Chapter 1: The Midnight WhatsApp Panic

Help o, abeg, person dey follow me enter this flat. I dey hide now, the person never comot—make everybody shine una eye well well.

As I dey play game for midnight, na so these two voice notes just land for the tenants' WhatsApp group. My room dark, only the blue glow of my screen dey shine for my face. Mosquitoes dey hum their own orchestra for my ear, but na this message carry real wahala enter the night. My heart dey pound, every small sound for corridor dey sound like thunder. I press my back for wall, dey try hold my breath. Na only God know wetin fit happen next.

Person reply sharp sharp: "Abeg, na just pervert. Just chase am comot—e reach to fear like that?"

Few seconds later, the same person drop picture with caption:

"No be so o, I no explain well. I suppose talk say, the thing no resemble normal human at all."

"E be like say na fake human."

I open the picture anyhow, fear nearly make me piss for body. My hand dey shake as I zoom in; for my mind, cold breeze blow pass my back, even though NEPA no give us light reach for fan to work.

Dem snap am from corner. The thing for the photo dey lie down for ground, leather shoe for leg, high heel for hand, with one kind bent, wicked smile for face. If person say na juju, I for believe. As I dey look, my skin dey pepper me.

Before I fit reason am, the person wey send the picture tag me for chat: "Abeg, shine your eye, e dey come your floor."

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That message just put wahala for my mind. I start dey sweat, even with my window wide open. You know that kain fear wey dey catch when you no even sabi wetin you dey fear?

Na so group chat scatter:

"Na wa o! This picture no resemble human at all. You use AI take do us April fool?"

"Abeg, stop this your play. Which one be fake human for real life? You too dey watch scary film."

"See as midnight reach, this photo dey give person goosebumps."

"I fit faint now. If you no stop this your prank, I go call vigilante o."

"Oya, who get ogbono soup or anointing oil? If this thing pass my door, I go pour the two join!"

...

But the fear for my flat na different level. As dem dey type anyhow for group, na me dey face real gbege here. I just dey pray make this wahala pass my door.

That time, game no dey hungry me again. Controller just dey for hand, but my mind don waka.

I just comot from game, sit up for bed, waka go near my door. For my mind, I dey calculate escape plan, dey check if window fit carry me if e too red.

If na true say fake human enter our building, I no go use my life do bet. After all, no be everything person dey use brave eye take see for Naija.

I press body for door, dey try hear any small sound for outside. My ear dey sharp like say I dey road for night, dey expect danfo wey go carry me go Mile 2.

Because the thing for photo wear two shoe—high heel go dey make noise for ground... The kain sound wey go give person away, you sabi?

My phone just dey vibrate as new message dey drop. E be like say everybody don wake up for the estate because of this wahala.

202 tag @401, the person wey send photo:

"Guy, why you no talk again?"

"You fear because person say dem go call vigilante? You don get sense now abi?"

701 join mouth: "Hiss, I know say you just wan scare people."

Anybody wey tag @401, e no answer. E reach to fear—Naija person no dey keep quiet for chat if e never dey see him own for eye.

As I see am, I just relax small. My body still dey on edge, but small calm enter my heart.

I dey act mumu—dey believe say the photo na real. But as Naija person, sometimes na better to over-worry pass to carry last.

Which kind person go look like that? Even area boys no get this kain look.

Maybe na AI prank as dem talk. But this kain time, people dey use AI for wahala too, so I still dey reason am.

But na that moment, 401 suddenly talk, voice low and dey shake:

"Una better believe me o."

"This fake human no be fool. E comot before, but e waka come back find me when I no dey look."

"If no be say I run fast, e for don finish me."

"I dey try catch my breath now."

As I hear those voice notes, I gree finally. Voice no go lie, especially when e dey shake like say cold dey catch am for inside hot weather.

Because that same time, I begin hear the sound—leather shoe and high heel dey knock for corridor. The sound just dey echo like masquerade dey parade for our compound. My heart nearly jump out as each step land.