In the early years when gods still lived among man, at twilight, Abike a powerful witch sat in her hut, she muttered incantation on the dusty ground, and her eyes were closed.

She held a dagger in her right-hand, the flame in the lamp in front of her ignited as she recited the incantation, she opened her eyes then swung her body in a trance like, black magic possessed her.

Abike hurriedly opened the cover of a basket and gently placed the cover beside where she was seated. she put her hand In the basket and she held out a python snake by the neck, the snake struggled and wrapped her body around Abike’s left-hand, speedily she cut the snake open with the dagger in her hand. Abike bent the snake to collect her blood in the calabash in front of her, she filled the small calabash up with the snake’s blood.

She dropped the dead snake and dagger on the floor as she murmured the incantation. she raised the calabash filled with blood of the python, and she placed it to her mouth and drank the blood.

Tagara, a tyrant king and six of his soldiers sneaded and surrounded Abike’s hut.Tagara entered the hut with a knife in his hand, he saw Abike seated on the floor dressed in black garment, he walked furtively as he approached her.

He quietly knelt behind Abike then hurriedily he covered her mouth with his hand then slit Abike’s throat with the knife in his hand, he held her down in his arms she struggled.

A heavy breeze blew inside the hut and then quenched the light in the lamp in front of her. The smoke of the lamp diffused in the air, Abike’s soul stood over her dead body, she quickly held her throat to confirmed if it was slit opened, she felt nothing, glared at Tagara, he quietly placed her body on the ground,he wiped his tears, he stood up and called out to his two soldiers, they both rushed into the hut then he said “wrap up her body with this white fabric” he tossed the fabric to one of the soldier’s chest, they speedily wrapped her, the soldiers both carried her out of the hut, they both approached Tagara’s Horse and carried her on it.

Abike ran after the soldier outside the hut, went through the door of the hut, she stood behind Tagara and then walked around him, she glared at him, she tears dropped down from Tagara’s eyes. Abike saw the movement of a shadow in her hut, she ran toward her hut, she stopped by the doorstep, glaring over her shoulder, to take one more look at Tagara he hopped on his Horse then rode off along side with his soldiers with her body.

She walked into her hut and caught the glimpse of a demon, the demon was backing her, she glared at the figure then she asked

“who are you?”

the demon turned to face her, his eyes are black, he approached her and he said

“you know who I am, I am Iku, I have come for your soul”

She flinched Abike Asked

“Am I dead?”

he replied

“what do you think?”

She grimaced, she was frightened, she swallowed some amount of saliva then said

“don’t hurt me”

he glared at her and said

“I’m just a soul collector, your soul has being separated from your body, I here to carry it to where it belong”

Abike pondered on what would happened, she was absent minded,she was thoughtful about it , she noticed Iku had vanished, she crouch to snaffled a basket on the floor just to confirm if her mind wasn’t playing antic on her.

Suddenly! a force pulled her by her leg into an aggressive numerous dark fog that erupt from the ground, the fog formed legion hands pulling her into the dark fog, she screamed as she struggled as she held on to the basket,but she couldn’t, she fell to her chest, the heavy storm blew inward the dark black fog, the black fabric she wore tore as she struggled to protect herself, the cloth tore off from her body.

The dark fog with no figure erupt to her face then mould to a scary monstrous face, its eyes were white, the storm blew Abike into the fog completely, she vividly had memories of her life on earth, Abike screamed as she whirled in the storm of the dark fog.

She couldn’t bear the tormented, she held her head, she was completely naked, she screamed as she fell into the infinity dark fog.

Abike was completely naked, she felt fire burning all over her, she tried to secure a safer position away from the flame but it was in a wide darkness with an endless flame, with numerous souls screaming in Agony, they burned, withered and into ashes, instantly remolded back then burn repeatedly, simultaneously flashes of disturbing memories in the mind of the souls, hid their heads down and then screamed as they burned to ashes.

Abike screamed as her awful past tortured her, she cried and she pleaded for the torment to stop. Abike cried out bitterly, she promised to give anything to the torture to stop,Eshu heard her cry and stopped her suffering instantly her torment ceased to hurt her and she suddenly healed from withered back to her body shape, she raised to her feet, she glared then saw muscular handsome man approaching, he walked through the flames of hell but the flames had No effect on him, he stood in front of Abike then he said

“ I heard your cry, you promise to serve me, obviously your soul belongs here with me. How do you intend to serve me?”

Abike flinched, she hesitated, and she was thoughtful of her words and well behaved in the presence of Eshu.

“I can be of better services to you”

she said, he frowned at her, her voice quavered she added

“take me to be your bride ….”

he quickly interrupted “your fate down here isn’t up to you to decide”

apparently you are incompetent of what you purposed, i am in no need of a bride, she whimpered then she said

“don’t punish me”

she gasped.

She quickly knelt down and pledges her loyalty.

Eshu raised her face up then he said

“I know my my people but I have no idea of who you are, perhaps Olohun has hidden you from me. What made you special and how did you end down here?”

Eshu glared at her then he asked

“have we met?”

he gazed into her pretty eyes, he noticed her beautiful face whimpering, she glared back into his eyes,Eshu felt strange sensation, his heart was at ease and he felt nothing matters as long as she is with him, he saw the possibility of achieving all his goals if he takes Abike as a wife, he felt he would be taken serious among his siblings, he lifted her on her feet then he said to her

“walk with me”

he took few steps with her and he stopped, he stretched his hand and they vanished inside a room, the atmosphere was warm, their voice echoes, when ever they spoke.

Abike let go of Eshu’s hand sluggishly, He wondered what was wrong with her, she was marveled at what she saw, She said

“this is amazing”

she approached the golden gate, Eshu held her by her waist then whispered into her ear

“I am the god of mischief, messenger among gods, gods of demons and jinns, keeper of the underworld, I have knowledge of all the earth contain”

he proclaimed as he drowned in his arrogance, she rolled her eyes to every words he said then she soliloquized

“self proclaimed god of mischief”

“I can hear you “he said. Eshu observed she wasn’t comfortable completely nude, she felt the fabric he wrapped around her naked body, she was still as the fabric covered her body, her eyes softened

“black is my favorite color”

she said as she smiled , he stared into her eyes, he vetted her body as she shivered, he reached for her hand with his hands, Eshu knew he couldn’t resist Abike’s beauty, he asked as he whispered to her,

“you are frightened?”

she shut her eyes, like she summoned confidence, she grabbed his hands and wrapped it around her waist, she rose her hands to his face and she caresses his face with her hands

“ I’m special”

she said

"How special? "

He asked.

Abike digressed into another discussion, she quickly asked Eshu

“This is illusion right? “

She gazed softly and vetted his behavior like she was up to no good, and then she furthered.

“where is the legendary throne?”

Eshu turned to Abike, he wondered what he was doing, he couldn’t take his eyes off her, he was thoughtful, Abike withdrawn her eyes, she looked down to her feet,she was timid, Abike felt there would be consequences for her curiosity, she was very frightened

“grab my hand” he asked.

Abike was delightful; she smiled and speedily placed her right hand fingers on his palm, abruptly the room became hazy, the ground shook,the objects around the fleet away, she felt slightly dizzy,it stopped and she got hold of herself.

She saw Eshu walking on a narrow path through a metallic gold gate and she saw him walked with confidence in front of her. He walked in front of a husky creator, he had twice the statue of a human, his looks was very scary. He bowed, Eshu walked passed him, she startled and hurriedly followed Eshu like a shadow, she was overwhelmed with fear her voice quavering

“what is this?”

she asked, Eshu looked over his shoulder to vetted her reaction, he saw as she covered herself tighter with the fabric she wore, he grinned then he started to walk in a majestic manner. He mimicked her, she quavered

“ he is Eru, the demon of Fear. It’s normal you feel this way”

she frowned then she saw a large space ahead Eshu stopped and turned to her. she was eager to see more of what’s on the large space, she doubled her walk steps, Eshu walked closer the scream of fallen dead souls echoes, abruptly a light glimmered, pierced through her eyes, she raised her hands to block the ray of light from piercing into her eyes, she staggered as she tried to take a step further.

The bright light from the big fire illuminate the palace, regulating the temperature, differ from the temperature of the other places she had been in the underworld, she removed her hands to see, she saw a narrow hallway that led to stairs , she stepped on and walked up, as she elevated to the top, a gold Exceedingly large throne revealed as she get closer.