VISHA’S POV It was difficult to have missed out on the trending topic-the mysterious man on my social media feed. That is literally trending everywhere. People were talking and speculating about him. I got interested, my curiosity piquing. I called my friend Jemima, who picked up on the first call. "Hey, girl! What's up?" she said. "Did you hear the news about that mysterious fellow?" I asked her again. "Yap! It's all over social media. But I have no idea what to believe," she replied. "Some say he is a billionaire; others say a recluse.” I laughed. "I know, right? It's like a mystery novel. I seriously need to get in deeper." "Me too," said Jemima. "Let's dig deeper and see what we can find out." We were now on the activity of digging for more information about this mysterious man. We hit the web, reading articles and social media posts. The more we read though, the more questions popped up. Who was this mysterious man, really? What was behind his enigmatic persona? A
VISHA’S POV I stood before the stranger before me: Daniel. My head was spinning with the gravity of our talk. The room was dim, shadowing the man in front of me, highlighting the sharp angles on his face. "Let's get to business now," I interjected, voice strong but slightly fearful; the words almost a dare. Daniel looked right into my eyes, his intense stare penetrating. His curt nod rippled across his dark mane. "Okay, what do you want me to destroy from Arrow?" he asked, sounds almost casual, his tone utterly colorless, as if this were just routine for him. I stammered, now not able to say anything, my head going whirling inside with mixed thoughts. In truth, I was not preloaded with any idea, but whatever it was, I knew it had to be something that would really hurt Arrow's functioning, leaving him crippled and exposed. "I don't know," I replied. "Maybe you can think of something good enough that when you take it from Arrow, he falls." Daniel's face grew thoughtful. Said while fu
DANIEL’S POV With the passage of two weeks feeling like a grain of sand slipping through an hourglass, my days trickled by, counted with pain and agony toward the evocation of my so-called heavenly vacation. Caged with anticipation, a living, breathing entity all its own wrapped its sweet, loving arms around my soul and began to suffocate with every passing moment, until it finally came to be. Boarding the plane, I felt the soft whoosh of closing doors like a wishful adieu as Jamaica, with rays of sunshine and azure waters, beckoned to me as a siren would. The money that Visha had funneled to me was burning wild in my pocket like a wild inferno that could be subject to control only by my intentions. I resolved to spend it all and shift my focus from worry and inhibition toward blending with unchecked joy at being on vacation. The sound of reggae, wafting through the airport alongside the aromas of jerk chicken and spices, seemed to carry me off to a world where one could shove
DANIEL’S POV What could Arrow have done to piss Visha off? Was it something personal, or just business? Whether it was something personal or business-the questioning Pollyanna's in my head like a vortex, taking me further into the miasma and making it harder with the passing moments to breathe. This was an avalanche being set to go down-Are Visha's motives ever so deep and multifaceted that it makes for a complex riddle? I was starting to process my thoughts when another message shot through on my phone, the noise sounding in the silence like a gunshot fired in the dark with jarring mention. "If Arrow doesn't go down, he will know my secret," read Visha's words, electrifying me like a tsunami, leaving me breathless and gormless. What could possibly be her secret? I wondered with a really piqued curiosity like that of a detective after a lead, racing through a thousand wild scenarios, each more tantalizing than the last. Something to ruin her reputation? Something evil? Each possibi
DANIEL’S POV "It's as if the person left in a hurry, and I was just hung there, feeling uncertain. The cursor kept blinking endlessly as if to remind me that the conversation wasn't finished yet; however, the silence was becoming unbearably loud. And finally, after ages of waiting, a text popped up on the screen," I can't tie this one to you. The words would extricate themselves, letter after letter, each one wielding well-laid calculation to enhance the torment behind such severe brevity. Down sank my heart as the phrase registered within, disillusionment and fury swelling up in response to it. Those very words were so final, so dismissive-I could not help but wonder what other secrets had been muzzled by just those few words. It's fine, I said, desperately trying to sound as though I meant it while trying to weigh for more. It was a complete lie; nothing was okay. But I was in no mood to stretch this conversation. Because of their absence, I was fully charged and restless
ARROW’S POV I entered my comforting home, the familiar setting enveloping me in a warm embrace. "I'll be fine. Thanks," I told Daniel as my voice trailed off into an almost inaudible whisper. The echo of that whisper was like a reminder of everything that had transpired a few hours ago. I hopped into my sedan while blaring some loud music to drown out the chaos in my head. The rhythmic beats from the speakers filled the hollow space for just a moment. Almost instantaneously, from the moment I pulled into the driveway, a profound sense of relief swept past me, finally arriving home. I went into the house and called my wife, "Baby!" My voice echoed throughout the hall, which then brought with it a gentle call that his wife answered promptly. "I'm over here," Kalmia would respond from bellow where the kitchen is with the warmth of an inviting voice. Following the source of her voice, I padded after her in the kitchen, where the smelly dinner floated tantalizingly through the air, almo
ARROW’S POV I leaned against her, my neck muscles relaxed as they reveled in relief. She would sit better or worse besides me, and I felt that gladness in having her there. The two of us stood for some time, just holding on to each other-the tension and chaos of the outside world momentarily forgotten. I knew as well that I was looking toward whatever was next with Kalmia; no matter what it was, we would get through it together. I felt thankful that it was there. I softly parted from her, grabbing Kalmia’s gaze. "I have to find out what this Visha has on me," I continued, resolutely now, the weight of my words pressing against her. "I don't know what lies between us, but I want to learn what she knows about my mother." Kalmia had that thinking pose painted all over her: eyes slightly narrowed as she measured me up. "I wonder if that's wise," she spoke. It had a rather content reluctance. "I don't care." Instead, the more resolved I grew, the steadier grew my voice. "I must have t
ARROW’S POV I dialed Mr. Isah's line, my fingers seemingly having a mission of their own, as I anticipated his pick-up. I had known Mr. Isah since I was a boy and now a cop; I could always count on him for something: a source of counsel and support. The ringing gave me a major sense of relief. I was calling someone who might help. "Is he on yet?" Kalmia asked me, curious and worried. I nodded and kept my eyes glued to that phone, waiting for Mr. Isah to pick up. "Yes, my love; do not worry," I tried reassuring her that everything would work out. When Mr. Isah finally picked up, I cheerfully said, "Good day, Mr. Isah." "Good day, Arrow; how have you been?" came the deep and authoritative reply from the other end. I smiled; it had been a comforting voice through time. "Very well, sir," I answered, almost overacting in my calmness and composure. "Ah, that's good to hear; what do you need from me today?" was his cordial tone. I inhaled deeply to compose myself and start the reason for
KALMIA’S POV "Aha, indeed, I will say it because I was the one who put your so-called planned career into action after it brought you down," she spat, maliciously. Visha's eyes flashed with defiance and she sneered at me. The fury surged, and my hands clenched into tight fists. But Visha wasn't done yet. "I framed everything up," she continued in a rising level of triumph tracing her voice. "I turned Jemima against you and shouted toward me, throwing her eyes like the evil beacon on top. It was like getting hit in the gut; breath taken out. "No, oooo," I screamed, throat raw and voice trembling with emotion. "Nothing could separate the things about it. Then out into the air came the loudest cry I made. Tears were rolling down in continuance because each stroke of the event hit down hard at that instant. I couldn't bear the sharpness of pain and betrayal. I couldn't take the sound of another angry word flown in my direction again, as Visha had cut me too deep. I felt as if I was losi
KALMIA’S POV Her words seemed to slice through the air like a knife, and her voice dripped with venom voicing all her discontent. "I never liked you, Kalmia," she said, looking at me with flashing eyes of fury and disdain. There was this sensation of hurt, surprise mixed with confusion as I furrowed my brows to understand the depth of her emotions. "What do you mean?" I queried in a whipser, scanning her countenance for signs of weakness. The bitterness on that face twisted into a smile that shone malignant hues in her eyes. "So you said I hurt you, and I'm apologizing now, this?" My voice had incredulity and frustration laced into it. How could she even think that I would accept that as compensation for all the damage she had done? Memories of past confrontations and betrayals rushed into my consciousness, replete with a sudden surge of fury and spite against her. Visha was a semblance of what one could have guessed-trapped deeply in her emotions, longing and thirsting for an uni
KALMIA’S POV I wait outside the cell, anxiously glancing at Mr. Isah with a pleading face while panting in anticipation, tinged with a bit of nervousness. "I'm looking forward to seeing my lost sister, Visha," I say, voice almost inaudible, spilling from my mouth like a confession. Mr. Isah inclined his head in deep understanding; his very look was sympathetic, and turned to lead me through the station, his long strides chewing up the distance into nothingness. Strong cold fluorescent light above the hub flickered and hummed, casting a glaring light on those forms. A heavy, cloying scent of disinfectant hovered in the stagnant air, mixed with a cursed faint tang of despair. My footsteps echoed down the walls as I walked with Mr. Isah into the depths of the station. When we arrived at the cell, Mr. Isah grasped the handle and pushed it open in a slow creak before stepping inside, leaving a dim light casting long shadows across the little room. "Visha", I called, my voice so sweet, l
MR ISAH’S POV I sat at the station in the dark. The soft fluorescent light above cast an eerie glow on the empty chairs and faded floor. Anticipation held my heart in its place, echoing like the drumbeat in my chest throughout my entire being. "Just wai for me, sir," I mumbled to myself with eyes turned toward the phone, where a text from Kalmia said: "I'm on my way", flashing on the screen like a light at the end of a tunnel. "Okay then," I said to myself, slumping back in the chair, a wave of relief washing through my being with the straightening of my spine on the worn-out issue. Time moved forward, and in this losing dusky space, each second was a drag for eternity. I checked my watch what would seem like a million times but felt like the hundredth. My eyes scanned the entire empty station that was growing more impatient with each passing second. The silence clamped down hard, occasionally punctuated with the creaks in the old building and traffic buzzing outside. I shifted in
MR ISAH’S POV Between walls of thickest warm air, bound by oppressive scents of sweat mingled with fear, I could hardly draw breath, and every breath that I drew seemed to carry some foreign weight crushing into my chest. Visha sat all hunched over in the wooden bench; shoulders barely perceptibly shook; her eyes looked down, refusing to meet mine, locked in mute insubordination to the unasked questions between us. A stubborn silence, thick and impenetrable, stretched between us and with every passing moment added that still very coiled tension within me. "Visha, I'm not answering any of your questions," she finally whispered, so softly it was hard to hear, like a thin thread in an oppressive hush. Although soft, the words smote me with the force of a corporeal blow, burning up the sparks of fury that had been at hand ever so low. "Then okay," I replied in said low, almost dangerous tone, "you are going to do that pen now." It was just a matter-of-fact statement, in the air of an
MR ISAH’S POV The officer was swift in his movements as he quickly went to handcuff himself and brought out the cold, cruel metal that condemned even the eye of authority under fluorescent light. He moved with practiced ease as he snapped the iron restraints for the inevitable fate into place around Visha's wrists, the cliched sound like that of a prison door shutting. A clang like that of metal sounded ominously echoed around the cell. "No, ooooo," she screamed, her voice raising up in a desperate crescendo, trying to free herself from the steel cage. With her contorted body, she twisted and thrashed to no avail, digging deep the cruel bite of the cuffs into her skin. That metal sparkled like it was catching the light with a sinister radiance, almost seeming to taunt her with the cold, unyielding grip of reality. Her wrists seemed to have strained against the bindings, tendons standing out clearly as she struggled. As she fought against the handcuffs and began gasping more and mor
VISHA’S POV About halfway through scaling the fence and reaching the top of the pole with my hands, I strained to boost myself up when I heard behind me the crunch of gravel footsteps. That sudden noise sent a bolt of dread surging through me, and I froze, fretting beneath the pumped rush of my heart. It left my mind blank with a complete psychological paralysis that made it difficult for me to think or even move. "I arrest you," he declared, his voice reverberating through the night, sounding almost like a funeral bell. This revitalized my stupor like splashes of cold water. Officer's words put in the air the formality of that situation. "Come down," they commanded him, sounding strenuous and authoritative in tone. There was that swell of reluctance, the unwillingness of my body to listen, but I knew I had no choice. I began easing myself down and letting the hands slip from the fence as I fell to the ground. Every footfall driving into the ground became deafeningly loud like som
VISHA’S POV I was sitting in my office, lit only by the computer screen glimmering on my face as I awaited the emergence of this very message on my desktop. A rush of anxious happiness surged through me; my heart raced with expectancy. With a purpose that was near to mania, my fingers began to type as I opened the message that contained the address for the person we had chased for so long. I felt like an electrifying spark coursing through my body: it was time. Without hesitation, I activated working mode; execution took over—just like one hundred thousand times before. "Men!" I yelled to my team, sturdy and decisive, like a thunderclap in the office. My boys, all junior in rank to me, came flocking to my side in a state of excitement and anticipation. "Yes, sir! Yes, sir!" they said in chorus, almost kneeling before me. Expectation filled their eyes. I instructed them articulately and brief, my tone steady and calm. "Get the van ready, we need to arrest a suspect," I uttered. T
ARROW’S POV I dialed Mr. Isah's line, my fingers seemingly having a mission of their own, as I anticipated his pick-up. I had known Mr. Isah since I was a boy and now a cop; I could always count on him for something: a source of counsel and support. The ringing gave me a major sense of relief. I was calling someone who might help. "Is he on yet?" Kalmia asked me, curious and worried. I nodded and kept my eyes glued to that phone, waiting for Mr. Isah to pick up. "Yes, my love; do not worry," I tried reassuring her that everything would work out. When Mr. Isah finally picked up, I cheerfully said, "Good day, Mr. Isah." "Good day, Arrow; how have you been?" came the deep and authoritative reply from the other end. I smiled; it had been a comforting voice through time. "Very well, sir," I answered, almost overacting in my calmness and composure. "Ah, that's good to hear; what do you need from me today?" was his cordial tone. I inhaled deeply to compose myself and start the reason for