Standing in front of the mirror, Selassi knew she had a long day ahead of her and looking down her growing belly, she was on a ticking time bomb to tell Theo the truth. The birds tweeted outside as the sun shone through the windows, tiredness was the only thing that Selassi was coping with these days.

Walking out of the bathroom, she leaned on the doorway, watching Theo sleep soundly. Things had been tense between for the last few days, they had been avoiding being intimate with each other and it was eating at Selassi a little bit.

She never knew that they would end up here, separated by foolish acts they had committed but somehow comfortable enough to lay in the same bed together like nothing even happened.  Adjusting her loose dress, she opted for leaving her hair, refreshing her coils to get some definition.

The image of Theo standing in the doorway some nights ago was still haunting her, how his eyes gouging blood like it was a waterfall and the ominousness of him shutting the door like that without uttering another word.

This demonic being's intention was becoming more and more clearer: it simply enjoyed tormenting her mentally and physically and had no problems using those she cared about to weaken her further.

From the grivieous insults to the twisted physical torment that only she could see, Selassi feared what was next for her. There was no telling how big or small the entity would attack her but whatever it was, she knew that fear would occupy her heart and the after-effects would surely drain her drive to go on.

Now being pregnant, she was sure that it would get worse before it could even better. Meanwhile, Nina shuffled downstairs, groaning since she was not a morning person at all and she couldn't understand how anyone wanted to be up right now.

Downstairs was quiet as Nina walked through the living room to the kitchen where she was greeted by Selassi's aunt. Something about her rubbed Nina the wrong way from the moment they met but she wasn't in the business of fighting people's aunties, only if they were disrespectful.

Plastering a fake smile on her face, Nina made her way to the fridge to get some chopped mango and pineapple to eat whilst Auntie Diane simply watched her with curiosity.

" Morning  Mrs Lamptey. Is there something you wanted to ask because staring at me won't get you an answer" Nina said, continuing to put the fruit into a bowl before leaving the rest in the fridge?

" Why are you here?" Auntie Diane asked in a cold undertone that Nina caught onto. Chuckling, Nina popped a few mango cubes into her mouth, leaning onto the counter.

" Am I not allowed to be here?  Selassi wanted me to be here, is that a problem for you?" Nina quipped in a sarcastic tone whilst eyeing the older woman. Auntie Diane wasn't a strong beauty like Ama but she definitely kept herself looking well, dressed in a long print attire and her relaxed hair put in a ponytail.

" It's just a very sensitive time for Selassi right now, what with her pregnancy and losing her parents. You can understand that it's important to have family around her right now." Auntie Diane remarked snarkley, swiping some lint offf her clothing.

" And you are exactly? Because I can recall Selassi telling me you're more of a 'family friend' type of Auntie. I guess we are in the same boat then, huh?" Nina stated, slipping a few more bites of her fruits whilst looking at Auntie Diane who seemed a little annoyed how right she was.

" I guess we should get along for Selassi's sake. No need for tension."

" I totally agree. Truce? " Nina offered her hand but Auntie Diane simply nodded, ignoring the hand.

The tension in the room almost escaped as soon as Auntie Diane was about to leave but Nina had one more thing she wanted to enquire about right now.

" Mrs Lamptey, Selassi has been telling me about some odd supernatural things happening around here. Now at first, I wouldn't usually believe that bullshit but I have witnessed some strange things myself, things that are not of this world. I guess what I wanted to ask is if you know anything about this or seen anything yourself?" Nina inquired, shrugging her shoulder and waiting for an answer.

"I can assure you that Selassi is only seeing things because of her grief and digging into things she shouldn't, especially she doesn't want to get hurt-" Auntie Diane stopped herself, scurrying from the kitchen before Nina could stop her.

Nina knew she was right to feel indifferent about Auntie Diane, the conversation had cemented her concerns and she knew that she may have to dig a little deep to find something. All she wanted was her friend to be safe even she had made a few dangerous risks to do so.

Picking up her gold earrings, Selassi placed them on whilst Theo came out of the shower, glistening with a towel hanging low on his hips. Selassi couldn't help but look, biting her bottom lip in lust as watched cream himself and slip his boxers on.

Sensing eyes on him, he turned to see Selassi looking without a care in the world. Putting his t-shirt and shorts on, he sauntered towards Selassi who was leaning on the table, planting his hand either side of her body on the table.  His eyes scoped her face and body, admiring her natural beauty.

"How've you been?" He asked, looking at her directly in her eyes and she seemed to reciprocate with equally strong eye contact.

" To be honest, this trip has been so draining from the beginning to now, the funeral was marred by family issues and this house is not selling for reasons I don't know but that's not the worse of all " Selassi expressed, feeling the tiredness come over her.

" What's the worst, Lassi ?" Theo asked, tilting his head to the side a bit.

" Something is after me, Theo. Not just anything, I'm sure that it's like a demon that keeps shapeshifting into different forms. Before you say I'm mad, I know what I saw and Nina saw something similar too." She said fearfully with eyes widened.

" I believe you, don't worry. If I'm being honest, something strange happened to me some time ago but it feels like yesterday." Theo thought back to the ordeal he faced.

She took his head, taking back to the bed so they could sit down. Her foot was aching which she knew was part of the pregnancy.

" What happened?" She inquired curiously, holding onto his hands.

" Before I called you, I was standing near my windows and felt hands trail up my body. It ended up on my neck, strangling me and I could feel my body get colder by the minute. Next thing you know, I was dashed to the other side of the flat. Dashed, Lassi. It was all mad,  my neck was sore but what I saw next was the craziest thing; it was some sort demonic-looking priest smirking at me and when I turned around it was gone. Mad baffling, Lassi" Theo said, equally holding onto Selassi's hands as they seemed to comfort each other over the traumatising experiences they recently faced.

" Well, I'm glad you and Nina believe me because both Auntie Diane and James think I've officially gone mad. Plus, Auntie doesn't want to sell the house either but honestly, it's not worth keeping with all the crazy things that are happening here." Selassi vocalised.

" What's up with that James guy anyway? He seemed too defensive about you, why?" Theo asked, raising his eyebrow at the fidgety Selassi.

" He's just a close family friend, he's probably worried for me, that's all" Selasssi replied softly but Theo was simply not convinced. He reached for her waist but felt something that he couldn't have anticipated. His hands fell onto her bump and then it dawned on him that's why she had sporting these large tees, the Selassi he knew liked tight clothes and always expressed how loose clothing made her look bigger.

He chuckled darkly because he knew this baby could be his but ultimately, he was sure that it was somone else's. Looking at her eyes, he could see that her orbs flickered with guilt with a hint of regret. 

" Whose baby is it?" He asked.

" James" She replied, feeling ashamed of herself but she knew that it was important that he knew the truth whether she liked it or not.

Theo got up, moving away from her in disgust. He couldn't believe that she had the audacity to make him feel bad for cheating when she not only slept with someone else but got pregnant too.

" Nah, you got me vexed right now. You're pregnant with his baby, no wonder why that nigga is smirking in my face. Is how you've been grieving?" He asked, feeling sick to the stomach.

"All I can say is that I apologise for my actions but that doesn't excuse your cheating," She remarked, pointing at him.

" So you did this to get even with me then?" He questioned, opening his arms.

" Yes and I've regretted making such a foolish decision," Selassi said, averting her gaze.

" Nah, this is fucked. I'm going out " He said, shaking his head and grabbed his phone, leaving the room which felt more isolating than when Selasssi was living it alone.

Sitting down, she fought back her tears as she really thought of the destruction that each of their acts had caused and right now, there was uncertainty looming around their relationship.

Nina's head peeked through the door, slipping into the room to see a dishevelled Selassi. Sitting beside her, holding Selassi as the tears poured not only for Theo but for everything that occurred up to this point.

Discovering who her parents really were to getting pregnant unexpectedly only seemed to spiral into an endless limbo of sadness that she didn't know if she could get out of.

Time passed, the girls were on the road to Cantonments where the Christ The King was. Selassi decided with Nina's help that maybe Father John could offer some assistance, she wasn't sure that he could do what the priests did in all those horror movies but hopefully, he gives some guidance.

The car fits perfectly into the parking space as Selassi and Nina got out, today wasn't that busy with a few cars scattterred around.

They walked up the stairs to see that Father John was alone in the main church, praying silently on his knees. Selassi took one step past the threshold, her mark instantly became inflamed and she fell to the ground in agony.

Nina caught her before she could really hurt herself. Father John heard the commotion, seeing Selassi in pain and he ran quickly to her, they took her to his self-contained flat at the back of the church.

Laying her down, Father John could see the distress that Selassi was in but surprised to see a baby bump attached to her. Kneeling beside her, he proceeded to pray over her with his hands clutching a rosary, hovering over her body. 

Nina bit her lip, watching the scene unfold before her; Father John continued murmur powerful words of prayer as Selassi screamed in pain, the mark's infliction pain only seemed to increase the more Father prayed.

Sprinkling holy water on the mark and pressing the rosary on it, this intensified to the point that Selassi was practically screeching, squirming in the sofa until it stopped, she passed out.

" Father, is she gonna be ok?" Nina questioned nervously. Father John held onto her shoulders softly, placing in the nearby chair and pouring her some water.

"Everything will be fine, my dear. Just fine" He said, falling into another chair, patiently watching Selassi lay peacefully.

It wasn't long before Selassi's eyes fluttered open, noticing she was in an unfamiliar setting and with a sudden jerk, she propelled herself up to look around frantically which Nina run to her with some water to drink.

Completely hydrated, she gulped the water down fervently and sat upright, feeling some pain around her chest.  Father John came towards, crouched before her and held onto her hands in a comforting manner.

" What's going on with you ?" He asked.

" There is something in that house that is after me and I know has something to do with my parents" She expressed to him, clutching onto the glass for security.

"I knew that what your parents were doing would come for you, I wanted to help them but they refused any help. They offered large donations to stop me saying anything to anyone about who they really were." Father John got up and pacing the room with his hands behind his back.

" Wait, you knew?! Why didn't you tell me this?" She was furious at this revelation.

" Because you were so distraught about losing them that I couldn't possibly add this on top of the grief you were dealing with." Father John replied apologetically.

Selassi couldn't believe this, it seemed like everyone she regarded as close were either liars or manipulators. She couldn't listen to this anymore, gesturing to Nina for them to go as they ignored the pleas of Father John.

...............................................................................................................................................................

Hey guys,

Another update.

So much is happening. Tell me your thoughts in the comments.

Love,

TamaraMensah.