LEMUEL AND INARA moaned in ecstasy as they climaxed in each other’s arms in their bedroom. As they caught their breaths, Lemuel rolled off her and they both chuckled as their toddler, Caleb started crying from the bed’s built-in crib.
“Aww, he’s so jealous,” Lemuel commented jokingly as he gently combed his fingers through her ruffled hair. Her eyes were heavy-lidded from the aftermath of their lovemaking but she was smiling.
“Jealous indeed.” She drawled and they both lifted themselves to look down at Caleb. He stopped crying and stuck his thumb inside his mouth. Then he went back to sleep as he sucked on it.
“We have to do something about that thumb.” Said, Lemuel.
“You are not putting anything bitter on my son’s thumb.”
“You mean my son?”
“Our son.” She said and he gently tweaked her cheek.
“That was on a lighter note but why not? Your mum did it to you, remember?”
“Well, he needs some time. My mom did it to me because I was about five and was still sucking my thumb.”
“I can just imagine you, so cute and chubby with your thumb in your mouth.” He said dreamily and she giggled.
“Stop it.”
“Hmm. But we are not waiting that long.”
“You’re always so impatient.”
“Am I?”
“Yeah.”
“You never said that to me before.”
“Well, I’m saying it now.”
“I guess it’s a flaw I would have to learn to work on, baby girl.”
“It’s not that bad, sir.” She said and placed a kiss on his mouth.
“Thank you.” He mumbled against her lips and they began to kiss. At the same time, her phone started buzzing from the bedside table. They kept kissing, ignoring it but when the call ended and the phone began to ring again, they had to break it off.
Lemuel stretched forth his hand and retrieved it for her. Zee’s name was flashing across the screen.
“It’s your precious Zee.” He said as he handed the phone over to her. “It’s 10:00 pm, but I won’t complain.”
“Thanks,” Inara responded as she received the call.
“You’re welcome.” He replied and carried Caleb who had started bawling again.
“Hi Zee,” Inara said and moved away from the bed as Lemuel focused on calming their son. The last time she had spoken with Zee was three days ago and Zee was back to herself. Despite the threat of the consequence of not performing the last dare, she was still reluctant to perform her dare.
“Inny.”
Inara walked over to the dressing table and sat down. “It’s 10:00 pm, Zee. I am a nursing mother.”
“I know and I’m sorry but you’re the only friend I’ve got. You’re the only one I can talk to. We used to call each other at any time until Lemuel.”
Inara looked towards the bed where Lemuel had managed to calm Caleb down. The child had gone back to sleep with his thumb in his mouth. Lemuel gently removed it but he started bawling, so Lemuel stuck his thumb back in his mouth. Caleb immediately went back to sleep.
“You’re the boss for now.” She heard Lemuel say to the child, before kissing him on his forehead. God, she loved her husband. He was a great father.
“Inny?” she heard Zee say, her voice, cutting through her thoughts.
“I know,” Inara commented. “Sorry for the complaint. You know I love you always.”
“I love you too.
“Great, so what’s up?”
“I can’t sleep.”
“Why? You’re fully recovered right?”
“Yes but I’m yet to do my dare and I just had a nightmare.”
“Do it, Zee. Just do your dare.” Inara mumbled. “How many times do I have to tell you this?” She didn’t want Lemuel hearing her talk about a dare. He would think Zee was out to get her in trouble again and she didn’t want to argue with him. She knew it won’t end in her favor. When she stole a glance at him, he was resting on the bed and messing with his phone, his earbuds, on. Despite seeing him with his earbuds on, Inara knew she would still talk in a low voice because Lemuel’s ears were sharp.
“I’ll try,” Zee replied. “I’ll try and do it.”
“What happened in your nightmare?”
“I… I was walking with an old person’s stick."
"You mean a walking stick."
"Yeah, whatever. But I was trying to cross a highway. Somehow, I couldn’t move in the middle of it and a trailer truck crushed me.”
"It is pretty explanatory, Zee. The walking stick with you still young represents premature old age. Then the unexpected helplessness while trying to cross and you being crushed finally, represents sudden death."
"I know," Zee whined.
“I don’t want to lose you, Zee,” Inara murmured. “Is it not just a phone call? Call the guy that deflowered you and just ask him to marry you. It is very simple.”
“He’s already engaged.”
“How did you know that?”
“F******k.”
“I don’t think it’s a problem. I’ve told you. Just do the dare. You have nothing to lose but everything to gain.”
“It’s such a shameful act.”
“Shame is for the bloody weak,” Inara replied. “You used to say that, remember?”
Inara heard Zee sigh brokenly. She had never seen Zee get so beat up about anything but she completely understood the situation.
“Zee, I never thought I’ll say this to you but I dare you not to be a coward.”
She heard Zee let out a light chuckle.
“Fine. I’ll do it now.” She said, her voice sounding firmer.
“Great. Let me know when it’s done.”
“Sure thing. How’s Caleb my little thumb sucker?”
“Asleep and fine.”
“I’m sure he’s still doing his thing.”
Inara looked towards the bed where Lemuel was still fiddling with his phone as he listened to whatever was going on in his phone. Caleb was asleep, his thumb ever in his mouth.
“He is doing his thing.”
“I am sure that Lemuel must be mad.”
“It irks him.”
“I don’t feel sorry for him.”
“I know. You guys will never get along.”
“Not in this life.”
Inara laughed. “Same old Zee.”
“The one and only,” Zee said proudly, her mood, lifted.
“Do the needful and get back to me, Zee.”
“Sure thing,” Zee responded. “Goodnight, my friend.”
“Goodnight Zee. Do it tonight. Time waits for no one. The last dare will no longer wait.”
“I will…hey, wait a minute, what did you just say?” Zee sounded offended.
“Zee?” Inara was getting confused. There seemed to be a miscommunication between them. Zee sounded off. What was she asking?
“What did you just say?” Zee demanded.
“I said time waits for no one.”
“No. After that, you said something else.”
“I didn’t.”
“No. You said the last dare will no longer wait. Do you think I’m stupid and don’t know how the game works?” Zee was sounding increasingly agitated.
Inara paused for a second. She didn’t remember saying the words.
“Zee, I’m familiar with the words but I never said them.”
“Are you just trying to mock my plight?” Zee snapped, indignant. “You’re having fun at my downfall, right?”
“Don’t start, Zee.”
“No!” Zee yelled. “This is what you always do. You’re tired of me. Why won’t you be? You think you’re better than me because your game favored you and you’re practically married to a prince.”
Zee was mad at Inara as she talked with her from the comfort of the couch in her bedroom. Why would Inara use the words of the last dare on her, knowing fully well how disturbed she already was? All she did was make a mistake by stalling the dare. Why would Inara rub it in her face like that?
Inara’s eyes widened with shock at Zee’s outrage.
“Shut up, Zee!” she shouted back. “I never said the words.”
“Liar!”
“Maybe you need to get off my line.” Inara snapped and paused as she saw Lemuel staring at her and taking his earbuds off. Then he folded his arms and just studied her.
“Maybe we need to quit this friendship.” She heard Zee retort. “After all, your controlling husband is so good at keeping us apart.”
Inara lowered her voice. “I don’t have time for this.”
“Why the low voice? I guess he’s right there and would beat your ass if you wake his son up.”
Inara could feel her chest heaving with hurt at Zee's words but she fought to control her emotions.
“He is not that low and you know it. There’s no need to be mean.”
“Oh please, tell me about it.”
“Stop spoiling for a fight,” Inara said through gritted teeth. “I am not your problem.”
“You started it by using the words of the last dare.”
“I most certainly did not.”
“Yes, you did.”
“I did not!” Inara shrieked and there was silence, which was immediately broken by Caleb who started crying.
Lemuel picked him up and strode with him towards Inara who had a look of shock and anger on her face, the phone still held at her ear.
He placed his hand comfortingly on her shoulder. “Calm down. Trouble in paradise, I see, but just calm down." His attention returned to Caleb. "Shh. Caleb stop. Shh.”
Caleb was still crying, so he put his thumb in his mouth and the child stopped crying. Next, he rested his head on his father’s shoulder and went back to sleep.
Zee heard them clearly from her end and decided to end the call. “Sorry I ruined your little family peacetime with my call and sorry for confiding in you.” She said in a calmer but sarcastic tone.
As Inara felt Lemuel’s hand massaging her shoulder, she remembered something vital. It was a perfect explanation of the cause of the sudden misunderstanding between her and Zee.
“It’s the game.” She said quietly. “The game must have made me say the words. It’s nothing but the last dare.”
Confusion marked Zee's brow. “What?” she asked. “Remember when I accused you of sending me a text with the words you just accused me of saying to you?” “Yeah,” Zee confirmed. She sounded thoughtful now. “I never saw the message again and that was how I knew it was my last warning.” Zee sighed resignedly. “I didn’t say the words, Zee. That was your last nightmare.” “I know that now,” Zee admitted. Her voice was solemn. “I’m sorry.” “Me too. Do the needful. I’ll be waiting for feedback.” “Okay.”
Zee wondered where he was staying in town. “Where are you staying in town?” she asked, her intention, to pick a spot close to his area. She hoped it was quite far from her home so that she would take some time, organizing her mind as she went.“Eagle Hotel.”Zee knew the place. The Eagle hotel was close to Inara’s family house and it was where Cassy and her friends had set her up with the bridal shower, getting her in trouble with Lemuel. Zee could not stand those bullies. She hoped she would never have to cross paths with any of them again.“The Eagle hotel is fine if you ask me.”“Great. We will meet at the restaurant, then. See you tomorrow. Is 2:00 pm okay with you?”“Yes, it is.”“Bye, Zee.”“Bye.”Zee ended the call. She should feel much calmer now that she had started the game but she did not. She was feeling all tensed up. She fell back on the bed. Then she took a deep breath and concentr
Zee decided to be honest about her feelings. “I’m glad too.” She responded. “But concerning the rebellious look, I don’t know what you’re talking about.” “You do, Elizabeth. And just so you know, if I was responsible for you, you will definitely dread the thought of me finding you in this persona.” Zee found herself speechless and frozen for a second. In that moment, he held her back from him, breaking up the embrace. Then his lips curled into a barely noticeable smirk. “Sit down, Zee. I do not bite. But you already know that.” He sat down and watched her recover from the earlier shock of his words. “Persona?” she asked wonderingly as she sat down. “Are you saying that I’m not real?” He did not respond immediately. Instead, he was staring intensely into her eyes. It reminded her of how he had looked at her when he was deflowering her, his manhood, piercing her, making her a woman. She couldn’t stand any sort of pain, so she had cried b
She was frozen in shock as he spoke. “I don’t know why you keep doing this but the fake image you keep presenting is completely unnecessary. The reason I was on your neck in school was that I knew you needed the pressure. If I had not been a kind of a thorn in your flesh, you would have been sloppy with your classes and finally end up a dropout. That probably is something you will eventually regret. Then who would you blame? Your parents? Sure, but in the end, everyone is responsible for what they turn out to become based on the choices they make.” “Please stop…” “I have not finished talking.” He interrupted coarsely and she fell silent but her heart was vibrating with tension and denial as he continued. “It is clear that somehow, all you want is attenti
Zee’s eyes grew huge with alarm and when she looked at the rear-view mirror, the car was nowhere in sight. It seemed to have disappeared into thin air. What she saw behind her was an approaching Peugeot. It felt like she was reliving the last few minutes as the group of trailers that had made her stay behind the mysterious beetle, slowly approached. She did not realize that she had slowed down until she began to hear the impatient blare from the Peugeot behind her. “Come on, step on it.” She heard a man’s voice yell from the vehicle but she was still too shocked by what had just happened to move any faster. Buried in shock, she managed to keep driving until the trailers finished passing by her, and then the Peugeot fell into line beside her with the driver cursing out at her.
The Spiritualist’s home was an abandoned truck on a quiet street on the outskirts of the city. It was situated a kilometre away from the street, resting behind a backdrop of trees that led into the woods. A gas station, an ATM stand, a call booth, and an average standard motel, were the neighboring structures around the area. Zee sighted a worn-out-looking vehicle parked outside the truck turned home. It told her that the Spiritualist was around. A rustic handmade wooden marquee before the house proclaimed the words-Know Thy Future. Zee often wondered how the woman could live like that. Well, it was not her business. After all, people like that were often kind of spooky. It was ironic how they often claim to see the future but still live like paupers. She regretted getting herself involved with this kind of darkness. Lucky Inara, she thought. She wished she were in Inara’s shoes right now. At least, she would not be thinking abo
Zee could not control her fear. “Oh my god!” “I’m so sorry, Zee.” “Wait a minute, does the game say crash a wedding or the wedding?” “It says, crash the wedding,” Inara repeated. “Why?” “Jesus Christ!” Zee said fearfully. “That would be Michael’s wedding.” “How?” “A weddingwill just be any wedding,” Zee said wearily. “Butthe weddingis personal. It’s the one that currently relates to my life, sort of.” She also remembered Michael’s dire threat about making her suffer if she ever sought him out to use him again. “I am finished.” She added brokenly, her eyes clamming up with tears. “I am finished.” “I’m sorry, Zee.” Tears blurred Zee’s vision as she sat inside her car, parked before her home. Then she ended the call. Inara looked at Lemuel and he hugged her comfortingly. “It’s because she cheated the game. Now she just has to do the game’s dare.” “Which is
Zee could not face the fire of anger in Michael’s eyes, so she shifted her gaze and just could not resist seeing the look on Cassy’s face. If looks could kill, she knew she would have been dead by now. Cassy was glaring daggers at her. Her eyes were full of hate and unbelief. It seemed like she was still trying to comprehend what was going on. Some of the spectators had risen in confusion and she could see Eve and Amy staring at her with hate in their heavily made-up eyes. Zee noticed for the first time, that Eve was holding a bouquet of white flowers. She guessed Eve was the Maid of Honor. The Priest raised his hands and waved at the guests. “People of God, please calm down, sit down, settle down. Do not fret. By God, this happ