No More Time

She hastily reached for the gun in a fit of fear, hoping to see someone, but all she could see was the echo of her own heartbeat.

With her thoughts in sharp focus, she left the room and entered the parlor. She went outdoors while no one was in sight, soaking in every morning-reminding beam of sunshine with her gaze.

As she hurriedly trotted toward the gate and her car, her phone vibrated in her pocket as she was about to get in.

She inhaled deeply to calm her anxiety before pulling out her phone. She let out a quiet sigh as she realized it was the senator's right-hand guy phoning, likely to check on the status of the job.

Before picking up the phone, she paused.

She said a sharp "Hello" while her face darkened into a frown. Ben's voice can be heard on the other end saying, "We haven't received any report."

Have you killed him? Skylar let out a heavy sigh as flashbacks of the previous incident resurfaced in her mind. She took a breath before saying, "Not yet."

"Really...."

Ben says it again on the other end.

That's the crap I've been hearing from you all week: "We'll fire you and choose someone who can do the damn job if you can't handle a little assignment."

Nearly hissing, Skylar said, "ofcourse, this is a job I can handle."  Well, to me, it doesn't look that way. He responded.

Ben responds from the opposite side. While reflecting on her interaction with Mamila, Skylar observed, "There's something weird about this guy.

Ben chastised, "Excuses."

"Results, not complaints, please" Skylar makes a loud grunt before speaking. I'll carry it out. Before Ben's voice reemerged, there was a pause.

We are taking over the job from you if you dont deliver because you have 48 hours to kill that son of a bitch. You know what it implies. A scowl appeared on Skylar's brow.

"I get it, " She spoke clearly. After a little period of stillness, the phone beeped. As the call came to a conclusion, she hurriedly removed the phone from her ears.

“slowpoke..” She scoffed, got in her car, and sped off.

****************

John looks at his watch one last time because he is already late after talking on the phone for two hours.

If only he hadn't left his car at Charles's house after his second encounter with Mamila, the prophetess had instructed him to arrive at her temple at precisely seven. However, it was already past seven and he had yet to see any cab.

He let out a heavy sigh, hoping that this would be his last attempt to free himself of any curse. When a car stopped in front of him, he felt relieved.

He had never seen a cab of that kind, but when the driver stuck his head out and inquired as to his destination, he felt compelled to get in.

He entered the backseat after being assured that some people used their personal vehicles for transportation. Once inside, he took notice of the man seated next to him, who was wearing a suit and holding a Bible.

He turned his head aside, perhaps thinking about going to church. John said, "I'll get off at the junction." The driver said, "Okay sir."

When John turned his head to look at the man seated next to him, a drowsy perfume was sprayed in his face just as he was about to do so.

As the scent reached his nostrils, he yelled. As he struggled to exit the vehicle, he coughed violently, his eyes began to droop, he stumbled over his words, and eventually, he  blacked out completely .

He suddenly collapsed on the automobile seat and lost consciousness.

****************

Charles sprang out of his sleep as though it were now unsafe to be asleep.

His heart is racing, and his mind is buzzing; together, these symptoms resemble panic and jump lead.

He got out of the chair when he didn't see Nana and turned to face the window. The sunshine that filtered through the blinds on the curtains made him slightly conscious of his surroundings and what had transpired the day before.

under the current of ideas that had shaky ties to his waking world.

He yelled "Nana" as he ran to her room. The details of what she had told him about Mamila visiting the hospital started to escape his memory when he couldn't find her anywhere in the house.

Resentment clung to him, and he was on the verge of leaving when he noticed his phone on the chair. Without thinking, he picked it up and called Nana.

He exhales heavily as he waits for her response, wondering how he could have slept so soundly.

When she did not pick up her phone, his mind started to race with several ideas.

His smartphone jolted. He immediately threw his gaze on it and realized that it was a message from Nana.

When he saw the words, "MAMILA HAVE JASMINE," he stood speechless.

*************

Before climbing the first flight of stairs, Nana utters a silent prayer. She hurried her feet because she knew it would be a long way before she reached the rooftop.

When her phone vibrated in her hand, she sneezed and turned to face to the phone, noticing Charles was the one calling.

She stepped onto the following stair before picking up the phone. Where are you, Nana? On the other end, Charles's anxious voice could be heard.

Nana recalls what Mamila had said to her in a flash. Despite her desire to include Charles, she should go alone.

“Nana..?”  Charles yelled again demanding an answer. Nana finally managed to respond. "To meet Mamila," her irritability returning in full force. That is not possible, Charles said.

You don't know what she's capable of, Charles said. She possesses Jasmine. The other end of the line made a brief pause as if he were debating if Jasmine's life was worthwhile.

"I know," said Charles. I'll take care of it. Nana's lips tighten into a scowl. "I won't wait around for you to take action. She has my girlfriend, and I must ensure I save her from this evil blood sucking demon called Mamila.

Mamila is a villain. Charles leapt in, his voice brimming with rage. Because she is a mermaid, you cannot defeat her Nana.

Nana firmly retorted, "I can't, but God can." Mamila doesn't care about God and she's deadly, Nana, you're acting crazy, and you're not thinking at all. Nana stealthily glances at her wristwatch to check the time.

I'll be alright, Charles.  Nana said. "Where is your location ? Charles asked.  I'll talk to Mamila when I get there and ask her to let Jasmine go."

When Nana sniffled, a tear nearly fell down her cheek.

"Nana," Charles moaned on the other end, "I'm sorry, but I have to do this alone." She hung up the phone without saying anything and kept climbing.

***************

As soon as the security man unlocked the door for her, Beatrice exited the vehicle.

She approached the residence and the master bedroom with her head held high. She started frowning as soon as she noticed pastor Alfred smoking.

She snatched the cigarette from him out of rage, went to the bathroom, and threw it on the hand wash sink while turning on the water to put out the flames.

What in the name of God are you doing?

He heard her yell. Pastor Alfred took the box of cigarettes and was ready to light another when she yanked it away from him, refusing to respond to her made Beatrice feel disrespected.

She moaned, tossing the cigarette aside, "Alfred." Have you truly lost it now?

"I have." Well, everything is about to go to hell, so I need you to put it back together. Alfred the pastor chuckled.

We are only a little distance from hell itself, you fool. Maybe you're there, but I'm not, and I won't let you spoil the little paradise we've built for ourselves over the years. So get the hell up, get dressed, and head to the church. Her lips pursed.

And tell you how embarrassed I feel. She yelled, "Alfred." "Will you be able to stop or do you require some assistance?

What the f—k- are you doing wrong? "That mermaid embarrassed me, and that's what's wrong with me," "So what, who exactly is this man in front of me? The Alfred I know doesn't give up even when he is knocked to the ground.

Are you prepared to abandon everything we've created because some useless mermaid—or whoever the heck she is—humiliated you? Pastor Alfred averted his gaze but remained silent.

"Alfred, we have more important things to worry about than some silly mermaid chick. The members are talking, and our attendance at the first service dropped precipitously as a result of some people starting to believe what that moron said about you over the phone.

You must silence the voices that have come to disturb what we are doing, but if you choose to maintain your composure, there will be no one else there on Sundays.

After saying those things to him, she turned and walked into the sitting room. When her phone started ringing in her bag, she pulled it out of the bag as swiftly as she could to answer the call.

"We have him in our possession" There was a baritone voice on the other end of the line. "Fine, keep a watch on him, and if he tries to play around, tell him what it means to sin on a sunday," she said. "It's a day set apart for worshiping God."

 After dropping the phone as the call suddenly ended, she stepped outside and yelled "Driver" When the driver answered, she instructed him. "I want to go back to the church." "Ok ma" the driver responded.

***************

When Nana looked up, she realized that she was only a short distance away from the roof of the building. She persevered in her ascent right up until she reached her destination.

When she saw Jasmine seated on the ground with her hands bound, she immediately went into a state of panic.

She yelled "Jasmine" and made a motion with her body to start racing in her direction. She started to sprint towards her with excitement surrounding her, and as she did so, she put one foot in front of the other. However, she was stopped by a force, and in a brief second, she realized that she was heading backwards.

right then and then, she recalled the destination of her journey as well as the people she had gone to see.

“Jesus.”

She mutters when she comes to the realization that she had lost control of herself. Something is pulling her in the other direction as Jasmine, making her move backwards.

“Jesus...” She mutters once more before beginning to pray in her heart while keeping her mouth shut.

When she stopped moving, she felt a fluttering in her stomach like butterflies. "It was a mistake for you to show up." Jasmine let out a scream. "It's a trap," Jasmine said as she remained motionless while attempting to convey what had just taken place.

She turned her attention to Jasmine when she was unable to come up with any other explanation than an evil power attempting to cast a shadow over her, and it was at that moment that she saw Mamila standing behind Jasmine.

only now has she changed, and the fact that she is wearing all black, including black heels and thick mascara just beneath her eyes, only serves to further demonstrate that she is Satan's LovePeddler.

“You're late” Mamila stated.. Nana tried to calm her racing heart by taking a few deep breaths, but no matter how hard she tried, there was no air that could stop her heart from beating so rapidly.

Nana said, "Let my friend go," and meant it. Mamila sneers at it. "You must really care about her because very few people would put their lives in danger to save a girlfriend. Not many people would do it."

I feel obligated to praise this one selfless act of humanity. Now I fully get the reason Charles continues to seek you out.

"What is it that you require of me?" Nana questioned, her impatience making more obvious. "Take it easy," Mamila advised as she walked towards a table that had a cloth draped over it.

"Would you like to play a little game with me?" Nana glanced down at Jasmine, who was shaking with fear, and she pitied her because she knew there was no way she could have believed it if someone had told her that her friend's life may be in jeopardy because of her.

"I'm not going to play any games with you, so please release my girlfriend." Jasmine chimes in and says, "She's testing you."

She threatened to take my life if You didn't perform well on the test, she said. The words simply stopped coming out of Nana's mouth as she shifted her eyes from Mamila to Jasmine and back to Mamila again.

Mamila's lips formed the outline of a smile as she slowly took the cloth away from the table, exposing a sizable chess board beneath it. As she regarded the chessboard, Nana stood with her mouth gaping open.

"Do you enjoy a game of chess?" Mamila asked. Nana looked at Jasmine, who declined by shaking her head and signaling "no" to Nana. "Light and darkness do not associate with one another.

I'll tell you one final time, let my friend go" You can't make demands since you're not in a position to do so. Mamila said that while moving towards where she stood.

"However, given that it is a demand that you are making, allow me to make one of my own. "kneel before me," Mamila said.   "You're insane. That is not going to take place." Nana says with a sneer.

"Your acquaintance expressed interest in learning more about the test that I have prepared for you. The test has now been shown.

"denounce your God and bow at my feet, and I might consider saving your friend," Mamila said.

Jasmine turned her shocked gaze to Nana and, knowing fully well that Nana would not carry out the threat, she refocused her attention on Mamila. What kind of examination is that, exactly? she asked..

"Thou shalt not bow before any man other than the Lord your God," the commandment reads.

According to Nana... Standing behind Jasmine, Mamila turned and asked, "Is that so?"

"You wouldn't allow your friendship with someone suffer because of your pride, would you?" "Enough," Nana yelled in a loud voice. Enough with the threats. I am not terrified of you." "I am aware that you are not, but I am unable to say the same thing about your friend." Mamila said.

When Nana looked over to Jasmine, she noticed that she was shaking. “Jasmine.” To put it succinctly, Nana said. "Don't be concerned; everything is going to work out just fine."

"Is it going to be worth it..?" In response, Jasmine asked her Nana, "Is Charles worth dying for? Just do it, Nana; you may confess your sins later to God; just save me." A tear rolled down Nana's cheek as she sneezed and sniffled.

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are now, yet he did not sin. "I completely understand how you are feeling, the flesh is weak. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses.