Chapter forty two…voiceless

"Is Azyma awake?" Austin asked surprised.

"Yes she is, we are going to the hospital to see her now both myself and Dinela."

"Who is taking you?"

"My dad."

"Okay, can I tag along?"

"Yes of course let's go."

We went to the parking lot and I scanned the lot for my dad's car, I saw it and we all rushed to it after what happened four months ago my dad has been a little distant, he does not trust me anymore and that hurt me, and it is all because of Dinela, but I have forgiven her for it its not her fault she was just trying to watch out for me, we entered the car and I told him to take us to the hospital.

"Dad please take us to the national hospital, we heard Azyma is out of a coma we want to go visit her."

"Don't you have an exam tomorrow, you'll see her after you are done with all your papers."

"But dad it's not like we are going to sleep there we just want to say hi."

"Well, you can't! You will after you are done with all your papers." He said and he drove Dinela and Austin home then we headed home.

My dad holds Azyma responsible for the rift between myself and him he does not want me to have anything to do with her, the mere mention of her name irritated him. We got home soon after and I just went straight to my room I'm still mad at my mom, that woman can be so annoying, I don't know how someone can be both sweet and annoying at the same time.

I just wished I could see Azyma, I have lots of gist for her, from me and Mrs. Amira going into her house to get clues to Mrs. Amira being held hostage she would freak out about the last part as she has nothing to be scared of again both of her enemies are behind bars, I wondered what Mr. Dario would do when he finds out about Azyma is out of the coma.

There is no way he will find out, who will tell him?... My thoughts were interrupted by a knock on my door.

"Come in." It's probably my mom, I wonder what she wants now.

"You might be mad at me but the food didn't do anything wrong I made rice and vegetable soup come to eat." My mom said.

"I'll come and eat when I am hungry."

"Please come eat I know you are hungry."

She is right about me being famished but my stubbornness won't allow me to go eat.

"I am not hungry."

"Hmm hmm, suit yourself." She replied.

I am so hungry my stomach is empty, what do I do now?..., I should study for tomorrow's exam but on an empty stomach? I'll push through it. I am having fishery and literature tomorrow I hope it is not too hard.

I took my literature notebook from my backpack and I started reading.

Axymah's POV

I was drowning, drowning in an abyss of darkness, I couldn't see or feel anything I kept struggling to breathe, I didn't know why when I should just give into the darkness, maybe then I'll be free from Dario, I was petrified as I couldn't move any part of my body, I felt as heavy as a car I would only be free when I die, Dario will never find me in heaven because he will never make heaven he will be busy rotting in hell, sadness is what I felt, it hugged me like a blanket I felt so sad and lonely.

I didn't know where I was because I was surrounded by darkness there was no up or down therefore I just keep drowning, I had been drowning forever the darkness I was in seemed to be bottomless hence I had no hope, I couldn't feel, no hope, anything to hold onto, no oxygen.

I saw a light, I tried to move towards it, I tried but I didn't succeed, I tried and tried again but still to no avail. I was frail and hopeless, the light that was shining bright had started to lose its brightness, and the light was disappearing.

Oh light, don't go take me with you wait for me I am coming please, I tried to beg but I had no voice, no sound, no whine, no more, I was voiceless, speechless I began to panic I tried to move I tried and tried then finally I was able to move, I started moving towards the light I was almost to it.

I heard voices, it was mumbled at first then it became clear, I tried to make out who the voice belonged to.

"My dear Axymah, please wake up open your eyes I am here with you there is nothing to be scared of you are alright, you are brave, you are strong, you survived the torture and torments that seemed to be endless, your heart was broken, your hope dead, your fear was still there, you are alright my child, open your eye, come back to us, everyone missed you, Alero, Dinela, Austin, the neighborhood, your schoolmates even I miss you, open your eyes."

I recognized that voice, that's Mrs. Amira's voice I am sure it is, but what was she talking about, my eyes are open but I couldn't see anything, everything was dark, am I blind? I can't be safe as long as Dario is around, he would always find me and break me, I kept on moving to the light, I was about to reach it when something caught my ears.

"Dario is behind bars, he is locked up in prison, he can't get to you, he has arrested thanks to Alero and me we provided concrete evidence against him now he is behind bars, he was sentenced with over 60years imprisonment, he will rot there and never be able to get to you no matter what, we are all behind you no one would hurt you anymore you have suffered enough your years to torment, abuse, assault and torture has ended, open your eyes and come back to us."

Immediately I heard that Dario was behind bars and he couldn't hurt me anymore I felt the cool air rush into my lungs, the light that I was moving towards was now gone, I took a deep breath and tried to move my body, I felt hope after all I had faced I finally found hope I struggled to move but was only able to move my fingers.

"She moved her fingers!! She is coming around." A voice that I did not recognize said.

"Axymah can you hear me? if you can please move your fingers again, move your legs too try please I am here with you." Mrs. Amira encouraged. I tried to do as she said but instead of my legs moving my eyes moved, I tried to lift my eyelids but they were too heavy, I fought hard and this time I was able to, I opened my eyes but instantly shut them back because of the intense light that hit them, I was in the darkness for way too long.

"Switch off the lights." A voice commanded.

I opened my eyes once again and I saw a pair of eyes gazing at me lovingly, Mrs. Amira's eyes.

"Welcome back." She said with a breathtaking smile.

I tried to speak but my throat was dry, my next attempt to speak left my throat aching so I decided to stay quiet.

"Move aside let me take a look at her." The doctor said to Mrs. Amira.

"Open wide." He instructed, I tried opening my mouth wide but it hurts so I just opened it to a point that it didn't hurt, he pointed a torchlight in my mouth.

"Can you speak?" He asked, I tried but didn't succeed so I shook my head to try to say no.

"What is wrong with her doctor?" Mrs. Amira asked concerned.

"When Dario broke the vodka bottles on her head, it not only put her in a coma but also damaged her Broca's and Wernicke's areas, they are the areas considered the major components of the brain involved in speech so with those two damaged she won't be able to speak."

"Will she ever speak again?"

"Yes she will but I can't predict when, for now, we just have to let them heal on their own, she should not speak or stress her throat if not she will never be able to speak again." Mrs. Amira started shedding tears as he said that.

"You should get her an iPad, she will type what she wants to say, and google voice will say out loud what she wrote, she should not even try making sounds or noises."

"For how many months will she do that before she will be able to speak?"

"As I said earlier I can't predict when giving her all the love you she needs support now more than ever don't let her be alone for even a second if she portrayed signs of depression we will get her a therapist immediately."

"Okay doctor, thank you."

"You're welcome, make sure she takes her medicine properly, we will keep her on observation for 24 hours then you can take her home first thing tomorrow."

"Sure." With that, the doctor left and I started to cry, I have become mute.

"Don't cry sweetheart please everything will be fine we are here with you, you will be able to speak again don't worry okay?!" Mrs. Amira cooed but I just felt the tears rolling down even more I won't be able to speak again."

Unknown POV

"I have good news for you Dario but you will have to pay me to hear it."

"What nonsense do you want to spew? Get out of here and allow me to rot here in peace."

"Seemed like you are making yourself comfortable in this dump."

"Watch your tongue boy."

"With the news I have for you you will not want to stay here for even a minute longer, it's about your stepdaughter."

"Axymah?!! That slut!! What about her?"

"Tell me now before I remove your throat from your neck."

"I don't think you are in any position to make threats, give me two thousand dollars, not naira and I'll give you the news."

"Bouncer give him two thousand dollars."

"Now that you have given me my cash I will tell you the good news, Axymah is out of the coma."

Axymah's POV

"Can you please sit upright, I have brought dinner for you?" Mrs. Amira asked. I tried to sit but my head started to bang and ring, she helped me sit up and I started feeling pains all over my body.

"Here I'll feed you open up." I opened my mouth and she put in a spoon of Rice and stew, I continued to eat like that and drank a bottle of water afterward, I was done with dinner and Mrs. Amira stayed with me sitting next to me.

"I know what you are thinking you can't speak your friends will mock you but you should not care what they think." I just stared at her blankly.

"Sometimes I wish some folktales are true, there was this tale my grandma used to tell me when I was little, it's called the tale of doubt, do you want to hear it?" She asked and I nod my head telling her yes.

"So, once upon a time in the lands of Myth, there was a beautiful darky (a supernatural creature) named doubt, she had beautiful long legs and four tales with a horn and freakishly long golden hair, she was a magnificent creature, she lived in a small village called Silenthia. Dakies were creatures known to say nothing but the truth they say the truth no matter what, one day doubt went to the forest to get herbs when she met a witch they talked about herbs and what herbs doubt wanted to get, then the witch cast a growing spell on a particular herb doubt needed but has yet to grow, the witch simply did doubt a favor but doubt said neigh

"You should never tamper with nature isn't a witch suppose to love nature more than any other creature." She insulted the witch.

The witch told her to be quiet before she gets furious and casts a spell on her, but doubt was ignorant and she said,

"what spell will you cast on me, a spell to never make me speak again to silence me for eternity? Or better still cast the spell on the whole darkies in the land of Myth, you can't do anything."

The witch started chanting, "abse Pariente Niagara farlo darkies marcasite ancient Silenthia macula myths fasten Wilko a sofa taenia fads top"

This translates to 'you have wished upon yourself an eternal curse which cannot be reversed all the darkies in Silenthia and the land of Myth, may you all go dumb for eternity your only means of communication will be through taenia.'

After the witch placed the curse doubt could not speak she became dumb, it was like the more she tried to speak the more she lost her voice, her vocal cords became damaged and she finally accepted her faith then one day, she wanted to give a stranger directions and without words coming from her mouth she spoke, this form of communication was called Taenia, she learned about how she would communicate and soon all the darkies started learning how to communicate through tarnish.

"I wish you could communicate through tarnish." Mrs. Amira said almost pleadingly.

"I would like that too, but I do not understand how it worked or who will teach me?" I responded, I replied to her without moving my lips or with my iPad.

Another chapter is updated, sorry for keeping you waiting, do you want to know how comes Axymah spoke without moving her lips, keep reading to find out, I hope you enjoy this chapter if you don't forget to drop votes and comments