THE AGENI SERIES: AMA ANGENI

by Yyanna Leigh Michaels

  Ama Angeni

  An Angeni Series

  by

  Yyanna Leigh Michaels

  Dedication:

  For Vanessa and Nerissa who were the first to read, love, and to give me the encouragement needed to release to the world.

  A Short Story Written by

  Yyanna Leigh Michaels

  Copyright © 2021 by Sonovia Alexander Presents

  Published by Sonovia Alexander Presents LLC

  This short story is a work of fiction. Any resemblances to actual events, real people, living or dead, organizations, establishments, or locales are products of the author’s imagination. Other names, characters, places, and incidents are used fictitiously.

  Editors: Nina

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any form or by any means electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by the information storage and retrieval system, without the written permission from the publisher and writer.

  Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any Web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication, and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

  Prologue

  We Call You Ama

  I hate this. I really hate this!!

  I continuously repeated to myself while looking at my watch impatiently.

  Why do they schedule appointments they expect you to keep, but don’t keep the appointment themselves?

  The pen I was holding tapped loudly on the table getting me a nasty look from behind the receptionist desk. Stopping the pen mid-tap, I flashed an apologetic smile towards the woman who returned to the pile of charts lying beside her on the desk.

  Nothing like wasting your day at the doctor’s office. And all because my body insists on fighting itself.

  Why are they taking so long? I thought.

  It’s back! I already know. I could hear it in the nurse’s tone over the phone. So why the whole formal bull crap of an appointment? A postcard stating the day and time of my chemo would have been appreciated over this useless need to see me just to collect my deductible.

  The door opened to the hallway leading to the ‘other side.’

  “Lailah?” A petite woman, in light-pink scrubs, appeared holding open the door. My head turned hearing my name and I jumped up relieved.

  Finally!

  But… my steps slowed as I looked at the woman. The wheels in my head turned, trying to determine if I had seen her here before, but I couldn’t recall. She smiled sweetly, her eyes, piercingly bright blue against her olive skin, so clear I could see the mechanisms of her brain working inside of her head. Holding her hand out towards me, her smile never wavered and remained gentle. I blinked and the next moment my hand was in hers – warmed by her touch. A wave of serenity blanketed me, until all traces of anxiety were erased. Pulling me behind her, she led me through the door to stop in front of another door. At that moment, she released my hand and stepped to the side.

  “You can go in,” she said. Her blue eyes boring a hole right through me. This time, my hand reached out to grip the door handle. The cold metal pressed against my palm and the door opened, quietly.

  Peeking my head in the room, it was poorly lit, and it smelled, slightly, of incense and…jasmine. As my eyes adjusted to the dim room, they fell instantly upon the brightest element that stood directly in the center. There stood a hand-carved, wooden pillar that cradled an object that glowed. Inching curiously inside the room, I could not quite make out what it could be because it shown so bright.

  Drawn to it like a moth, hypnotized, I moved in closer, my fear dissipating. Then I quickly stopped. The closer I approached, the brighter the object seemed to glow. Smiling inwardly, I dared myself to test that theory. What harm could it possibly do?

  My smile spread slowly across my face as the light seemed to reach towards me – my fingertips tingling as new-found energy began to flow through my veins. I felt stronger…better than I ever felt since…

  Holy crap!

  Four figures stood only a few feet away from me, dressed in floor-length garbs – the color of alabaster.

  Were they always there? I thought in a mild alarm…and as if one of them read my mind, he…or she looked directly at me and smiled.

  “Ummm…hi,” I stammered looking around the glowing orb. The light began to dim the more the four white-robed individuals came into focus. I took a step to the side of the pillar to get a better view at…doctors?

  “You wanted to talk to me. So here I am.” My nerves were bit frazzled! I frantically searched the room for somewhere to sit. Not one chair presented itself. Whoever heard of a doctor’s office that didn’t have a chair? They purposely invest in chairs just so they can charge you by the visit.

  “Look I know what you are going to tell me, so please just hurry up and tell me the bad news, ok. Spare me the dramatics.” My had waved at the white, glowy thingy.

  The one that smiled at me walked closer. She didn’t stop until she stood in front of me. Standing at least over 6’5, she towered over my 5’9 frame and she was stunning! Her pitch-black hair was long, cascading down her back. Her red lips contrasted against a flawless, tanned complexion with high cheekbones. Almond-shaped eyes with irises so black that staring into them was like being lost at the edge of space. When she spoke, the words were like a current of energy…a vibration that not only sent a tremor through me but awakened something...like I knew her.

  “Your body is dying, Angeni,” the beautiful woman in white said, her voice sending millions of tiny ripples through my body. “It can no longer support who you are. You have outgrown it and now it is withering around you like a flower suffocating from the lack of much needed life source. Yes… you are correct. Your human-disease refuses to weaken and it is now out of our control.”

  Wait! Who the hell is Angeni?

  I took a few steps backwards. “Angeni? I’m sorry. You must have been expecting someone else. I’m Lailah.” I started to turn and leave but a hand grabbed my arm. More energy surged through my body and the object beside me burst into a brilliant light.

  “Lailah is what you call yourself.” She replied, sternly. “We call you Ama, Angeni.”

  Chapter 1

  Lailah

  Clearly someone has been sniffing the incense a bit too long. I laughed, knocking the woman’s hand off my arm.

  “I don’t know who you are? And I don’t appreciate this little joke you’re playing when it’s clear my health deteriorating…” I paused letting reality hit me. “I’m dying! I need solutions… not this crap. I want to see my doctor.”

  The smile remained on her red lips, irritating me even more. I wanted to slap the smirk right off her face, but once again, as if she could read my thoughts, her eyebrows shot upward, and her smile widened.

  Now I was mad. “I want to see my doctor, NOW—”

  The woman’s hand reached out towards me. It glowed like that thing next to me and she struck me on my chest, delivering a blow that sent me crashing down to my knees. Pain stabbed me behind my eyes and ripped through my skull.

  “Make it stop!” I screamed, my hand shooting out to cling to her garment. But it didn’t stop. Instead a distant chanting began to nudge its way through the pain. The more it burrowed through, the louder the chanting became giving me enough relief to stand on my feet and try to search for the door. Clumsily, I ran into the door and pulled on the handle, but the door would not budge. I yanked on the handle so many times I lost count that I discarded that plan and started
pounding on the door.

  “Help!” I screamed. “Help! Please!” But not one person came to the door. The chanting was now deafening, and the pain seemed like a mere fabrication of what it appeared a few minutes ago. I rested my face against the door, exhausted. I had no understanding what was happening… who these people were and why they were trying to hurt me? If I was dying, why were they here for me? Maybe I was already dead, in hell, and I was refusing to see what was right in front of me.

  That pain surely felt real enough though.

  Now the chanting grew until it was like a loud wailing in my head. I covered my ears with my hands trying to block out the sound, but the chanting continued with the same intensity. Taking a deep breath, I swung around to face the four. The woman had rejoined the others and was now standing closer to the orb that started to glow again.

  The light reached out to me and I felt the call once more. Taking a few steps forward, I stared into its brilliance feeling the exhaustion lift. The orb of light split in half revealing a circular element as clear as liquid. Curiosity getting the better of me, I held out my hand needing to feel its texture.

  Water?

  It was water…but I have never seen water like this. Curiosity now gone, I quickly withdrew but the substance adhered to my fingers, linking me to its base. Panicking, I tried to shake it off, but instead, it began to expand – growing larger until it loomed over me making me take a step back, ready to run. I opened my mouth to cry out when the aquatic globe exploded outward to encase me.

  NO!

  My heart resounded in my ears loudly, and the chanting seemed to echo even louder as my head became completely enclosed by water.

  My phobia of water hit me at full force bringing forth terrible memories of a near death.

  Using whatever strength, I had left, I screamed as loud as my lungs would allow, interrupting the flow of the element. It pulled away from my body in a burst of blue light as quickly as it enclosed me earlier and hovered. The four chanters paused in their staccato musical arrangement to watch the blue substance shimmer in front of me as if it were observing my movements. Then as quickly as at it retreated, in a dazzling radiance it shot forward at me, completely submerging me. I opened my mouth at the force, and it flowed inside me, gagging me. I knew then my fear was materializing. I was drowning.

  The chanting commenced, overlapping and brash. A surge started in the pit of my stomach and coursed out from my center to the five points of my body. Through the crystal-clear wall, I could see the four figures surrounding me as the light started to fade. I reached out one last time before I passed out.

  

  Something wet lapped at my feet sending me jolting out of my coma. Confused, I looked around at my surroundings trying to piece together what happened. I stared at my computer screen which flashed a copy of my news article I had been working on before my doctor’s appointment earlier.

  Appointment? I twisted around in my chair. The hell? How and when did I get here?

  A whine came from the floor and a wet nudge touched my foot again.

  Glancing down, I saw Drama, my golden Cavalier King, staring up at me with her big brown eyes. Bending down to pick her up, I accidently knocked over the glass of water that I had sitting beside the computer.

  “Damn!” I jumped up out of the chair. Poor Drama ran under the table at my outburst.

  “Aww…sorry girl. I didn’t mean to scare you.” I ran over to the kitchen counter and

  grabbed a few paper towels to mop up the mess I made.

  Coming back over to the table, the water spilled off the side of the table onto the floor. My hand paused in midair, the flow of the water triggering something…the remnants of a memory that felt dreamlike. A woman…in all white…chanting…DROWNING!

  Shaking my head, I laid the paper towels on top of the mess and sat down in my chair again trying to remember the dream that felt so real.

  Did I have an appointment today? I thought. Or was that a dream as well. Picking up my phone, I dialed into my voice messages to make sure that the doctor’s office had in fact called me and left a message about coming in immediately to discuss my results of my test. And yes, the message was still there. That wasn’t a dream. So, did that appointment happen? And if so, how did I get back home?

  Drama jumped in my lap sensing my distress and whined pushing against my hand with her nose. I lifted my hand and stroked her curly coat.

  “Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you. Mama’s ok. Just had quite a day.”

  Picking her up, we headed for the kitchen.

  “Well, we might as well find something to eat little one. No need to starve.” I stepped over chew toys and newspaper articles I had scattered on the floor on my research of a story I was chasing for work.

  “Maybe I should cleanup in here, also, huh?” I muttered after slipping on a stack of loose papers. Drama whimpered. “I’m glad you choose to use the bathroom outside and not on my work.” I threw her a juicy biscuit.

  “For that, you deserve and extra treat.” Drama wagged her tail, happily in agreement. I sat a bowl of fresh water and another bowl of dog food on the floor beside her. Drama never paused from the biscuit to her bowl, digging in like it was Grade A steak dinner.

  Chuckling to myself, I could suddenly feel a lazy euphoria flow through my veins and my eyes became very heavy. Letting out a loud yawn, I shuffled out of the kitchen. I wasn’t that hungry anyway after today.

  Walking into the living room, my body began to drag and soon I fell face forward onto the sofa letting my mind drift listening to the ticking of the clock.

  I could not get one nod out when a sharp pain ripped through my insides.

  I shot straight up tumbling over onto the floor! Screaming was my intention when my mouth opened but nothing came out. My eyes flew open as the pain continued to increase. My body shuddered as I took my trembling hands to where the pain was the worse. As my hands touched my flesh, I felt a warm stickiness sending an alarm off in my head.

  Pulling my hand back, it was exactly what I feared… rich color of red painted my hand, dripping thick and sluggishly onto the floor. My legs kicked, frantically, in front of me as I attempted to push myself up off the floor but instead the rug clung to me hindering escape.

  Again, I tried to scream. Nothing.

  Looking down, the blood started pooling around my lower half and it was no longer the rug holding me down but the crimson mess that my hands and feet struggled to find a grip in. I flailed my arms over my body taking hold of the sofa and the table on either side of me and tried to pull myself up. Halfway on my feet, I skated to one of the end tables beside the sofa and made my way for the phone.

  This wasn’t real, I could hear myself repeatedly say to myself, but the blood running down my legs convinced me otherwise. Even as a calming lethargy set in, spots started to form over my eyes weakening me more and sending me close to unconsciousness. Taking one last attempt, I dove for the phone as my sight faded, but I missed it by inches, falling off the back of the sofa and taking out a table before crashing onto the floor.

  Finally, a scream erupted out of my throat and my eyes flew open. Still on the floor, I struggled to get up looking at my surroundings completely out of my mind. Drama trotted over to me and whimpered, placing her cold nose on my hand. The coolness gave me a jolt and my eyesight focused around me as I slowly brought my hands up to my face.

  My heart pounded loudly against my chest and my breathing was heavy from exertion. When my hands were close enough to my face, I turned them over, examining the evidence…but nothing…Nothing! Not a drop! I jumped up off the floor which I must have fallen onto during the dream I just had and found nothing. No evidence of blood, no broken table…nothing. Drama whimpered again but I remained frozen to the floor unable to shake the shock.

  BRINGGG!

  The phone shrieked causing me to jump and sending Drama scurrying away.

  It rung two more times…I finally snapped out of it and picked up
the phone with trembling hands. I swallowed before speaking. “Heeellllo,” my voice shook. “Hello,” I repeated this time more confident.

  “Lailah? Are you ok?” A familiar voice sounded through the receiver.

  Kasey!

  I cleared my throat and tried to compose myself.

  “Ye…yes…Yes! I’m fine…Kasey? What’s going on?” I staggered closer to the sofa and sat down.

  “Well, I was wondering if you were up for a drink and some good music tonight. It’s been a whi...” I noticed the last word drop off. “You know, since...” She hesitated again. “…since...” She never finished her sentence, but I knew what she was getting at. It has been a while since my cancer had gone into remission. I still didn’t have the strength to really say anything to her right away so there was a long, uncomfortable pause before she continued. “I really miss you, girl. Come on out and have a little fun.” She pleaded on the other end.

  I sighed. “I…” I began, staring at the spot on the floor that I just picked myself up from moments before she called. “I guess that would be ok.” I choked out. “I could use a night out,” I relented. Smiling, I practically could hear the smile that appeared on Kasey’s face over the phone. “Sure…ok. what time are you thinking?”

  “Great!” She cried. “How ‘bout I pick you up ‘round eight?” A smile formed on my own lips at her enthusiasm.

  “Su...sure. That sounds great.” I stammered. “I’ll be ready.” I listened as the phone went silent then placed it back on the stand, but as soon as I did, panic set in. There was no way I could go out in public with whatever this was going on in my brain. I never knew when it was going to happen… and what if it does it while I was out. I had to be really be out of my freakin’ mind to agree.

  Taking a deep breath, I pushed myself of the sofa and tried even harder to push that freaky dream to the far corners of my mind. I needed this night out and Kasey knew how to have a good time.