Suddenly, Mr Joseph appeared just beside Dominic, looking so astonished. "What just happened?!", he exclaimed. Everyone noticed Father Christmas was not making a move at all towards them. The students especially could not fathom what was going on - both on Father Christmas standing still and Mr Joseph appearing suddenly from nowhere.
"Your power has been counteracted", Dominic smirked at him, while Rita showed him the rope of tiny skulls.
"How did you know about this?", Mr Joseph got outraged.
"That's none of your business. What matters is that you're under arrest", said Dominic. The policemen began approaching him to surround him.
"You think this is over?", he tossed his head towards the stream and suddenly ran down the sloping cliff. Dominic and the Constables immediately ran after him.
"Get him!", Mr Roland ordered them.
The students were startled seeing Father Christmas still standing at a place. They made sure though they stayed a reasonable distance away from it, while they watched the chase after Mr Joseph.
A JS1 girl asked the principal;"Sir do you know why Father Christmas ghost is standing at a place?"
"Because Dominic and Rita stopped it with something", he replied as simple as possible.
"What's that something?", she asked curiously.
"When Dominic comes, ask him to tell okay?", he patted her head. He did not want to be in a situation of having to explain more and more things for her.
Meanwhile, the farmers were extremely taken aback after seeing black magic before their eyes in the land of purity. "Dominic's claim was true", the man gasped out as he stared horrified at the scary looking Father Christmas.
"Then what were our forefathers saying?", the woman was in a state of bafflement.
Dominic caught up with the fast running Joseph and grappled with his shirt, dragging him backwards forcefully when he was about crossing over the stream. Dominic pushed him away and he hit hard against a tree.
The Constables surrounded him and made him get up. He struggled fiercely to escape but he was gripped tightly against the tree. Dominic walked up to him with a mischievous smile.
"Your time has come to an end", Dominic said to him.
Joseph laughed aloud out of mockery. "You'll be making a mistake killing me thinking all this menace would end", he said.
Dominic giggled out of mockery also. "You think I'll kill you myself and get my hands dirty?", he acted surprised dramatically, "Someone else will do that please", he wore an evil smile.
Mr Joseph became slightly nervous and asked him;"What do you mean?"
"Dominic bring him up here. He should die by law", Mr Roland instructed him.
"There's a better way to deal with him Sir", Rita smirked.
"What could that be?", Mr Roland became curious. Rita only referred him to Father Christmas using her head movement. He could not fathom what she was trying to tell him.
Dominic dragged Joseph's necklace and it cut off from his neck much to Joseph's despair. Joseph felt a lot of power go out of him. "Do you know what you just did?", he gasped out.
"I took away just an ordinary necklace from you right?", Dominic asked ironically.
"We should drag him up?", asked one Constable.
"There's no need for that", replied Dominic.
"Some of the people up looked behind and realized Father Christmas was looking towards their direction. They all gradually took some steps backwards, watching to see if Father Christmas was going to go after them.
"You guys should come up here! Father Christmas is looking at us!", Mr Roland ordered Dominic and the Constables.
Hearing about Father Christmas made Mr Joseph shiver in fear which Dominic could clearly see. "Why are you scared?", Dominic asked with an evil smile, "A lot of students went through the experience, so why not try it out!", he yelled, switching to an angry face.
"What should we do with him?", asked another Constable, becoming impatient.
"Dominic do it already!", Rita exclaimed, frowning at him.
"Please do what?", asked Mr Roland, but got no response.
"Throw him across the stream to the other side", Dominic instructed the Constables. He quickly brought out his phone to take the footage of what was going to happen. The Constables got perplexed at what he said.
"But he's going to escape", he assured them, "You'll see why I took away this from him", he said, showing them the necklace.
The Constables looked at each other and decided to believe in his words. They then carried up Mr Joseph and headed for the stream. He shook violently to escape from them.
"No! Please!!", he cried.
"What do you guys want to do with him?", Mr Roland raised his voice, annoyed for being ignored all along.
"Sir! Look over there", Rita spoke calmly to him, pointing towards where Father Christmas stood. He and some of the people around him saw Father Christmas shaking mildly. "Everyone should relax", she gestured, "It's not going to attack us, it's going to attack Mr Joseph rather", she assured everyone.
Joseph was thrown over the stream to the other side and Dominic threw his necklace faraway in the opposite direction. Before Joseph could even get up, Father Christmas popped up right in front of him and grappled with his neck, raising him up in the air. Dominic quickly began taking the footage. He was startled to find out Father Christmas could not be captured by the camera.
Everyone watched intently what was taking place. Father Christmas used its nails and pierced into Joseph's neck and blood began to gush out. The scene was quite terrifying for some students to watch and they covered their eyes in the process. Father Christmas tore out a part of Mr Joseph's neck and he dropped dead immediately to the ground. What a terrifying scene for everyone to watch!
Immediately Joseph dropped dead, Father Christmas dropped the part it tore out. It then suddenly disappeared.
"Finally! No more menace in Lagos", said Rita, feeling very happy.
Dominic and the Constables began their journey up the cliff. Dominic could see the astonishment on Mr Roland's and the farmers faces. When they got to the top, they were assisted back to the level ground.
"Let's get going everyone", Dominic said to them.
Mr Roland and the farmers hurriedly went to speak with him. "What are we going to tell the people? Mr Joseph was killed by a ghost?", Mr Roland asked him.
"That's why I recorded it", he showed Mr Roland his phone, "We don't need to claim. We've got evidence", he said.
"What you told us last night was actually true", said the female farmer.
Dominic collected the book of Black Magic from Rita and handed it over to the farmer. "Take this book. You'll learn a lot from it", he said, "but don't perform any of those rituals unless in the case of emergency", he advised.
"Okay", she said and collected the book. Her husband took it from her to check it out.
Dominic spotted Tricia looking backwards at him from time to time and decided to go speak with his sister. He hugged her by the side. "The menace has finally come to an end", he smiled at her. Ben stood beside her, listening to their conversation.
"A ghost killing the one who invoked it goes back to rest in peace", she said.
"Well...something like that", he replied. He did not want to start explaining anything to her at the moment.
* * *
They finally got to the end of the road, opposite a large area of farmlands. Everyone knew where they had come out to.
"The next road by the left is the popular bush track into the land of black magic", the male farmer informed them.
"You guys can find your way from here", said the wife.
"We've called the police for help. They're on their way", replied Mr Roland. The farmers smiled and began their journey back home. They were greeted thanks and bade farewell for all they had done for them. The farmers gladly accepted the greetings, grinning at everyone. Tricia ran to them to whisper something to them.
"I'll be back in a few months to check on you two", she said.
The couple felt so happy by her words. "We'll be expecting to see you darling", replied the woman, caressing her cheek. Dominic wondered at what they could be talking about.
"Bye!!", she bade them and ran back to go join the rest. She stood by a brother who gazed at her in an inquisitive way but she pretended not noticing his gaze. The farmers walked down the road back home, holding hands.
Mr Roland who had just finished a phone call, informed everyone;"They said they'll be here in 10 minutes. Let's just be patient." The stomach rumbled again and he wrapped his hand round it in discomfort. "I'm so hungry", he said inwardly.
The students especially were so happy again. They could not wait to be back home and meet their family again.