It was a very hot noon, just like a vendetta, the scorching sun raged down on earth with strong, harsh, and aggressive rays which it rained upon earth's way, causing all living things to run for shelter, even the trees wished they had a means of running for a cover. Even the breeze which blew was almost as hot as the steam blown out of volcanic rock. This was the kind of weather that can cause the blood in one's bloodstream to boil like water in a cooker and can also cause the hair in one's back to stand up and tangle. Under the hot illuminating atmosphere was a young teenage boy who ran helter-skelter like someone on a life-saving mission. Yes, that teenage boy was me, aha... He "was" me because I have transformed into something different right now. I am Demian, yes, Demian, what a name right? Well, I guess mom gave me that name basically because she felt it rhymes with the name "demon". Why will mom search for a name that rhymes with "demon" to name her only child? Well, you will soon find out. I was actually what you will describe as handsome, and tall, with a complexion that somehow looked like a fine mixture of milk, honey, and cocoa, I somehow Look like a Latino. I had this straight short gold-coloured hair which almost made me look like a pure white boy and those blue-coloured eyes of mine which many guys found intimidating. Many of my unfriendly colleagues had always said or tried to convince themselves that I had my hair tinted.
"It is not possible for a Nigerian boy to have gold-coloured hair and husky blue eyes." "He is even wearing a contact, that boy can't cease to amaze me." So they often said.Ok, why did mom give me a name that rhymed with a demon? Well, this is because I was the result of the encounter between She and a mysterious waterman from Elegushi beach. Mom had tried all means to get rid of me, which she called an abomination, but all efforts resulted in null until she was left with no other option but to keep me, the demon hybrid. It all started weeks after the dreadful experience, the picture and fear were still fresh in her mind when she started feeling strangely weak and then vomiting followed. At first, mom thought she had contracted a deadly disease from the waterman, she was so scared that she thought every night would be her last. As if it wasn't bad enough that she mated with a "devil" as she prefers to call dad... She took in for him. "What have I done to myself?" So she asked herself. Mom fell into deep trauma she tried different drugs for abortion but the little bump paid attention to no drugs, stubbornly, right? She later decided that death was the answer. "How can I bring to Earth such a demon?" So she said to herself.She mixed up some rodenticide which she got from a popular dealer known as "E dey worry you?" Instead of mom dying, or even losing the creepy little me to the mixture, she only suffered severe pain as a punishment for her action. She later decided to keep the pregnancy and leave Lagos. "I must leave Lagos, I must go far away, far from Elegushi, far from that Devil! He must not know about my baby. I will raise it, no matter what it turned out to be." That was what she said as she packed her bags and all her belongings and fled from Lagos where her trouble resides. She had to leave, she has to go far away from where the water demon can smell no aura of hers. Hmm... I think I know you guys will be wondering who or what this mysterious waterman is, well, I guess I should take you guys on a little dive into the past, and let you have an idea of how it all began.Well, it all started one less blessed evening. It was sunset, the sky was the sea of Elegushi as the stars and the moon reflected on the body of water. Calm and peaceful was the beach, cold and embracing breeze hovering around the surface like a wandering spirit. Through the coconut trees and the serene seashore of Elegushi was a soft melodious cry of a lady, my mother. She was laying on the sandy shore facing up staring at the magnificent sky which was decorated with stars that twinkled in the silvery night. Mother was a beauty to behold, a definition of Ebony beauty. Her skin was infused with rich melanin, shining and glittering under the half-moon, and her plumpy lips echoed a sweet melodious cry, which almost sounded like a sweet a cappella song, the span of her hip was so wide, you can see the blueprint as she lay on the sandy surface. Her name was Jennifer. "Why Matthew? Why?" She cried in a soft tone, sniffing like a crybaby. "How can you do this to me? Why must u break my heart to this extent?"Matthew was her boyfriend, or maybe I should use the word ex, or ex-fiancee as she prefers to refer to him. His name was Matthew, but sometimes he preferred being called by the Name Mark. They were been in a relationship for quite a long time. They met each other in college during their fourth semester. Matthew did Business Administration and Management, while she studied Accountancy. They usually met when they have some combined courses. They dated all their remaining days in school, and their mutual friends especially aunty Rachael called them love birds. They dated after school, and they kept the energy going, although distance became a threat to their relationship, Matthew had to go to Abuja where his family home was, while she went to Lagos."Distance is never a barrier" So she always told her friends. During the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), they often visited each other.Even after service mom still kept her love for Matthew strong. It was three years after school, and the love birds are already working class when Mark wrecked and jumped out of the ship into another leaving mom in the wrecked ship unwarned. He doesn't love her anymore, he was going to marry someone else the next month December.He called her while she was at the office to give her the heart-disturbing news, she never believed him, she thought he was only playing his usual prank. "Call me back when you have something to say." So she said to him.It finally became apparent to her that he was serious after she saw his post on F******k where he was publicly inviting friends, both old and new to his wedding by December. It was no one else but her best friend parrot of a friend, aunty Rachael, who asked her to go online and see what Mark posted.She cried, grabbing and squeezing sand from the shore, gnashing her teeth, giving the look of a venomous viper. Love had just kicked her in the face: Mark had taken his leave, his umbrella, and her heart with him. "To the extent of posting the invitation of your wedding with another girl on F******k, even before officially breaking up with me."She wept as she scrubs her feet against the sandy shore. "You hurt me, Mark, you did, and I'll never forgive you." She said as a tributary of tears ran down to the sandy ground through her eyes and down her ears.As the horizon closes: the breeze increased, and wave and current also did. The sea washed the bank, softly climbing towards her feet. The wave echoed, almost like it said a word, the water caressed her legs like to say: 'the water had hands'. The sea now appeared like it began where the cloud drifted, enfolding the hills with thick moisture, the water ran wild dancing like an excited child. The vibration from the waves was like the wild dreams of a prisoner longing for freedom. The wave was so close to her that as they broke, drops of spray ran down her face. "Go ahead! Wash me down, take me with you, I've got no reason to stay alive, the man I love just left me for a new girl who he will soon be calling his wife, so feel free, feel free to wash me down with you, I'm so tired of life, I don't want to continue like this, I can't do this no more, so please take me with you." So she said to the wild running wave which threatened to wash her down by washing up her leg position. In no time the wild running wave, the current, the breeze, and the splashing all became calm. The current, the pulse, the flow, now so slow, soft and mild, speaking to her emotions, whispering things only love could comprehend, she found herself cuddling with the gentle caressing sea breeze.Now mom felt comfort like she was in the arm of a man, but just as she was about to get too comfortable with the romantic and sensual aura from the beach, she heard this startling deep voice saying: "What troubles you?" The voice echoed from above her head. The voice was very deep but mild, sounding like a cocktail of the roar of a lion and the gentle rush of the sea. Goosebumps rash her immediately, with her hair all erect, her eyes wide open and round. "what could make a beauty as you cry?"The voice said. "Hey! Do you want to give me a heart attack?" She asked as she looked up to see the man with the voice. The man was handsomely built, and his complexion was like a cocktail of milk and honey blended with rich cocoa, he was very tall and had a long straight gold-coloured mane. He was bare-chested, water dripped from his wet hair down his broad puffed chest, and sweet hair lined from his chest down his lower abdomen through his cracked belly which appeared like finely placed ti
"So, Mr Aquabeing, what do you seek for on land? Tell me, what brought you here? Or are you missing your way? And why are you with legs like a land walker? Hahaha" Mom asked dad in a teasing manner with her left hand on her flowing dark mane, and her other hand on the bare part of her lap. Her black miniskirt had pulled up slightly due to her sitting position, with her eyes still stuck to the bare chest of daddy, she also sat in a way that her massive bumps trust up high and bold enough to catch the attention of any healthy male. "I heard you cry from the deep blue, and I couldn't float seeing a fine art as you cry. I'm meant to understand that one Matthew broke your delicate heart, so I'm here... To mend it."Dad who is still a stranger said, this time he used both hands to hold her cheeks, raising her face so that their eyes can meet, he stared deep into her eyes causing her to quiver. Ok, now I'll like to warn you that I'm about to expose things that might be a little too sensual
Both mom and dad breathing hard and fast like a sprinter after a long-mile race. Yeah! This was the act that caused my existence, though mom thought this to be a mistake, I still thanked God for that day, cause it was the day that I was conceived. Mom now faced up looking at the twinkling stars, she now regretted her actions, mom was not as erratic as you think, it's almost impossible to resist the sexual advancements of my kind. 'Regrets are like hens, they have come home to roost.' She became ashamed of herself, she can't believe what she had done, and she wished she can undo her action, she just had unprotected sex with a total stranger. 'Matthew, see what you have caused, see what you made me do.' She said in her mind. All of a sudden the sea started rumbling again, causing a wash on the shore. "I'm needed back home, beautiful land walker... Sorry! Jennifer." Dad said jumping up, he walked towards the sea butt naked. "Enough of this joke, it's no longer funny." She said as she
Ok, let's come back to the present, I guess you now understand mom's reason for calling me Demian, a name that rhymes with a demon. Well, it's true, I'm Damian, a hybrid of mom a beautiful human lady, and Dad, a seductive Akwa-being, and a Sea King, I guess that made me an Aqua-prince, and yes this is the story of my life.I ran so fast jumping over obstacles like a sprinter in a huddle race, dodging some branches of trees as I ran through a bush path, I ran so fast only to stop in front of a small stream. There was a plank placed in form of a bridge to aid crossers to cross comfortably. As I got to the stream my expression changed, I wished that I knew any other way, but there was none known to me, I have to cross the stream if I must get to my destination. I used to be too scared of water, I believe that I have water allergies. I closed my eyes, spread my arms, folded my fist, and squeezed hard as I slowly managed to cross the local bridge. Immediately I crossed the stream and conti
"Aha! Finally, you are out, now where is that violent bastard son of yours? I said where is he? Bring him out!"A furiously looking woman, the woman was visibly angry as her rage could be sensed from miles away, everyone, not excluding me thought she was a madwoman who accidentally wandered into our compound. But behind the woman were the four bullies, they stood behind her all in plasters and bandages tied to different parts of their bodies. "Can you see what your violent son did to my boy and nephews? Have you seen it? No, just look at them, see for yourself." She said pointing at the one with a broken arm. It was boy two, I could hardly recognize him with all those bandages, he made this funny face of pain as he tried to raise the broken hand, the hand was hung to his neck, I could almost say broken arm suites him a whole lot."Now listen and listen very clearly, you may call me any name of ur choice, I don't care, but never you dare call my Damie names. You better restrict your
Weeks later, my mom and I hit the road, we embarked on the journey to Abuja. It was quite an adventure, as usual, I was the topic of the day, and many of the passengers just sat there and stare at me like they haven't seen a cute kid before. Many of them even gossiped about me to my face. Well, we arrived in Abuja pretty late, we were lucky, if not mom's old school friend aunt Paulina, who aided us to our new apartment. We embarked on the journey on Friday morning, the journey was not an easy one, poor me, I never liked the long journey, I felt sick all through the bus, and I kept vomiting even though my mom tried all she could to make him feel better. Aunt Paulina and mom had been best of friends since college. Aunty Paulina was the gossip who made it apparent to my mother that Mr Matthew was going to marry another lady.Aunty Paulina had always thought that I was Mr Matthew's son even though her best friend who happened to be my mom had always insisted on the opposite. The truth came
One week later, my mom took me to the school on a public vehicle for my registration into the new school, the same school as Cynthia. Yeah, went on a public vehicle, mom was yet to bring down her car from the east down to Abuja. Mom would have driven us to Abuja by herself if she had more confidence or believed in herself a little bit more, so, because she thinks she can't drive that long distance and also that she was not conversant with the route, so, for that, she had to make us use the public bus. But she said in due time she will send for our car.It was a beautiful Monday morning, mom looked extremely beautiful in her corporate black dress, and her wig was also a beautiful one. It was the same school as Cynthia, the same school aunty Paula had recommended to mom. The name of the school was Ambassadors of Wisdom International School (AWIS).Ambassadors Of Wisdom International School (AWIS) was one of the best, most recognized, and most expensive schools in Maitama Abuja. The scho
I felt more comfortable on my first day in this school than in my other schools where it took me more time to make friends, which was mainly a result of the fact that guys hate me at first sight of me. But things are different at this school because I already had a friend before I even started. Cynthia made sure I was comfortable, Cynthia's friends were amazed at the colour of his eyes and hair, they argued about them being fake, and they all touched and played with my hair. Hmm... I kinda felt like a celebrity, with the way people look at me and the way Cynthia's boyfriend flirted with me."He's such a cutie! I'd like to go on a date with him. A friend of Cynthia said. "He won't ask you out, madam!" Cynthia swiftly intercepted the speech of her friend. She had just realized how handsome and precious I am, at least her friends' demeanour had opened her eyes to see me as I wanted her to see me. She can actually show him off to her friends as her boyfriend, or so she thought. On the
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