A Dark Trade - S01 E05

Story 3 months ago

A Dark Trade - S01 E05

Read Story: SEASON 1 EPISODE 5

Episode 5: A Dark Trade

The big house was very quiet, but it was not a peaceful quiet. It was a scary kind of silence. Chidi stood in the middle of the locked room, looking at the brown pot. The sound it made had changed again. It was no longer a low hum like a bee. Now, it was a deep, rhythmic throb. It sounded exactly like a heartbeat.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

The sound was coming from inside the clay. It was so loud that Chidi could feel it in his own chest. Every time the pot throbbed, the black oily liquid leaked out faster. It was everywhere now. It had stained the beautiful wooden table. It had made a big, dark puddle on the floor. The smell was getting worse too. It smelled like old garbage and wet earth. Chidi felt sick just standing near it. He felt like the house was no longer his. He felt like the house belonged to the pot.

Chidi went to the market the next day, but things were not going well. For a long time, everything he touched turned to gold. Every bag he sold made him a mountain of money. But now, the magic was starting to fade. The wealthy merchants were not standing in line anymore. The men in the silk robes were going to other shops. Chidi’s shop was becoming empty of people, but it was still full of his old leather bags.

He looked across the street at Emeka’s shop. Emeka was doing very well. His shop was full of life. People liked Emeka because he was honest. They liked him because his suitcases were strong and his heart was kind. The reputation of Emeka was spreading far and wide. People from other towns came just to buy from the man who whistled while he worked. Emeka was growing his business the right way, with hard work and a good name.

Panic began to claw at Chidi’s throat. He felt like he was drowning. He went home and opened his heavy iron safes. He wanted to see his piles of money. He wanted to feel safe. But when he opened the doors, his eyes widened. The safes felt light. The bundles of cash looked thinner. Some of the gold coins looked like they were turning into dark lead. The wealth was disappearing just as fast as it had arrived.

Chidi knew he had to find the man from the crossroads. He could not lose everything. He could not go back to being poor and dusty. He could not let the world see him fail. He put on his heavy coat and ran out of his mansion. He ran past his five luxury cars. He noticed that the red car had a flat tire. The gold car looked dull and dirty. Even his riches were starting to look sad.

He searched the city until the sun went down. He looked in every corner and every dark street. Finally, he found the man. The man was standing in a dark alleyway. It was the same man in the hooded cloak. He was leaning against a damp wall, waiting as if he knew Chidi was coming.

"Help me!" Chidi cried out. He ran to the man and grabbed his cloak with shaking hands. "The money is slowing down! The pot is leaking black oil, and my safes are starting to feel light! What is happening? You told me I would be rich! You told me the world would bow to me!"

The man did not move at first. He let Chidi shake him. Then, he slowly pulled back his hood. Chidi gasped and took a step back. The man’s face was terrifying. It did not look like a human face. It looked like a piece of old, cracked parchment. His skin was grey and full of deep lines. His eyes were still glowing like red embers, but they were even brighter now. He gave Chidi a wicked grin that showed sharp, yellow teeth.

"The pot is dry because it has tasted all the greed it can find in you," the man said. His voice sounded like two stones rubbing together. "The pot is a living thing, Chidi. It fed on your desire. It fed on your envy. But you have given it all the greed you have. To fill it again, it requires a different kind of fuel."

Chidi shook his head. He was backing away, but the alleyway felt like it was getting smaller. "What fuel? I will pay anything! Tell me the price! I have gold! I have a mansion! I have five cars! I will give you whatever you want!"

The man leaned forward. He moved very slowly, like a snake. When he got close, Chidi could smell his breath. It smelled like decay, like something that had been dead for a very long time.

"Gold is cheap," the man whispered. He laughed, and it was a dry, rattling sound that made Chidi’s ears hurt. "The pot does not want your gold. It already gave you that. Now, the pot demands a sacrifice of the heart. You must destroy the thing your soul loves most."

Chidi thought about his life. He thought about the things he loved. "Take the house!" he offered quickly. "Take the cars! I will give them to you right now! I will go back to a small room if I have to, just don't let the pot take my life!"

The man laughed again. "The pot does not want stone or metal. It does not want your house or your cars. Those things have no soul. Those things have no light. The pot is hungry for something much better."

The man’s red eyes glowed even brighter in the darkness of the alleyway. "The pot wants the light of your best friend, Emeka. You must bring him to ruin. You must destroy his business. You must destroy his name. You must take away everything he has worked for. You must make him as miserable as a man can be."

Chidi felt like he had been hit by lightning. "Emeka? But he is my brother! He is the only person who was ever kind to me! I cannot do that to him!"

The man’s face became very cold and very serious. The wicked grin was gone. "Then the trade will end," he said. "If you do not destroy Emeka, the pot will take everything you own. It will take your house. It will take your cars. It will take every penny you have ever made."

The man stepped even closer until he was touching Chidi. "And then, after it has taken your riches, it will take you. The pot needs to be filled, Chidi. If you do not give it Emeka’s life, it will take yours. You have one week. Bring your friend to ruin, or prepare to say goodbye to this world."

The man vanished into the shadows, leaving Chidi alone in the dark alleyway. Chidi fell to his knees on the cold, wet ground. He put his hands over his ears, but he could still hear the sound.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

It was the heartbeat of the pot. It was calling for a sacrifice. Chidi looked at his hands. They were covered in the black oil from the room. He had a choice to make. He could save his friend and lose everything, or he could save himself and destroy the only person who loved him.

As the moon rose high in the sky, Chidi stood up. His eyes were dark. The greed was still there, but now it was mixed with a terrible fear. He began to walk toward the market. He began to think of a plan. He began to think of how to break the heart of a good man.

Is there any way for Chidi to save himself without hurting Emeka?

Why do you think the pot wants to destroy someone as good as Emeka?

What would you do if you had to choose between your life and your best friend's life?

Do you think Emeka suspects that Chidi is planning something bad?

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The ultimate test of friendship has arrived!

Chidi is trapped in a dark corner. To keep his wealth and his life, he must destroy the man who was like a brother to him. Will he go through with this evil plan, or will he find a way to break the curse?

To Be Continued...