THE DARK NIGHT

*THE BEGINNING OF THE END*

I had a really long day at work and things really get a little hectic when you're heading a department. I got home from work feeling really exhausted, falling in and out of sleep on my bus ride home, you know how Kenyan public vehicles (Mathrees) are, loud music that vibrates the core of your being. You can imagine a being in a mobile discotheque from Nairobi all the way to Kikuyu, you're exhausted, sleepy, hungry, thirsty and all you want is some peace of mind and rest.

1hr 30minutes later, after manoeuvring through the traffic along with the Waiyaki way traffic, I got to Kikuyu town which is in the outskirts of Nairobi. A small town that's vibrant yet tranquil with a soothing cool climate. I quickly walked to my hideout, a cafe, had a cup of tea and coconut bun then headed to the market to get some foodstuffs for my supper that night then took another matatu home. On getting home, I let out a sigh of relief, "finally!!", I verbally exclaimed as I got to the residential gate. Opening the door to my home was the best feeling ever!! haha. I got in and literally tossed everything on my couch, pulled my laptop out of my bag, switched it on and played some music on my favourite playlist. The mood in the room started changing and I could feel the room warm up as the loneliness that had occupied the house while I was away all day gradually leave my room. My spirit gradually started feeling rejuvenated and I started preparing my supper... chopping, grating, simmering, boiling, stirring and an aroma filled the house as my food got ready. It was certainly a self-treat. 

My tummy is full and I'm sitter in bed watching a movie and in this relaxed state one naturally starts drifting off into sleeping and that's exactly what was happening at this point, I was dozing off like a little puppy. Struggling to keep my eyes open and my big head above my shoulders. Realizing I'm losing this fight, I switched off my laptop and pulled up my duvet cover and went to sleep. 

*IT'S FLOODING HELP*

In the wee hours of the night a familiar yet peculiar sound woke me up from my deep sleep and on opening my eyes I peered through my dark bedroom and noticed that there was water running into my room, lots and lots of water. It seemed to come from the other room and I thought to myself, "Did I leave one of the taps open?". I quickly moved into action and tried to open the bedroom door but it was stuck!

, "I'm f*** stuck!!", I quickly went into a panic. The water started rising so fast that in a few minutes it was at my knee level and being a hydrophobic this was not good. I was certain that I was going to die. While in this train of thought, I felt something bump into my side and I looked down to find that my mattress was floating around and bumped into me, "where is all this water coming from?? No no no, this can't be real, I can't die like this, Please God No!"

The water was up to my neck..I'm literally floating and my arms outstretched and touching the ceiling... I'm screaming for help but no one is coming to my rescue and the fear is crippling and the cold is numbing. I knew if the water filled up the room, I'd drown but I kept questioning how real this was. How is it that I can feel all this, I can see all this??

It was a moment of self-doubt and questioning how real all this was. I had to do something, "HELP ME!! HEEEEEELP!", I screamed my lungs out and with each scream and shout, I grew exhausted and my hope was dwindling. 

*THE GRAB OF DEATH*

My legs were numb from the cold water and my hands were against the ceiling trying to make room for my nose to breathe in some air and stay alive before someone comes to my rescue. I decided to keep moving my legs as much as I couldn't feel them to just keep myself awake so that I don't pass out.

As my legs moved freely in the mass of water I felt something... I was certain I felt something move in the water. Frightened by what I felt, I submerged my head into the murky water, I couldn't make out anything then I felt it again. I frantically tried to move around but the room somehow started shrinking and the air got thinner and thinner. I couldn't scream, I couldn't breathe and suddenly I felt a scaly arm grab my left leg and pulled me down into the water. Pulled me deep into the water with strength so brutal that all I could see were bubbles and my arms stretching out trying to grab anything and all I could see was the firmament above become distant by the second. "I'm not dying like this! You can't die like this!" I let out a blow to the arm that held me, incapacitated it and I started floating up to the surface and when I got to the surface, there I was a sitter in bed, in my room, no water...dry, completely dry. I looked all around me and I couldn't believe it. It was overwhelming and I couldn't take it all in. "What happened? God, What happened??!"  Then I felt lightheadedness and passed out.

*I NEED HELP*

The following morning, I woke up way past 8 am, I knew I couldn't show up for work so I called in sick.

I sat in my bed trying to figure out what the hell happened last night, I couldn't tell if it was reality or a fantastical dream I had. Wait, but my eyes were open the whole time. That's when I called my psychologist, told her the whole story from how I got from work up to the point where I decided to call her. She realized that I had a total recall but how?

Was I hallucinating or was it a spiritual encounter?

*TO BE CONTINUED*