Silently Deep – Episode 17

SILENTLY DEEP Episode 17

 

Natalie continues…

The following day, I spotted Cleo in the corner of the club. She had a glass of wine in her hands and as usual her clothes outshining everyone around. I noticed she seemed to be hiding, like she didn’t want someone to see her there.

I saw her turn her face to a set of guys seated and drinking in some table and I followed her gaze to see who she was eyeing.

That was the first time I saw Theo and his friend Mwila. I wondered why she kept looking at them but then blushed off the thoughts as I concentrated on my thing.

“You are ready?” She asked me when I was walking out after my job was completed for that night.

“Yeah. I called you so that I hear what you want me to do. If at all I will not like it, then you will have to forgive me I will not take the job” I explained myself before hand.

“I want you to take my place and I yours” she started as we sat in a porsh car outside the club. Surprised, I looked at her not understanding what she meant.

“I know this might be confusing, but I want you to take up my place in someone’s life. I want to use your face and give you mine. ” she went on confusing me even more.

“I don’t understand still” I shook my head.

She sighed turning to look at me from the driver’s seat she sat in. She started explaining to me what happened to her years back, how she got married and the life she had with her husband. When she mentioned about her involvement in her husband’s death I developed shivers on my skin. I initially thought she was bluffing but seeing her facial expression serious and determined, I realised she was dead serious.

“Oh God! You are serious!” I exclaimed shaking my head.

“Do I look like a person who jokes anyhow? I have told you I need that man back in my life and I cannot live without him. It’s hard enough cause he won’t accept me for who I am now that he knows what I have done. This time I want to be his no matter what cause I know he loves me. All I need to do is show him how much he means to me. I want you to understand because am not letting you go after telling you all this” she added

“You are crazy if you think am going to accept such kind of a thing. Do I look that desparate to you? Here I was thinking maybe you have a club of some sort where you want me to work, just to hear such madiness. Am sorry for your pain and your lose but no thank you.” I shrugged and tried to open the door to leave her car.

She however, had the doors locked.

“Open the door you…”

“My name is Cleopatara, people call me Cleo” she smiled as though i asked her for her name.

“Listen to me. I followed you and I know where you stay, I even talked to your friend Shila and she agreed to this. However, I trully hoped you would agree to this. Things could have been easy. It’s a shame I will have to eliminate you for nothing” she chuckled playing with her fingers without looking at me.

I tried to fight my way out but she pulled a gun at me.

“Stay calm now before someone gets hurt” she smiled teasingly.

“What do you want from me? Why me of all the girls around this town?” I felt my eyes go heavy.

“Well, think of it as lucky because I like you a lot. I want you and not that your dull friend. I could have easily used her but I need someone who is sharp enough.

You see I will take both of us outside this country or call a doctor in so that we do a plastic surgery. I want to have your face but I doubt giving you mine will do you any good for the moment. I will need to think about that again.” She paused

“Well, the most important thing is that I have you and the rest will fall in place.” She went on giving me all the details despite me telling her I was not intrested.

She talked for another hour threatening my mother and kid’s life if I didn’t do as she wanted me to.

I went back home feeling scared. Her voice kept ringing in my mind.

“Do this for me and I promise your family will never lack. My husband left me a lot of money and there is nothing else I want more than the love of my life. I will do anything to have him. Don’t even think of telling this to anyone. Keep this to yourself and we are good” she had warned me.

A week later Shila called me to tell me she had agreed to work for Cleo. I wondered what her own part was going to be.

“What have you agreed to do Shila? That woman is dangerous” I asked her

“Well, what is there to lose right? Am going to do as she says and at the end of the day I will have money to help myself and my family. ” she responded.

I didn’t like the idea of all this but i had no idea of what I was going to do.

Trying to ignore everything, I went back to work. I felt relieved seeing she didn’t show up. The following days and weeks later she had gone mute on me. I had no idea where she had gone but one day I saw her walk to my house after parking a few meters away.

“Cleo?” I shouted seeing her standing there before me.

She smiled widely but I noticed she seemed somewhat sad.

“What do you want? Where is Shila? I went to her house and didn’t find her there. Where in God’s name have you taken my friend?” I asked feeling uneasy.

“Please come with me I explain this to you” she sighed sadly.

For a moment I thought it was a trap but what she said next made me stand up from the stool I sat on.

“Shila is dead” she looked down her fingers.

“What did you say?” I asked looking at her.

“Please come with me” she spoke her voice sincere.

I followed her and she drove us to some house in Woodlands. A man that looked like a doctor from his garmets greeted me and ushered us in the house.

I was lead to a room where Shila’s body was.

My heart leaped with fear as I saw her lie there dead. What puzzled me the most was her face, I knew my friends body and clothes for sure but when I looked at her face, it was all Cleo.

“What is this?” I screamed stepping back.

Cleo pulled me to her side and held me close as I cried out

“You killed her!” I shouted at her.

” sorry, she was willing to do this but something went wrong. She didn’t tell us she was already sick so she died in surgery. As you can see, the doctor managed to make her up and give her my face but she died a few hours ago after developing a sudden fever and went into some kind of trauma” she explained calmly I wondered what kind of human being would not be moved by such kind of a thing.

“I want to leave this place right this minute” I shouted wanting to leave.

“I beg you Mercy, do this for me please. I will give you all the money you need for your child and your mother’s well-being. Please I don’t want to hurt any of you. I want to help you. You know too much and I can’t just let you go. ” she glanced at me her expression serious.

I could not escape her plot. She had me cornered and threatened. I could not run to the police either for she told me clearly she was watching my every move.

Initially I had thought she would make my face look like hers but when I woke up hours later, my face was that of Shila.

Asking her why she gave me my friend’s face, she told me because she wanted me to act as Shila.

“I realised Theo would easily recognise you since you dance as a stripper at the club where he sometimes drinks from. So I want you to have this face that he doesn’t know. Besides that, apart from the husband that has deserted your friend, a few people know about Shila. do not worry for everything is taken care of. Now you will have this face and do as i say till am ready to walk back into Theo’s life.” She informed me.

I had no idea why she was doing all that, she told me for 2 years I would wear Shila’s face as it wasn’t Permanently done on my skin. It was more like a mask that I would wear and get it taken care of by her doctor till my mission was over.

“Now you decide to come back home huh?” Came Theo’s angry voice startling me from my thoughts as I sat quietly in the couch the baby playing with his toys on the carpet where I had placed him since the Nanny brought him to me.

“Please not today” I looked at Theo’s eyes.

“You are mistaken if you think you can pull some silly jokes on me Natalie. I have been more than pateint with you and now am forced to act” he uttered.

I didn’t respond instead I walked away to the bedroom. I could feel his anger as he walked behind me.

Knowing Cleo was listening in from the listening device she had put on my phone I shook my head and closed my mouth before I could speak back at him.

The disappointed look on his face making me feel worse than I was already.

 

Story continues…

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