At this moment, everything became so slow as I became the only one with a face. I could feel everything around me with great intensity; this has nothing to do with my ability to hear, though if I wanted to, this was like becoming one with nature, as every sound and every atom of air that made its way in my direction was noticed. As Sani swung his fist towards me, I saw how slow it came and how fast I am, so I intercepted it. I don't know where this reflex came from, but I suddenly developed a strong defensive reflex due to the fact that I became so fast. Yeah, I became faster; nothing became slow; this was something I noticed later. So when he delivered the blow, I held Sani by the hand, and without hesitation, I twisted the hand to his back. I must truly confess that I wasn't fully in control of my actions that day. Though it wasn't like I blacked out like the last time, this time I was aware of everything, but I wasn't in control. It felt like there was this force within me that wanted to teach the boys some lessons. As I twisted his hands to his back, he cried out in pain, so Ojo picked up a big stone from the ground to hit me again, but he was just too slow; he couldn't even get up with the rock I had already intercepted. I left Sani, and I moved very fast, like in the Marvel superhero movies. When I came for Ojo, I disarmed him of the rock in his hand and threw it away. He now fell to the ground, dragging his buttocks on the ground as he begged. Now I shouted at them, saying,
"Leave my side!" As I screamed, I felt my eyes changing, like I was about to transform into something else. When they saw my eyes, they all ran out in tears, screaming like a pregnant hen. When I had that strange feeling like I was transforming, I also got a grip of fear as I remembered the dream I had the previous night, so I tried to hold myself and add a little control to my consciousness. After that, I regained full consciousness and control of myself again. I truly loved the feelings I got at that moment when I saw the boys run for fear; though I could not explain what happened, I definitely loved it, aside from the distinct part where I felt like I was transforming into something I did not know about. Now I understand what the four boys in the east said they saw when I entered the water, but what is the connection between my eyes and the water? And why will I get faster after entering the water? There were thoughts that ran through my cutely folded head as I eased myself. After I'm done easing myself, I come out to meet the Super Cee, who has been waiting for me for what seems like forever already. "What happened? Why did you take that long? Where are you delivering a baby? "We saw Sani and Ojo running out of the same place you went; I hope you are well." Cynthia asked as I came out."Yeah, I met them there." "I only gave them a little scare.""Hmm, I love this; you are a strong man; I love you."Charity said."Hahahaha, long throat, don't just stay on one side first."Cynthia added. And they all laughed, aside from me, who was still thinking about the incident in the restroom.After the toulet incident, we both went to the poolside only to find out that it was already our turn to practice. Almost all the students and most teachers came to watch the new kid swim. I also noticed that Kunle and Bright, who had always enjoyed their competitive feud, suddenly became friends."Wait o, could these guys possibly be having a friendly discussion or a gang up?"Charity asked as she noticed the two boys discussing. Kunle and Bright were actually discussing swimming strategy and how to defeat me. It now appeared to me that even the mighty Merman of the school was scared of challenging me in the finals. He would rather have the likes of Bright and others that he has comfortably defeated three times. They were still discussing the strategy when Sani and Ojo ran to them. "Too bright," they said."Come, I have something to tell you."But Bright, who felt he had found a new friend in Kunle, told his friend to tell him what they had to say in the presence of Kunle. Though Oji tried to persuade Bright to excuse himself so he could hear what they had to say, he insisted that if they must say anything, it should be before Kunle, so they had to break their silence in a churus manner."You must not compete against that demon.""And who is the demon?"Kunle asked."Hahaha, that's what we call the new kid."Bright responded."And as for you two, I'm so disappointed in you guys, so now you are trying to tell me that you have joined the people who think that an albino demon can defeat me." "Seriously, I'm disappointed in you."Bright added."Can you imagine, and you said they were your trusted friends?"Kunle said mockingly."No, Brighto, this is not what you think; we just had an encounter with that evil boy; look at us now, see how dirty we look; that demon dealt with the both of us."Sani said as he showed Bright his dirty body."Mercilessly, he dealt with him mercilessly."Oko added now, excluding himself."You two lazy clowns went to fight that kid despite my warning against it." Now see how you have made a shame of yourself, so you two think that, because you were so lazy that the little Albino devil beat you up, he will also defeat me in swimming? "The both of you must be stupid."Bright said as he expressed his utmost disappointment at his friends."No, Bright, he is too fast; his eyes changed; even his face changed." "Bright, please, this boy is demonic; please forfeit the competition."Oko said."God forbid!" "Now get out of this place."Bright said, looking very angry.They were still there having their little confrontation when we were called to be ready for the swim. Like I said earlier, we were the last to swim that day, and many people crowded to watch us compete.Hastily, I dashed to the poolside restroom, where I swiftly took a shower and changed into my swimsuit. I left the bathroom with an overwhelming sense of fear, looking at the poolside, I realized the weight of expectation upon me; a thronging crowd awaited to witness my performance. The tale of my previous extraordinary swim had spread throughout the school, attracting those who had missed it before. "What if I faltered this time? Would I still be embraced by the same love and admiration?" I asked myself.Among the competitors in the swimming event at my house were Bright, Stanley, Paul, and myself. As we awaited the signal to begin, my heart raced uncontrollably. Lost in my thoughts, I failed to hear when the whistle was blown. Upon seeing my peers plunge into the water, I instinctively made the sign of the cross, a ritual of my Catholic faith, before immersing myself.Once submerged, a familiar sensation enveloped me. Faint strains of music filled my ears, accompanied by an indescri
Possessed By Demons After the Super Cee left with Cynthia, I just sat on the wooden chair, reminiscing about the part where we almost kissed. I reminisced about it nostalgically. I just sat down there smiling on my own.Even though the throng was still there making a hell of a noise, I still heard nothing of their noise. The only word that kept popping up in my head was "I love Damie," and those were her exact last words before Charity and Chinwe stole her away from me.As I sat on my own, having my beautiful nostalgia, I noticed a group of girls who walked past me; they were quite cute and were four in number. The four of them were putting on a very skimpy skirt that revealed their gorgeous thighs; their jacket was unbuttoned, and so was their shirt. Their shirts were not buttoned to the top; hence, their fair boobs were lightly exposed, making it easier to attract the eyes of any healthy man. Those girls were not from SS3, I am sure. They were not, and even though I had yet to kno
Got Carried Away After a few hours, I was at home, lounging in my favorite chair, watching a movie on Sony Max. I had just finished my house chores and was finally enjoying some quiet time when the doorbell rang."Who is there?" I called out."Come on, will you open the door for me?"Wow. That voice. I knew it instantly—it was Cynthia.Without wasting a second, I hurried to the door and swung it open. And there she was, standing with a small tray in her hands. It was neatly covered, but I could already catch the aroma of something fried—probably chin-chin."Can I come in?" she asked, her eyes locking onto mine. I must have looked dazed because I just stood there, frozen in place. I wasn’t expecting her, and damn, she looked gorgeous. With the tray in her hands, she reminded me of a traditional Igbo bride on her wedding day."Oh, please, forgive my manners," I finally said, stepping aside to let her in.She walked straight to the chair and settled down. "What are you watching? And do
Mom and IThat evening, she came home looking exhausted, her face weighed down by the stress of the day. I didn’t need to ask how work went—I could see it in her eyes. Without wasting time, I quickly heated some water for her shower. While she was in the bathroom, I set the table for dinner, making sure everything was perfect. By the time she came out, wrapped in her robe, her face looked a little more relaxed.She walked over to the dining table, eyes scanning the neatly arranged plates. Then, turning to me with a small, grateful smile, she clasped her hands together like she was about to pray.“Thank you,” she said softly.I smiled back. “Oh, come on, Mom. You don’t have to thank me every time.”“What would I do without you, my baby?” she sighed dramatically, shaking her head.That made me blush. My mom never forgets to praise me for even the smallest things I do. And honestly, I love it. Those little words of appreciation make everything worth it.As we started eating, silence didn
Dream About Cynthia"Jesus! What kind of demonic teacher do you people have in that school?" Mom exclaimed. "What will they gain if the kids miss the quiz? Please, help me go drag that sleeping Damian out. The cute Heather is still snoring."I never thought Cynthia would want to come into my room alone after what happened yesterday. But she actually did. One of the main reasons I didn’t want to go to school today was because I was scared to face her after everything. I thought maybe she wouldn’t want to talk to me anymore. So when I realized she was in my room—alone—I was shocked.Even though my eyes were closed, I wasn’t asleep. I was fully aware of my surroundings. I knew when she walked in, but I assumed it was Mom coming to force me out of bed for breakfast like always. To my surprise, it wasn’t her.Cynthia entered the room like she owned the place, walked over, and sat on the bed with her feet still on the floor. Then, out of nowhere, she leaned in and pressed a soft, wet kiss o
Beatrice and the PoemIt was actually funny because just when I was enjoying that dream—the kind of dream I wished was real—Mom came knocking at my door."Damie, it’s dawn! Get yourself washed up and get ready for school."God! I felt like crying. I tried to go back to sleep, hoping I could continue the dream, but it was useless. One thing about good dreams is that they come once, and they never repeat themselves.I sighed, forcing myself out of bed. I hurried through my morning routine, washing up as fast as I could before throwing on my uniform. When I finally stepped into the sitting room, Cynthia was already there, waiting for me. Mom had left while I was still in the bathroom.I couldn’t even bring myself to look Cynthia in the face. After what happened earlier, I felt too embarrassed. Instead, I quickly rushed to the kitchen, grabbed a handful of cookies, and poured myself a cup of tea before heading to the dining table."So, you won’t even call me to join you? What a stingy sou
Spoiled BratIt was a shame, really. Beatrice was so shameless that she couldn’t even pick up on the hint I was giving her."Beatrice, right? This poem is for my girlfriend, Cynthia. I’m sure you know her already." I pushed the paper toward her. "Take a look. Do you think she’ll like it?"I just wanted to piss her off enough to make her leave me alone, but this Beatrice? She was one hell of a stubborn girl."Hmm, well, I don’t see her around," she said with a sly grin. "How about we just add my name in there instead? Yeah, why not? Let’s put my name in the poem. She’ll love that, haha."She spoke sarcastically, then grabbed my hand and placed it on her lap. God! The feeling was something else—her bare lap was so soft. Her skirt was ridiculously short, making everything worse. As if that wasn’t enough, she slowly dragged my hand under her skirt, looking me straight in the eyes with that teasing, mind-messing gaze."Hey! What is wrong with you?" I yanked my hand away immediately, trying
The PoemWhen I unfolded the paper, I gave them the theme of the poem, which was "SORRY." Then I continued with the recitation."Sorry,Do you know that I have been wondering?Yes, I have been wondering what my world would be likeIf I didn't have you in it.Now, it has become a reality that you,Yes, you—my beloved Cynthia—might be mad at me.Come on, Cynthia, you don’t have to be mad at Damian.You know I would never do anything, willingly or unwillingly,That might hurt you.You see, baby,I am looking forward to the future,Hoping you’ll be with me forever.Growing old together, as happy as couples can be.I want to spend the rest of my life making you happy.I might not have truly committed those offenses intentionally,But what else can I do but say sorry?Yes, I am sorry, and I can’t be sorry enough.And I’m sorry for being selfish.I love you completely, with all of my heart.And I will love you forever—Till death do us part... if you will permit it."After I finished recitin
MY HOUSEMASTER"That black magician of a boy, Kunle, always swims with magic," Bright ranted, his voice rising above the murmurs of the crowd. "He only wins because he cheats! There’s this leaf he always chews before a competition—it makes him faster than any normal swimmer. Hahaha! But today, he met his match. He thought he was racing against an ordinary swimmer, but he was up against a true Aqua-being! What an honor it is to be in the same class as you, my prince."His words sounded like the ramblings of someone who had secretly taken too much marijuana. No one paid him any serious attention—except the security personnel. Before he could say anything else, they rushed toward him, grabbed him, and forcefully escorted him out. Where they took him, we didn’t know. Later, we heard he had been taken to a hospital, and rumor had it that he went completely mad on the way there.Well, the celebration continued without him, though his outburst had slightly dulled the excitement. The crowd, w
MY HOUSEMASTER"That black magician of a boy, Kunle, always swims with magic," Bright ranted, his voice rising above the murmurs of the crowd. "He only wins because he cheats! There’s this leaf he always chews before a competition—it makes him faster than any normal swimmer. Hahaha! But today, he met his match. He thought he was racing against an ordinary swimmer, but he was up against a true Aqua-being! What an honor it is to be in the same class as you, my prince."His words sounded like the ramblings of someone who had secretly taken too much marijuana. No one paid him any serious attention—except the security personnel. Before he could say anything else, they rushed toward him, grabbed him, and forcefully escorted him out. Where they took him, we didn’t know. Later, we heard he had been taken to a hospital, and rumor had it that he went completely mad on the way there.Well, the celebration continued without him, though his outburst had slightly dulled the excitement. The crowd, w
MY HOUSEMASTER"That black magician of a boy, Kunle, always swims with magic," Bright ranted, his voice rising above the murmurs of the crowd. "He only wins because he cheats! There’s this leaf he always chews before a competition—it makes him faster than any normal swimmer. Hahaha! But today, he met his match. He thought he was racing against an ordinary swimmer, but he was up against a true Aqua-being! What an honor it is to be in the same class as you, my prince."His words sounded like the ramblings of someone who had secretly taken too much marijuana. No one paid him any serious attention—except the security personnel. Before he could say anything else, they rushed toward him, grabbed him, and forcefully escorted him out. Where they took him, we didn’t know. Later, we heard he had been taken to a hospital, and rumor had it that he went completely mad on the way there.Well, the celebration continued without him, though his outburst had slightly dulled the excitement. The crowd, w
The Siren SpellThe moment I moved, an incredible force propelled me forward. It was so fast that I almost slammed into the pool wall. Before I even understood what was happening, I had already reached the far end. As I surfaced, the crowd erupted into cheers, their voices echoing through the arena.“What just happened?” someone gasped. “He was right here a second ago! How did he move that fast?”Journalists, who had come to cover the competition, stared in shock. They had expected an ordinary school event, not something that defied logic.By the time I reached the last side of the pool, Kunle was still in the middle, racing toward the finish line with the other swimmers struggling behind him. He turned his head, probably wondering what had caused the sudden commotion, and when he saw me at the end, his expression froze.His face twisted with shock, fear, and something else—pure disbelief. It was as if he had just swallowed something unbearably bitter. He couldn’t believe it—I had esc
THE CONTESTThe principal gave his opening speech, and soon after, the event officially began. The MC took the stage, flipping through his agenda booklet as he organized and coordinated the activities lined up for the day. He was a funny man, always cracking jokes that kept the crowd entertained. His humor added an extra spark to the event, making the whole show even more enjoyable.It was a massive gathering. Every student in the school was present, and many parents had also come to watch. But my mom—and Cynthia’s parents—were among the few who didn’t attend.My housemaster, always speaking in that overly polished way of his, asked why my mom wasn’t there to see me swim. I simply told him she had an urgent situation to handle. He didn’t seem fully convinced, but he let it go. To be honest, I barely understood half the words he used, but I nodded along anyway, pretending I did.Back at the poolside, we were all dressed in our swimming gear, waiting for the contest to start. That was w
The Mad Powder"Like seriously, your swimming skills are something else. I’ve never seen or heard of a swimmer like you, not even in the Olympics. Honey, you are the best! Can’t you see them gathering over there? They’re scared of you, yet you’re here, feeling scared of them? That’s hilarious.""Listen, love, we’ve watched Kunle swim, and we all know he’s not on your level. After seeing you in the water, it’s obvious. And mind you, this isn’t just my opinion—I overheard some students saying that even the principal called you our new Merman. If the principal, who is supposed to be neutral, could say that, then what do you think your odds are against Kunle?" Cynthia said.I won’t lie, I heard the principal say it too. He said that a new Merman had emerged. His words sent a wave of confidence rushing through me.We were still talking when Bright strolled toward us, his face twisted like someone carrying the weight of guilt. His shoulders slumped, head tilted downward, as if he wanted to
MOTIVATIONS"You don’t understand, do you? If he loses, he’ll be disgraced and humiliated just like you were the other day. Or are you pretending not to know?" Kunle said, narrowing his eyes at Bright.Bright shifted uncomfortably but said nothing.Kunle smirked. "And besides, you’re the perfect person for this job. You can easily walk up to him and pretend you’re sorry. Act a little dramatic while apologizing. Make it look real—beg for his forgiveness, act like you regret the way you’ve treated him. Just follow my instructions exactly, and boom! Once you tap him on the back with the powdered hand, leave the rest to the demons."Bright flinched immediately. "Ah! Demons?" His face twisted in fear.Kunle rolled his eyes. "Listen to me carefully," he said in a low, serious tone. "My grandfather was the chief priest of Oshun, the water goddess. Swimming runs in our blood—we move through water like fish. But this powder… this is something different. This is bait. Once it's on someone’s ski
The Evil PlanThe school was nearly deserted when we arrived, with only a few students loitering around and a handful of technicians working by the poolside, preparing for the upcoming swimming competition. The silence in the air made the place feel almost eerie, like something was brewing beneath the surface.But that peace didn’t last long.As we made our way across the school grounds, we ran into Bright and his crew. They were gathered in a tight circle, talking in hushed voices, clearly deep in conversation. Their backs were slightly hunched, their heads close together, like they were plotting something. Whatever it was, we had no idea. At least, not yet.A little further down, Kunle and his gang were standing in another corner, but something about the way they were positioned struck me as odd. It wasn’t just a casual meetup. No laughter, no playful shoving—just serious faces and suspicious glances.That’s when I realized both groups had gathered in the same spot. And judging from
Breakfast with MomI woke Mom up earlier than usual, and she looked at me with surprise. I could tell she wasn’t expecting me to be up so early, and to be honest, I wasn’t either. It wasn’t like me to wake up at this time, especially not with this kind of energy. But the strangest part? I didn’t feel that familiar wave of fear—the one that had haunted me every morning since I learned about the swimming competition.Mom and I made breakfast together before heading to bathe. We decided on scrambled eggs, paired with slices of bread and a steaming cup of tea. After getting ready, I still had plenty of time left before breakfast. I didn’t want to wait for Mom, though. She was still in front of the mirror, applying her makeup, so I went ahead and took my seat at the dining table.She noticed how fast I was moving and gave me a curious look."Damian, what's going on at school today?" she asked. "I don’t understand this sudden change in behavior."I knew she was wondering why I was in such a