Annah stood before the large mirror in her modest apartment, staring at her reflection. She didn't recognize the woman in the glass anymore. The girl who had walked through life with naïve dreams, with hopes for a future where love and justice coexisted, had faded into someone unrecognizable. This woman was hard, her eyes colder than they used to be, the reflection of a mind stretched thin by guilt and the weight of every life she had taken.
The last few days had been a blur,shadows and whispers in the back of her mind, relentless fragments of thoughts that would not let her rest. There was something within her, something growing, gnawing at the edges of her sanity. And each time she killed, it was as if a part of her, a small part of her humanity, was swallowed up. The murders had started as acts of justice in her mind, but now, with every drop of blood spilled, it was as though she was drowning in her own soul.
She had just taken Kevin Langat's life, hunting him like prey, making him pay for his role in Lucy's suffering. But the thrill had faded quickly, replaced by a cold emptiness that consumed her from the inside out. She couldn't feel anything anymore, not the rush she had once experienced, not even the satisfaction of revenge. All that remained was a hollow echo inside her mind, a constant reminder that there was no end, no salvation for her.
The phone on the counter buzzed, snapping her from her dark thoughts. She stepped over to it and saw the name,Dr. Kariuki. Her heart skipped a beat. She hadn't seen him in days, not since the last time he had manipulated her into justifying her actions.
"Annah," he said when she picked up, his voice smooth and soothing, the way it always was when he wanted to calm her or, perhaps, control her. "How are you, my dear?"
She clenched her jaw, resisting the urge to snap at him. She had already done so much of his bidding, and part of her wanted to break free. But she knew the truth,he was the only one who understood her, who saw her as more than just the broken girl everyone else viewed her as.
"I'm fine," she answered, her voice betraying a hint of the confusion she felt. "Just... thinking."
There was a brief pause on the other end, as if he were carefully considering his next words. "I understand. You're going through a lot, Annah. The past is never easy to bear. But remember, we cannot change what has happened. We can only control the future. You're stronger than you know. You have to stay focused. There's more work to do."
Annah's fingers tightened around the phone, the words digging into her mind like splinters. Work to do. That was what he always said. He never mentioned the toll it took on her, the way it left her mind in tatters. But she needed him. She needed his approval, even as she began to resent him for it.
"I understand," she said quietly, her voice thick with something she couldn't name,resentment or maybe something darker. "What do you want me to do next?"
There was a moment of silence before Dr. Kariuki spoke again, his voice low, almost conspiratorial. "There's another person, Annah. Someone who could be dangerous to you. Someone who could expose everything you've done."
Annah's stomach tightened. "Who?"
"You know him, don't you?" Dr. Kariuki asked. "Senator Mwirigi. He's been protecting Wendo for years, and now that Stella Njoroge is getting too close, it's only a matter of time before someone connects him to Lucy's death. We need to make sure that doesn't happen. You must stop him, Annah."
Annah felt a surge of anger rise up in her chest, and her fingers tightened around the phone. The senator. The man who had so much power, who had shielded Wendo, had manipulated so many. She had to take him down,just as she had done with Kevin Langat.
But something inside her hesitated. She thought of her mother's faith, the stories she had been told as a child about forgiveness and salvation. Could she still be redeemed? Was there a way to stop this madness without falling deeper into the abyss?
"Annah?" Dr. Kariuki's voice brought her back to the present. "Do you understand what you need to do?"
Her mind raced. There was no turning back, not now. She had crossed the point of no return. The path ahead was set, and she was too far gone to stop.
"I understand," she whispered.
"Good," Dr. Kariuki said. "We'll make sure Mwirigi's secrets stay buried. For your sake, and for the sake of everything you've worked for."
Annah hung up the phone, her mind spinning. There was no escaping Dr. Kariuki's hold on her. His influence was a drug, and she was hooked. Every part of her fought against it, but there was no freedom without him. The thought of killing Mwirigi,of hunting him down just like she had done with the others,made her stomach twist. But she had to. There was no other choice.
She reached for the knife on the kitchen counter, the cold steel a comfort in her hands. The sensation of it was familiar, almost like an old friend. She ran her finger along the edge, feeling the sharpness, the power it gave her. She had learned long ago that she was no longer a victim. She was the one who dealt out punishment now. She would do what Dr. Kariuki wanted. She would destroy Mwirigi.
Later that night, Annah sat in her car, parked outside the tall building where Mwirigi's office was located. The night was quiet, save for the hum of the city around her, but inside her, chaos churned. She wasn't sure how she had arrived here, how she had come to be standing at the precipice of another life to take. All she knew was that once she took Mwirigi down, there would be no going back.
She had done so many things already. She had killed for Lucy, for justice, for vengeance. But now, something had shifted. She wasn't just killing for someone else. She was killing for herself.
Her hand tightened on the steering wheel as she stared up at the building. It was all coming to a head now. The investigation, the murders, the lies,it was all tied together. And in the end, there would be no winners. Just death.
"Annah," she whispered to herself, her voice filled with a strange, hollow certainty. "You have no choice."
And with that, she stepped out of the car, her footsteps heavy in the night as she walked toward the door, where another life awaited her.