Chapter 5

Bisi awoke in the nurse's office.

She shot up in the uncomfortable bed with a gasp, looking around for any sign of danger whatsoever.

"Calm down, Bisi", came a familiar, feminine voice, and a comforting touch, causing Bisi to flinch in fear.

She glanced at the person to find that it was Aisha. And beside Aisha was Michael.

"Why am I here? What happened?", Bisi asked.

"We brought you here", Aisha explained. "Well...Michael did. But I followed"

Bisi glanced at Michael again. "What happened?"

"We don't know. One moment you were alright, the next, you were choking on your own breath"

"Choking on my...", Bisi shivered, thinking of how she had fainted after being choked by the demon that had attacked her.

But what did they mean choking on her own breath? She wasn't choking on her own breath, a demon was choking her!

Had all that been a dream?

But then...

Bisi reached her hand up to touch her shoulder. She winced from the pain.

It hadn't been a dream.

So had they seen the demon too?

Bisi sheepishly looked at Aisha and Michael. "Did you see it too?"

Aisha tilted her head to the side. "Eh? What?"

Bisi's heart sank once she realized Aisha wasn't pretending. She hadn't seen anything. And judging from Michael's silence, he hadn't either.

It had all been in her head.

She was alone in this....except, she wasn't exactly alone.

Omolewa.

Bisi's eyes brightened. "What time is it?"

Aisha replied, "it's almost closing period"

"The nurse isn't here", Bisi thought aloud, looking around the clinic.

"No...she isn't", Michael spoke. "But we can call her if you want-"

Bisi shook her head with a small smile. "I'm fine. You both should leave, I'll be behind you"

"But you're ill...", Aisha began.

"It was probably just a panic attack, I'm fine now", Bisi cut in, explaining. "Quickly go back. Aren't you the assistant sanitary representative of the class, Aisha? Don't neglect your job"

"Then I'll stay and help you", Michael offered.

"I'll be alright. I don't need help", Bisi replied.

Aisha and Michael were shooed out of the clinic and Bisi quickly shut the door.

She turned and stared into the empty clinic before a taking a deep breath. "Omolewa"

Instantly, a soft breeze blew into the room and there stood the entity that seemed to embody peace and serenity.

"I didn't think you'd actually call on me", she chuckled softly. "But you have. And here I am"

"You're really real...", Bisi heaved a soft, disbelieving breath. "I'm not hallucinating"

"I should think not", Omolewa chuckled again.

"I was attacked", Bisi shook her head saying. "By that thing...that demon...I fainted after it choked me. I don't know why it left me alive though"

"Ah...because you weakened it", Omolewa explained. "That scream at the end...you caught it off guard and believe it or not, managed to do some damage on it"

Bisi shook her head, walking to the bed and sitting on it. "Why me? I'm not strong"

"The Creator chose you, that's why", Omolewa explained. "And the Creator is never wrong"

Bisi frowned. "He's wrong this time. I'm not the person for this job"

"This job is your destiny. Why do you fret? You have no idea how much power you have and yet you've survived this long"

"Barely", Bisi cut in. "Even my classmates think I'm crazy now"

"That's true", Omolewa chuckled. She walked to sit beside Bisi. "I can teach you to use your powers properly....you'll survive"

Bisi sighed, her eyes cast down. "Who are you? No...what are you?"

Omolewa looked away. She was quiet for a few seconds before she opened her mouth to speak, "I'm the opposite of those things after you...I'm a blessed creation"

"Blessed? That means the Creator, whoever it is, favours you?", Bisi asked.

"He favours all his creations", Omolewa replied.

"But the corrupted...?", Bisi asked.

Omolewa's eyes visibly saddened. "Those are the creations corrupted by darkness. The darkness has no form, it just drifts across the realms, searching for a host. It's incredibly dangerous and threatens the human race"

"If the Creator is such a high being, why doesn't He eliminate the darkness once and for all? Why do I have to do it?", Bisi frowned.

"You're not eliminating any darkness", Omolewa laughed softly.

"I'm confused. Have I been misinformed?", Bisi deadpanned.

"You can't eliminate darkness...it's not possible. As long as the concept of light exists, darkness will as well", Omolewa explained.

☆

Bisi walked to the school gate quietly. She thought about how eventful her day had been.

When she wished for a less boring life, this was certainly not what she had meant.

"Bisi!", Bisi turned when she heard her name.

It was Michael.

She stared at him as he jogged towards her. She didn't understand his interest in her lately and she found it suspicious.

"Is there something you want?", she asked him, not bothering to mask her frown with something less hostile.

Michael held his hands up. "I'm here to check up on you. You fainted so suddenly in class...I'm still worried you'll have a panic attack again"

He winked at her and Bisi pursed her lips. "I'm alright. I can take care of myself"

She turned to leave but Michael followed after her.

"And I wanted to apologize about earlier in class...I didn't mean to upset you", he spoke.

Bisi stared at him, unamused. "It's alright, Michael. I'd like to go home now"

Michael sheepishly nodded. "Oh sorry. Don't let me keep you"

Bisi smiled politely before turning to walk away.

"See you tomorrow!", Michael yelled after her.

Bisi sighed.

Had Aisha set him up to this? She didn't need friends. Especially not the same boy who had nicknamed her Eggroll in Jss1 because she had liked eating the snack alot.

That nickname had stuck like gum on shoes. If it hasn't been for her quiet girl nickname that he also happened to make popular, she still would've been stuck with eggroll.