A Dark Trade - S01 E06

Story 2 months ago

A Dark Trade - S01 E06

Read Story: SEASON 1 EPISODE 6

Episode 6: A Dark Trade

The mansion that Chidi once loved had become a very scary place. For three whole days, Chidi did not come outside. He stayed inside the big, empty rooms. He did not turn on the lights. He did not eat any food. He sat in the dark and listened to the house. The house was not quiet. The walls seemed to be moving closer to him. The ceiling seemed to be getting lower. It felt like the house was a big mouth that was slowly closing. Chidi felt like he was a small fly trapped inside.

Every time Chidi closed his eyes, he saw the red eyes of the man from the crossroads. Every time he tried to sleep, he heard the heartbeat of the brown pot.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

The sound was everywhere. It was in the floor. It was in his bed. It was even in his own head. Chidi looked at his hands. They were shaking so much that he had to sit on them to make them stop. He felt a deep sadness, but he also felt a very big fear. He knew that the week was almost over. He knew that if he did not do something soon, the pot would take his life.

On the morning of the fourth day, Chidi went to the window. He looked down at his long driveway. He saw his five luxury cars. They were the cars he had dreamed about for years. But they did not look beautiful anymore. They were covered in a very strange layer of gray ash. It was not normal dust from the road. It was a thick, heavy ash that looked like it came from a fire. The red car looked gray. The gold car looked gray. Even the silver car looked like it was made of old bones. The ash was a sign. It was a sign that his riches were dying.

Chidi walked to a large mirror on the wall. He looked at his reflection, but he did not see a rich man. He did not see a powerful man. He saw a stranger. The man in the mirror had hollow eyes. They looked like two deep holes in his face. His skin was pale and his hair was messy. He looked like he was terrified. He looked like a man who was already a ghost.

Chidi began to whisper to the shadows in the room. "It is him or me," he said. His voice was very small. "It is him or me. I cannot die. I am too young to die. I worked too hard for this money. If I have to destroy Emeka to stay alive, then I will do it. I have no other choice."

The shadows did not answer, but the house felt a little bit colder. Chidi went to the bathroom and washed his face. He put on his best clothes. He tried to fix his hair. He looked in the mirror and practiced a smile. It was a fake smile. It did not reach his eyes. His eyes were still full of darkness. But he hoped that the smile would be enough to trick his friend.

Chidi left his mansion and walked to the market. The sun was bright, but Chidi felt like a cold cloud was following him. When he reached the market, he saw the familiar sights. He saw the sellers and the buyers. He saw the dust and the colors. Then, he saw Emeka.

Emeka was standing in front of his new, bigger shop. He was busy helping a customer. He was smiling and laughing. He looked so happy and so full of life. He was the opposite of Chidi. Emeka was like a bright lamp in a dark room.

Chidi felt a sharp pain in his chest. He remembered how they used to share their bread. He remembered how Emeka had hugged him when he was sad. For a moment, Chidi wanted to run away. He wanted to tell Emeka everything. He wanted to ask for help. But then, he remembered the black oil leaking from the pot. He remembered the heartbeat. He remembered the debt.

Chidi forced the fake smile onto his face. He walked toward Emeka’s shop.

"Emeka! My brother!" Chidi called out.

His voice was a bit shaky. It cracked like a dry stick. Emeka heard him and turned around. When Emeka saw Chidi, his face lit up with a big, honest smile. He did not look angry. He did not look like he remembered how mean Chidi had been. He only looked happy to see his old friend.

"Chidi!" Emeka shouted. He wiped his hands on a cloth and ran over to Chidi. "You have come to see me! I am so glad you are here!"

Chidi looked down at the ground. He could not look Emeka in the eye. "My brother," Chidi said. "I have been so wrong. I have been a very bad friend. My wealth made me crazy. The money made me forget what is important. I was proud and I was mean. Please, can you ever forgive me?"

Emeka did not hesitate for even a second. He reached out his big, strong arms and gave Chidi a warm embrace. He patted Chidi on the back. "I knew you were still in there, Chidi!" Emeka said. His voice was full of kindness. "I never stopped praying for you. I knew the money was just a cloud covering the sun. I forgive you with all my heart. You are my brother, and I love you."

Chidi felt a pang of guilt so sharp it nearly knocked him over. It felt like a knife was twisting in his heart. He was hugging the man he was planning to destroy. He was feeling the warmth of the man he was going to ruin. Chidi’s stomach felt like it was full of cold lead. But the memory of the dark alleyway came back to him. He could almost smell the decay of the hooded man’s breath. He had to keep moving. He had to finish the trap.

"Thank you, Emeka," Chidi said. He pulled away from the hug. He kept his eyes darting around so he wouldn't have to look at Emeka’s face. "I want to make it up to you. I want to help you. I want to invest in your new store. I want to see you become the most successful man in the market."

Emeka’s eyes were wide with surprise. "You want to help me? Chidi, you have already done so much by coming here today. You do not have to give me money."

"No, I insist," Chidi said quickly. "Listen, I have a big warehouse on the edge of town. Inside that warehouse, I have a shipment of very high quality leather bags. They are the best bags I have ever seen. I want to give them to you for free. You can use them to start your big shop. You can sell them and keep all the money. It will be my gift to you."

Emeka could not believe his ears. His eyes lit up with gratitude. He looked like he wanted to cry tears of joy. "For free? Chidi, that is too much! Those bags must be worth a lot of money."

"It is nothing compared to our friendship," Chidi lied. His voice felt heavy in his throat. "But I want it to be a surprise. I don't want anyone to see us. Tonight, I want you to come to my warehouse. Do you know the one near the old bridge?"

Emeka nodded. "Yes, I know it. It is a lonely place at night."

"That is why it is perfect," Chidi said. He leaned in closer. "Come there at midnight. I will have the doors open for you. We will move the bags into your truck, and no one will ever know. It will be our little secret. Can you do that for me, my brother?"

Emeka smiled. He looked like he was the luckiest man in the world. "I will be there, Chidi! At midnight! You are too kind. God will surely bless you for this."

Chidi nodded and turned away. He could not stay there any longer. Every word he spoke felt like a poison in his mouth. He walked away from the market. He did not look back. He did not want to see Emeka waving at him. He did not want to see the orphan boy, Tobi, looking at him with curious eyes.

As Chidi walked through the market gates, he felt a sudden change in the air. The sun was still shining, but he felt a cold wind. It was a wind that only he could feel.

Suddenly, he felt something on his shoulder. It was a hand. It was an icy cold hand that felt like it was made of frozen skin. Chidi jumped and spun around, but there was no one there. The people in the market were all busy with their own lives. No one was near him.

But then, he heard a sound. It was not a loud sound. It was a whisper, right in his ear. The voice was deep and scratchy, like the man from the crossroads.

"The trap is set," the voice whispered. The words were cold and sharp. "The pure heart is coming to the darkness. Now, watch the light go out."

Chidi stood frozen in the middle of the street. His heart was hammering against his ribs like a trapped bird. He looked at the shadows on the ground. They seemed to be reaching for him. He realized that there was no turning back now. The midnight bell would soon strike, and the dark trade would claim its next victim.

Do you think Chidi will really go through with the plan when Emeka shows up at the warehouse?

Why do you think Emeka is so quick to forgive Chidi? Is he too trusting?

What do you think is waiting for Emeka inside that dark warehouse at midnight?

If you were Emeka, would you have been suspicious of Chidi's sudden change of heart?