and forks down to the floor, then to the couch, some moments on the stairs and found ourselves on the bed as we rested for the night.
Sex was one thing that brought us together as a couple. Every inch of the house had a story to tell. We created so many erotic scenes around the house as we were intentional about sex. We loved it. The most magical feeling in this universe is to have the person you love the most inside you,and the thought of it triggered my nervous system that would lead to heightened arousal .
The third date, was the first time we had our first night. He had asked me out on that day and he would pick me up at 5.30 pm. I was lightly dressed in a silk black long dress with a long slit on the left leg almost up to the upper part of the leg and a low lying neck that revealed the best part of my cleavage. I had low laying gold earrings and necklace to atone my skin that matched the gold touches on my black heels and pouch. This look made him blankly stare for some minute without saying a word. To be honest, this was my first dress up ,since our last date , which was our second, which made me want more from him. We talked in length, shared more, laughed alot and this made me feel alittle connected which to my suprise has never happened in my previous encounters. On this date, I wanted more than that. I wanted to see him, to catch up from where we left.
He had booked a table at savannah beach hotel which was a famous five star hotel that overlooked the endless expanse of the ocean. The entrance towered by palm trees that swayed gently in the sea breeze, framing the magistic entrance where guest were greeted by a cascading fountain, it's crystal clear waters glinting in the setting sunlight. There were writings at the the entrance of the magnificent glass building that said"welcome to your sanctuary by the sea, where every moment is a master piece waiting to be discovered." What God created in us is indeed a masterpiece with endless discoveries that gradually erupted a whole volcano of emotions and passions that lasted for aWhile, till his last breath.
As you step inside, the opulence of the lobby envelopes you, symphony of marble floors, plush velvet furnishings, and cascading chandeliers that cast a warm, inviting glow. Every detail, from meticulously curated artwork, to the soft strains of music floating through the air, exquisite culinary offerings, meticulously crafted cocktail was nothing short of extraordinary. I was emotionally carried afloat by his plans , to make our third date eternally engraved in my soul.
He offered his hand as he gestured towards the elevator that led us to the opening of the other side of the ocean .we were greeted by the sweeping vistas of azure waters from every corner. He turned towards me , as I let myself melt at his inviting look that erupted all these kinds of emotions inside me. I didn't know what I felt exactly but I couldn't utter a word , move a leg or even breath normally as the breathing became shallow and irregular. I wanted him to hug me , to lay my head on his shoulders to feel the full warmth of his embrace. For some minutes, he kept gazing, as his face softened and lightened up and I didn't know what to do. I opened my mouth to say a few words but nothing came out. My throat was dry and my lips kept moving without saying a word. Our eyes locked and his look was deep like he was searching for my soul. He took a step closer held my face with his giant hands and bent to reach for my lips. I could feel his breath on my face as his lips touched mine. I felt so faint and high and I didn't want him to stop.as his hands moved to my back,I felt like a soft fabric was run on my back and the feeling was so good.
Call me old school but this is the first time I was experiencing this after two years in college. Anytime I wanted to try , something came up and this time I was determined it would go down. The kissing became so deep and my body was giving in to this beautiful feeling that was unraveling strange sensations inside me. My breast felt tight and tender, and I felt so wet that I was afraid my panties wouldn't hold. Suddenly, he stopped and looked deep into my eyes like he was asking for a go ahead." Yes, yes, " I couldn't waste a minute as I gave him a go ahead. Instead , he picked me up and led his way towards the elevator without a care of the stares from the people around.
The elevator opened to the fourth floor and two doors down the hall, he opened the door with a key card from his pocket that he had, all this time. What did I miss? There was no space for such questions in my head but instead appreciate him for the effort of making it happen.
Inside the room , he put me down on the bed , as he unbuttoned his shirt. Have never seen such a perfect body , it revealed a built chest of six packs, almond skin tone that shone gold with the setting rays of sun. I stood on the bed as I let him unzip my dress as we kissed . He ran his hands again on my back to unzip the bra leaving me vulnerable and longing to hold him more closer. He pushed me flat on the bed as he kissed me down to the nipples, one after another. The warmth of his skin on mine and his mouth on my nipples made me madly surrender myself to him. My breathing became fast and irregular and my whole body felt as if it was on fire. I thought I was wet before but now I was fully soaked. He carefully removed my panties as he ran his trousers down to the floor. This was my first experience with a man to this level, as I thought "ain't he too big for me?" He smiled as he saw the shock on my face ,and his smile was so beautiful that it drew me to kiss him even more and whispered to his mouth "it's my first.." he couldn't let me finish the statement as he said"I'll be gentle". I was so aroused that I didn't feel the weight as he penetrated inside me. I thought I would feel uncomfortable or scream but I felt a calming feeling on my nerves and seconds later I was mourning holding him tight and locked ,as I let out a big mourn as i cam. He held me tight as he laid his head on my shoulder saying, "you're so tight, and wet and sweet and... and... An.. d am cu...
It was a sweet night and the best night I ever had in 22 years. I kept Wondering if that how good sex was and how long I had delayed it . Such good feeling that our mother cautioned us against . I never knew if there could be anything I would love in this world other than this man and 'his ' sex.