I was struggling against the tendrils of black smoke chain the soceress used to hold me captive. She approached me menacingly with her equally smoking bull terriers behind her heels.
' I possess the Pearl to the heart of the secret fountain. let me go' I said trying to resist the hold of the dark chains. I had no plans for an escape because none will be useful. I was exactly in the heart of the Earth where all the Earth's riches flow from. i had to deliver this Pearl back to the village before the curse completes its course over Leto.
'And about that dear' the schemey soceress said like she was reading my mind 'perhaps I should let you go see her one last time and trust the Earth to do its job. perhaps you'll pardon me and have a little patience to let the curse do its job. you shouldn't be exasperated this much. you brought it all on her you know.'
' I know' I screamed trying to blink back my tears.'And that is why I want to make It right just let me pass through. I've told you I have the Pearl.'
'really touching I must say but not everything done wrong must be righted. they're better staying in the wrong. And for the Pearl my dear, it seems that will no longer be useful to you in thirty minutes from now. '
' stop! why are you doing this ' I yelled defiantly.
' you of all beings shouldn't be asking such questions shell. let's just say we are honking a generational ride to let the present obstacles off the way to tomorrow. such philosophical speech. I think we are running out of speech fuel. Have a good nap'
I tried to give a reply which was impossible. The last thing I saw before the blackout was the blurry image of the soceress before me trailing her fingers down my face.
'Sleep gentle one, sleep' she muttered.
The next time I woke I knew instantly that it was too late. The dark chains were no longer holding me and the soceress was nowhere to be found. perhaps she was pleased to set me free and watch me go do a fools chase. And that was what I did. I stumbled in the dark night not knowing where to steer my direction. I just kept stumbling on rocks, getting gashed by bristles, falling headlong into muds thinking they where rivers and whispering verses of incantations which I thought could help. I didn't know how I arrived but I think the silly soceress guided me on a fast lane to the village. perhaps to drink of the fermented suffering and misery specially prepared for my intake. I stepped into the house. it was all quiet except for my panting and little mutterings I could not process. I followed the sound and arrived at the source. There lay my leto holding out her arms to a patch of bushes in the apparent gesture of an hug. I feared to imagine that it was what I thought.
'shell I was beginning to think that you left me alone. This child of yours will have no hug. such a naughty child.'she perused.
'leto...' I trembled as i called letting the tears fall down my cheeks.
'begginings have such dramatic entrances' a voice unmistakably that of the soceress muttered.
' you caused this. you...damn witch... I'll kill you...'i flared grabbing from behind me what I thought suitable for exterminating a witch.
' common shell you know that'll do me no harm. It seems she'll need to step out of the wayof our progress for now.' the voice of the soceress floated in waves of black smoke ' Leto dear leave the naughty child and come over here' she said appearing before a funnel of dark smoke.
' no... leto. stay where you are. stop this ivy' I screamed at the top of my voice.
' I was beginning to think that you will never make mention of that name. How long will you keep pretending you don't know me? Hasten up dear ' she called. leto was already on her feet moving like she was in a trance to the dark smoke. be fore I could stop her, she was gone vaporized in the funnel like black fog.
'no...'
'this should be easy shell. we could...'
'nothing is easy. I'll not listen to you till you bring her back'
'well then, good thing you realize I could bring her back.i thought we could talk this over. when you've rethought your decision let me know. I'll be waiting. In the meantime let the Earth's torment begin' she said as she spread her hands.
I wasn't able to discern what she meant until I felt the soil tugging at my feet. patches of Earth crawled up my body unleashing searing pain into me. the patches of dust crawled up to my body and thrusted me down. As i was going down, it threw me up again like a mountain breathing out hot volcano. I was frightened and scared. But not just that, I was also angry and agitated. As the dirt ate into my mind I directed my anger towards it and screamed. Dust began to swirl around me with voices whispering
' a curse.. for desecration...feed us from your mind not otherwise'
' let me be...'
'feed us...'
'no...'
'you now belong to us'
'never. ..' I screamed at last with the last strength I possesed
as the dust whirlwind increased as a bright light hitvmy eyes.
'joe, joe wake up' someone said shaking my arms.
'joe...' I muttered opening my eyes. that was my name yes not shell.. this was all a dream. my younger brother stood looking amused at me.
'you reek of dust bro. didn't you had a shower before you slept?' he probed. then I looked at myself. i was literally covered in dust from head to toe.
'oh ...I...okay' i stuttered
'i wanted to get some 'akara' from down the street for breakfast. but ma chigozie said there was a state of emergency.'
' what's happening'i asked with a quintessential look
' I don't really know but Mike told me when he was returning from football practice that it was a natural disaster of some sort. he said it was a tornado' junior shrugged innocently.
that really hit me hard 'tornado?' I asked looking at no one in particular. Not waiting for an answer I jumped into my grey trouser and walked outside bare chested to get some more news if possible. It was unfortunate that our television was spoilt and the repairer asked for a huge some for its repair which we never had. I looked up and down the road to be sure no vehicle was approaching. as i proceeded to cross the road, my trouser felt heavy in the pocket and I dug my hands into it. it came out with a handful of sand. I trembled I the middle of the road. I feared to think that what occurred was more than a dream. Though the idea sounded silly to me, I presumed it got there while I was doing the other days work. What office clerk gets a handful of sand in his pocket really? just as I was striding across the road, the world took a one hundred and eighty degree turn before my eyes. everywhere became blurred as memories of the dream flashed to my mind in random pieces.
'... honking a generational ride to let the...'
'leto no...'
'not everything in the wrong must be put in the right...'
'you belong to us...'
I stumbled and wringed in the middle of the road. with my blurry sight I could see my my brother gesticulating wildly for me to leave the road. I heard screaming from passer-bys and saw a coaster bus driving with high speed towards me.the dust caused by the morning breeze began to form a circle round my feet eating into it's flesh. I screamed...the passer-bys wailed. They screamed 'joe'... my mind screamed 'shell'. I was divided and frustrated.not knowing what to do, I did the natural thing. I screamed louder. the ground shook. dust gathered on the road as the wind veered the bus from the road into a bar. there was more screaming as a tornado enclosed me and I passed out.
WATCH OUT FOR
MAN OF DUST II
subtitled: my visit to the dream cemetery



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