VI

I felt the onset of tears, my eyes clouded, just a single breath and I would be a wailing mess, but I could not for I felt it, the cold, the searing pain that possessed my body, the fear that he and only he could awaken, his touch, his whispers, painful, poisonous, addictive. A terrible kind of addiction, so, I stood, and expected his words, words that spelt doom, a velvety voice that foretold misery, " What are you waiting for? Your family has been exterminated by you, eviscerated by you, even beloved Ada. Your mother is the only one left, what is one more death. She hates you, do you really think she would protect you in the face of the law. She is your Nne, but that does not mean she supports your actions. Just kill her, rid her of the pain that consumes her soul." His voice, breathy and faint as it was, sounded like trumpets in my head, cold, direct and exact, no hesitation. An ever rising fire ignited within me, a fire of which I was powerless to, but then, his voice, heavenly, a voice which held me, a voice I obsessed over, and then, it hit me, really hit me, Dike, beautiful Dike. A torrent of emotions hit me, hate, pain, anger, shame, all directed at me from me, but soon enough, I froze, I had lost the privilege to own my being, he now dominated, dominated my thoughts, my words, my being. And I felt him, all of him, but not around me, within me, and soon enough, my body was not mine, it was his, all his. THe darkness slowly seeped out of my eyes, but now, there were two corpses, both, headless. Innards lay on the floor, and their heads , they lay in a corner. And I could still see it, the hatred still lay intact in Nne's eyes. Flustered, sad, and angsty, the memory faded, and I awoke from my reverie, but now, I was really awake, not preserved by the ever flying cherubs that fluttered around me, no my eyes were open, and with them, I saw Dike, and within his eyes lay a selfishness, one aided by a cold and calculating persona, a persona perfected with time, a being hidden, masked by a beauty, a celestial beauty. But now, he was a monster, the worst kind, hidden behind layers of vanity, yet, the worst kind. But, I did not run, cause there was no point, but I left, walked out like a queen, a queen whose soul had been shredded to pieces.

But now, I knew me, I knew my origin, I knew my undoing, for now, I had my memories, terrible memories, questions were now irrelevant. And for once, I appreciated the grace bestowed on me, for in that moment, ignorance was bliss. But now, the veil had been lifted, the spell had been broken. And now, I understand why my home was named Nemesis, it is our retribution. Punishment for our past actions, a suffering I both did and did not deserve, but then, we cannot change the past, but, regardless, I wish I had not been so stupid.