MARRED

            The days always seemed to be crowded with all sorts of busy schedules, in the city of Lagos it was rush hour, 24/7, the heat, the cars, the traffic, too many inconveniences came with it, inconveniences that according to some was best drowned in liquor, the night clubs were a relaxing point from the madness of the hustle, the rich drowned in bottles and revelled in the illusion of the magic, that would be over by the break of dawn, they relished in the surge of damsels, as the wine cascaded down their throats all night long, partying in the craze of the euphoria, and in the episodes of drunken stupor, it was meant for the careless and carefree, some would leave the madness with a fortune from a drunk man's credit card, others would leave with their trousers unzipped, parading in the stench of alcohol, mixed with cheap cologne from a run's girl, never the less, that was the hustle, and in the hustle it was win, or lose. Ch

           The stairs looked like they would never end, she couldn't use the elevator, the place was crawling with hoodlums, they made sure to block every exit. Cornered, trapped, it was run or get caught, and Alice wasn't prepared for the latter. She was exhausted, scared, fearful, that her attackers would find her, she couldn't think, she couldn't hide, there was a threat on every side, she imagined what they would do to her, her heart raced, her mind flooded with morbid images, they were monsters, in, and out, she had to get out, there was the door, the one exit that hadn't yet been blocked, she could see them, parading the halls, searching for her, like hounds, following a scent, she closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and sprinted for the door, it was only a few feet away,  but they had seen her, they followed, they yelled, they tore through the crowd, this was it, the second that would determine what happened next,

          The chips had been staked, the drop was today, they had 2 co-ordinates, one was at lekki, and the other at a relatively farther location, it was the same time, they had the location, they were ready to intercept, the guns were loaded, their hearts crossed, today would be the day, Fasting had to be stopped.         The beach was always serene at night, the cool breeze would whisper, incomprehensive whispers, it was tranquil, precious, flawless, captivating, the waters would reach for the sand and withdraw back, like a muse, enticing the shore, the sight was infectious, tailored to lure, to attract, to amaze. It was the beauty of the sea shore, but as beautiful as it was, it had been a harbinger of one of the worst criminals in Lagos " Fasting ". 

 .         The quiet was history as the bullets blasted freely into Alice's apartment, shards of glass, flying in the air, the dishes, the cabinets, the walls, all came crashing down as the metals shot right through them, this was completely different from how the movies made it seem, it was relentless, brutal, thirsty, one wrong move could mean sudden death, she was right to be scared, they were ready to kill anyone and everyone.        The gunshots stopped, but the room was in chaos, Alice was still too shaken to get up, until the sound of Mike's voice brought her back to the reality they were in.      " Alice ? Alice ? are you okay ? "his voice oozed with more concern for her life than his.

 .        In combat, the possession of a weapon had often served as an advantage to the side fortunate enough to have one, that was the universal assumption, and it was evident in common fightings, from a wrestling ring, to little kids playing sword fight, to the cult boys, as well as the troublesome bus conductors, regardless of the size of their opponent the possession of a weapon more often than not awakened a degree of confidence in them. For Alice however, it was a different case scenario, she had the gun, but lacked the courage to fire, her eyes trailed round the men to the gas cylinder she had recently filled, that stood outside the kitchen a few metres away from where they stood, then she saw his arm tense as he prepared for his next kill, time wasn't on her side, nothing was.