Chapter 5: The Video Evidence

After I accept, 703 begin drop voice notes, her voice dey shake:

"Ah God, ah God, wetin you and 401 talk na true!"

"Fake human really dey—do you know wetin I just see?"

"I dey stay opposite 701. I hear say their pikin run go outside, dem lock am. I wan check, but my security camera dey alert me say person pass."

"I think say na the small girl, but… I go send you video."

She send video true true.

Na her door camera footage. My hand dey tremble as I click download, dey hope say na nothing serious.

I open am.

For the video, fake human stand near the small girl. The kain way e dey stand, na only evil spirit dey behave so.

The girl freeze, fear no let her move. I see her slippers dey point different direction—na so fear dey hook small pikin.

Fake human just dey circle am, dey smell up and down, then grab am sharp. E quick like say e dey hunt chicken for Sallah.

I see as the girl dey shake, try run, but leg fail her, she fall. My own leg weak where I dey.

Fake human stretch finger—just one scratch, e nail tear the girl arm. The sound make me wan vomit.

I see black liquid dey flow from e nail enter the girl wound. My eye dey wide, my breath dey hold.

Few seconds, the girl eye turn, body dey shake for ground. E resemble when pikin dey get fever fit, but this one worse. E resemble when masquerade spirit dey enter person for village—body no be your own again.

Fake human just dey look am. E no rush, e just dey observe like say e dey study animal for zoo.

When the girl no move again, fake human face change small, then e press hand for her wound again. My skin dey crawl, cold dey run for my back.

This time, plenty black liquid pour enter the girl body. Fake human body just shrink, remain like old wrapper. If you see am, e no get flesh again, only skin and bone.

And the small girl stand up again, but her body bend anyhow. She resemble puppet wey dem no arrange well.

Her mouth dey open and close, but I no fit hear wetin she talk… For my mind, I just dey say, "God abeg."