Monday, July 15, 2013

The 400-Word Story: The Beach Man #12






















Ifeoma

A cold wind blows against me as the killer closes the gap between us. Staring at his new borrowed body, I steady myself, careful not to reveal any trace of the entrapment chalk underneath my bare feet.

“Look who’s here.” He grins, brushing my cheek with the back of his palms. “My sweet Ifeoma.”

“These people wronged you and…” I swallow hard. “They also wronged me, but please stop the killing.”

He shakes his head. “You should try it.”

“What?”

“I mean, try piercing a dagger through someone. Watch their lifeblood seep away.” He smiles. “And then that fearful look in their eyes…oh, it gives me this feeling of pure ecstasy. You really should try it.”

“I’m tired of…I’m just…” I break into a sob.

He puts his arms around me, patting my back gently. I lean against his chest, and an overwhelming feeling of familiarity settles upon me—there used to be a time when he’d return from hunting, and I’d prepare his kill for dinner. He cared so much for me then, even resisted pressures from his family to marry a new wife because I couldn’t bear him a child. He was a good husband.

Now he's…a killer.

A demon!

Suddenly I remember. Under my feet. Chalk.

Holding him closer, I slide my left foot around him in a curving motion, making sure it doesn’t lift from the sand. I do the same with my right foot, until it connects with the arc from the left.

The killer looks at me, sober expression in his eyes. “I missed holding you like this.”

I swing a punch at his jaw and jump backwards.

He tries moving towards me but stops in mid-action. He looks down, sees the chalk circling him. Then he looks at me, his eyes wide with fear.

I smile. “Tricked you fool.”

Just then Shola emerges from the cluster of coconut trees in the right, clutching a small basket. “I thought I’d totally lost you to the past.”

“Let me do the rites.”

She hands the basket to me. I look inside: a bowl of salt, another bowl of dried, sliced garlic, and a box of matches.

Salt ejects a demon from its host body. Smoke from burning garlic weakens the demon and banishes it from Earth forever.

The killer begins to tremble as I walk towards him; he knows I’ve done this so many times.


Footnote: This is the twelfth episode of The Beach Man, a 400-Word Blog Series.
Click HERE for the next episode.

Thanks for reading! And stay tuned for the thirteenth episode next Monday.

11 comments:

  1. U don turn exorcist,I hope it wrks on hm ds tym around,cos I doubt weda anytin can harm d beachman.he's always had a backup plan...can't wait 4d next episode.keep it up bro.E'FACE.

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    1. Hehe! Back up plan? Well, let's see how everything turns out. Thanks for reading, Eface. Have a great week. :)

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  2. Yes! Finally our hero tricks the demon. Man, his description of killing was so good and he was playing a seduction scene with her with his hug and gentleness, then ha! Take that. I can't wait for the next one. Great installment, Kaykay!

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    1. Thanks a lot, Robyn. I'm glad you enjoyed this. I'm happy for Ifeoma, too. :)

      Have a great week! :)

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  3. Nice. The MC is doing some progress. I really want to know if they are going to do the exorcism or not. I guess the demon is more powerful that we think. :)
    Looking forward for the next one.

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    1. I'm also hoping to see how everything turns out. :)

      Thanks for reading, Athina. Glad you liked it.

      Have a wonderful week! :)

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  4. Omg! This part had my heart coming up in my mouth in sheer anticipation. Ifeoma is intelligent--my kind of protag--luring the killer with the prospect of a reunion. Love your description of his teasing and fall. Well, again, I may be wrong about the fall because I fear this guy still has something up his sleeves. The sentence structure all through the passage puts me right where you want me (the reader) to be.

    Nwanne, I dey cut cap for you...


    Looking forward to the next installment.

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    1. Haha. My head don big small. LOL. Thanks, Uzoma, for reading this. I'm glad it had your "heart coming up in my mouth in sheer anticipation."

      Have a great week! :)

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  5. Nice stunt. Ify should have been more careful with calling the guy fool. What if things don't go as planned and it would be too late to convince the villain she had to do it? She now has the villain thinking she is hardened against him. She should not regard love as a concept the villain would really embrace. He might as well bite with the same mouth his licking tongue comes from.
    Nice going, Kay.

    As you know, I don't try predicting. Just keep an open mind, without a bated breath.

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    1. I fear for Ify, too, especially since the villain is unpredictable. I hope to see the direction the story takes when I sit to write the next episode.

      Thanks for reading, Doc. I'm glad you stopped by.

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  6. Indeed, we wait!

    You are warmly welcome, Kay.

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