Chapter 3: Suspicion and Guilt

Everywhere quiet.

All of us just dey think of Halima.

After long silence, na me talk first, voice dey shake.

"E...e fit be Halima? She talk say she lock door, block am with load."

Efe talk coldly, "But I don see film where sleepwalker dey open door, even waka for street for sleep."

Everywhere quiet again.

At last, Morayo talk, her face white, "Abeg, make we no dey scare ourselves. Police go find who do am. Make we no think am."

Me and Efe just nod, go baff, no talk again.

My mind no gree rest. Na so Nigerian pikin dey reason—if wahala dey your backyard, you go dey check if your hand clean. I dey check my conscience, dey pray make police no come ask us question.

That whole day, campus dey buzz about the murder for our hostel.

The victim na year one girl from English Department. Dem say her head split into two, her roommates nearly die of fear.

Police car full outside girls hostel, the room wey the girl die, dem seal am.

Rumour just dey fly everywhere.

At first, na only say her head split. Later, people begin talk say her brain don vanish join.

Everybody dey fear.

Even lecturers begin dey tell us make we dey go hostel early. Chapel people gather dey pray for hostel gate, some dey sprinkle holy water for corridor. I dey find where I go hide my own head.