LEIGH'S DIARY

PROLOGUE

"Why the hell am I not waking up?"

If anyone had told me I'd be this hopeless and helpless in the middle of a thick evil forest, I wouldn't have believed it but hey, it is just a dream right? I guess I'll just have to be patient with myself, allow myself to wake up, then tell my family about this horrible nightmare.

"There she is! Get her!" One of those evil men yelled behind me. 

I had to pick up my pace and ensure they didn't get to me because I couldn't go back to that hell but too bad, I tripped. 

I got caught again, bundled on the shoulders of one of the men and back to the camp, thrown on the punishment table, and poured cold water. It's tough to admit that I felt the coldness of the water down to my bones. This is definitely not a nightmare!

It still hurts, but I am already used to being whipped with koboko, I don't know how many strokes I got today, but it exceeded ten. What annoys me the most is their ugly and rough-looking faces, how loud they are with the scolding and tantrums about me trying to escape all the time. Their voices and accents are ridiculous, and they all have bad breath! Do they have garlic for breakfast? Well, I don't know, and I don't want to know. I just want to leave!

All of a sudden, it was quiet, and I could audibly hear someone approaching the punishment table. With the pain in my butt, I struggled to see who the hell made these disgusting creatures quiet. 

A man, one I've never met before since I came here. If my memories have me right, I have been here for 15 days and I haven't seen such beauty in a man since I was born not to talk of in this wild forsaken place. He approached me, and I was delighted that my angel had found me and was here to save me. I smiled as he approached me and as I tried to speak, my angel gave me the worst slap of my life. 

"This is the last time you try to escape, understood?" he was so calm with this fine accent. 

I was still attempting to recover from the siren blowing in my ears from the slap when he asked for a handkerchief to clean up his hand. Am I that dirty? 

"If you keep setting out to escape, you leave me no choice but to kill you," he said as he scrubbed his hands with the handkerchief. "I am sure you saw what happened to the other girl." 

Yeah, they had killed another girl right in front of us during our tattoo parade, It was a hell of a night that day because we had all been trying to escape, but that girl was used as a scapegoat. I have had enough of this place, and now I don't mind being the next scapegoat. 

"This place is worse than death. Please make me die!" I yelled and it cost a lot of energy. Of course, I would rather not die this badly but, I am stubborn, and I have some intentional bossy traits I got from my mother.

He gave me a smirk. "I'll make sure your wish is not granted" he signaled one of the men to get me off the table and as he tried to, I kept screaming and throwing tantrums. Oh yes, I love attention and I need them to give me one, I desperately need to know how I got captured and find a way to escape. 

I was yanked off the table and thrown to the ground before I could gain back my stamina, they suffocated me with a handkerchief. 

Great. My name is Leighton and this is my story 

*

CHAPTER 1

I'm just going to take you back to about 17 days ago b

efore I ended up being abdücted. 

"Mummy! My backpack is filled. Can I put some of my stuff in your bag?" One could hear the excitement in my voice that morning, I was overjoyed. Finally, my family is going on the vacation Daddy promised.

I am a delightful sixteen-year-old girl; you would have to look twice when you come across me for the first time. I am very attractive; I trust my abilities and know that I am valuable. A virtuous woman who loves attention. Actually, I have come to realize I love specifically the attention of men. 

This is quite embarrassing to say, but I can't stop fascinating each time I see a fine man. A fine man can be defined as Chima, my dad's assistant. He comes to the house almost every time and since I finished with my WAEC, I have got so much more time to admire him when he comes around. Sporadically, I feel embarrassed, like, what am I doing? But I can't help it. That man is fine! I go as far as visiting my dad in his study room pretending to be sick just so I could stay with him and then admire the man of my dreams, Chima. 

I recently checked the internet on why I act the way I do, then I read the book by Tim Lahaye and figured out I'm Choleric, so I can't blame myself for being the way I am. I am just perfect, and I'd definitely get what I want. Likewise, I will work very hard and then, when I get to eighteen, I will ask Chima to marry me. Easy-peasy! 

I had packed a lot, but I still needed to pack more, I needed to flaunt this beauty in the city of Calabar but my bag wouldn't close properly, literally trying to früstrate me, so I had to call mummy's assistance.

"I can relate to how excited you are about this vacation." Mummy stood akimbo by my room door and Daddy was right behind her. They must have been watching me for some seconds while I struggled with that bag.

"I didn't expect less, it is her first travel out of Lagos. She had been anticipating" Daddy said and shook his head, Mummy came in to help me with packing and Daddy went towards Ovie's room. 

Ovie is my elder brother, he is just like you should imagine, ugly and annoying, but I don't know how and why he has a girlfriend. This bothers me a lot. Each time I see his girlfriend, Onyi, I get pïssed at her for stooping so low to date his type. Don't get me wrong, I love my brother but, eww! I had snïtched on him when I found out about Onyi but Mummy didn't scold him as much as I expected for having a girlfriend because he is above 18. I usually wonder if Onyi thinks she has a future with a boy of 19 years old. I can't be in a relationship with a man who hasn't achieved anything in life. Ovie is still living off our parents and still schooling. What a relationship. 

* 

Finally, we started our journey to the Cattle Ranch at Calabar, The trip was fun and I must admit, Nigeria is a beautiful place. 

"You want some popcorn?" Daddy asked during the ride, We were stuck in traffic, and as you know, Nigerians and their roadside hawking. 

"Yes please," Ovie said while still engrossed on his phone playing games. 

"Yes Daddy and water too" I was thirsty. Daddy bought the water and I gulped like a camel. Now, time to check updates on my phone and stalk Chima on Facebook. I couldn't use my fingerprint on my phone because my hands were wet and on typing my password, Ovie startled me. 

"Chima? Chima is your password?" He said with this sinister smile. 

Daddy and mummy looked back at us. "Who is Chima?" Daddy asked. 

I almost peed on my panties at that moment. I tried to avoid their faces. "It wasn't …" 

"Look at me and say it!" Mummy ordered. She knew I lied when I looked away. So she needed to ensure I wasn't lying, but little did she know that I had mastered the art of lying. Plus, she had given me more time to think of the lie to say. I looked her straight in the eye, "It wasn't Chima, it was chime. Jeez Ovie, I know you're trying hard to ruin my day, but you won't succeed. chime, the musical instrument."

Mummy's eyes settled, she had been suspecting me of indulging in a rōmantic relationship since the day she heard Vicky, a friend of mine got pregnant but, I am innocent! It only goes on in my thoughts and nothing more. I sighed in disbelief and went back to pressing my phone. 

'It only goes on in my thoughts and nothing more.' 

But Napoleon Hill stated that "whatever the mind of man conceives and believes, it can achieve. Strong, deeply rooted desire is the starting point of all achievement." Dãmn, what if my thoughts yield fruits? No, no no, not until I am eighteen. I have self-control and have great value and must not make any crãzy decisions until I am eighteen. When I am eighteen, I can achieve all my desires, Amen. Now, back to stãlking Chima, what did he post today?