Chapter 6: Blood and Shadow

Auwalu look Halima, wey just open curtain: "Na your shoe be this? I don dey see am for your door since."

Auwalu voice even low, like person wey dey whisper for burial ground. Halima just dey blink, no talk. As he talk so,

Auwalu push the shoe inside: "If hostel supervisor see am, wahala go dey."

The way he push the shoe, e be like say e no even wan touch am again.

I look Halima. Her face dey blank, like say she dey think deep. Even Musa dey fidget, hand dey rub for him knee.

"Maybe she forget," Musa just talk anyhow. Musa just dey look up, e dey form like say nothing concern am. But for him eye, you go see confusion.

After Auwalu go, me and room leader climb bed. Halima poke head out, eye the red high heel: "Na me get this kind old shoe? Who dey wear this kain thing?"

Her voice dey low, as if she dey talk to herself, or as if spirit dey disturb her.

"Maybe na another room bring am. Girls full for boys hostel these days," Musa talk. The way Musa talk, e be like person wey dey try use joke cover fear. Everybody dey act like e no matter, but na lie.

"If e no be your own, abeg throw am tomorrow. The shoe dey vex me," person talk.

Na so all of us agree. That shoe na real wahala. Even me, I dey wonder how e take reach our room.

I look the red high heel. The style old, the red just dey shine anyhow, like dem use palm oil and sorrow clean am. The thing just dey make me uncomfortable.

For midnight, I no even know time. Mosquitoes dey bite me, body dey itch, sweat dey my back. I dey roll for mattress, dey try sleep.

I hear some noise for room. I dey half sleep, I see one dark shadow dey crawl for floor, two hands dey find something. My eye dey blur, but I fit see movement. E be like say animal or person dey search under bed.

I wake up. Fear catch me, I sit up sharply. The sweat wey dey my body dry immediately. Na so I grab my phone torch.

I vex: "Wetin you dey find? You no fit wait till morning?" I dey whisper but my voice sharp. For my mind, I dey hope say na Musa.

As I talk finish, everywhere quiet. I wan sleep again. The silence wey follow just heavy. Na only my heartbeat I dey hear.

Then, person stand for my bed head. "Shoe... shoe," na Auwalu voice. If you hear the way him voice sound, e go be like say e come from bottom pit. My body cold.

"Which shoe, that red high heel?" I no even bother open eye. I just point: "No be there e dey?"

I dey form like say nothing dey happen, but my heart dey fear.

"Where, Femi, I no see am. Abeg help me find am." Auwalu voice dey shake, like say him wan cry.

E pain me for chest, like pepper enter my heart. But the way the air cold suddenly, I dey suspect.

I tire, open my eye small, na so I see Auwalu stand for my bed, but him eyes no dey—na just two bloody holes. Black blood dey drop from there. The thing fear me die.

I open mouth, I no fit shout. My body freeze. Wetin I dey see?

He open mouth, dey come my side: "Shoe, I no fit find the shoe."

The blood dey flow for him face like say tap open, the sight na wah.

"Femi, abeg help me. I must return this shoe."

As he talk am, him hand dey stretch, dey beg. My mind dey fly.

Auwalu dey come close, him hand dey find my bed, dey call my name, dey beg make I help am find the shoe. The voice don change, e sound like frog wey dey struggle for gutter. My chest dey tight.

The thing wey fear me pass be say, I see for back of Auwalu, one wet thing dey crawl from shadow, just dey press for him back.

My eye nearly commot. The thing na like woman, but her body no dey complete. E be like wet cloth stick for mud.

The thing raise head small, eye white, mouth bend with wicked smile. Na woman with dirty, red lace wrapper, the kain way dem dey tie for burial ground. Her eyes white like chalk, mouth twist like old mama wey dey curse. Auwalu come dey shake more, dey cry, blood dey pour from him eye socket. He hold my hand: "I die for your sake."

As I see the woman, na so my mind scatter. My tongue heavy for mouth. The red lace wrapper shine for the dark, na that kain wrapper my grandma get for village, but this one dirty, blood stain full am.

That same time, the woman for Auwalu back squint eye, gurgle for throat: "E don find am."

Her voice thick, sound like ogene for burial. If you hear am, you go feel cold for bone.

Ah—

I scream. Next thing, white light just flash for my eye, room leader voice dey shout: "Make una shift, make I handle am!"

The shout loud sotay my ear dey ring. Na only for Naija you go see room leader get mind slap person for night.

Slap!

The slap heavy, I almost lose my tooth. For my mind, I dey thank am, because e be like say na only slap fit save me.

Slap!

I feel two heavy slap for my face, then I hear person talk say dem go pour me hot water. I shout, jump up, see room leader dey press me for bed, hand still for air. Another roommate, Tobi, hold flask, as he see me wake, he hide am.

If to say e pour me that hot water, na burn I for get. The slap just reset my brain.

Room leader hand still dey for air, Tobi dey grip flask like say e go baptize me with hot water. My mouth dey bitter, my body dey shake.

"Femi, you dey craze?" Musa face white, dey vex. His voice crack, you fit see say fear and anger dey fight inside am.

I just dey confuse. The confusion choke me. I dey try remember wetin happen, but my head dey blank.

Room leader come, look me well: "You nearly kill Halima just now." His voice dey shake small, but e dey try form hard man.

"No be me," I talk, then I see say I don come down from bed. Halima and Musa bed scatter, curtain tear.

I dey look my hand, dey wonder how I take reach Halima bed. E no make sense.

Everywhere don scatter. Halima back me, dey cry, her cloth tear, two red mark for her neck. Her sob dey low, like person wey spirit dey follow. My heart dey beat fast, shame dey catch me.

"Wetin dey worry you?" Musa just dey vex.

I see as Musa eye red, him dey try hold Halima, but e dey fear to touch am. Everybody just dey reason wetin to do.

I... na me do am? I no believe am. I dey try remember but my mind blank. I dey pray make all be dream.

"Oya, comot for here," Musa eye me, carry Halima, lock door, waka.

The way Musa drag Halima, e be like say e dey run from me. Shame dey catch me.

As dem dey go, I see Halima wear that old red high heel. The shoe shine for her leg, even as she dey limp. That sight make my body cold.