<!--StartFragment-->
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%"><!--StartFragment-->
<!--EndFragment--></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">EP 2 -<em> CHRYSANTUS MEETS HIS FATE.</em></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%"><br/></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%">Chrysantus
returns home drunk with Angela, his ex who broke up with him due to financial instability. Nonso follows behind, only just tipsy. Chrysantus drops his fifth bottle for the
night on the bedside table and collapses on the bed, spreading his arms wide,
in a way that will have no space for anyone else. Angela goes to lie on him. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%"><br/></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%">“Chris baby,
hope you are not trying to sleep o. You know we have action tonight?” Angela
says, caressing his back. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%"><br/></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%">Chrysantus
in a low, drunk tone “Now I’m your baby abi. Because I have gone to make money,
you like me again. Ah, fear women. You people are wicked.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%"><br/></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%">“It’s not
like that. Chris, you know you’ve always had my heart. I just wanted you to up
your game, you know. I knew breaking up with you would wake you up. And because
of that, you were motivated to go all out and see the result now. I know you
want to thank me but don’t mention.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%"><br/></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%">Nonso is in
stitches, Chrysantus manages a chuckle under sleepy eyes. “Awn. Please Nonso, clap
for her on my behalf. Isn’t she wonderful?”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%"><br/></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%">Nonso
indulges and claps aloud. Goes down before a plastic chair and beats like they were drum sets. “Now the award goes to... the best in break up because the break up wasn’t really a break up, just that the lady chose to take a break because she wanted her partner to find a breakthrough. And now he eventually has, she’s back from the long break and wants to break her way back into his life. Ladies and gentlemen... please give it up, for the lost but found... ANGELA!</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%"><br/></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%">Chrysantus laughs
and joins in matching Nonso’s vigorous clapping.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%"><br/></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%">“Guys stop,
it’s not funny.” Angela shakes her head, feigning being downcast. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%"><br/></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%">“Swear you
don’t want to laugh.” Nonso says, in between laughter. Angela covers her hand
in her palms. Angela continues caressing, planting kisses on his back,
unknowing to her, her efforts were rather drifting Chrysantus to sleep quicker.
“Chrysantus, Chrysantus. Don’t tell me you have fallen asleep.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%"><br/></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%">Chrysantus
falls asleep.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%">Angela hisses. “Wait, Nonso, tell me. What’s
going on? How is Chris balling all of a sudden?” <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%"><br/></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%">Nonso makes
out a wry grin, shaking his head, not wanting to disclose.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%"><br/></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%">While asleep
in the physical, he comes awake in an eerie ealm. Now unlike a typical
dream, he might not be able to come out of this one because his soul is trapped. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%"><br/></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%">On a bare
floor, he swayed his head side to side, feeling uneasy. His eyes open fully now
and he stands up in a jolt, curious head turns. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%"><br/></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%">He sees
utter darkness, fused in graveyard silence, staggering, the weight consuming him.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%"><br/></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%">He scans
again but sees nothing, no object in sight, just hard earth his legs felt beneath. He felt swallowed up. His shaky breathing was all he could hear now, deafening to his own ears. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%"><br/></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%">Then slowly,
a shadowy figure forges into view. Then a sound escorted right along – an
ominous reverberating hum. It echoed in the abyss, slowly growing into a
crescendo. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%"><br/></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%">The figure, covered in red lights, like a
light sweep, shaped in the form of a human body, thin in the distance, now heading
stealthily towards him. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%"><br/></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%">He wanted to
talk but he felt the thick void, stuffed down his lungs. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%"><br/></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%">He
remembered he was just in the room with Chrysantus and Angela, but he was all
alone, no one in sight. As he saw the figure approaching, his pulse began to
throb, his palms now sweaty and his body quivering entirely. He knew he needed
to move but he felt his muscles stiffened. When he saw the figure opening up
the more, he forces his joint to move and just as he is about to run, he
hears...<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%"><br/></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%">“Guy, why
you no send back the money?” Nonso voice echoes in the eerie atmosphere. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%"><br/></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%">“Nonso.
Nonso, na you be that?” His voice quivers as he turns around, looking all over
him to see where the sound could be coming from.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%"><br/></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%">“The man
call you say make you return the money but you no hear.” Angela said in the
opposite direction.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%"><br/></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%">He turns
abruptly to the left direction. “Ah ah, Angela! But you were not there.” <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%"><br/></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%">“Return the
money!” Both voices chorus now, in booming resonation. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%"><br/></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%">“Wait, Nonso
you de mad? No be me and you de chop the money? And where una de talk from? Where
be this place?” The voices laugh, in a resounding echo. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%"><br/></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%">The figure
has been coming ever so closely towards him while he was distracted. He
realized now when he was almost halfway. “Shit, it’s been a distraction.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%"><br/></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%">He began to
run, as fast as his legs could carry. He kept hearing the voices. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%"><br/></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%">“Why you no
wan send back the money?” Nonso goes again.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%"><br/></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%">“Guy leave
me, you no de here. No de distract me.” He responds, in between gasping.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%"><br/></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%">After he
covered some grounds, he comes to a stop, not seeing the red figure trailing
him any longer. Then he realises, he had just returned to the spot he was when
he arrived. “No, no, no, what’s going on?” Looking around him, apprehensive. The
figures appears again, walking towards him stealthily as before.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%">Apparently he
never stopped walking to his direction because he knew he was going to return to the
same spot. He is closing down on him now while hiding behind the thick void all
the while. He fully revealed himself and by the time Chrysantus sees him, he lunges a
dagger forward. Chrysantus staggers, falling backwards, stretching out his hand like
to hold on to something.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%"><br/></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%">“Abeg, abeg,
no kill me. Wetin I do you? I am innocent.” Chrysantus pleads. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%"><br/></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%">“Of 15
million? No, you are not.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%"><br/></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%">“Okay, na
that money? I go return am, abeg!”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%"><br/></span></p><p><!--StartFragment-->
<!--EndFragment--></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%">“It is too
late.” The figure about to strike him when he loses footing, slips and touches
a stake...<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%"><br/></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%"><strong>TBC... (Will Chrysantus die or make it out alive?)</strong></span></p>
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