Cross Road Aftermath. "An Encounter with a Grim Reaper"(Short Story)

PROLOGUE

Do you believe in Death?

The bartender asked.

CHAPTER 1: SWIMMING POOL OF LIQUOR

Fola, a frustrated banker who was drowning himself in a pool of liquor.

Asked for another shot.

Bottoms up, a toast to himself.

he was in a state of golluming...

speaking aloud unwary in frustration.

called himself a 3D puppet character ; damaged, disarranged and destroyed.

life has he knows it is over.

Only if time was a commodity maybe he could buy some more and save himself from imminent doom.

CHAPTER 2: BRO BARTENDER

The bartender noticed he was in a disposition of soliloquy, something Brian Finch did throughout the limitless series.

he continued golluming...

On the house the bartender said has he poured him another shot.

echoes of silence in the room,

Only the refreshing sound of him downing the liquor.

his eyes were turning red and lazy that he could barely open them.

Give me the bottle! he yelled.

The bartender paused as he was cleaning a glass cup over the counter then replied him;

You do not need the bottle says the bartender.

I said give me the damn! bottle.

He demanded.

The calm bartender answered him like a psychiatric doctor with a soft tone releasing his words slowly.

O k a y b o s s , I would give you the bottle but first you must tell me why you are drinking this heavy at this late hour, deal.

Reluctantly, he said yes it is a deal.

After all it could as well be his last.

Let me tell you a story,

... my story.

Okay, I am listening says the bartender.

CHAPTER 3: AN UNTOLD STORY

Fola began, I was born into a family of six. My parents were prosperous land owners in a certain Northern state in Nigeria.

We lived happily until a lynch mob forced us out of the city. We barely survived.

An horrific experience for a child.

People were killed because of religious beliefs.

Homes were burnt, families were destroyed. The streets was running red.

So we moved to the South-Western part of the country where we stayed at our late grandfather's house in the big city as we tried to start all over again.

We all could have died, if not for our neighbor that informed us ahead to leave before the massacre began.

He was the last person anyone could think would ever help.

The bartender was in deep sigh interrupting his monologue... I can only imagine he said. So what happened next.

We lost our father to a silent human killer ... high blood pressure.

We depended on our mother. she was able to start a trading business of clothing materials.

so we had a bounce back despite the turmoils.

Bartender; well it seems it all worked out fine.

Fola: Yes, for a while

Bartender: for a while, mimicking his tone.

ironic cheers from both of them

Fola continued...

Cancer!

What about it?

It killed our mother. I am the first born, preceded by my twin sisters then junior.

The responsibility of taking care of them fell on me.

Luckily I just completed my national youth service to the nation at least i could get a job.

Well, that was what I thought. For two straight years I could barely get a job to take care of my siblings.

One of the twins died from illness. I had not enough funds to get her proper treatment.

My siblings had to drop out from school to enable us meet end means.
our daily meal

Sorry man says the bartender with a sympathetic facial expression like he was concerned.

CHAPTER 4: THE DARK DEAL

...Fola continues his monologue

ha! aye mi ti baje (my life is over) he exclaimed as the first drop of tear rolled down his chin.

I made a pact with the devil on the cross road
(ni ori ta meta)

I was desperate and naive.

I consulted an Ifa about my problems.

He listened keenly then he said to me;

wear all white and appear at the cross road at 12 midnight you will meet with the spirit of wisdom, divination, destiny, and foresight.

I rushed down to the meeting point.

I was supposed to meet with Orunmila to get good fortunes.

Orunmila asked me to offer my soul to him for a successful life.

I basked in wealth and success.

After a year he appeared to me.

Orunmila.

This was a strange occurrence so I thought.

Then he revealed his true nature to me as Èṣù the trickster, the Orisha of crossroads and death.

How could this be? I followed all the instructions at the cross road. The he said you wore a black pair of sandals.

Now I must take your life or you trade in the life of your own blood to have another year to live.

gave an ultimatum then vanished

EPILOGUE

You could really use a bottle,

The bartender gave him his liquor which he grabbed in a haste.

He gave him a frigid look that sent sinister feelings into Fola's heart.

It was a familiar one. He looked around realizing it was just himself and the bartender.

He, knowing fully well that this was the last day in his contract.

He had to die or trade in someone's life.

tick tock tick tock

the ticking sound of his watch began to troll him

Just some few minutes to mid night.

his eyes opened, he was awake.

the bartender was no where to be found.

soon it was mid night...

10 minutes had gone by and nothing happened.

He was relieved, so I have been talking to myself all these while.

for a second he lost grip of his own reality.

A whirling gentle breeze filled the room swiftly

    then he heard a voice whisper seductively in his hears...

Do you believe in Death?

The bartender asked.

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You have come this far. Thank you so much for reading. I know it is not the type of ending you would have hoped for lol. Be that as it may, How would you have ended the plot

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