Insulted and a little stung at his pitying dismissal, I cursed him and called him by rude names, my sharp tongue which had landed me in numerous trouble lashed out wantonly, days spent with lawless men and drunkards supplied me with vulgar speeches from which I held nothing back.“You wool brained hideous bastard of a hundred fathers, you dare to call yourself an Orisha, you mistake of a deity, you dared to open that excrement filled maw you call mouth and compared yourself to Lanroye in all his divinity, perchance if you had ever sat to wonder why you stayed down here in your gods forsaken groove where no one visits you and you think it was because everyone feared you, then you must be dumber than you look.No one wants to come near you because you stink to the heavens, your foul stench led me right from the edge of the forest to the hole you call groove, your brother wears robes made with golden linen, you’re here strutting about in skirts made of

Omotola didn’t want school to be over as the day flew by fast. The unfamiliar feeling of being with kids her own age felt so good she began to enjoy herself even with uneasy feeling that she wasn't meant to be there and felt like an interloper, she loved her siblings but they were the only kids in the institute and she’d known them all her life, being with Valerie and Bisola although they were too carefree for her likening brought out another side of her she never knew existed.The Omotola she'd seem to have replaced was quite popular with the other students but not with most of the teachers and looked to be the ringleader of a gang of refractory girls with the same talents for trouble making.As the school bell shrilled to end classes’ activities for the day, she was herded out of the school between her new friends the same way she was herded in in the morning, Valerie reminded her to bring an extra pair of scarf for Monday sneak out.

After the movie, they strolled noisily to the fast food café as they argued over the movie causing quite a stir.“So” Ayuba drawled, drawing her attention, “Am I forgiven?’’“Err, depends on what you did,’’ Omotola replied smiling.He was about to reply when she suddenly heard someone yelled her name with so much force, startling and cutting everybody mid sentences.The shoppers stopped to stare with their mouths wide open. A familiar looking youth strolled towards them, his tall frame and gold curls appeared out of place, they moved from his path as he made a beeline for the teenagers.Somewhere at the back of her mind faintly recognise him, also noticing he had no wing at his back, “was he supposed to have wings? Who does?” his shrunken face was far from healthy but his eyes burned with so much intensity as he called her name again.“Omotola snap out of this, all this isn’t real,’

‘’I am going to kill Mugabe,’’ Orchid growled as she struggled to clamber out, Obiora moved forward to assist his twin, lifting her bodily from the pod.“Get in line,’’ they all answered her in unison.“Sorry to interrupt the reunion guys but we have the whole Askari guards approaching on our floor.’’ Binta cried, her eyes colour back to their normal hue."Then we have to get out of here fast, Omotola said urgently "Amaka, time to redeem yourself, lead us out of the institute, you know what will happen to us, and Babybaby if we’re taken again.“That could have been possible before the alarm systems went off,’’ Amaka replied wringing her hands in fright; “the whole building automatically shuts down on itself, no one goes up or down.’’“What do you mean up, we want to go out, not up,’’ Omotola snapped,“You don’t understand’’ she cried; the institute is miles under the earth surface.’

The moat of simmering liquid looks to have been expanded; the doctors probably didn’t want to take any more chances. Shango sat waiting in the middle of the cage, an arm round a raised knee; his burning wings the only thing moving as they fanned lazily at his back.“You children must really love punishment to be back here so soon or Mugabe must be losing his touch.’’"No time for banter old man, we need to get you free or we’re done for, believe me, you were the last plan on the list.’’ Omotola said as she hurried round his circular confinement checking out the cell.Shango's laughter was full and gay.Amaka, Babybaby's handler stared up at him, both awed and petrified.He chuckled again, watching the sentinel's struggle with Orchid and co. "Your siblings are not doing too well am afraid, you are running out of time."Shettima winced at the sound of a sentinel slam dunked Obiora, he