Season 2, Episode 6: “The Reversal”

 “The Reversal”

The night settled in Obiora's home with an eerie silence. Aunty Amina, seated in a dimly lit corner of the living room, held a thick bundle of dried ancestral leaves close to her heart. Something in her spirit whispered a warning. Her instincts, forged through years of spiritual attunement, told her she had become the target of a dark ritual. Without hesitation, she lit a small fire in the backyard and began a powerful counter-incantation, drawing ancient protective symbols into the air as she chanted:

“Ase edumare, arugbo ojo! Fi ina re run ota mi. To ba se iku won rò fun mi, ki iku bo won ni afẹfẹ.”

(Oh Ancient of Days! Let Your fire consume my enemies. If they plotted death for me, may death chase them in the wind.)

As the leaves crackled in the flame, a gust of wind swept through the compound. Her body trembled confirmation. The attack was real. And the spirits had answered her call.

Meanwhile in the village…

Chukwuamaka and Ada stepped out of Nana’s shrine. The ritual had ended moments ago with laughter and eerie celebration. But as soon as Chukwuamaka's feet touched the road, her knees buckled. She leaned against a broken tree, her breathing heavy and erratic.

“Chukwuamaka?!” Ada rushed to her side, panic etched across her face.

“I feel weak… dizzy… I don’t know…” Chukwuamaka gasped, her eyelids drooping.

Ada, herself shaken, knew something had gone wrong. The spiritualist’s last words echoed in her mind:

“It is done. But be warned, the one who digs a grave may fall into it first.”

Chukwuamaka could barely stand. Her head throbbed. Ada flagged a passing motorcycle, and the rider agreed to help them reach the main park. Ada held onto her friend tightly, whispering silent prayers.

Back at Chukwuamaka’s family home…

Her mother saw the two girls arrive and immediately dashed out, throwing her wrapper over her shoulder.

“Ahn! What happened to my daughter?!” she shouted, voice trembling.

Ada, scrambling for words, replied hastily,

“She just arrived from the city… called me to pick her up… she said she was hungry and collapsed.”

Her mother ushered her inside, placing her gently on the bed. She moved like a hurricane through the kitchen to prepare soup, muttering spiritual words under her breath.

Just then, her husband, Pastor Nwoke, entered the house. One look at Chukwuamaka on the bed, and Ada fidgeting nearby was all he needed.

“There is more to this than hunger,” he said firmly. “Ada… speak. What happened before this?”

Ada’s lips quivered. “Daddy… I can’t say. Not now…”

Pastor Nwoke knelt by his daughter’s side. He closed his eyes and prayed silently.

“Every evil arrow, go back to your sender. Holy fire, expose and scatter.”

Back at Obiora’s house…

Aunty Amina poured what remained of the herbs into a bowl. She took a white cloth, tied it around her head, and spoke solemnly:

“Let this battle be fought by the gods. I am only the vessel. Return what was sent to me sevenfold.”

She took the ashes from the burnt leaves and blew them into the air.

A heavy silence descended. The lights flickered briefly.

Unknown to Chukwuamaka…

The spell meant to silence and blind Aunty Amina had not only been reversed, but doubled in force.

Back in the village, Chukwuamaka, asleep in her room, let out a sudden loud cry and clutched her stomach. Her eyes widened in pain. Her hands trembled. Her mother rushed in.

“Jesus! What is it now?!”

No words. Just screams.

Her father stood at the door, eyes narrowed. He knew.

“The sins of the heart cannot be hidden from the spirit. She has done something evil.”

And miles away, Rev Kukpeje, at the altar of his church, felt a tremor in his soul. He paused mid-sermon and held the pulpit.

“What’s this weight I feel…?” he whispered.

Something dark had shifted. The chain of consequences had begun.

TO BE CONTINUED...

Story by Kobby Talesnovella