The Past.
Three years ago
19th December 2016.

There are situations in our lives that forever shape who we are going to be for the rest of our lives. Sometimes they're known, other times, they're not. Sometimes they're happy and good, but there are times they are just sad and traumatic and the pain never goes away — not even with time.

For Nia Afriyie, growing up with these bitter memories had shaped her life and the kind of young adult she had become. There were a lot of things she didn't know yet and if a soothsayer were to reveal part of her future to her, she wouldn't at any point doubt that she got to that point in her life. With the kind of experiences she has had even in her young life, she was eventually leading to a dark and tragic path.

After all, our past experiences do define us.

***

Watching Nia Afriyie enter the bar was like watching her mother enter some eighteen years ago. She didn't look any different from her. She had a close resemblance with her mother. One could easily confuse her to be a reincarnation of her mother. From the dark ebony skin to the shape of her eyes to the shape of her lips and even the nose. Everything.

She wore a short-sleeve blouse with a simple African print high gathered waist skirt with a pair of shoes to complement it. Nothing fancy. Her short, black hair was made in cornrow braids. Kukua, standing gleefully beside her, wore a medium-length dress and a pair of short boots that didn't quite work well with her outfit but who was checking? She also had her hair braided in cornrows.

The Wild Street Ale House didn't look any different either.

It was, as usual, filled with a lot of people but this time because of the pre-Christmas festivities, there were more people than usual.

As always, most of these people in the bar were students. The Kolontou University of Science and Technology was breaking the next day for the Christmas holidays which made tonight the last fun the students could have especially those who weren't from Abikiali or those who didn't have as much freedom when they returned home on holidays. Everyone was there.

Anaya shuddered when they were fully inside the bar. Her eyes scanned the place to and fro as a sudden frown warped her regal figure. There was something about how young girls like herself or older were drinking alcohol, dancing with boys and doing all sorts of things that didn't settle well with her. She began to regret her decision of joining Kukua there that very second. Although they were done with high school and were awaiting their results before they could enter the University, Nia Afriyie felt it wasn't their place to mingle with the university students. Not just yet. Especially, in places like that.

She wasn't ready to stay.

"Kuks, I-" she turned to share her discomfort with her friend but she had already hit the dance floor. She could only see her whizzle through the crowd.

"Yeah, right! Typical Kukua." A sigh left her lips and streamed in the air. She resorted to making her way out without her friend but was stopped in her tracks by a guy, a bit older than her and almost empty glass of beer in his hand and a bit drunk.

"Hey, beautiful" his manly voice rippled through the loud music that filled the space.

"What? Um, sorry, it's just – uh... kinda loud in here!"

"I said hey beautiful."

Yeah! I heard that the first time! I wasn't asking you to repeat it! She thought.

"It's hard to hear you. So I will just-" she tried to walk past him but he moved to block the path.

"I want to make love to you, babe. You geh what ah mean?" He moved closer to her. Closer, in the most uncomfortable way.

"Leave me alone. I am not interested!" she exclaimed, a bit shaken but he held her arm before she knew it.

"Now, that's a really nasty attitude you got there, young lady." he pressed.

Nia Afriyie yanked his hand from her arm and hurried into the intoxicated crowd on the dance floor hoping she would manage to get him off her tail. But that was her wishful thinking. He followed her.

She made her way out of the crowd and headed to the bathroom when she felt the coast was clear. The bathroom was not far from where she stood.

In there, she just stood in front of the mirror, looking at herself, not blinking nor breathing. She stared at herself trying to convince herself she was alright. Many might feel having a guy make advances on you at a bar wasn't that much of a big deal, but it was to her. She didn't quite know why though.

After a minute or two being in there, she walked out of the bathroom, took a few steps forward then she bumped into him. Again.

Yeah, right! There is no escaping him, is it?

"I just want to talk, you know? You are beautiful don't be-"

"Is it so hard for you to understand?" She cut in. "Leave me alone!" She hissed.

There was a sudden growth of tension in her face and limbs, her mind replaying all the things that could go wrong with her alone in there with him. Her breathing became more rapid. The speed of her heartbeats intensified. She could feel her heart hammering inside her chest like it wanted to escape its cages.

"Look..." he began and took a step further towards Nia Afriyie, "...we all know why girls like you walk into a place like this each night. Stop acting like a bitch and let's get this over with." He managed to push her against the wall.

He caressed her arm again and this time was ready to do more touching.

Her breathing became more rapid as she tried to maintain her calm. There was an unexpected change in her eyes. The blacks in them turned to white and bright. As white as the morning cloud and as bright as a floodlight on a pitch-black stadium. They flickered with indignation and fury which made Nia Afriyie look both glorious and terrifying.

What was she?

He shuddered and wiggled his way to escape but before he could make any move, Nia Afriyie held out his hand.

Pulsing from her fingertips was another strange, bright light — just like the one in her eyes but this was bigger and hotter. It was so hot it burnt his skin as if fire, red, hot fire, had been poured upon his flesh.

Without any further considerations, She turned around and pushed him hard against the wall — the very wall she was against a second ago. He winced at the throbbing pain that shot through his back when he hit the wall.

She felt a sudden spurt of energy in her hands. She wanted to stop herself but she couldn't. It was if her hands and mind were being moved in motion by forces she couldn't fight against. This wasn't her. She wasn't violent.

"Ok...I am sorry...please don't kill me...I...I..." he quivered at the sound of each word. She could feel the fear in his voice and was ready to let go but she couldn't. It was like there was part of her that wanted him dead.

The light became brighter each second until it struck him down into a fetal position. He shrieked once and said nothing again...

He lay there lifeless and maimed right in front of her.

Nia Afriyie clenched her fist, her nails digging into her palms.

"This isn't supposed to happen. I'm not supposed to have this---" She mumbled with trembling hands as her eyes gleamed with tears. "What have I done?" She cried.

Her first impulse was to run and she did just that or at least, tried to. She waddled through the unsuspecting crowd trying so hard not to give anything away but deep down, she was losing it. She couldn't keep her mind from thinking about what had happened.

She was almost out of the bar when Kukua called her from behind.

"Nia! Girl, where have you be---Wait. Are you okay?"

"I...I...think I killed someone. I don't know what it is but I didn't mean to...I...I..." Tears streamed down her cheeks, the teeth in her mouth chattered together relentlessly and uncontrollably, and she couldn't stop herself from shaking.

"Wait. What? You did what?" That wasn't a reaction you would expect from someone hearing a confession of the sort but again, you wouldn't know what you are to expect with Kukua. "Calm down, Nia. Calm down." She held Nia Afriyie tightly to her bosom.

***

It was first an itch — an uncomfortable, irritating sensation that made him want to scratch his forearm so bad. He pulled up the sleeve of his right arm, revealing a tattoo of Two serpents intertwined in the middle of Circle of thorns. He began scratching the surface of the tattoo where the itch dwelled. The itching sensation slowly turned into a burning sensation. He could feel the flesh under his skin burn, then there was a sudden surge of flame from the thorny circle around the serpents on his forearm. It burnt like wildfire for twenty seconds at most then it disappeared nearly as suddenly as it had appeared leaving in its place a blister.

He muffled as he tried to reach his phone, trying so hard not to make any sound to call attention to himself. He dialled a number when he got his hands on the phone and waited for the person on the other side to pick.

A quick "hello?" shot through the phone seconds after.

"Hello?" He replied. "Did you feel it? Did you feel it too? I think a LightBlood has awoken."

***
Who is this mysterious new guy with a strange tattoo?
Any guesses?

***

Chapter proofread by JellyJam_s and edited by RubaiaMQ