Do not open episode 19 – finale

DO NOT OPEN – Episode 19
© Brian Ngoma
(Another Crazy crime and action story by the Author of this story starts on Monday. )
FINALE
A single action. Waking up on that fateful Tuesday morning led to all of this. If only Nikiwe had stayed in be-d, she wouldn’t have gone to work. She wouldn’t have found the files. She wouldn’t have followed the case. Her family would have never been in this predic@m£nt. Just one single action led to a series of misery.
Zindaba was trying get up when he saw his father being dragged out of the other room to the living room by his side. The boy managed to crawl to his father and la-id on his back finding comfort. In less than a minute, the unmoving Jackson was also brou-ght in and thrown where Zindaba and Clarence la-id. Zindaba stretched his hand and put it on Jackson’s tummy. “Wake up Jacky,” the boy cried.
Jackson wasn’t moving at all and neither was Clarence. Only blood was oozing out of their bodies. All the three had wounds that nee-ded to be taken care of if at all they were still alive.
The possessed s£nzo stood by them as he looked at them looking all miserable including s£nzo. “What death suits all the four of you?”
Silence.
“Joe Sinkebu’s gun,” The possessed s£nzo walked back to the other room and picked up the gun.
“Everyone here dies,” he walked into the room.
Zindaba had closed his eyes as if resting. It was like the boy had known his fate. Inwardly, he cried for mommy. Mommy catches bad guys, he thought, where is she? He ti-ghtly held on to Clarence and Jackson and rested.
The possessed s£nzo c0cked his gun, looked at the three victims. A bullet each in their skulls would seal the deal. For the witch, this had been the most difficult killings. Alas, she was getting done and off to her new victims in the next 6 years.
Zindaba was pointed at first because he was the only one who could be seen breathing. The gun was directly pointed at his forehead. Reaching for the trigger, a sudden breeze pas-sed. The witch turned around and saw the angry Nikiwe in the air screaming with a plank in her hands furiously aiming for the possessed s£nzo’s head. quic-kly turning and wanting to point the gun at her, a b!ow to the head landed as fast as lightning s£nzo’s possessed b©dy flew to the glas-s table and broke into pieces. The gun slid un-der the couch.
“How dare you hurt my family?” Nikiwe got up and walked to the confused witch. “She flung the plank again and ban-ged the possessed s£nzo’s face.”
Hands in the air. “You’re not hurting me, you’re hurting Joe Sinkebu!” the witch yelled.
Nikiwe was extremely angry to even notice the difference. She defiantly stood before the witch p@n-ting heavily and sweating. She knew that was s£nzo’s b©dy but the witch had taken over his b©dy and looking at her boys, she was not going to show mercy, no, not now. The witch had to pay. Even if it meant hurting s£nzo’s b©dy, eventually he’d heal. She charged towards him as he got up and swung the plank which he powerfully blocked and headed her she dropped to her knees. He went for her n£¢k and choked her but she quic-kly got up and upper cut him in the throat he staggered back.
Shouting, she charged and dived at him and they both fell in the other room where the envelope was.
Both slowly getting up looking at each other and their eyes set on the envelope, the witch knew that Nikiwe knew how to get rid of her. Nikiwe also knew what the witch was thinking. quic-kly she dived at the envelope whilst the possessed s£nzo threw himself on her and they both gr@bb£d it. They started struggling for it while kicking and punching each other.
Like what she did to s£nzo, the witch thought it wise to possess the strong willed Nikiwe. She quic-kly let go of the envelope and jumped on Nikiwes back and held her by the throat and the envelope suddenly opened and the note fell out.
***
Dear Love,
Anything you t©uçh, you destroy just like the person re-ading this. Death upon you!
***
Nikiwe felt powerless. Her hands were weak. The witch started laughing that she had conquered her. She was expecting to see herself in Nikiwes b©dy but it didn’t happen.
“Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh,” Nikiwe shouted. “Not today b***h.”
“Impossible!” The witch screamed. “How? You’re supposed to be possessed!”
“I guess I am a different human being,” Nikiwe quic-kly gr@bb£d the envelope and the note whilst throwing the possessed s£nzo off her back.
The witch was confused as to why she couldn’t possess Nikiwe. It had never happened before. Who was this woman? As she kept thinking and thinking, Nikiwe stood at the other side of the room with a lighter in her hands.
“Don’t do it, you will kill this b©dy!” She shouted.
“Nikiwe do it!” The real s£nzo shouted. “Do it for all the families this crazy witch has destroyed.”
“Shut up Joe Sinkebu!”
Nikiwe knew what that meant. s£nzo would die in the process but he had given her a go ahead. It was now or never. She lit the envelope and the note up. They quic-kly caught fire and it started spre-ading in the room. The possessed s£nzo was on fire too.
“Noooooooo!” The witch screamed.
“Thank you,” Chenga said.
“Get out of here,” s£nzo added. “Tell Bufweme that I Love her and never should she ever blame herself for our parents death.”
There and then, Nikiwe finally confirmed her suspicions about s£nzo. She quic-kly went back to the living room. She gr@bb£d the two boys first and ran outside. She put them by the car s£nzo had come with. She ran back inside and as she got in, the living room was also on fire. She quic-kly went to Clarence and picked him up. He wasn’t moving. She had to gather strength to carry him. She managed and ran back to where the boys were. Getting outside, the whole house was on fire and the witches screams could be heard. The way the fire spre-ad was inexplicable.
Nikiwe focused on her boys. She started shouting their names in hopes of waking them up. Zindaba opened his eyes and smiled seeing his mommy. He thought he was dreaming.
An ambulance arrived at the scene with police cars. Ngoma quic-kly c@m£ out of one and rushed to Nikiwe who had Zindaba in her hands whilst the paramedics were tending to Clarence and Jackson.
Ngoma was speechless looking at the house engulfed in fire. He couldn’t even ask Nikiwe what happened but just watched in awe. The paramedics got Clarence and Jackson and put them in the ambulance.
“We nee-d that boy too,” one of the paramedic said looking at Zindaba who was stuck in Nikiwe’s arms.
Nikiwe didn’t want to let go of her son but she had to. She handed him over and followed. She walked past Ngoma who didn’t say anything. She got in the ambulance and it left.
“What happened here?” Boice asked as he and Manda arrived at the scene.
“The case happened,” Ngoma answered with his hands in his w@!st.
“Where is s£nzo?”
Ngoma didn’t answer.
“Are you telling me that s£nzo….?” Manda feared the worst.
“The way she looked at me, I know she did it but at a cost,” Ngoma nodded.
“How did she get back so fast?”
“She got on a plane,” Ngoma chuckled. “When I told her s£nzo said her family was fine, she didn’t believe it.”
“That’s what you get when you put a detectives instincts and a mother’s intuition together. Such a powerful f0rç£,” Boice said.
***
A week later, everyone wearing all black and sobbing quietly as the preacher gave a eulogy before two coffins at memorial park. The atmosphere was very sombre. Wailings could be heard from the back from one or two women. In the front sat Nikiwe and by her side, Zindaba who had cast on his hand and n£¢k. Not far from them was Ngoma and the other detectives and Bufweme who had been esc-rted by prison guards.
After the preacher got done with the eulogy, the two coffins were slowly lowered in their respective graves. The women wailed even more. Nikiwe’s eyes were so-re with the crying. Once everything was done, Nikiwe stood with Bufweme who was bitterly weeping. She consoled her. “His last words were that he loves you and never ever blame yourself for what happened to your parents.”
“That’s like him,” Bufweme said. “My brother died a hero.”
“He is definitely a hero.”
“Thank you. My heart is now at peace knowing that it will never happen to anyb©dy else again.”
Nikiwe didn’t say anything. “Proving that you’re innocent will take some time though. We have to find judges who tolerate the aspect of the supernatural.”
“Take your time. I am not in a hurry. All I nee-ded was peace and I have it now.”
“I promise I will make sure you walk out of prison one day.”
“I’ll be waiting for that day.”
Bufweme was taken by the guards. Ngoma joined Nikiwe who was still standing before the two graves. She looked at the Graves and sighed.
“A young girl is waving at you,” Ngoma told Nikiwe.
Nikiwe looked up and saw Tanashe with her guardian. They were both smiling as they walked away.
With them was Ch!pande’s son and his family. She waved back at them and could see how relieved they were. She had given them hope for a better future. A future where they wouldn’t be looking over their shoulders.
Interrupting her thoughts, Ngoma went on. “I will never un-derstand why Ba Yama killed himself,” Ngoma looked at the other grave besides s£nzo’s. “I never knew that we would be putting to rest him and s£nzo side by side. They never even talked to each other.”
“The guilty I guess,” Nikiwe said. “He thought everything happened because he put the files on my desk and decided to end his life.”
“He really thought you’d crack the case. I never knew he was the Kainga Siwale in the cases. Wonders shall never end,” Ngoma chuckled. “You solved it though. It’s no longer a cold case now. The files have been destroyed.”
“I better be going now Ngoma,” Nikiwe turned around and walked towards Zindaba. “See you in a few days time.”
“Detective Nikiwe!” Ngoma called her.
Nikiwe stood and looked back.
“We got a call from Mbereshi Mission Hospital that a certain Mala Kingston died. They told me to pas-s the message to you.”
“Thank you.”
Nikiwe expected this message the moment she had gotten rid of the witch. She was not surprised. With her son, she walked to the cars and from the distance, saw Clarence and Jackson by their car. She smiled as she walked to them. They were all in casts and their bruises were visible but they were getting better. As she got to the car, Jackson ran to her.
“Mommy I saw ba Ngoma. He c@m£ to say hi to us,” Jackson smiled. “He told me I’m the br@vest boy in the whole world.”
“You are, my boy,” Nikiwe said.
“Me too mommy,” Zindaba said.
“You’re my heroes my boys,” she smiled at them. “Now get in the car.”
The boys rushed to the car and got in while Nikiwe walked towards Clarence. “Are you okay?”
“Thank you for saving us,” Clarence said gr-abbing her hands.
“How many times will you say thank you,” she smiled. “Nob©dy messes with my boys. I am sorry I c@m£ late.”
“You were never late. You c@m£ at the right time.”
Nikiwe got quite for a while and thought about that day. Up to now, she didn’t un-derstand why the witch couldn’t possess her despite re-ading the note but she was glad, it didn’t go the witches way. “I guess I c@m£ at the right time, yes.”
I am just worried about the boys,” Clarence sighed.
“What do you mean?”
“Will they ever look at me the same way?”
Nikiwe looked at the boys in the car who were busy pla-ying. “We will get back to how we were. It will take time but we will rebuild.”
“I hope so.”
“Trust me, we will.”
They held hands even more ti-ght, looked at each other for a while and smiled. They were each others lives. Whatever they had gone throu-gh, they c@m£ out even stronger. Piece by piece, they will build their lives again and like in the beginning, it would be like nothing ever happened.
THE END
Epilogue
6 years had pas-sed and the badly burnt down house was still abandoned. No local person wanted anything to do with the allegedly haunted house or land as it had been called by the locals.
Everyb©dy had their own version of what really happened during that weekend to the family that owned the house. All the stories were horrifying. Rumor had it that an international Chinese Company had bought the land and was starting construction of a warehouse anytime soon. At least, with a warehouse, the horrifying stories would eventually be myths.
Three boys were walking past it and looking at it dre-adfully. The gate had been stolen a long time ago. One of the boys said, “I hear a police officer died in this house. Burned to ashes sooo.”
“Yes, he was possessed,” the other added. “That detective woman beat his as-s. I re-ad it on Facebook.”
The other boy didn’t say anything but just looked at the house curiously. He saw something bright shining throu-gh the ashes. “Do you see that?”
“What, Jeremiah?”
“That!” Jeremiah pointed whilst looking at his friends.
“Ahhh Jeremiah,” his friends didn’t see whatever he was seeing. They started walking leaving him standing. “Let’s go!”
Jeremiah stood motionless. He then sprinted to whatever he had seen and true to his eyes, there was something un-der. Using his hands, he dug throu-gh the fire’s debris in search of what his eyes had set on. His hands covered in ashes and dirt, he gr@bb£d it.
DO NOT OPEN!
The teenager chuckled. Who hides an envelope in the midst of this trash? He thought as he looked around waiting for someone to shout at him to put it back where he’d gotten it. The environment only had him, the ashes and the envelope. He looked back at the envelope and it was as neat as new. It didn’t even get dirty with all the ashes surrounding it.
“Jeremiah!” His friends called him. “Get outta there!”
quic-kly putting it in his pocket, he ran to his friends who were annoyed by his curiosity. “Let’s go,” he said.
“What was that in your hands?”
“Nothing.”
***
Later, Jeremiah was at his place together with his family. His father was busy watching soccer on TV, his mother and elder sister were in the kitchen preparing supper, his cousin was busy writing her homework and his little sister was pla-ying with her doll.
After an hour, supper was re-ady and they all sat at the dinner table. Mostly, when eating, they would talk about their day. Each one was supposed to say how their day went and what they did. Everyb©dy said something about their day and it was Jeremiah’s turn. Without even hesitating, he told them about the envelope.
“You lie,” his mother said. “Who would hide an envelope in such a place?”
“I don’t know mom but it was there, clean as br@nd new!”
The others kept eating their dinner in peace and not minding Jeremiah’s story about an envelope at an abandoned land.
“Jeremiah is full of sh*tty stories,” his elder sister added.
“Language,” the father looked at Jeremiah. “Go bring it we see it!”
Smiling that he was about to prove them wrong, Jeremiah got up. As he left the dining table, he walked with his head high. He loved proving them wrong and he knew he was about to do it in a few minutes, especially his elder sister. As he walked, he had so much love for his family he wouldn’t even imagine life without them. He rushed to the be-droom and there it was, laying on his be-d. He smiled as he looked at it and re-ad the warning;
DO NOT OPEN!
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