Chapter Two

Maria didn’t remember much about the journey back to her apartment.

She barely noticed the streets, the passing cars, or the people walking around her. Her mind kept replaying the same moment over and over.

The snake.

The hiss.

The way it had lunged.

And then;

Crack.

She had stopped it.

No.

She had moved it without touching it.

Maria shut the door behind her and locked it.

She stood there for several seconds.

Then she began pacing.

Back and forth.

Back and forth.

“What the f*ck…”

She rubbed her forehead.

“That didn’t happen.”

She stopped.

“Okay. It happened.”

She started pacing again.

“Maybe I’m hallucinating.”

She looked at her hands.

They looked normal.

No strange markings.

No glowing eyes.

Nothing.

Maria grabbed her phone and immediately called Henry.

He answered after a few rings.

“Hey, what’s up?”

“Come over.”

There was a pause.

“Now?”

“Yes. Please.”

“Maria, it’s late.”

“I know.”

Another pause.

“Okay. I’ll be there.”

She ended the call.

Maria sat on the edge of her bed.

Her foot began tapping against the floor.

Fast.

Faster.

She stared at the wall.

Maybe she’d imagined everything.

Maybe the snake had simply fallen.

Maybe she’d panicked.

Maybe;

She sighed and dropped backward onto the mattress.

“It’s all in my head.”

She closed her eyes.

For a few seconds, everything was quiet.

Then she remembered the snake flying backward.

Her eyes opened.

“F*ck.”

Elsewhere;

The bar was packed.

Music blasted from the speakers while people drank, laughed and shouted over one another.

Olu sat at a table with Nicholas, barely paying attention to the conversation.

Then the entrance opened.

Nicole walked in.

Olu looked up.

And smiled.

Nicholas noticed immediately.

“Ohhh.”

Olu looked at him.

“What?”

Nicholas grinned.

“Nothing.”

Nicole was walking beside Jane, Nicholas’s girlfriend.

She looked completely different from the other women in the bar.

She wore a short blue jean skirt, a black cropped top and a black fur jacket. Black high-heeled boots completed the outfit.

Her makeup was equally striking.

Dark eyeliner surrounded her eyes, and black lipstick covered her lips.

She looked like she belonged at a rock concert rather than a crowded Abuja bar.

Nicholas raised his hand.

“Nicole!”

Nicole looked over.

He waved her toward them.

She and Jane walked over.

“Hey,” Nicole said.

Nicholas stood.

“Come on, Jane.”

Olu immediately realized what was happening.

Nicholas winked at him.

Olu’s eyes widened.

“Wait…”

But Nicholas and Jane were already walking away.

Olu swallowed.

Nicole sat opposite him.

For several seconds, neither spoke.

Olu suddenly became extremely aware of himself.

He adjusted his shirt.

Nicole noticed.

“You’re nervous.”

“No.”

“You are.”

“I’m not.”

She smiled.

“You’re terrible at lying.”

Olu laughed awkwardly.

“Okay. Maybe a little.”

Nicole leaned closer.

“Do you want to do something fun?”

Olu blinked.

“Like what?”

“You’ll see.”

She grabbed his hand.

“Come on.”

“Wait!”

She dragged him toward the dance floor.

A rock song suddenly exploded through the speakers.

Olu looked confused.

Nicole immediately started dancing.

She moved with complete confidence.

Olu tried to follow.

He failed miserably.

Nicole laughed.

“Come on!”

“I’m trying!”

She spun around him.

Olu nearly collided with another person.

“Jesus!”

Nicole laughed harder.

What Olu didn’t know was that Nicole had already paid the DJ to play that exact song when she arrived.

She knew exactly what she was doing.

And for the first time since returning to school, Olu forgot about hospitals, textbooks and everything else weighing on his mind.

Maria’s Apartment

A knock came at the door.

Maria jumped.

She rushed toward it.

“Who is it?”

“It’s me.”

Henry.

She opened the door.

Henry stepped inside.

He looked at her.

“You okay?”

Maria shook her head.

“No.”

She sat on the bed.

Henry sat beside her.

“I think something happened to me.”

“What?”

Maria hesitated.

Then she told him everything.

The snake.

The attack.

The way she’d caught it without touching it.

The invisible force.

The crushed skull.

Henry listened without interrupting.

When she finished, he stared at her.

“Maria…”

“I know how it sounds.”

“Yeah.”

“I swear I’m not crazy.”

“I didn’t say you were.”

“You don’t believe me.”

Henry sighed.

“I believe that you experienced something. I just don’t know what it was.”

Maria looked down.

“I moved it, Henry.”

He placed a hand on her shoulder.

“Whatever happened, you’re okay.”

“For now.”

Henry smiled faintly.

“Then I’ll stay here tonight.”

Maria looked at him.

“You don’t have to.”

“I know.”

He squeezed her hand.

“But I’m staying anyway.”

Maria leaned against him.

For the first time since the park, she felt slightly safer.

Neither of them noticed the faint shadow passing across the curtains.

Las Vegas, 11:47 PM

Devin stood behind his desk, staring at the city lights.

His phone rang.

He answered.

“Talk.”

A smile slowly appeared on his face.

“The shipment?”

He listened.

“Recovered?”

His smile widened.

“Good.”

The cocaine was back.

The officers responsible for the seizure had been dealt with.

Problem solved.

Devin poured himself a drink.

“Clean up everything. I don’t want loose ends.”

He hung up.

Then the lights flickered.

Devin stopped.

The room became unnaturally quiet.

He slowly turned.

Someone was standing near the entrance.

A man.

Or something that looked like one.

His entire body was concealed beneath darkness.

His face couldn’t be seen clearly.

Devin’s hand moved beneath his jacket.

“Who the f*ck are you?”

The figure took a step forward.

“Hello, Devin.”

The voice was calm.

Familiar.

“Long time no see.”

Devin pulled his gun.

“Don’t take another f*cking step.”

The figure didn’t stop.

Devin’s finger tightened around the trigger.

Then the figure moved.

Too quickly.

The lights flickered again.

For a split second, Devin saw his face.

His eyes widened.

“You…”

The figure stopped.

Devin’s expression changed from anger to disbelief.

Fear briefly crossed his face.

“You!”

The stranger said nothing.

Devin lowered his gun slightly.

“That’s impossible.”

The figure stepped into the darkness again.

“Things change.”

Devin stared at him.

“What do you want?”

“I have a task for you.”

Devin’s jaw tightened.

“You walk into my casino, scare the sh!t out of me and expect me to do you a favor?”

The figure remained silent.

Devin slowly placed his gun back inside his jacket.

He knew exactly what kind of man stood before him.

And whatever history existed between them, it was something Devin clearly didn’t want to revisit.

“What kind of task?”

The stranger smiled beneath the darkness.

“You’ll find out soon enough.”

Abuja, 1:03 AM

Maria was still awake.

Henry slept beside her.

She stared at the ceiling.

Her mind refused to shut down.

The snake.

The voice.

The dream.

Sarah.

Why had her great-grandmother appeared in her dreams?

Why had she been calling her name?

Maria closed her eyes.

For a moment, she saw Sarah again.

Standing in darkness.

Reaching toward her.

Maria opened her eyes immediately.

She sat up.

Something was wrong.

The room suddenly felt colder.

Much colder.

She looked toward the window.

It was closed.

Then she heard a whisper.

Barely audible.

“Maria…”

Her breathing stopped.

She slowly turned toward the corner of the room.

Nothing.

Just darkness.

She closed her eyes until sleep came in.