Prisoners of The Scroll by Akomeno Ibagere (find a book to read txt) 📕

"Get up.  It's time"

James opened his eyes to see who had just disrupted his journey to dreamland.  He was angry.  He hated being disturbed especially when he was about to don on his Jack Spine costume and ready to go on an adventure in the forest.

"Jones, why now?"

"Are you not going with us again?"

He looked at his wristwatch on the nearby table.  It was 12 midnight.  A sea of fear sailed across his face.  Where were they going at this time of the night.  He immediately sat up and looked around the poorly lit room.  His twin brother was holding an old rusty lantern whose wick was begging for freedom.  They were just 16 years of age.

"It is too late.  Can't we do this in the morning?"

"I knew you will say that" Jones said. 

He always knew that his twin brother was his direct opposite.  He loved adventures but everything was in his dreams.  He never ventured to go on any adventure in reality with him and his friends.  He was the lily-livered one between them.

"Sorry for disturbing you.  You can go back to sleep" Jones said angrily and was about walking out of the room when he felt a grip on his hand.

"What now?  You want to try and prevent me?"

"No, wait for me.  I will go with you"

"I will be outside with the others.  I am giving you just ten minutes" Jones looked at his brother, shook his head and left the room. 

He never liked getting his twin brother involved in his affairs because of his feeble and fearful attitude.  Unlike him, he was fearless, adventurous and action packed. 

Among his clique of friends his brother was nicknamed "Worm".  James was his direct opposite.  He had told the others that James was of no importance in this venture but they had insisted he tagged along.  At first, he didn't really liked the idea of bringing his brother along but then he remembered that he would need him as his back up plan should things go wrong.

They were the only children of their medically inclined parents.  Both parents were medical doctors and active members of the Mobile Hospital team.  The MHT as they were popularly called was a group of doctors who travel to remote locations to help treat people who lack medical facilities.  Anytime they were on holidays, they would become a part of the team.  This was one of such trips.

James had always been the favorite child of their parents because of his "holier than thou" lifestyle unlike Jones who was always doing things his ways.  Jones would sneak out of the hostel in their boarding school, get involved in nefarious activities, hang out with bad gangs in school and then get into trouble.  He always had a get-out-of trouble card, his brother James. James always got his back.  Their parents would always believe anything James said whether it was a lie or not but never  his brother's words.  James was the perfect child any parent would wish for.

James came out through the back door of their bungalow wearing a combat trousers and a T-shirt with his favorite comic book character Jack Spine boldly printed on it.  It was his favorite attire because it glowed at night.  He wore a cowboy heart and then carried a bag.  Jones frowned when he saw him.  Petura and Tobi looked at each other and started giggling.

"Why are you laughing?"

"Where are you going dressed like this?" Jones asked

"On an adventure"

"Guys, let's go now.  We are behind schedule" Petura informed them.

"Boys, pack your things we are going on a short trip to Makuma village" Dr. Finnih Tomiti announced.

"Mum, we just got back today from school" Jones said. 

He was not ready for any of these trips.  He never really liked going to these remote places.  It was his twin brother James who loved such trips.  To Jones, it was another wasted holiday.  He would have preferred to remain in their secondary school hostel all alone instead of going on this trip with his parents.

He wanted to protest but he knew that he would get into more trouble if he refused.  He was still owing a week of detection from his last punishment.  He didn't want to blow the chance of being sent to live with his disciplinarian aunt who was a military officer.

"Jones, why the long face?" James asked

"I don't want to go on this trip.  I have things to do"

James looked at his brother suspiciously.  He knew that Jones had some other clandestine plans that he kept away from him.  He and his brothers were not really the best of friends.  Their relationship was more like neighbors on a street than brothers.  He had made several attempts at making Jones accept him the way he was but to no avail.  He was always seen as a weakling in their gated community.  He was called "Worm" in the housing estate where they lived in a 5 bedroom duplex owned by his parents.

Jones was the prince charming to the girls.  He was athletic and well-built for his age.  He was bigger than his brother who was very slim, lanky and weary looking.  It was his brother's body stature that earned him the name "Worm".  Jones always respected his brother for one thing.  He was the intelligent one when it involved academics.  They were both in the sciences and his brother was the prince charming of academics.  But unfortunately for his brother, being intelligent does not attract the beautiful damsels.

Two days later, both brothers found themselves in a spooky looking village surrounded by strange looking hills on a very hot afternoon.  They had arrived from the nearest town in MHT's helicopter.  It was a team of seven doctors made up of four males and three females.  The brothers were the only teenagers in the group.

In no time, they were settled in one of the bungalows in the king's court that would serve as their accommodation.  Jones and his brother were given a room to share while his parents stayed in another room . It was an error.  The two brothers would have preferred separate rooms.  They never shared anything.  The only thing they shared were their facial appearances, parents and surname.

James was still unpacking his bag when his brother dashed out of the room as if he was being chased by something.  He was not surprised hours later, Jones entered the room with two young boys.  They were their age mates.  His brother was a genius when it involved meeting and making new friends.  That was one aspect of his life that he felt lack.  Friends making was never his strong part.  He was too shy to meet people but the moment he makes you a friend, he always become the best of friends.

"Meet Prince Tobi" Jones introduced the bulky boy with large coral beads necklace on his neck.

"Good afternoon, my prince" James said with bow

"Thank you, James.  Nice to meet you" Prince Tobi replied."And this is my best friend Petura.

Petura was no different in terms of stature from Prince Tobi except that he was an albino.Albinos were seen as unique people amongst the black race.  But in Petura's case there was something off about him, James thought.  All he good sense was something ethereal about him.  He may be reserved but when it comes to profiling people, he was the best.He knew when something was not right.  He studied Petura and noticed that his eyes were all over the place.  Was he looking for what to steal from them?  James thought.

Two days later, James decided to take a walk around the community after assisting the doctors in attending to the teeming patients.  Jones never helped his parents.  He was nowhere to be found.  He needed to explore and so armed himself with his camera, pen and note book.  He saw his brother and prince along with Petura in some deep discussion.  He didn't even bother to join them because he knew that his brother would have told them that he was a killjoy.  He left the palace and walked down the road that led into the village.  He was going to the village square.  Every village in Africa had a square where everyone gathered.  He knew so much about so many African villages.  He loved to research on historical things.

He was not the only walking on the road.  There were little kids with pots on their heads either going or coming from the stream.  Also a lot of the women with their babies were heading towards the  palace.  The news of the doctors arrival had gone round the village.  After walking for some minutes along the bushy road, he decided to rest.  He saw a fallen tree trunk by the side of the road.  It was a good spot to sit down.

He sat down and then he suddenly felt alone.  Nobody was walking on the road any more.  It was as if everything was at a standstill.  James got up and looked around.  The adrenaline of fear was activated in his vein.  He could feel hot of urine burning his thighs.  He looked around him.  He was the only one on the road.

"James, how are you?". 

James almost jumped out of his skin when he heard his name.  He quickly turned around and saw a divine damsel standing behind him.  He tried to run but his legs could not move.  He stood transfixed.  His legs had betrayed him.  He felt goose pimples all over his body.  He tried to say something but could not except for some inaudible words that came out of his dropped jaw.

"Hey, are you scared?"

James had never heard such a sweet voice.  It sounded like music in his ears.  He was lost.  Was he in another world or in a dream?

"Hi, how did you know my name?" James stammered

"This is a village and news travels faster"

James felt ashamed when he noticed that the damsel was starring at his wet combat shots.  She smiled and then giggled.  It was in between those giggles that James saw her real beauty radiating from those giggles.  She was slim with a unique curvy shape and was slightly older than him.  She was really beautiful.  She wore a T-shirt on a jeans trousers that made her shape looked more like an hour-glass.

"So what's the name of this beauty?" James asked

"Princess kadura"

"Nice to meet you my princess" he said.  He could not take his eyes from her face.

"I have to run and meet my friends"

"How can I see you again?" James asked

"I will find you" She answered and then ran along the road before disappearing around a bend. 

James just stood there staring at nothing.  He was not really into girls but he was already in love with this angel.  It was love at first sight for him.  He wanted to see her again.  As he turned around to go back to the palace he saw that the road was busy again.

Something is not right in this place" He said to himself.