Eye Am : The Watcher Within

Chapter 2 : A Familiar Territory

As I stepped into Agura, the pungent smell of smoked fish enveloped me, a familiar yet unwelcome scent. Fifteen years had passed since I last set foot in this town, and it seemed time had stood still. The old barber shop still stood, its faded sign creaking in the gentle breeze. People shuffled along, their faces expressionless, like automatons going through the motions.

A sense of despondency hung over Agura, a small town on the outskirts of Eko. Once a thriving trading hub, rich in natural resources, agriculture, and aquatic life, Agura's fortunes had dwindled over the past 30 years. The townspeople's reluctance to discuss the past only fueled my curiosity. What had triggered this decline?

Now, as I walked through the deserted streets, Agura felt like a ghost town, a shadow of its former self. Regret began to creep in - had I made a mistake by returning?

A gentle knock on the door preceded my foster mom's entrance, a warm blanket draped over her arm. Her smile, as always, was kind and welcoming. "I brought you a blanket," she said, her eyes crinkling at the corners. She took my hands in hers, her touch comforting. "I'm so glad you're back home, Damisa."

I smiled back, unsure of what to say. Janet Adebayo, my foster mom, had always been sweet and kind to me. I was adopted by her and her husband, Paul, as a baby. Paul worked in a factory in a nearby town and was rarely home. Janet, a skilled tailor, had taught me the basics of fashion design - threading needles, fixing buttons, and hemming fabrics. Her passion had sparked my love for fashion.

Despite Janet's kindness, I'd always felt a lingering resentment toward her and Paul. Paul's tragic death in a factory accident when I was fifteen had left a void. Three years later, I'd left Agura, abandoning Janet when she needed me most. Yet, she'd never held it against me, always reaching out with postcards and birthday calls.

As I sat in my old room, surrounded by memories, I felt a pang of guilt. Janet had been a good mom, despite my shortcomings as a daughter. Life had dealt her a tough hand - a rare condition had prevented her from having biological children, and now she was stuck with an ungrateful daughter like me.

I sighed, trying to gather my thoughts. What was my next move?

As we sat down to dinner, the silence between Janet and me was palpable. It wasn't until 7:15 pm, when the meal was almost over, that Janet attempted to break the ice. "How's your company doing, Damisa? And life in the city?" she asked, her tone light and conversational.

I forced a smile, but my mind was elsewhere. I needed to uncover the truth behind my nightmares and their connection to Agura. The image of the clearing from my dream lingered, and I couldn't shake the feeling that it held the key to unlocking my memories.

As kids, we'd been warned to stay away from the old abandoned mansion, rumored to be haunted. But as teenagers, my friends and I would sneak into the clearing behind the mansion to get high. It was secluded, and no one ever bothered us.

I decided to probe Janet about the mansion. "Has that old mansion been torn down?" I asked, trying to sound nonchalant.

Janet's expression changed, her eyes narrowing slightly. "Why are you asking about that place?" she asked, her voice tinged with disgust.

I shrugged, feigning indifference. "Just making small talk."

Janet's silence was telling. She didn't respond, and I sensed that she wasn't interested in pursuing the conversation further. Her secrecy was nothing new; Paul had been the same way. In fact, the entire town seemed to thrive on secrets and whispers.

I couldn't help but feel like an outsider, even after all these years. It was no wonder I'd been so desperate to leave Agura behind. But now, I was back, and I was determined to uncover the truth.