I recall the events that started the story of the miscreants as if it happened just yesterday; they were deeply etched in my memory.
One fateful Saturday night, the food/hostel Master, Mr. Donald, was coming back from a meeting of his town union in Bembe, He was whistling for he was happy that an agelong feud between two warring factions in their town union had been reconciled as both sides agreed
to sheath their swords and embrace peace. He also whistled to keep himself company. The road to the teachers' quarters in Zion International College (ZIC) was a lonely stretch and the darkness which engulfed that area did not help matters at all.

Soon, he hit his left foot on a stone and cursed under his breath, Goose pimples came all
Over his body. He recalled that it was a general belief that hitting one's left foot on something usually signified a bad omen. He however shrugged off the belief and tried to instill courage in himself. However, the sense of premonition, of danger lurking in the dark, persisted. Mr. Donald
chided himself for benaving like a frightened doddering old woman while at the same time shoring up his confidence with the fact that he had walked on that stretch of road countless times in many years.
"Stop there, you jerk! a harsh and guttural voice suddenly ordered out of the darkness. Mr. Donald blinked his eye like an owl, trying to recognize the voice.
"If you move, I shoot you! the voice bellowed as a petrified Mr. Donald tried to run for his dear life. Immediately, a strong hand covered his face while others overpowered him. Mr. Donald was like a helpless chicken.
"NoW, you mercenary beef, where did you keep the money students paid for their feeding
which you took and made them to be eating poor food.? a gruff voice asked Mr. Donald. A deadly blow and a kick were given to him. At the same time, one of the assailants was busy tying Mr. Donald's eyes with a thick black cloth. Mr. Donald gave a painful grunt. "SSsh don't make a noise or else you say your last prayers, preparatory to joining your ancestors, a menacing voice threatened and Mr. Donald received hot slap on his mouth that left a salty taste of blood on his tongue.
"You starve students like Mark Twist in the workhouse in order to enrich yourself. May you rot in hell with your ill-gotten wealth," another voice uttered.

"Shoot him!" a steely and deadly voice wounded. People believed that he was attacked by armed robbers until he recovered and narrated his ordeal.

The whole school was in shock at the turn of events. The Director, Mr. Daniel was especially aghast. He did not know that he was training some hooligans in the name of students. Being a strict disciplinarian, he called his teachers for a meeting on how to nip the ugly development in the bud.
"My dear colleagues, you all can agree with me that an ugly precedent has been set in this school. From the look of things, the dastardly attack on Mr Donald, our colleague, can only be the handiwork of student cultists. We cannot allow cultism to thrive in this school, because it is an ill wind that blows nobody any good. Anybody can be the next victim. It may be you or me. We have to nip it in the bud; we have to bale this water while it is ankle deep otherwise, it will grow
into a hydra headed monster that will be very difficult to kill or stamp out". Mr. Daniel said.
The other teachers voiced their opinions and later they generally agreed that no stone should be left unturned to fish out the miscreants who would be severely punished to serve as
deterent to others. They also agreed to set up a body called Operation Restore Discipline (ORD) charged with the duty of investigating and treating every case of indiscipline in the school.
The principal and some teachers invited me, Thomas, the Senior Prefect among were other prefects and school functionaries and questioned us closely to find out if we knew anything about
the people that attacked Mr. Donald. We were ignorant of their activities because they had
operated with utmost secrecy. The principal urged us to keep our eyes wide open and our ears to the ground in order to find out the actors behind the ugly drama.
We tried our best but it yielded nothing even the detective efforts of the school's security yielded nothing. There was an uneasy calm in the School, One morning, the Director addressed the Students on the grave consequences of cuitism.
He stood on the platform and surveyed the students especially SS1.and SS2 students with stern eyes as if to fish out the culprits but each student looked as innocent as a baby.
"It has come to our notice that some of you have started forming bad gangs which unleash terror and mayhem on their percelved enemies in this school. I want you to know that
this school, Zion International College, has a long history of academic excellence. I and my
teachers will not fold our arms and allow a few hooligans and ruffians to drag the name of this
prestigious school to the mud. We will definitely not allow gangsters and ragamuffins to hold the whole school hostage and disturb learning by
enthroning a culture of violence and lawlessness.
And violence example is the dastardly beating of
Mr Donald by some unscrupulous miscreants".
At this stage a loud wave of murmuring arose among the students. The principal had to
ring a bell before silence could be maintained.

"I have to advise you all to avoid cultism because it is evil. Those who indulge in it thrive in
evil, Wickedness and violence. Shun cultism because it does not pay and you are not born with it. Cultists live in fool's paradise because they have sold their birthright for mere porridge and can never have peace. Instead or enoying good life, they live in perpetual fear, insecurity and danger. If you want success in school, keep away from such cruel, callous, devious miscreants for they are heading towards ruin and destruction.