Chapter 2: Faces with Empty Eyes

My mind come dey ginger. This game go make sense o.

I drop my Coke for table.

Click.

I press download.

The software no even heavy, just about twenty megabytes.

I run am. The first thing wey I see na another black-and-white picture of one girl.

E shock me.

My mouth open small, eyebrow raised. Something no pure for this girl face—her eyes far from each other, her mouth dey wide for grin, she resemble pikin wey chop too much kolanut—face just dey somehow.

Na that time, one text show for screen:

[If you feel this picture is normal, it is recommended you exit this test.]

[If you feel this picture is abnormal, or even unsettling, you must continue with the following test.]

Two options land below:

[Continue] and [Exit]

I scratch my head, heart dey beat like drum. As I dey look that strange picture, my body just dey somehow. I no even think twice—I click Continue.

Two more photos show.

System prompt:

[Please click the picture you believe is the impostor.]

One na middle-aged man wey dey smile.

The other na small boy too dey smile—but the boy own stiff well well, e be like say dem use glue join him face together.

E resemble puppet.

For my mind I just dey complain:

Which kind normal person go get this kain stiff face?

My chest tight small, I look screen well. Na human being be this?

Sharp sharp, I click the boy own.

Immediately, two more photos appear:

One na long-face man dey take selfie.

The other na another middle-aged man dey do the same.

I zoom my eye, dey look am well, even move face closer like say na juju dey there. After I look well, I just click the long-face man.

All these people get one thing in common: their eyes just dey empty, no life for their look, and their smile dey somehow.

If person like Mama Ngozi see these pictures, she for talk say dem don do jazz for these people. Dem no just resemble human beings at all.

From the rounds wey I don do, na this conclusion I reach.

Plenty more picture rounds come, and I dey get all of them correct, no mistake.

My body dey do me one kind. I dey sweat small, but pride dey my mind say I dey sharp.

Until the last round—

Chai.

I fit shout sef. As the images load, I just shout:

No be my neighbour, Uncle Musa, be this?

The two pictures for screen:

One na woman with normal face.

The other na my neighbour from opposite flat, Uncle Musa.

For the photo, Uncle Musa eyes wide, look empty, mouth bend for one kain weird smile.

Abeg, no be person picture rights dem dey violate so?

I go report this nonsense game later jare.

As I dey complain for my mind, I still click Uncle Musa own.

After all these practice rounds, I sabi immediately say Uncle Musa no be human for that photo.