Within an outdoor dark-green and caged basketball court as the afternoon sunshine was about leaving the cool and breezy surrounding grassy area, Stella and Farouk, both wearing 2 polos with chinos and jeans respectively, stood backing each other. From the sunken faces and rigid frames, you could just about feel that tense atmosphere. The strong tones they spoke in.
"You are just sooo messed up." Stella raised hands, shaking her head. "You expect me to be dealing with how inactive you've been for the past few months. Your business with friends who are cult members. How could you?"
"I was not friends with a cult member." Farouk harked, waving as he stepped forth. "I just thought he was because I heard rumours… and that was years ago… like, that's even the reason I left them, but they seem to be coming after me."
He then raised his brow and hand. "What did I do wrong, now?"
Stella's folded arms with wide eyes. "You were friends with them, because of 'peer pressure'." She breathed as she air quoted. "Please, I'm the only daughter of my mother. Who knows what you can do to me."
"Girl, we don't even talk that often." Now Farouk gave puzzled eyes. "We're mostly chatting…"
"Yhh, boy, but who knows what the heck would you do to me online…? Please leave me."
Stella voiced out, her tone mildly viscous, before she walked back far away from Farouk. At that, silence filled the space, giving room to think.
***
The next day, inside a huge and lofty warehouse looking like structure with grimy grey walls and big metal pipes attached, foul and strong stenches of something like green sewage wafted through the air, creeping into a big and nasty rusty iron framed window into a dusty, small and stuffy cubicle of a room, with machettes, rods and clubs stacked against a corner in the dark place, only with a bulb lit above.
Segun, in black drooping clothes with matching trousers, shirt and a hoodie, knelt before a much taller and buff man in the same clothes, just wearing a flashing oni demon-type mask with big white teeth with black linings, venting and heaving.
"Segun, that wasn't the plan… you know Gloria comes from a rich family. Just because Stella looks like she comes from one too doesn't mean you ditch Gloria the way you did because she fell for some cheap guy."
"Well not my problem or ours, is it sir?" Segun raised his head grinning.
"POW!"
A sharp blow echoed from his stomach. The hulk crouched before Segun who coughed blood with his bent frame, whispering.
Aside from making me want to treat you like an abusable bitch, there's one more thing I need you to do… Find Gloria, get that girl back, and frame Farouk again… better this time!"
Segun's red eyes shook.
"Stella is a fraud chasing you for money… at least we all know Gloria isn't that low, goddamit. "He gripped Segun's shirt, lifting him as she stood. "Find this girl before I make you regret joining this cult with your bones."
With that, he dropped him, walking out from behind Segun, before the sound of a metal door slid open and banged from there.
At this, his panicked eyes froze as he slowly panted before gritting to show his blood stained teeth.
He was definitely going to end some stuff.
***
Much later, down a long sky blue walled hall with grey granite tiles flooring the long place, Farouk and Gloria trekked down the bright place with a few other students, holding hands. Segun meanwhile, in his red shirt with baggy black trousers, slowly but raptly walked behind them, sticking to the walls and corners around.
Sooner, the duo began talking as Gloria muttered, after reaching a secluded spot beside a door.
"Thank you again for that recording of Segun's confession."
The man raised his brows, hiding behind a metal silver cupboard. So that's how he played. No problem.
From there, he walked on, down the other way, far behind them, before meeting a tall and fair skinned muscular man with a chiseled face. Segun's own startled, bumping into him who was wearing a long sleeve grey shirt with jet-black trousers.
"Bored much?" The smaller guy frowned. "You were meant to be back at base."
"THWAO!"
A swift slap on Segun's face. "The gall of this kid… You got any leads."
"Farouk recorded me confessing to blackmailing Gloria." The two continued pacing down the hall. "Also, now we're gonna need a team to just kidnap and torture him before we get the recording and edit it, saying that he was lying."
"Good idea." The superior's deep voice bellowed. "Get that boy out of the way as soon as school closes and down to the warehouse… We'll deal with the asshole in the meantime while you get ready for your date with Stella."
Segun smiled before the boss lowered narrow and stern looking eyes at him.
"But," he continued. "If you ever have to leave out your 'pageant date' to snap him back to reality, I don't want no take-backs… do this quickly before you have to deal with the consequences not going at all with your boys. Capish?"
"Yes sir." Segun muttered in a meek voice. From there on, the two continued down their path. Surely, hell was yet to come.
***
3 Weeks Ago.
"Farouk, come on, you've got nothing there… she doesn't even want you."
Atop the middle of giant concrete bleachers in a huge stadium with greenish brown grass with the setting evening sun, Farouk and Segun sat side by side, in red and black jogging sportwears, just holding up and tapping their phones.
"Look." Segun spoke. "Clearly, you've seen we are an extremely powerful cult and stumbled upon our meetings, and I know you want power, son… You really do… and I can give it to you if you join our gang. We're lively."
Farouk raised his eyebrows, withdrawing from him.
"Look at us." The bad influence spoke. "You can get all your marks squarely without reading, you can even date Stella. Heck you can-."
"No just stop it, meen!" He stood up sharply, hands in the air. "And don't follow me."
As he backed Segun about picking up pace - BZZZZT!
Farouk dropped to the ground, leaving the unruly influence standing tall behind him, holding a taser. His mildly frowning straight face must have spelt all seriousness about to be imposed greatly in the future.
Now what's the plan, how do we save Farouk and Gloria? All will come into play soon in the next chapters to come.