Aurora's Pov
As we drove home, i couldn't help but feel like a coward. How could I have trusted him? I was really scared, my body was shaking abit and I couldn't concentrate on driving
"Are you sure you're okay, you look pale" Aron said as he kept looking at me
"Yeah I'm fine, just feeling stressed out" i said
"Hmmm, fine. But if you need someone to talk to, just know I'm always here. It's the least I can do after all you've done for me" he said and then faced the window
I couldn't help but feel warm inside as he said that. I took a quick glance at him and just smiled
"Thanks"
"You're welcome"
We both kept quiet while I continued driving. The highway was unusually quiet, there was no car passing by and no sign of human beings on the road.
"The road is so quiet today" Aron said reading my mind
"Yeah, maybe government curfew or something? We should get home quickly" i said and increased my driving speed
We zoomed past a Crunchies Restaurant that had been bombed and I couldn't help but feel strange, like something bad was about to happen. I decreased the car speed and started driving slowly, Aron just stared at me
"What's wrong?" He said worriedly
"I feel..."
I was interrupted by the sound of yells, cries and screams coming from the road ahead. We both looked at each other worriedly
"Can you hear that?" I asked feeling scared
"Yeah" Aron said looking at the road
The yellings started getting closer and i could finally see a huge crowd of people running towards our direction. Some were falling on the ground, while others looked pale as if they've been poisoned or something
"What's going on?!" I panicked
"I don't know but we need to leave the road now!" Aron said
I quickly reversed the car towards a road on the left and parked it away from the crowd. I watched as people coughed up blood and fell on the ground
"The purple Lagoon" i whispered shaking "Aron lower your head so they won't see us"
Aron nodded and we both lowered our head so one would see us.
The crowd was still screaming while running and I could feel the car shaking as a result of their stampede. Soon i started hearing helicopters sound, i lifted my head a bit to see masked people shooting smoke bombs from the helicopter towards the crowd, but instead of white, the smoke was dark green. As soon as the smoke bomb exploded on the crowd, they yelled and ran faster
"Toxins?" I muttered
"What?" Aron looked at me
"They're shooting toxins at the people, do you have any handkerchief or something?"
He nodded and quickly brought out two white handkies. I quickly covered my nose with it while Aron did the same
"Help us!" The crowd screamed
Cries!
"We need to leave here now. But we can't use the car before the gang sees us" i whispered
Aron nodded
We both gently opened the door and creeped out of the car. The crowd was still running, i quickly grabbed Aron and raced towards the abandoned Crunchies Restaurant.
The helicopter was still shooting the smoke bombs at the people, everyone was either collapsing or running for their lives. I looked behind me to see the crowd trampling on a young boy
"Mommy help" the little boy cried
No one had time to save him, my heart broke cause I couldn't even save him. I just turned away and ran for the building. We finally reached the building, i dashed inside and blocked the door with a plank so no one could get in. Some people were banging on the door, begging us to open it. But i knew if I let them in, they may just infect us with whatever the purple Lagoon sprayed them.
Tears rolled down my cheeks as I watched the crowd helplessly. Aron grabbed me and rushed into an inner dark room where the gang or crowd couldn't see us. I collapsed on the floor of the room crying
"Keep quiet, they might find us here" Aron said
I just looked up
"I'm tired. I'm tired of seeing dead bodies. I couldn't even save that young boy"
"Don't blame yourself" he said looking at me in pity "we'll stay here till they leave"
I just nodded and wiped my tears.
Aron walked over and sat beside me, i unconsciously laid my head on his shoulder for comfort.
"Sorry" i said once I realised what I just did
"No it's fine, i don't mind" he said placing my head back on his shoulder "you're going through alot"
"Everyone is" i muttered
The screams from outside continued while we both kept quiet 🤐
*****
Meanwhile
Author's pov
As the city wreaked once more in chaos, mon'itei was in the control room at the village watching everything that was happening. Phase 2 had already started and he was very happy. Luka the witch doctor was standing behind him
"Phase 2 has begun. I'm sure Martin will be shaking in his office by now" mon'itei smiled
"Great leader, if I may ask. What exactly is phase 2?" Luka asked
"Do you see those green smokes on the screen?"
Luka nodded "i do"
"Good. That's phase 2, that green gas you see is a very dangerous toxin. Once anyone breaths it, they either die or go into coma depending on how concentrated the gas is"
Luka nodded impressed
"What you see now is just a mild form of the toxin, it doesn't kill but it will cripple the city of Lagos temporarily. I just want to scare them a bit"
Luka smiled
"So when shall we release the main toxin" he asked
"Very soon" mon'itei smiled
One of the men entered through the door and bowed
"Mon'itei, the job has been done. We've infected the city's water supply with the toxin and our men have finished throwing the smoke bombs" the man said
"Good. Any news on Aron?" Mon'itei asked
"No, but we're still looking"
"Look harder" he scoffed "find him and bring him back to me"
The man nodded
"You may leave" he waved the man off
******
At the Hidden Guest House
9pm
"...dead bodies everywhere. The city's water supply has also been infected" Amir rapped out
The governor and oracle just stared at him in horror. The door flew open again as Ola and the governor's assistant PA rushed into the room holding telephone cords
"What's going on?" Kwame asked
"Sir, the telephone lines have been buzzing with calls from government hospitals asking for more assistance. The whole city has been poisoned!" The assistant PA shouted
"Yes sir, everyone is in chaos" Ola said
"Call the armed forces, ask them to handle this" Martin said
"They can't, they've been poisoned too" Ola said
"Oh my God, these people are serious" Ada said as she stood up and started pacing around the room feeling frustrated
"Sir what do we do?" Amir asked
The governor kept quiet, mon'itei had warned them that this would happen. This was the phase 2 he was talking about. The governor rubbed his face helplessly when he suddenly remembered that Aurora might be in danger too
"Which part has been infected exactly?" Luna asked
"The major areas are Bananas island, Agege, Oshodi. Some parts of Lekki has been infected too but not that much" The assistant PA said scrolling through his ipad
"Almost all the hospitals in Lagos has been crowded with victims, both private and government hospitals. The doctors and nurses aren't enough to treat them" Ola said
"Martin, i think we need to distribute nose masks to those areas that are yet to be infected" Ada suggested
The governor nodded. He quickly grabbed his phone and made some calls to some available government health workers
"Yes...i need you to quickly distribute them now. So please be fast"
Everyone in the room just kept quiet while praying for divine intervention. Ola on the other hand was impressed with how successful their mission was going, she smiled inwardly.