Chapter 3

• “Let's give it up for Miss Kimberly Brown.” The presenter on the fifth beauty contest in Cambridge High school said to the crowd facing the stage.
• It's a bright day in the month of March, the hall is well decorated and filled with so many beautiful and gorgeous individuals, most of them are students from my school and some others, parents, guardians, well wishers, and dignitaries .
• “Wow, go Kim.” I heard Vicky shout from the crowd cheering me on, amid the cheering crowd as well.
• I was taken by surprise, I never expected that I would win this beauty contest because there are more worthy contestants who I never imagined I will beat at this contest.
• I reluctantly entered the contest because of my best friend Vicky who literally pestered me into joining the contest.
• “You are a very beautiful girl Kim, stop wasting this beauty for God’s sake.” Vicky had told me on the last day of picking the form, when she dragged me to the stand where they pick the contest form.
• She had been on my neck since the beginning of the sales of the form, but I have always turned her down.
• “I don't want to contest Vicky, besides I don't see any relationship between being a model and being a chef.” I had told Vicky.
• I had always dreamed of being a chef, and Vicky is aware of that because she is my best friend, if it were to be a cooking contest I would have gladly joined the show, but a beauty pageant? I'm not sure I can do that.
• “You should do the contest girl, it doesn't matter, besides I'm not asking you to be a model or take modeling as a career, I'm just asking you to do a simple school contest.” Vicky had said to me in that persuasive tone of hers.
• “I don't want to join the contest Vicky, I don't know how to model and I am not that popular anyways, no one would choose me.” I had replied her.
• “No you have to, I can't let you miss this, do it for me please...” Vicky pleaded with me, folding both palms and looking at me in a way I am not able to resist anymore.
• “I would have joined the contest myself if I possess the kind of beauty you possess Kim, do it for me please...” Vicky continued pleadingly, blinking those beautiful eyes of hers.
• “Okay fine, I’ll do it for your sake but I won't promise you I’ll take it seriously.” I said, unable to resist her plea anymore.
• Vicky jumped and jiggled for joy, as if she had just won a lottery.
• “I am doing this for fun, no pressure, it’s just for the fun.” I said raising my finger to Vicky, surprised at how happy she is.
• “Let's do this Kim, let's go kick some ass.” Vicky had told me that day, flipping her hair backwards like someone who's prepared to fight before picking the form.
• “Excuse me? Kick some ass?” I asked, getting confused at her statement as I turned to face her.
• “Don't worry it's none of your business.” She replied, as she took my hand leading the way for us to get the form.
• I knew it, this must be personal for her, I thought and when I inquired further from her, I was surprised at her reply.
• “This is personal, because I don't want Suzy Jones to win the contest, she is a very arrogant and spoilt brat who messed with me and some other students, so girlfriend, I would like you to take this throne from her.” Vicky said rolling her eyes at me.
• “Is that all? Seriously girlfriend?” I asked unable to believe her, yeah sure, Suzy Jones has messed with me too, but I didn't take it to heart like Vicky.
• “Look girl, I am confident that you my friend, Kimberly Brown will win this contest because you are way more beautiful and more intelligent than Suzy.” Vicky told me, and she took it upon herself to help me prepare all the way.
• I walked to the stage, feeling very surprised and happy at the same time, seeing how the crowd cheered for me.
• I had never imagined that winning can be this awesome, I mean it's such a wonderful feeling, standing up here and watching the crowd cheer for me, to think that they are tones of people I do not know.
• I feel very happy that I had entered the context and as I looked at the crowd, I became thankful to Vicky for leading me here.
• The presenter finished making a speech and just as the presenter put the crown on my head...
• Boom! The atmosphere changed.
• Bang! Bang! Bang! I heard the sound of gunshots in the air and almost immediately the crowd panicked, and everyone began to run healthier scatter.
• Standing on the stage I could see everything or most part of what's going on, some guys who were wearing masks invaded the show and the crowd has gone bizarre.
• As shocked as I am, I could not think quickly of the next action to take, I could not even move because my legs seemed not to move.
• I just stood there watching as some people ran about the place trying to take cover, some others just bent down on their faces to the ground, afraid of the gun shots that being fired into the air.
• The next thing I felt was a hand that lifted me off the stage in one swift second, onto his shoulder, it was a huge man from the build of his body.
• Frightened, I started hitting his back vehemently trying to set myself free, but it yielded no result, as he practically ran with me on his shoulders out of the place and brought me to a van, I was thrown into the van and zoom, the van drove off immediately.
• “Where are you taking me? Please let me go.” I pleaded to the man in the van with me, he said nothing but looked ahead to the driver in front who is driving the van.
• They we're three men in the van with me, the driver and one other man who is sitting at the passenger’s seat and the man who took me from the stage, who is with me at the back of the van, they are all still putting on their masks so I cannot recognize or describe them.
• They were more than this number, so I guess others are in other vehicle but that doesn't matter to me now, all that matters is that they let me go.
• I continued pleading but my pleading fell on deaf ears, and it looked like the man got tired of my pleading and boom!
• I felt a knock on my head and everything went still.