A Dark Trade - S01 E07

Story 2 months ago

A Dark Trade - S01 E07

Read Story: SEASON 1 EPISODE 7

Episode 7: A Dark Trade

The warehouse was a very large and very empty building at the edge of the town. It sat near the old bridge where the water of the river flowed slowly and quietly. Inside the warehouse, it was very dark. The only light came from the small cracks in the wooden walls where the moonlight tried to peek through. The air was thick with the smell of old dust, rotten wood, and the cold scent of the river. It was so silent that you could hear the tiny feet of rats scurrying across the floor. They moved quickly in the shadows, looking for bits of food that were no longer there.

Chidi stood in the deepest part of the warehouse. He was hiding behind a very large wooden crate. The crate was full of heavy things, and it was tall enough to hide his whole body. Chidi was not moving. He was trying to breathe very quietly. In his hands, he held a heavy iron bar. The bar was cold and rough. It felt very heavy, like it was pulling his arms down toward the ground. His hands were sweating, even though the warehouse was chilly. He gripped the iron bar so tight that his fingers began to ache.

Chidi had a plan. It was a simple plan, but it was a very mean plan. He was not going to hurt Emeka with the iron bar. Instead, he was going to use it to break open some of the other crates. He was going to hide some of his own expensive leather bags inside Emeka’s truck. Then, he was going to call the market guards. He was going to tell them that Emeka had stolen from him. He was going to ruin Emeka’s good name. He was going to make everyone believe that the honest Emeka was actually a thief. Chidi thought that if he destroyed Emeka’s reputation, the brown pot would be happy. He thought that if he broke Emeka’s heart, the debt would be paid, and he could keep his mansion and his cars.

The time moved very slowly. Chidi listened to the sound of his own heart. It felt like it was beating in time with the pot back at the house.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

Every second felt like an hour. Chidi thought about his life. He thought about the gold gates and the silk robes. He told himself that he was doing this to survive. He told himself that anyone would do the same thing if they were in his shoes. But deep down, in a small corner of his soul, a little voice was telling him that he was doing something terrible. He tried to ignore the voice. He tried to think about the red eyes of the man at the crossroads. He was too afraid to stop now.

Suddenly, the big clock in the middle of the town began to ring.

Bong. Bong. Bong.

It was midnight. The sound of the bell traveled across the water and into the warehouse. It sounded like a warning. As the last strike of the bell faded away, Chidi heard a new sound. It was the sound of a small engine. Then, he heard the sound of footsteps. Someone was walking toward the big warehouse doors.

The heavy wooden doors began to creak. It was a long, loud sound that echoed off the high ceiling. The doors opened slowly, and a small circle of light appeared on the floor. It was the light from a lantern. Emeka walked into the warehouse. He was holding the lantern up high so he could see. He looked very small in the middle of the giant, dark space. The yellow light from his lantern danced on the walls, making long, strange shadows.

"Chidi?" Emeka called out. His voice was full of kindness. It echoed in the vast space, bouncing from one wall to another. "Chidi, my brother, are you here? I am sorry if I am a few minutes late. The road was very dark, and I wanted to be careful."

Chidi did not move. He stayed behind the crate. He watched Emeka through a small gap in the wood. Emeka looked worried. He was looking around the warehouse, trying to find his friend. He did not know that Chidi was hiding. He did not know about the iron bar. He only knew that his friend wanted to help him.

"Chidi?" Emeka called again. "It is very dark in here. I hope I am at the right place."

Chidi knew he had to move. He took a deep breath. He tucked the heavy iron bar behind his back, hiding it under his long coat. He stepped out from behind the large crate. The light from Emeka’s lantern hit Chidi’s face. Chidi blinked his eyes. He tried to look like the friend Emeka used to know.

"I am here, Emeka," Chidi said. His voice sounded strange in the big room. It sounded hollow and empty.

Emeka’s face immediately broke into a very big, happy smile. The light of the lantern illuminated his honest face. He looked so relieved to see Chidi. He walked forward, his shoes thumping softly on the dusty floor.

"Oh, thank goodness!" Emeka said. "I was a little bit scared for a moment. This warehouse is very spooky at night. But I am so happy to see you. I have been thinking all day about how kind you are being. I still cannot believe you want to give me all those bags."

Emeka reached into the pocket of his simple jacket. "Before we look at the bags, I want to give you something," he said. "I know you have everything. I know you have a big house and many cars. I am just a simple man with a small shop. But I stayed up late last night to finish this for you."

Emeka handed a small object to Chidi. Chidi’s hands were still shaking as he took it. It was a small plaque made of dark wood. It was hand-carved. Chidi could see where Emeka had used a small knife to shape the wood. It was not perfect, but it was made with a lot of love. On the front of the plaque, Emeka had carved some words in very neat letters.

The words read: Friends are the true gold.

Chidi looked down at the wooden plaque. He felt a sudden heat in his eyes. He felt a lump in his throat that would not go away. He looked at the words. Friends are the true gold. He thought about the gold gates at his house. He thought about the gold watch he had wanted so much. Then he looked at Emeka.

Emeka’s eyes were full of trust. He looked at Chidi with so much love and so much faith. He really believed that Chidi was a good man. He really believed that their friendship was the most important thing in the world.

In that moment, a memory came back to Chidi. It was a memory from a long, long time ago. They were both very small boys. It was the rainy season, and the sky had turned into a giant bucket of water. The rain was falling so hard that the streets were like little rivers. Most people were hiding inside their houses, but Chidi and Emeka were outside. They were jumping in the puddles. They were laughing so hard that their stomachs hurt. They were wearing old, torn clothes. They had no money in their pockets. They did not even know if they would have a good dinner that night. But they were happy. They were truly happy because they were together. They were rich because they had each other.

Chidi looked at the iron bar hidden behind his back. He felt the weight of it. It felt like it weighed a thousand pounds now. It felt like it was made of all the bad choices he had made. He looked at the plaque again. He looked at the man who had stayed up all night to carve a gift for a friend who was trying to ruin him.

Suddenly, the air in the warehouse changed. It did not just get cold. It became freezing. The small flame in Emeka’s lantern began to flicker wildly. It turned from yellow to a scary, pale blue. The ground beneath their feet began to shake. It was a low, heavy vibration that made the wooden crates rattle. The scurrying of the rats stopped. Everything became deathly silent, except for the shaking of the floor.

Then, a dark shadow began to rise from the wooden floorboards. It did not come from a person or a crate. it grew out of the dust itself. The shadow was blacker than the darkest night. It was thick and oily, like the liquid that had leaked from the pot. The shadow grew taller and taller until it touched the high ceiling. It began to take a shape. It was the shape of the tall, hooded man from the crossroads.

The shadow did not have a face, but Chidi could feel its red eyes burning into his soul. The shadow did not speak with a mouth, but a voice echoed inside the warehouse. It was a scream that sounded like a thousand dying fires.

"Do it now!" the shadow screamed. The sound was so loud that it made Chidi’s ears bleed. "Break him! Ruin him! Give the pot what it wants! Do it now, or lose everything you have ever dreamed of! Choose your gold, Chidi! Choose your life!"

Emeka gasped. He dropped his lantern on the floor. The glass shattered, and the small blue flame stayed alive for a second on the wood. Emeka backed away, his face white with terror. He looked at the giant shadow, and then he looked at Chidi. He saw the iron bar that Chidi was holding behind his back.

"Chidi?" Emeka whispered. His voice was full of a terrible realization. "Chidi, what is that thing? What is happening? What have you done? Why are you holding that bar?"

Chidi stood frozen. He was caught between two worlds. On one side was the ghost of his friendship—the memory of the rain, the sound of Emeka’s whistling, and the warmth of the wooden plaque in his hand. On the other side was the demon of his greed—the mansion, the five cars, and the terrifying shadow that was threatening to take his life.

The shadow moved closer. It reached out a long, dark hand toward Chidi. "One strike, Chidi! Just one strike to the crates and one phone call to the guards! That is all it takes! Do you want to be a beggar again? Do you want to die in the cold?"

Chidi looked at the shadow. Then he looked at Emeka, who was shaking with fear but still looking at Chidi like he was waiting for an answer. Chidi looked at the wooden plaque one last time. Friends are the true gold.

A great heat rose up inside Chidi. It was not the heat of envy or the heat of greed. It was a heat that came from his heart. It was the first time in a year that he felt like a real human being. He felt the power of the pot starting to crack. He felt the cold air trying to choke him, but he did not care.

"I can't," Chidi whispered. His voice was small, but it was clear.

The shadow roared. The sound was so loud that the windows at the top of the warehouse shattered. Glass fell down like rain, sparkling in the moonlight. "What did you say?" the shadow hissed.

Chidi looked up at the giant, dark monster. He stood tall. He was no longer hiding. He was no longer afraid of being poor.

"I said I won't!" Chidi shouted. His voice rang out through the entire warehouse. "I will not hurt my brother! I will not sell my soul for a pot of gold! Take the house! Take the cars! Take everything! But you cannot have him!"

With a loud cry, Chidi opened his hand. He let go of the heavy iron bar.

CLANG!

The sound of the iron hitting the floor was very loud. It rang out through the silent warehouse like a death knell. It was the sound of a choice being made. It was the sound of a trade being broken.

The shadow screamed a terrible, high-pitched sound. The black oil on the floor began to bubble and smoke. Emeka watched with wide eyes as his friend stood his ground against the darkness. But the shadow was not finished. It began to wrap its long, dark fingers around Chidi’s throat.

"Then you shall pay the debt yourself!" the shadow roared.

Chidi finally chose his friend over his money. Do you think it is too late for him?

What will happen to the mansion and the cars now that Chidi has broken the trade?

Can Emeka forgive Chidi for planning to ruin him, or is their friendship broken forever?

How will Chidi fight a monster that is made of shadows and oil?