True Love's Bite

24 // Nowhere To Run

We barely slept, and no, it had nothing to do with our love-making session. Silas was turning and tossing all night, and even woke up screaming at some point.

I tried to soothe him, but it was not working, and he was shaking and sweating profusely, and he was breathing heavily.

"He's here, he's here," he mumbled while fighting sleep.

I felt so helpless, and I didn't know what to do. Esra did not return home from work last night, she sent a text while we were at the mall, saying she was working a double shift.

His mood the following morning did not help, he was sullen and walked around like a zombie.

He did not say a single word to me, not even a simple greeting, neither did he touch the breakfast I prepared for him.

I kept checking his phone for the time and for any sort of communication from Esra, I don't know what was taking her so long when he shift ended at 6a.m., which was three and a half hours ago. There was no network, and my calls were not going through.

By the time she came home, I was out of my wits, Silas had locked himself in the bathroom and was not answering.

I wanted to trust in him but I was so afraid. What if he tried to kill himself? I know he promised that he wouldn't, but I did not know what else to think after last night, he was in a bad shape.

"Esra!" I met her outside as soon as I heard her engine die. "Esra, something is wrong with Silas! He has locked himself up in the bathroom and he is not responding. I don't know what to do!" I was a panicky mess.

"How long ago was this?" Esra asked as she strolled into the house.

"I'm not sure, he's been in there for more than an hour."

"What?" We both ran to his room, and we were welcomed by the sound of running water. Esra knocked on the door. "Cas, are you in there?" She asked, and to answer her, the water was turned off. "Really?" She turned to me with a scowl. "Next time check if he isn't just bathing before you cause panic." She huffed and stormed out of there.

Silas's phone beeped, signalling incoming messages. From the looks of it, these were probably sent between last night and this morning because there was no signal. Texts after texts flooded his phone, I tried to ignore it, but my curiosity spiked up when I saw Mpumi's name. By the looks of it, she had been trying to contact him from last night, there were a bunch of deleted messages on WhatsApp, and a series of SMS's.

'Cas, I need to see you, it's urgent!'

'I know I'm the last person you want to see after what happened with your girlfriend, but I promise, I'll never bother again and you will never have to see me after this.'

'It's a matter of life and death! Please call me or stop by the clinic. Or else send me your location.'

'Cas!'

'Please believe me, your girlfriend and baby are in danger.'

The phone fell to the floor the same time my heart dropped, and I paddled to the bathroom door with shaky legs.

"Sy!" I knocked on the door. "Sy, open up! We have to go and see Mpumi, it's urgent. Sy? It's about the baby, can you please come out. We need to go and see her." I got no response from him.

There was no time I wished I knew how to drive like now. I requested an Uber and hurriedly cleaned my face and brushed my teeth, and then I changed out of my pajamas and wore last night's clothes.

I ran out of the house, telling the driver he would pick me on the roadside.

The last text from Mpumi was at six this morning. I tried to call her, but it sent me straight to voicemail.