DARKEST HOUR

The driver managed to stop the car but there was no how he could come down to fix the tire.

I coughed out hoping to get back myself but instead, it worsened. It felt like a force was restricting my airflow.

"Isabella I'm dying" I whimpered, rubbing my nose. "I can't breathe. I can't breathe!"

But then a force I don't know how to explain took over me even before she could say anything and I ran out in the rain and uttered in a commanding tone;

"My name is Prince Christopher a special being who sees both flesh and spirit, I am the bridge between ghost kingdom and human kingdom and I believe I got some powers so I command thou spirit from the Goddess to Leave now!"

Instantly it left. That was the very first time I believed in that adage that says; 'There is power in a spoken word.'

But then again, it was still raining and we had to wait for the rain to stop before changing the tire. After which, we took off again.

*

We arrived at Lagos at exactly 6 pm after all the fights and I couldn't help but giggle.

I was graced with the familiar crowding of Lagos city even at that time of the day.

"Oga na chatter? Where you dey go?" A guy my age asked and rushed towards me.

"Hey, don't touch my bag!" I barked when he tried to grab my bag and removed my military cap. I wasn't in any way in for such actions.

"Ahh, Ahua so sorry sir." (Ahua is a slang civilians call military personnel in the country Nigeria)

"Isabella where am I going from here?" I whispered only to her hearing.

"Victoria Island," she retorted.

"I'm going to Victoria Island," I said, referring to the guy.

"Ok, Ahua, make we dey go."

As the cab guy said we should be going. I suddenly felt a sharp pain in my abdomen and heart region at the same time.

"Ahh!" I screamed and fell to the ground. My lips were full of blood and it was all I spat out.

"Oga Ahua na wetin? Ahh, wa ninu wahala oo!" The cab guy exclaimed in his dialect which meant 'I'm in trouble.' "Oga make we dey go hospital" he added.

"No, take me to my destination, please. I need to get there now" I mumbled lowly. It felt like my intestines were being pulled out.

"Chris, please listen to him," Isabella whispered in tears. "You really need treatment now. Please."

I shook my head not talking so the cab guy won't think me mad and managed to use my last strength to get in the cab.

The cab guy shook his head, entered, and zoomed off.

It took just a few minutes drive and we were already in Isabella's ex's estate. All thanks to her because she gave all the directions to me while I told the driver. I climbed down, paid the driver and he zoomed off before I strolled to the door Isabella pointed at.

I knocked countless times before the door clicked open and a guy I could term cute walked out. Isabella didn't lie when she said he was handsome.

"Who are you?" He asked and rubbed his eyes. From his face, it was so obvious that I woke him up.

"I am..." I tried to say but lost myself and landed on the floor and everything went blank.

*

I woke up immediately only to realize that I wasn't in my body anymore. How did I know that? Well, laying on the floor before me was my body and Isabella was crying on it while her ex was roaming about in frustration.

"Let it not be what am thinking" I breathed and a tear dropped from my eye. 

I wiped it off and tried to get into my body but a force pulled me away. I tried again and the same thing happened.

"Isabella!" I yelled. "What's happening!"

"You're dead Chris. You're dead" she repeated sobbing.

A burst of deep female laughter abruptly erupted and a voice said;

"I WARNED YOU BUT YOU WERE SO STUBBORN TO LISTEN. IT'S 10 PM ALREADY IN THE EARTHLY REALM. WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO NOW SPECIAL BEING? YOU JUST LOST THE FIGHT AND STILL LOST YOUR LIFE! SUCH A PITY! HAHA!"

I ran out of the building in tears leaving Isabella behind but then in between my race a bright light shone around me and a male voice whispered;

"PRINCE CHRISTOPHER, THE BRAVEST AMONG ALL. THE BRIDGE BETWEEN THE TWO KINGDOMS. A MORTAL WITH SO MUCH POWER."

"Who are you?" I asked, staring directly at the light yet couldn't see anyone.

"WHO I AM DOESN'T MATTER TO YOU SPECIAL BEING. GO BACK TO WHERE YOU CAME FROM. YOUR JOURNEY ISN'T OVER YET BUT ONLY BEGAN."

"But I am dead now" I whispered in tears, my soul trembling. "Time is already against me, and who really are you?"

"GO!" He howled and the light vanished.

Immediately a force took me and placed me on my body and I woke up.

"Chris?" Isabella gasped, her eyes wide in shock.

"Holla, Isabella" I retorted with a smile.

"But you died."

"I am alive now. You didn't think I'll leave just like that, did you?"

She was already in tears and was about to speak but a voice coughed out drawing our attention to him. "Who are you?" The owner of the voice asked.

"Isabella sent me to you Chris and she is here with me."

"What the fuck did you just say?! Forget it, who the hell are you? How did you know my name? How did you know my dead girlfriend's name? What do you mean by she's here with you and what the hell happened earlier?!" He barked claiming to be strong but I know he must be a mess of himself within. 

If he wasn't, then why would he ask more than three questions at once?

"Christopher Allen, all your questions will be answered. But not now," I replied and scratched my hair. "Time is against us and we need to be somewhere now."

"Where?"

"The beach where you buried Isabella."

"Where did you just say I should take you to? What the hell are we going there to do? And how the fuck did you know I buried her there?"

"Hey, Chris, you ask a lot of questions. We need to go there right now. That body needs to be dug out before 11:59 Pm. It's 10:30 already. Please we should be leaving. 

"I promise once the body is successfully dug out, I'll explain everything. I know you got no hand in her death and this is none of your concern but Isabella needs this, please. If you truly loved her then please listen to me."

"How do you expect me to just trust you?" He sighed, fidgeting with his fingers. "You just came out from nowhere speaking words I can't even understand. Moreover, how can human eyes see ghosts and even converse with them?"

"You don't believe me right? Ok, I'll show you she's here."

"I'm waiting" he retorted and eyed me.

"Isabella" I called. "I know you heard everything. And you never told me you got a very stubborn guy but well you have to make him believe you're here so let all lights be taken."

"Ok, Chris" she replied, and immediately all lights went off.

"I want him naked right now too, Isabella, strip him."

"Yes, Chris," she answered once more, and instantly all his clothes got shredded into pieces, leaving him stark naked.

"What!" He screamed and covered himself with a towel kept on a cushion close to him. "Please put those lights back on," he pleaded and the lights came back on.

"Will you take me there now, Chris?"

"I'll take you, but if it's true that her body needs to be dug out of the ground before 11:59 then let's be going already."