We all heaved a sigh of relief for now. Unique, overwhelmed by the  unfolding events of the day, slumped on the couch,  Nelson as well. Nelson is what you call an aggressive intercessor, few words, but more prayer.
As he shook on the floor, we glanced at ourselves, our understanding defining the moment.
Daniel ran to him and placed his head in his hands and began to pray. I imagined that Shukura had acquired a vessel from among us.

        "So fast?" Chuks asked. I lowered my head.  We were being persecuted from every side. Everything seems to be working to distract and drain the plan and purpose of God for our lives.

As Daniel prayed, we joined him. Nelson's body jerked in quick succession, moving his head from side to side and aggressively pulling his hand to the back of his body. His eyes rolled into his head.
The veins of his head now visible. His mouth gaped in a silent scream. We couldn't control his body as things were moving rather too quickly.

     "Stop it! You are frying him. If you continue to pray, he will explode right here and now!" It was Unique's voice that rang out above the sound of our prayers.
One look at her, we ignored her, went back praying with deeper intensity than before. Nelson's body lifted off the floor, still jerking and positioned itself at the center of the room.

    The rest of off running and screaming. It was a scene of unmitigated chaos. Ezekiel and Daniel unafraid, went  to the  body and accelerated their prayers.
I signaled Unique to move the center table out of the way, so that Nelson's body won't be meeting with a worse situation when he recovers.

Most of team continued to scream, some even whimpered.  Nelson's body refused to stay still, hence the spontaneous jerking.
Soon, he calmed a bit and the rest of the team began to join in the chorus of fearful Amens.

         "Out of him now! ..... Out! Out!.... In Jesus name! " Ezekiel and Daniel shouted in unison repeatedly, with the group shouting a low grade Amen.

Low muffled growl came out of Nelson's mouth, followed by a thick cloud of red smoke gushing out of his mouth. Minutes passed by, it was still coming out.
Soon afterwards, the red smokey thing left him. He landed on the floor with a thud from the height he'd been suspended to, completely passed out,  his normal color returned.
We all knelt down in worship to the most gracious God.

        We left Unique's house as the clouds beckoned the night. Nelson had woken up two hours later, disoriented and weak.Unique offered him warm chocolate.
After we had prayed with Unique and anointed ourselves, we all made our way back to the church.

          My father's rage filled face alarmed me of impending trouble. He stood boldly right by the church campus gate, waiting.
Three of his body guards stood in the evening shade with him.

As soon as he saw us, he stood with his hands behind him. That was all I need to know that this wasn't just trouble, but war. "Where are you coming from?"
I and my friends greeted him but he didn't respond, focusing on me. I caught his unsteady movements, he was trying to hide his true nature from his guards and......oh well, us. 

Even at that, i knew he would never show himself here. He was very particular about what people thought of him.

        "We visited a friend." I answered truthfully.

His eyes went to his watch, " At this time of the night?"

We stole quick glances at each other. "The prayers took us into the night." Ezekiel explained.

He shot him a deadly gaze, before pining his eyes on my face.
My eyes caught his body vibrate silently. His body glowed round his neck and wrist. I was sure that he glowed all over. If not for the flowing kaftan he wore, it would have been more pronounced.

      "You mean Unique, he asked. My friends exchanged shocked expressions.
I nodded. "Yes, that's where we are coming from." I just couldn't afford to lie.
He stared, that the heat from his eyes almost incinerated me. A deep sigh escaped his mouth, his face fell.

With a quick glance he took my friends faces all at one. In a second, hed already combed through their mind. The man was a wizard. He was just too good at this. I guess, he now knew what we all knew.
Realizing that his secrets were no longer secrets left a layer of disappointment on his face.

        "Come with me!"

His head lifted very quickly like a robot. His eyes felt like a furnace of fire. I waved  my friends goodnight and hurried across the field with my father.

        Walking closely behind him, my mouth silently prayed. The shimmering of his skin was getting more pronounced. He bobbled his head from side to side to keep his demon down.
When I looked back, two of his guards escorted my friends to their hostels. It was a sure thing that they would none monitored and followed.

His most trusted body shield,  Bolaji, walked right behind me. A wave of fear trickled its way into my mind.
I stopped to make sure he walked a little farther away from me. But Bolaji bumped into me, obviously following too closely. He quickly apologized.

Long time ago, I had a vision about all of my father's PA's, there was nothing Christain about them. I knew they were there as hired muscle. So I wasn't expecting to see them as angels.
But Bolaji's unveiling disturbed me. He was hidden in between light. Even though he stood in the light, his entire frame was doused in darkness, his face invisible.

           My eyes stole another quick glance at the back of the man whose height still topped mine. A beast, monster of some sort was now visible from the back of my father's head...
It silently scowled  at me, It  emerged from  my Dad's head sticking out its neck. A loud thud distracted me for a second.

When I looked around, it was Bolaji's body on the floor. I stopped and waited, but he didn't stir. So I stooped to check on him. His pulse was still strong, obviously, he was still very much alive.

My palm carved his face, "Bolaji?" I whispered. "Are you alright?"

Acknowledging my voice, he stood to his feet.

          "What happened?" I asked, still keeping my voice very low.

          "I got a little light headed," He expressed, running his right palm on his forehead.

"But What was that?" His fingers pointed swiftly at my father.

         "What was what?" I retorted, pretending not to understand him.

A thud stopped us both in our tracks. Our heads moved in unison, left and right, but nothing.

         "Did you see any thing?" Bolaji spoke up.

         "Nope. You?"

He scoffed. If I saw something, do you think I won't tell you?"

I considered his words while we kept walking behind my Dad. "No." My eyes met his shocked expression. "No, because your loyalty lies with money and him." I pointed to my father. So yes, I know you won't worry about me."

Another screech. Bolaji held me strong in place. "Don't move!"

I just stood there and folded my arms across my chest, waiting to see what he would do.
When I looked up again, I saw my Dad had stopped walking and another beast, the same woman, stepped out of him like it was alighting from a train. 

         "It is coming for me!" Bolaji screamed as the being stood right before him." He wanted to run but his foot got stuck in the ground like glue.

I saw him cover his face with his palms.

         "Please, please!" He begged.

I distanced myself from the confrontation and moved to take another turn, but my foot also couldn't move.      
My father screamed when his beast left a bit of itself in him. I knew then that his His fight had ended, and the entity had taken over.

          Standing before Bolaji, it's head grew sharply and stretched towards the man's face. He whimpered and couldn't even scream even when I saw his mouth wide open in a shout. 
Shaped like half python and half my Dad, it  pounced on Bolaji, spitting liquid larva on him. The impact threw the man to the ground. Channeling lights rose from his body, then crisscrossed through him.

In minutes, Bolaji laid still on the ground. I prayed earnestly that his life be spared.
I glanced around  me to see if there was any humans around but the place was eerily quiet. As though people were warned not to come to this area.
Before I could collect my thoughts, it was on me! Blasting its flaring nose on my face. Sticky, murky substance splashed on me like rain. I wiped them off, avoiding any contact with my mouth.

         "Preacher boy. We finally meet!" It gloated. "I was hoping for a more pleasant introduction. But  who knows, this may even be far more interesting, even for Lashula." It growled, showing dangerously dagger lined teeth.

The forceful wind of it's breath forced me off my pinned place. I staggered as one at the center of a storm. My eyes was shut tight, my body vibrated endlessly.

Yes, I was afraid. Afraid of being swallowed by this evil thing in my face.
As my body became weakened by the gust of air from its mouth, gravity pulled me to my knees. I bowed my head and began to declare the scriptures.

Psalm 18: 3.

  I will call upon the Lord who is my refuge, so shall I be saved from mine enemies.
4: The sorrows of death compasses me and the flooding ungodly men made me afraid.
5: He bowed the heavens also and came down. Darkness was under his feet.

          "Preacher Boy, you are wasting precious time, we need to fight it out. Show your strength and I will show mine." It interrupted. "Did you ever think you could stop my movements? That you could stop my vessels?" It roared in very degrading laughter.

         "How does a beast even get to laugh?" I took time off to consult my thoughts. But the Holy spirit quickly reminded me to stay on course and not get distracted.

The heat from its huge mouth was now on my head, I could feel it. The temptation to stop my prayers and feed my curiosity was there. I fought to stay focused in the face of crippling fear.

         "Help me Jesus!" I screamed, fighting the many options going through my head.
My attention reverted back to the scripture I was declaring.

14: Yea, he sent out his arrows and scattered them, he shot out lightnings and discomfited them.

      "I can assure you Jacob, there won't be any arrows or lightnings today. I am very comfortable right here. Actually, you would make for a good feast. All that power in you could be harnessed for our own benefits. Shukura, the mother of realms would make sure of that." It snarled, now directly upon me.

I held unto the only name that could save. The name of Jesus . Another part of that chapter came to me again, I declared it forcefully.

17: He delivered me from my strong enemies and from them which hated me, for they were too strong for me.

      I began to feel a  crawl around my neck, and down my spine. It had swirled its large tongue around my body. I shivered in fear. The reality of death stared me in the face, but I kept my eyes shut, believing in God's promises that had never failed.

  Job 5:12 :

             He disappointed the devices of the crafty, so their hands cannot perform their enterprise! 

1 chronicles 16: 12

             Saying touch not my anointed and do my prophets no harm!
Fear still consumed me. My body shook limb to limb until a rhythm of a song flowed in the rivers of my heart.

Lord I see you,
When everything seems so dark,
You are the light.
I see you,
Pulling me out of the rubble,
You comfort me.
You placed your seal upon me,
You anoint my head with oil
From the lens of your love
I see you.

I flowed in this song and sang it over and over. Suddenly, all I felt was the love of God, not the terror in front of me.

Boldly, I opened my eyes and even lifted my hands to my maker. It could crawl all it wants, but my lover would always be watching out for me. There were no more tears, but peace.

Right there, I fell hopelessly in love with Jesus allover again.