Maggie

She stood in front of the long wall mirror of room 223 of Pinus Hotels as she admired herself in her bronze colored night gown.
She was good looking, Fresh from a warm bath and smelled fabulous.

Her ebony virgin hair was standing erect stubbornly, her boobs round and firm, she was still young and full of life.
Her curves were completely ‘carved by an artist’ without mistake;

‘I have the assets of a pornstar!’ – she thought.

She was sexy, at least to herself.

There was a knock on the door of her magnificent room… she went over and opened the door, it was the room service, An elderly woman holding some napkins and a mop.

“ give me ten minutes please, I’ll be going out soon..” she pleaded politely.

The elderly woman smiled and left. She heaved and shut the door behind  her resting her back on it.

Her eyes caught the golden colored wall clock, the time was 8.58pm… almost time for her appointment with her new ‘date'… 

She paused her lips thinking of what to wear, she was going to blow him off his feet.
She’d just met him yesterday when she checked into the hotel room. He was tall and dark with a beard that matched the shape of his face. He’d taken her room number and called her later on. 
They’d been talking all day today. He had told her he was on a three weeks  vacation from his work at the bank- those days, bankers were one of the highest earners in the country-  Twenty five years ago!

He seemed nice and collected too.

She was happy and was eager to go on this date. She’d gone shopping for a special dress for this man, she had a feeling he was ‘the one'.

“… mmm.. you’re beautiful Ayo, you’re enough…” she said out loud to no one in particular as she walked up to the mirror again admiring the reflection in there.

Then came a soft polite knock on the door. Could it be that woman again? She had wondered. 
She went over and opened the door slightly…

“yes?” she asked as she peeped through the opening and saw no one. 

And just then, a force pushed the door wide open with the velocity carrying her along down to the floor.
She quickly stood up still shaken as five tall and huge men walked into the room.

“What’s the matter ?” she asked trying to maintain her cool and hide her fear.

“ you bitch! You think you can steal our money and get away with it?”  the hugest of them chipped in, he was wearing a black Nike face cap which covered half his face and his eyes.

“I don’t Know what you’re talking about” she replied. She’d always been fearless, or at least able to control her impulses when afraid because of the nature of her work and  street experiences as well.

“You fucking bitch..! “ he cursed as he brought out a silver pistol and the other one shut the door behind him.
Another one switched on the TV , increasing the volume till the sound was deafening.

“ No no no.. please..” she cried as she sensed what was about to happen. 

“ I’m sorry..” she apologized sincerely… “ I’m sorry… but you got your money back”.. she pleaded.

“.. you don’t mess with the princes” he said as he pompously walked closer to her.

She was drawing back till she got to the wall.
He pointed the gun at her for head.

“ I’m sorry…” she kept saying as hot tears flowed down her cheeks.

He seemed to change his mind and suddenly hit her hard with the head of the pistol. 
The intensity of the hit was so hard that the wave generation from impact reverberated into the very center of her  brains.
And for a moment there, she couldn’t hear a sound.
She could feel some warm liquid flowing out of her ears. It was blood. 
The pain was numbing. She collapsed on the floor.

He picked her up roughly and threw her to the bed.
She tried her best to struggle.. as he tried to hold her to her down.

“ Hold her!” she ordered his colleagues.

They came over swiftly, holding her arms and legs.
They were stronger! Her struggles were useless against their power.

“Please… she begged … don’t do this.” She cried as he stood over her and unbuckled his belt.

“You need to be taught a lesson. We are Medusa’s princes , others are bastards!”

“.. I’m begging you... Ple…” she was interrupted by another blow on her face.

She was numb for a few seconds, she could not cry or shout or think or do anything.

She was only brought back by the sharp pain she felt as he rammed into her, pounding in vigorously.
She thought she would tear into two, he was so huge.

The pain was unbearably severe, she could run mad! she suddenly found some strange energy from within, an adrenaline that helped her pull off her right hand off the grip of one of the guys and went straight for his eyes! It was instinctual. 

She hit his two eyes with her fingers whose nails had been freshly fixed that morning, it was precise, sharp and it made him scream!

“Ahh…!!! “ he screamed as his cap fell off and she saw his face!
He looked like the devil himself, tattooed without mercy!

Then, several blows landed on her face, her breasts, her stomach, her whole body. She was numb and couldn’t move anymore… the pain was passing her into an unconscious state of shock.

“ bitch!” he cursed as he rammed in faster and faster until she could feel a warm fluid against her womb! 

He slapped her again as he climaxed and this time , the velocity sent her into unconsciousness.

She woke up in a hospital three weeks later feeling battered, bruised and beaten. She wanted to die, to kill herself.
She once begged the nurse to kill her.

“I can’t do that.. I’m sorry. You have to live.”

“ I want to die..” she cried as the nurse held her into her arms.

She’d been so kind to her. She just loved her from the first day she came into the hospital. And till date , became her only friend.

“.. if not for your self, for your baby...” she continued.. “ think of what would happen to your baby if your child is born without a mother.. the danger Your child would be exposed to if you’re not there. Think about ritual killers, child abus…’”

“ What are you talking about? … I’m pregnant?”

“ yes Ayo, you’re pregnant”

She thought that was the end of the world for her. Her life was over! She had no money, no job, no father for her child, no hope… and she was pregnant for the devil’s child.

It was the nurse who took it upon herself to cater for Maggie and her pregnancy.
She even introduced her to a club where people shared their problems and with time, as the pregnancy progressed, she knew she had a reason to live, especially when she felt the baby kick for the first time.

She had life inside of her, a new life to nurture and build into something better, better than she was given the opportunity to be.
And despite the fact that the police and a court case of fraud was hanging on her neck, she had to live on. To survive. For her baby.

She was a bit lucky. The judge had heard of what she had already been through and gave her a minimal four years in prison sentence.

However, she wouldn’t have been caught in the first place! She might have gotten lucky with that black handsome or even lived on, finding a better life, probably be with a family by now , and her own children, if not for this bastard!

And there he was, the devil. He had gotten older, but still the same- the tattoos, and that eye, the unmistakable signature of the doom of her past life.

He didn’t scare her, not anymore. He’d done his worst to her and cannot do more than kill her now.

That day has haunted her all her life, even in her new life as Maggie. 

The scars and pains never left her heart and mind. It always lurked in there somewhere, especially after her daughter died.

Now she’s seeing him, and everything is fresh again- her nose could still smell him, the pains from the blows were fresh again, the dehumanization, oh … she wailed!

“.. you’re a monster…!” 

And her daughter…  oh.. her daughter. 

She had named her Rose- the only beautiful thing in her life.  The wounds opened up, Rose’s father is a beast! 

“Oh .. rose..!” she wailed.. “ I’ll kill you!!!” she yelled.

'The vampire' just stood there still shocked. He could not utter a word or move.
The whole room was silent, no one made a sound.
It was only the sound of Maggie’s wail that could be heard. It reverberated through the corners of the room into their hearts.
It’s was clear that it broke Uche most.

“ …you heartless bastard… you killed my daughter! Your daughter!.. she died because of you. She had a beautiful soul, she was pure, so pure… the only pure thing you could ever produce..!”

“ hold your tongue woman!” the vampire thundered.

“ oh … you don’t remember? … how could you forget? Well… I bless the heavens that your eyes still speak of it till this day! .. how could you forget the woman who did that to you!!?”

The vampire’s eyes squinted in recognition…” YOU…?? “ He pointed his silver pistol at Maggie enraged, his face having the Underworld written all over it.

“… you better do that quickly. Our lovely daughter is waiting for me. I’ll tell her you did this. Her father did this. You were never good at anything else other than killing people and ruining lives anyway”

“ Stop that woman from talking!!!” he shouted and pulled the trigger!

Kaboomm!...

And missed.

Maggie was the target. For the first time, he’d missed a target.

“ Kill me!” Maggie screamed in pain.. “ kill me, or I swear on my late daughter's grave I will kill you. I swear I will.. kill … you ...”  she couldn’t talk again.. her wail and bitterness consumed her to a grievious dumbness as she cried bitterly.

It was then one of the seven men walked up to her with his heavy gun pointed at Maggie. 

“ Don’t touch her please…” Uche's voice cried, and from the sound of his voice one could tell that he was sobbing and trying hard not to show it.

“… I’ll give you anything.. please..” he pleaded as the man paid no need to him and was keen on proceeding with his endeavor.

“ well, if you kill her you’ll never get what came for” they heard him say.

“ Stop!” the Vampire commanded.
And turned to Uche. His hands quavering. 

‘was the vampire weakening at the sound of Maggie’s wails? Or a report that he had a daughter who he killed?' that was the wonder in the room.

“ If you don’t give me the flash drive, I’ll ..”

“…kill me?” Uche interrupted and chuckled amidst his tears. " you'll never stand a chance of getting it if I'm dead".

“ I don’t have it. But I can get you something you need if you promise to let us go forever when you have it...”

“ tell me what I want to hear!”

“… he’d never let us go… his wicked acts killed his own daughter, each person he killed, each woman who cursed him .. tore my only child away from me in this earth. May you never find peace this man. He’d never...”

“ I would!” the vampire thundered and the room trembled and kept silent. Including Maggie.

“ I’d let you go forever. You have my word.” He said his voice subtler this time.

'was the mighty vampire sober'? Maggie wondered.

She didn’t care, she’d kill him. She owed their daughter that, he wouldn’t escape it by letting them go.

“… I can find fish eye for you. But After that there’s nothing more I can do.. I swear”

"The fisheye is even of greater value than whatever flash drives you want, and you know it. The protocol can even find you the flash drive... Just don't kill..."

“ fine...! fourty eight hours, and that’s all you get. And if you don’t come through… “

he paused

“ I won’t hesitate” he added and quickly gestured at his men and they gradually left the room, one after another. 

They didn’t even bother to untie them. The last one to leave just dropped a dagger on the floor close to Uche and left.

There was absolute silence between Uche and Maggie in the empty room  for about twenty minutes.

They were probably trying to recover from the shock of what they had  just faced before Uche mustered enough courage to speak.

“ I’m really sorry Maggie.. I di..”

“ You fool..” she interrupted, bitterness clearly in the soft tone of her voice as well as her disposition.

“ of all the things I taught you, you learned nothing!” she yelled and spat on the floor bitterly.

“ Maggie, I know you don’t mean that..'

“ I do, every word of it!”

“ I did learn enough to know that your previous name was Ayo! ” he yelled back.

Maggie kept silent and sniffed in tears. No one has called her that name in decades. She sobbed bitterly.

“.. I know a lot Maggie. I learned a lot from you. You just gotta give me a chance to prove it... You gotta let me in sometimes.
"I love you like my own flesh,... I really do”
She sobbed. She knew Uche cared.

“ you should have been smart enough to know then..!” she yelled

“Known what..?!” he yelled back

“ …that Chinny is the Fisheye!”