DESPERATE TIMES

Immediately she opened her eyes from rest, Babara discovered that she had no cloth on, which turned her face in shock. Worriedly she moved her eyes around the area and luckily on the side she saw a country flag waving at the peak of the ship near to where she was. In a flash speed Babara moved and in only a second she had the flag tied around her body.

"Darn!" In an amazed voice Babara she cursed what had happened to herself.

Confoundedly, she looked at her body, which was normal with a smooth skin as it had been always. Within her head, flashbacks began to run. The included images of an enormous flying creature ruthlessly slaying humans on the same ship.

"No!" Worriedly in denial she said, "thats not me!"

As she was still confused, holding the head as if she had a headache, unexpectedly from a distance away on water appeared sharply bright lights of a speed boat which was coming towards the big ship. Anxiously she hurried off the peak to find a better location.

However, unbelievably as she hurried on her way, everywhere was blood and many terribly slayed corpses flooded on the outside of the ship. Evident flashbacks of how each corpse she looked at was killed haunted her in head, which proved doubtless that she was actually the enormous flying creature that slayed lives of everybody her eyes looked at. Babara Yen smelt danger.

"Oh yes!" In a shocked voice she exclaimed, "I killed them!"

Babara Yen, powered by her extra ordinary vampire abilities which comprised of extreme energy, flash speed, a great sight that made it capable for her to see in darkness, senstive ears to hear distant sound and advanced alfactory nerves to sniff miles beyond those of a dog, managed to clear away all corpses to the tiniest blood stain within the shortest time possible before the speed boat approached the ship.

It wasn't long that the speed boat arrived and on it were two coastguards, secretary Jamila and Babara's bodyguard with anxious faces. All of them had their faces up at the view of a huge and tall ultraexpensive ship, where they saw a young lady who stood so relaxed on the ledge of the ship holding her head up with her eyes up in the skies, looking at the stars which shined so bright.

Babara Yen, with straight black hair falling on her back and halfway dressed in a flag outfit like an African princess, displayed her beauty on the sailing ship like she was on a vacation on one of the tallest hotels in Paris. However, her ears and mind were attentively dedicated to the surroundings, even though her eyes were on the stars.

"Th Th.. That's my boss Babara!" Secretary Jamila shuttered anxiously in panick as soon as she noticed Babara Yen.

"But she seems fine!" Calmly the coast guard commented according to his observation.

"Really!" Smiling excitedly and passionately secretary Jamila responded.

"No...! we must get to the ship and confirm it first," urged in a serious and commanding tone, Babara Yen's bodyguard.

"Alright, but how do we get up there?" A coastguard asked.

"From behind it," affirmed the bodyguard.

Secretary Jamila, according to her anxious facial expression, she couldn't wait to get to the big ship to meet her boss. At the back of the huge ship the speed boat docked.

Inside the ship in the bathrooms, Felix and the eight other survivors, were still stuck and depressed while they figured out a solution.

"I want to go home," with her moods at the lowest, Tsunami, the only survivor among the many bikini young ladies who enjoyed life on the ship said.

"I want to go home too," sorrowfully, a young servant who cried heartedly when he came across his brother among the dead stated too.

"Am worried about my wife and children back home, I need stay alive and see them again!" Worriedly one of the chef said to Felix straight in the eyes while Felix kept compassionate eyes on him.

As the next of kin to his late brother Franklin Baron, Felix had all the eight survivors' eyes on him, as they waited to hear his submission about their concerns. Confused in mind and worried on the face, Felix took a long breathe as he went through his scared mind.

"I am deeply sorry for what had happened to all of us", miserably Felix stated with a very compassionate voice.

["All I can assure you right now is, am going to do my best for you go back home safely."]

"And after your safety, a compensation amount will come in your accounts to give you a fresh start", Unsure but confident in his voice, Felix stated to give hope to all.

[Sighs of relief.]

"Come with me!" Felix asked and quickly he led the way out of the gents upto emergency section where he equipped eachone of them with a life jacket.

"Make sure you have a life jacket on!" Efficiently Felix worked.

Working hard in a hurry, after all of them had life jackets on their bodies, Felix led the way to the emergency boats section. The way to where emergency boats were kept involved passing through the dead bodies outside the ship which was a scary zone to all, and when Felix opened the door, something suddenly stopped his movement.

"Wait!" Felix stepped one foot back right after opening the door to the outside.

Looking at the floor, shockingly it was clean and not a single corpse or even a blood on it that he saw. Suddenly, while he was still shocked by the disappearance of the many corpses, surprisingly from a distance on the ship showed up two coastguardmen, and next to them was secretary Jamila together with Babara Yen's bodyguard.

In a hurry, four of them walked within a specific direction. Eagerly Felix turned his eyes and looked in the direction were the four had their attention as they walked.

"Babara Yen!" he exclaimed in a shock.

The survivors behind him were already filled with too much curiosity. Slowly they walked past him into the open to take a look at what had suddenly hindered them to stop moving. In an open-mouthed shock their eyes saw a clean floor and at the same time coastguards and two people unknown to them were on the ship walking so fast.

When the survivors turned eyes at Felix, they noticed his attention was somewhere else.

"Who's that lady!" Tsunami inquisitively asked Felix who, was at the moment stuck with a frozen distance gaze.

In a distance, Babara Yen's stunning looks cought everyone's attention to the extent that they forgot their current problems, however much all they saw was her open back behind. As for Tsunami, her face looked disappointed when she noticed that all men were swept off in their minds by a young lady on the ledge of a ship in a distance.

"She's a daughter to the CEO of Nakata Cooperations!"Felix replied to Tsunami's question.

"And her being alive, she knows what slayed all people including my brother!" Nervously Felix added.

"You mean that young lady is Babara Yen, the only daughter of a billionaire woman Monica Yen!!" Holding her breath in a shock Tsunami wondered.

Abruptly, all the survivors started to murmur when Felix noded his head 'yes' to reply to Tsunami's inquisitive expression. Despite not knowing how she looks, every survivor seemed to have heard a rumor about Babara Yen.

"Rumours have it that her mother never took her to school.... She hired private tutors who taught her from home!" in tense, one of the chefs said.

Tsunami: "heard she never walks alone in public places except with her mother!"

["She had never moved without her mother!"]

["She doesn't talk to anyone.. it's her mother to talk"]

["Look at her long hair and body size from behind... she's as beautiful as a goddess!"]

Felix: "When I went to pick her at the coast, I got a shock of my life... I never seem a lady as beautiful her, she looks like shes edited!"

Chefs: ["Can't wait to see her face!"]

Tsunami: "Did she come to party?"

Felix: "It was a business meeting between her and my late brother Franklin. Babara is now the CEO of her mother's business empire."

[Sighs of surprise]

"Let go and meet her immediately,"Felix who was so nervous eagerly and aggressively said and lead the way while others followed.

Babara Yen, who seemed not bothered knew that coastguards were behind on their way towards her.

Due to her extreme sensitivity, she had also heard murmurings from unexpected people who were distant on the same ship. However, she was as calm as safe sea that she stayed on the ledge and kept her eyes up on the stars.

"I smell your presence Felix!" Silently Babara said to herself at the back of her mind and smiled.

"Madam Babara!" Anxiously secretary Jamila called her a few metres away as soon as she approached.

Long shiny black hair waved like a horse tail while she turned to face them. With too much excitement secretary Jamila ran so fast into her chest and shared a very passionate hug.

"I've been so worried about you," with great affection in the eyes, secretary Jamila spoke.

Babara Yen: [As you can see, am safe and sound. Nothing at all to worry about!]

As secretary Jamila and Babara Yen still had a word together, Felix and his team of eight survivors arrived at the scene and stopped metres away.

Coastguard: "A case of kidnap was reported to us, that's why we are here."

Babara Yen: "It was just a simple misunderstanding that raised worries... we apologise for the inconvenience."

However, at the back of Babara's mind was a terrible view, saying to herself that if anyone among the survivors had evidence to mark her on the massacre she did, no one was to leave the ship alive except Jamila.

Felix, unknowingly to everyone around, also had a shocking secret about his late brother Franklin Baron that everyone never knew. At the back of his mind too, he promised himself never to speak recklessly in the presence of everyone around.

"I can't talk about the massacre right now. Its my brother's image that will tarnish. The least I can do to pay his sacrifices is to protect him so that his soul rests well in paradise."

"Hey Felix!" With a familiarity approach, the coastguard faced Felix and proved a close relationship.

"Welcome to our ship for the first-time!" Felix replied while he displayed a plastic smile on his cheeks.

"What is the party about? I can see everyone dressed packed in a life jacket!" Inquisitively asked the coast guard.

"You want to join?" Plasitcally smiling, Felix asked.

"Actually we have to protect the waters and the broad coast. Maybe some other time... since the situation is fine now, we better take our leave", cunningly, the coast guards said.

Felix: ["Can I see you through?"]

Coastguard: ["Not necessarily!"]

Felix quirked a plastic smile again. Curious and doubtful on their faces, Tsunami and the other survivors looked at Felix. It was a shock to them that Felix didn't report the tragedy to the coast guard officers.

"Okay, in case of anything concerning security, we are just one call away", Responsibly, the coastguardmen turned and walked away.

Darn Felix! What was that? We need help and you behaved like everything was fine!" Angrily perturbed, Tsunami casted a blame at him.

"What the hell is going on with them?" Secretary Jamila asked Babara when she saw Felix being attacked verbally.

"Never mind", Babara said to her.

As the whole crew of survivors gazed with confused faces, Felix slowly stepped foward, closer to talk to Babara Yen. Calmly, Babara kept a keen eye on him as she waited to hear what he had to say.

"Am happy you're still alive", Felix said with tough eyes on Babara but a calm voice tone.

Unbothered, Babara began to walk slowly off the ledge towards Felix while everyone else opened their eyes, admiring her beauty. Nervously Felix waited for Babara's move as she closed the gap. However, when Babara reached Felix, she suddenly took her eyes off him and faster she walked past him and left. As she was leaving, secretary Jamila and the bodyguard followed her respectively.

"What?!" "And she just left!" "She's really something!"

"Have you forgotten she doesn't talk to anyone!" The old janitor laughed it off.

"But she just talked to the coastguardmen!" Felix replied with a puzzled face.

In small voices survivors murmured about Babara Yen's ego while their eyes followed her all the way until she entered to the inside of the ship. With all eyes still at the door she entered into,

"Hey! What happened to the dead bodies?" Tsunami asked curiously.

Everyone's mind shifted back immediately from Babara as if they were coming out of a spell. Felix ran so fast to the private lounge where the tragedy started. Disappointedly, he found the private launge so clean and well arranged as it had always been. As soon as immediate, the whole of his crew showed up to the same shocking surprise as him.

"Darn!" the head chef shoke his head in an open-mouthed gaze.

"This is unbelievable", he added.

All of their faces appeared shocked.

"I think we need to get off this cursed ship!" The young servant, who looked extremely worried cautioned.

From the private launge, Felix infront, they all rushed to the chembers of emergency speedboats. Quickly among a number of boats they chose one where they could all fit. Hand in hand, they dragged the boat onto the water and quickly one by one mounted.

"Am sorry... I can't come with you," After all the eight got on the boat, Felix announced.

Saddened on their faces, they looked at Felix as he pushed the boat for a Kickstart.

"Why? There isn't any life to live on the ship!" Tsunami worriedly asked.

"Babara Yen is still on the ship. If I leave now I may not get the answers I desperately desire!However, remember my promised to you all... Be safe," as the boat slowly sailed away Felix urged them sorrowfully and stood upright.

On the ship Felix watched in tears the downcast faces of the few survivors on the small boat as it sailed in a distance. The men on the boat paddled harder on the lake in a bid to make it alive to the coast which was at the moment invisible due to the perimeters the boat was in.

Capricon slums:

Inside the ramshackled house, Pinky's grandaunt walked to the small dining table with a pot of hot soup. On the other side, she sat and faced grandmother and grandfather who were comfortably relaxing.

"Don't feed us today we feel strong enough to feed ourselves", Pinky's grandmother told grandaunt who had raised a spoon of soup towards her mouth.

"Yes, ever since we came back from hospital, my wife and I feel a good difference", added Pinky's grandfather.

Well... if you say so then, let me get for you a second spoon", grandaunt talked in disbelief as she stood up from the dining.

"Hello grannies," With a very active smile Pinky showed up from outside the house and greeted.

"Oh, Pinky you're back!" Qickly grandaunt helped with the items, carrying the basket out of Pinky's hand.

"Uh uh... you two seem to have improved on your health according to the smiles!" As soon as Pinky occupied grandaunt's seat, smiles of pretence covered grandparents' faces.

Grandaunt: "They said today they're strong enough to assist with house work!"

Grandparents: "Yes, Its obvious..."

Pinky: "Mmmh.... If am not mistaken, the last time you two said that, as soon as grandaunt went to fetch a second spoon, you poured all the medicine soup on the floor intentionally."

With the love Pinky had for her grandparents, she deeply understood them in and out. She picked a spoon and forcefully made them to drink. Hesitantly, on frowned faces, both of them began to take the soup.

"I know it's bitter but you must take it to boost your immunity," Pinky advised politely.

It wasn't a long time when Jonathan, Pinky's father, walked in. As he entered, Pinky was busy showing off her modelling skills to her three grannies who were cheerful. Suddenly Pinky cut off the show and guiltily sat down.

"Welcome back Jonathan!" With guilty eyes, grandaunt said.

Jonathan unhappily and quietly walked past them to his room.

"He's angry", whispered grandaunt to Pinky.

"What do I do now?" Confoundedly Pinky asked in a whisper.

"I think you should go and apologize!" Replied grandaunt.

"But I love modeling... he must understand!" Pinky sorrowfully argued.

"Yes, but you know how your father hate to see you doing it. He wants you to focus on the business!" Replied grandaunt while the other two grannies watched silently.

As Pinky and grandaunt were still whispering to each other over the situation at hand, back from the room returned Jonathan with a very unhappy face.

"Same customers same profits... and some days lower than usual!" Jonathan exclaimed angrily infront of their guiltily looking faces.

He wrathfully sighed in a bit.

"There's no future for you in this modeling nonsense you waste most of your time on! It's the small business you don't take serious that feeds you and pays family bills!" Bitterly Jonathan quarreled.

"You should stop talking to her like that! It's not right!" Grandaunt intervened between his quarrel.

"She's my daughter and it's my responsibility to raise her into a productive person!" With a rough tone, Jonathan turned a rude face at his aunty and barked.

Silently and moody, grandaunt sat down on the small dining table were Jonathan's parents were sitting, sadily observing the misunderstanding.

"My son, you used to be a very jolly person who couldn't talk roughly to anyone. I wonder what really happened to you?!" Jonathan's mother sadly spoke in her old age voice.

"Come-on honey, the answer is right under your nose; poverty!" Jonathan's father, in his musculine old voice, replied.

THANK YOU READER.