The Phoenix
*When the sun hides, it reappears*

By ONYENEZI CHIKA VICTOR (Nigeria)

CHAPTER FIVE
FOREST OF PAIN

“Remember the forest of fruits; well it doesn’t exist here. I will call this place a forest of pains. I laid out my little tricks for my gentleman John. He did a great work in making them live in a book.” The prisoner replaced the burned out candle stick, the room brightened the more. He walked across over to John and whispered into his ear, then came over to Ikem, “I Imagined you going through the same pain I went through, after that this man over here will still turn you into a bag of money and I will never run dry.”

John came over with a cane in his hand and smiling as though he was promised another bundle of money maybe after they have turned Ikem into a bag of money. John held one cane while the prisoner took two; they began to whip Ikem as though he was a hoarse, through pains and tears he went through. He cried to the empty room, no help came from anywhere. Later when they saw that he was very they left him to rest for a little while.
“I wouldn’t wait for anybody to search for you. No rioters here, no more riding, the dibia (voodoo man) is here preparing the charm” the prisoner said pointing at the madman who never uttered a word, but his face could showed much hatred Ikem.

Ikem is a small lad, fighting for survival, but the brutal prisoner started to whip him. He tied the boy with rope and was dragging him all over. Ikem heart was still pumping though the torture had weakened him; he still searched for a way to escape. But the never had mercy on him, they flogged him till he couldn’t move, he lay as cold as ice, shivering. John thought he was dead and started crying “its enough, its enough, you will kill the poor boy”
The prisoner left Ikem and came over to sobbing John, “So you have pity for him. But he never had for me, when he handed me over to those rioters. Look at me I was roosted alive. Now you want him to live, my scholar, full of dreams…” the prisoner said and slashed John’s throat with a penknife, “…die foolish scholar!! Die!!” John lay in pool of his own blood, he struggled for life but the prisoner used his leg and squashed his throat. Ikem opened his eyes a little, he could see john die. Ikem wondered if he would survive this, his tears mixed with his caked blood. He lay on floor. The prisoner felt weak, maybe weak of killing, he has murdered two people today; john the young scholar and warder personal.