I CAN'T KILL MY MUM [A SHORT STORY]

_Pixabay

David woke up with a headache. He took the torchlight at the side of the bed and flashed it on the only wall clock in his room. He was surprised at what he saw; it was 10:47 PM, he had only slept for 47 minutes. He was sweating profusely and only a shower would calm him down. He knew there was no way the dream he had dreamt would come through, but he still prayed against it. After clapping his hands, speaking some foreign languages and singing his favorite worship songs, he advanced to the bathroom. The toothbrush he saw in the sink made him replay his dream.

He was on his way to work and decided to take a shortcut since he was twenty minutes late. The bad road in Benson Street could damage his tyres, but he had no choice - it was the quickest route. He saw a woman brushing his teeth in front of a dilapidated building. She looked like her dead mum. He wanted to be sure she wasn't the one, so he packed his car and came down. He shifted back immediately he saw the woman's face. The woman paused, looked at him for some seconds and continued brushing her teeth. He became terrified. He was about calling her name when a gunshot was heard. The woman fell in a pool of blood. He looked around and couldn't find the shooter. The street became silent - no one else could be seen. He moved closer to the woman and checked her pulse, she was long dead. Suddenly, he was surrounded by policemen.

"Mr. David Nathaniel, you are being arrested for the murder of this woman. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say here shall be used against you in the court of law." That was the the last thing he heard before he woke up.

He had finished bathing. He was trying to keep his body dry with a towel when he heard noise in his room. He quickly wrapped the towel around his waist and opened the bathroom door. The same policemen he saw in his dream were staring at him.

"Escaping from our station is a bad move, Mr. David. Murder isn't the only charges we are pressing against you again. Just hope you don't get killed by hanging." One of the policemen said.

He became dumbfounded. He couldn't recall killing someone or escaping from a police cell - the only explanation to his situation was the dream he had. Perhaps, it happened.

"I'm not a killer and I was never arrested. How did you even ....." The same policeman didn't wait for him to complete his statement before hitting him with the back of his gun.

---

David woke up sweating profusely. He pinched himself countless times to ensure he wasn't in another dream world. He bit his thumb hard and he could see blood rushing out of it. He wasn't still convinced it isn't another dream. The sharp pain he felt afterwards made him believed he was in the real world. He brought out his phone and checked the time. He got up from the bed immediately. It was 6:57 AM and he needs to be at work before 7:30 AM. He didn't bother taking his bath, that would waste his time. He sprayed perfume all over his neatly iron T-shirt and hit the road. Since he was late, Benson street was the best route to take.

Then, something struck him. He was putting on the same shirt and taking the same route just as he saw himself in his dream. He became terrified - he was hoping it wasn't what he thought it was. He prayed silently hoping not to see the woman but got disappointed. The woman stood in front of the building he saw in his dream brushing her teeth. He slowed down to see her again. She was a carbon copy of his mother. He knew what would happen to her soon, so he ignored her and drove faster. A gunshot was heard afterwards, and he kept driving without looking back. He checked his side mirror and noticed a poilce van was chasing after him. One of the policemen brought out his head from the back seat window with a megaphone in his hand. It was the same man that hit him with a gun.

"Don't let us shoot you, young man. You aren't driving a bulletproofed car"

He halted and the van overtook him. The uniformed men came down and ordered him out of his car.

"You are under arrest for the murder of..." He didn't finish hearing the completion of the statement before he fainted.

---

David woke up with a headache. His mum woke him up this time.

"Wake up, sleepy head. It's 6:20 AM. Don't be late for your interview."

His mum smiled at him and went to the kitchen to fix something for them to eat. He realized he was in the real world this time. God was probably talking to him. He'd found a way to end his suffering a day before and what the herbalist asked was too much. His mum would be used as a sacrifice.

He got up from the bed and went to the kitchen. Four words escaped from his lips.

"I love you mummy."

_Pixabay

Thanks for reading.

---

afolwalex writes.

---