There was blood every where;On the carpet,across the overturned couch,on the shattered TV screen and even on the walls

Most of the furniture were either ripped, torn,broken or shattered.
.
By the fragments of center table was a bloodied severed finger.

It all seemed so unreal. Collins thought.
Nothing about what he was seeing made any sense.He'd had lunch and dinner in this flat many times before.
He fought back the urge to throw up. As a medical doctor, he had seen his fair share of blood and severed limbs.But this was different.He thought.
This used to be a home.Now.......... it was a slaughter house


On the far side of the wall was a picture of Chidi and Ngozi.They were holding hands and staring into each other's eyes.They both had smiles on their faces.

Collins watched as the Police carried their bloodied bodies out of the flat.

What had happened?He pondered as more Policemen entered the flat.


"Excuse me"he heard a Male Voice say.
He turned to see a very tall Police man.

"Oh!.....sorry" Collins said as he stepped aside to let the man pass.

The other smallish Inspector Obuke said something to him.

But Collins' mind was too caught up in the horror of what he was seeing.

"Sir...?" The Inspector called out.

"Oh!....sorry"Collins responded.

The Inspector had a small writing pad in his hand as he asked again;
"How long were they married?".He had a calm and strangely kind voice for one in the Nigerian Law enforcement.

"They weren't married....." Collins replied in a small voice.

At this, the Inspector had a small expression of surprise.....but said nothing.

".....They only just got engaged about three days ago" Collins Concluded.

Collins remembered how excited Ngozi had been when she first showed him her engagement ring.It was a very beautiful ring....and looked expensive.

"Nothing is too much for her"Chidi had proudly declared that day, as he stood beside Ngozi.
They really looked good together.Collins thought.

They were the sort of couple that literally couldn't keep their hands off each other.They truly loved each other and it showed.

As far as he knew, they never had any major issues...or was that a lie?
Collins had met Chidi at a Doctor's conference a few months ago.They had been very close ever since.
When Collins met Ngozi, he finally understood why Chidi had been going on and on about her. She was beautiful, kind and full of life.

But Collins had noticed something in her eyes that day when she showed him the ring.It was a distant look,as if she were slightly troubled.

Ngozi was the kind of woman who always had something to joke about.She seemed not to have a troubled bone in her body.

"Are you okay?" he had asked her just as Chidi returned to the car.

He and Ngozi had become close in the past few months. She had confided in him a few times over stuff that was bugging her.
But it wasn't anything major, just stuff like how she wished Chidi wouldn't snore so loud or how he forgot to help her do the dishes.Stuff like that.She had loved and adored Chidi.

"Yes....i'm fine"she had said looking over her shoulder.And there it was again.That same troubled look.
Where they having problems? he had wondered.

"...just been feeling funny ever since I put the ring on....it's weird.......maybe it's just the excitement"she concluded with a shrug.

THAT was three days ago.

He continued to stare at the ripped and torn up bodies of his friends.There was so much blood, it was impossible to identify the extent of the wounds from which they had come.

Ngozi's partially nude body just lay there in the yard as neighbors stood watching with horror and disbelief in their eyes.

Chidi's throat wound was peculiarly disturbing.It was obviously not caused by a knife,like the ones on the rest of his body.His Adam's apple looked like it had been bitten and..... torn off.

"What do you think happened sir?" Collins asked as the smallish inspector scribbled into his small note pad.

"....well...." the inspector began.

"neighbors claimed they heard loud crashing sounds and screaming coming from the house early this morning"the Inspector said staring at the bloodied bodies.

".....they claimed this went on for about twenty or thirty minutes....people heard Chidi screaming;'TAKE OFF THE RING!TAKE OF THE RING!!....and then..."the Inspector had a puzzled look on his face.

".....this is where it gets a bit strange.....they claimed to hear a strange laughter,....and a second deep,....VERY DEEP male voice....that wasn't speaking English" the Inspector said shaking his head with that same puzzled look.

"For now....." the Inspector continued after a long silence.
"It seemed...these two had a serious fight.....and literally tore each other to pieces....the male voice and the laughter...might have been the TV....but we're not sure" the Inspector concluded.

Sad.
Collins thought.
They would never walk down the aisle.
Then a thought struck him.

"Did any one find her engagement ring?"




Corporal Eteh spotted something bright and shiny by the shattered center piece table.It was a ring.....a very beautiful ring.At a glance, he knew it was expensive.He walked towards it, stepping over a large patch of blood on the carpet.

He looked around.No one seemed to be watching him.All around him the other police officers seemed almost oblivious to his presence.He casually bent down, picked up the slightly bloodied ring, and put it in his pocket.

"Has anybody seen a ring?" the Inspector asked peeking into the flat.

Corporal Eteh simply shook his head and said;
"No!!!"




TUESDAY MORNING 11:23AM
Corporal Eteh had woken up that morning with heavy beads of sweat on his body.He had never been so terrified of a dream in his life.

Strange thing was, he couldn't remember the details of the dream.
Though the terror of the dream lingered, the desire to make money was greater.

Now he was on his way to the small Gold market in Port Harcourt.


He had decided to go out in plain clothes.He couldn't risk being spotted around the small Hausa settlement by one of his Ogas in his Uniform.

As he walked past the shops, several "Gold" Mallams called out to him.

"Oga...you want buy gold?.....Na silver?" They called.
But Corporal Eteh ignored them. He was heading to his "customer".

Two minutes later, he was seated across from Mallam Abu inside his shop as the Grey haired lanky man examined the ring with a great degree of interest.

Corporal Eteh sat expectantly, waiting for "the verdict".
Mallam Abu was silent as he continued to examine the ring.

"......na wetin stain am for here?"the Mallam asked still staring at the ring.

Corporal Eteh swallowed a small lump in his throat.He had forgotten to clean it.

"..it.. is oil " he lied.

Mallam Abu 'eyed' him silently for a few seconds. Then returned to the ring.He weighed it,scratched at it then finally.Typed some figures into his calculator.

".....dis one na Portee Tasand naira" Mallam Abu said casually.

Corporal Eteh had his heart in mouth.At that point in his life Forty Thousand Naira was like a Million Naira.

He didn't even bother to haggle.

"Mbok, please just give it to me" he said gratefully.
He collected the money and left.



WENSDAY AFTERNOON 2:34PM

There was a lot of traffic in D-Line.
Darego turned up the air conditioner.The heat in Port Harcourt that day was just WRONG.
The AC barely managed to keep the car's interior humid.

He loosened up his tie, to allow the cool air access to his damp skin.But it wasn't just the heat and the traffic that made him uncomfortable.

Today is the day.
He was finally going to do it.He thought as he turned into Kaduna Street.

His phone rang, he stared at the screen.

"BAE" read the caller ID

He smiled delightfully, then answered the call.

"Hey babes!" he said.

"hey baby.... " Iris responded in her usual sing-song manner.

"So whats up?" he asked as he checked around for any Federal Road Safety Officials lurking about.
He knew he'd have to get off the phone soon.

"...which one is 'whats up'....can't I just call and check on my awesome boyfriend?" she responded with a lot of humor in her voice.

Darego chuckled lightly then said;

"...Okay o....sorry...just a little distracted that's all"

"hmmmm...what are you up to?" she asked

"You know what....?" he said looking about.

"I'm driving,...lemme call you back......we're still on for tonight right?"

"Oh...ok...of course we are....bye love."she went
.
"Bye love" he said. Then he hung up.

Now all he needed was a good place to park.He was already at the Gold market.

As he walked past the Shops his heart was racing.Was I really ready for this? he thought to himself as he ignored the small gang of Mallams asking if he wanted to buy gold.

He had been told to be sure he was SURE, before going ahead with this step.
As he stepped into Mallam Abu's shop,
He knew he wanted to spend the rest of his life with Iris.
He was sure.

As Mallam Abu showed him his collection of gold rings,Darego suddenly wished he had taken his best friend's advice to buy from Dubai instead. There was really nothing nice to look at. They all essentially looked the same....they all looked regular.Iris was no regular girl,she deserved something spectacular.....something.....special.
But it was clear he wouldn't find that here.He felt bad. He really had it all planned for that day.Well....he thought as he slowly rose to his feet.

"Wait!'' Mallam Abu said with a sharp hand gesture.
Darego halted as Mallam Abu reached into his lower drawer and brought out a small box. Darego stared at him curiously as the Mallam opened the box.

What Darego saw amazed him.He was looking at the most beautiful ring he had ever seen. The weird thing was,it didn't have any elaborate designs on it or anything, it just seemed to ....GLOW in an unnatural way like something out of a fantasy movie.It was just awesome to behold.

At that point, Darego didn't care how much the ring would cost. If he had to sell his car to buy it he would in a blink.
This was Iris' ring. Period.

"How much?" Darego asked.

The Mallam had an uncomfortable look on his face.

"......bring Piptee Tasand Naira" the Mallam said nervously.

Long Pause.

Darego didn't know a lot about gold but he knew enough to know that the ring cost way more than

Fifty Thousand Naira.
"...but is it real gold?" Darego asked. Clearly mesmerized by the small piece of jewelry.
Mallam Abu seemed very nervous.

"Oga....." The Mallam began.

".....dis reeng get bad spirit..."

"....but is it real real gold?"Darego cut him off.Every thing else the Mallam was saying was Hebrew as far as he was concerned.

The Mallam eyed him in silence.

Then he nodded.

Darego had one of Iris' old rings with him.He gave to Mallam Abu to confirm if they were the same size.

He held his breath as Mallam Abu checked.

After a brief silence, the Mallam nodded again.

Darego was thrilled. His initial budget was Sixty Thousand Naira.So imagine his luck.This was definitely a sign.He thought.

Darego quickly brought out his wallet and counted the money.He was so thrilled that he had saved Ten Thousand Naira.

As he handed Mallam Abu the money and collected the ring, he smiled at his good fortune.

He stepped out of the Shop looking like a man who had just won the lottery.





Mallam Abu was grateful the ring was gone..........It carried a bad spirit with it.





WEDNESDAY 8:15PM
Dinner was fantastic. Iris had out done herself self once again.And he could feel the red wine flowing through him.
She was such a good cook,he thought as he stared at her smallish figure returning the dishes to the Kitchen.
She was also a very beautiful woman.He sat on the dinning table thanking God for his good fortune.
He was happy, he couldn't have asked for a better woman.
He took a deep breath and exhaled.

The moment had come.

He really wasn't sure what she would say. With Iris, one could never be certain. She was unpredictable like that. It was one of the things he loved about her.

She was perfect.He thought.

He reached into his pocket to feel the small black box.Was he ready for this?He asked himself.Was he ready to spend his life with her?

"Wow!" Iris Exclaimed as she walked out of the kitchen.

"Bae!.....I am so tired....this NYSC should end jor" she said collapsing into a seat next to him on the dinning table.

"It's just two months and you'll be done....why are you so impatient?"he said stroking the back of her head.
She had very long beautiful black hair.

It had been the first compliment he paid her when they first met.

"I also have an inability to speak any other language aside from English....but if the hair works for...you, then I guess it's okay" She had said that day.

They both laughed lightly at this.
The chemistry between them was instant.In a snap he was smitten by her.He had remained smitten ever since.

"So...should we watch a movie......?"she asked standing up.

"We haven't finished Season 4 of GAME OF THRONES..and I think...."

"I don't think we will see a movie"Darego said calmly as he got down on one knee and brought out the small box.

"What are you...?Iris began.But Like most women, whose lover suddenly goes down on one knee and pops out a small black, she froze.

"OH,MY GOD!!!!"she exclaimed when she saw the ring and heard the words;
"Will you marry me?"

Time Froze in Iris' head.
It felt like her heart had literally stopped.
Of course she had hoped for this moment even before their first kiss.
She loved Darego the way she had never loved any man.
He was perfect in every way.She had dreamed of this day for so long. Now it was here, she didn't know what to do, what to say.It was like being struck by lightening.
BAM!
You're hit and you have no idea where it came from.
She put her hands to her face in the classic "blushing bride" expression.

She must have stared at him for almost a minute.It was the most beautiful ring she had ever seen and the way it glowed was another matter.

"Em....." Darego began as he continued staring up at her.

"....I think this is the part where you're supposed to say something."he said cautiously.

"Oh!" Iris went as if realizing where she was for the first time.

"OF COURSE, YES " she exclaimed as she pulled him to his feet.

"Yes ....my darling....yes!" she whispered as she wrapped her arms around him.This was a good day.
She thought to herself.
A very good day.
Darego felt like he was flying.He felt as if he could literally touch the clouds.This was indeed a good day. He thought.

Suddenly, Nunu started barking. LOUDLY.
They continued holding on to each other.

As the barking continued.

"Please, can I wear my ring?" she asked politely with a smile.

Darego smiled back and then slowly put the ring on her finger.

"It's beautiful" she whispered.

The second Iris put on the Ring, she felt something....she couldn't describe it.It was like a coldness inside her.It chilled and frightened her at the same time.She SHUDDERED.It wasn't a pleasant feeling. But it past almost as soon as she'd felt it.

"Are you okay?"Darego asked staring into her eyes curiously.

".....I'm fine"she replied hesitantly as she tried to steady herself

LOUD BARKING continued.

"What's wrong with her?" Darego asked peering over his shoulder.He'd never heard Nunu bark that loud before. She was usually quiet and docile puppy.
"...I don't know...I fed her this evening.I don't know what her wahala is"Iris said gathering herself.

"Let me go check" Darego said as he kissed her and went towards the door.

He opened the corridor to find the lhasa Apsu staring up at him.

She was growling.

The dog wasn't angry,....it seemed terrified.

"Nunu!"he called.
But even as he approached, the little White furred Canine retreated fearfully.
It was still growling.

"What's wrong with my Baby" Iris said as she came into the corridor.

The dog retreated quickly into a corner and glared at Iris.

Now, it was growling.....Loudly.

"That's odd"Iris said staring at Nunu.

"Leave her alone,...maybe she's sick....we'll get someone to look at her in the morning"Darego said as he dragged his Iris towards the bedroom.

"Hmmmm......." Iris said suggestively.

"I'm guessing Game Of Thrones can wait"


THURSDAY 3:33AM
Darego woke up with a start. He's heart was pounding inside his chest like.

There were thick sweat beads on his skin.

But for the life of him, he couldn't remember the nightmare he had woken from.His whole body was trembling.
His breathing was coming in short gasps inside the dark silent room.

He realized that at some point in the night, the generator had gone off.
Their neighborhood hadn't had electricity for the past one month.
Something to do with a faulty transformer.

He reached towards the Iris' pillow....she wasn't there.
Her side of the bed was empty.

He could barely make out the sound of Nunu still growling in the corridor.

Where was Iris? he wondered.

The window curtains by the edge of the bed were open to let in the moonlight.

Maybe she was in the bathroom. He thought.

"Bae" he called out. His voice sounded loud in the stillness of the room.

No answer.

The stillness made him a little uneasy.

As his eyes grew accustomed to the semi darkness of the room....he saw her.

She was standing at the foot of the bed ...perfectly still.

"Iris"he whispered.

It was too dark to tell if she were facing him or had her back to him.

"Iris" he called again.

No answer.

More growling from the corridor.

He slowly got off the bed. The coldness of the marble floor startled him.It was almost freezing.
As he moved towards her, he noticed a faint glow on her hand.He quickly concluded it had to be the moonlight reflecting off the surface of her ring.

Iris was naked,standing perfectly still and staring at the bed.

It was creepy how still she stood.

"Iris!" he whispered.

No answer.

Now, Nunu was growling between barks.

Darego reached for her.....cautiously...

What's wrong with her.
It was too dark to see her face.
She didn't even seem like she was breathing.

The instant his fingers touched her Cold skin,

She turned SHARPLY towards him
"EHI RE DEE!!!" she chanted in a Voice that sounded like an echo from a DEEP dark Well.

Darego fell backwards in fright, toppling over something.The back of his head hit the floor....HARD.
He blacked out instantly.

to be continued......
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