GHOST (The Shadow in the Dark)

Part seven

       I slept off as soon as my head touched the bed, I was too exhausted to think of anything. It was already past ten when I woke up. It was Saturday and so no lectures. I did my basic cleanings and went to New Benin market to buy foodstuffs. I sighted some people watching and following me. I felt like telling them to just save themselves. I just could not understand their stupidity because it was no longer bravery. Someone was killing them like he was drinking water and they had no idea who he was, yet they still tried to protect me, even after watching their colleagues die.
By the time I had finished all the basic things I did on Saturdays, it was already past 2:PM.  I checked my phone to confirm if he sent any message but none. My battery was low and there was no power supply.
I had loads of reading to do and I was far behind my reading schedule. I took some literature texts and note for jotting and went to H series at faculty to read. I made sure I went with extension to plug my phone and I was lucky to secure a space where I could watch my phone while charging.
      I saw about five of them littering around the faculty and I wondered how Ghost did his own. He was too discreet and a ghost. As I sat down, I brought out my drinks and snacks and placed them on the table. The moment I opened the novel for my prose fiction course, I forgot my predicament and became lost. That was why I loved studying in school because I felt the desire to read and I easily understood what I read. I read and jotted down important points.
        My phone blinked and when I checked it, it was the time and my full battery that caught my attention before I saw Ghost’s message. I had read till 6:00PM. The coke drink, gala sausage, buns and meat pie I had brought were finished, just their waterproof was the evidence they were there.
‘It’s getting late, start moving now.’
I felt angry and pissed off. Who was he to tell me what to do with my time? But something was missing because I could not feel him so how did he know where I was?
‘Move now’ another message came.
‘Get lost….’ But I quickly deleted it, I could not dare send that to him.
I started packing my things same time turning to know who was around. There were many, in fact night readers were trooping in, some carrying extra wrappers to cover up. But the shadow I could not avoid was telling me to go home and if I didn’t, he might kill someone and this time, their blood would be on my hands.
I had to remove others' chargers from my extension and as I started folding it, someone called me. I tensed, it was them, those cultist. I ignored him. They wouldn’t dare do anything to me when the hall was crowded.
“No be you I dey call, this girl stubborn oo.”
I did not know their names and I did not want to, so in my mind I named the one talking Leader. I was through packing, everything was in my bag and with my phone on my hand, I tried to move out of the long chairs but they blocked me. Five of them, with three unfamiliar faces.
“What the heck do you want?”
“The guy, first give us the name of your guy. We don beg Dr. Bright but he nor won talk, he dey fear am, I won see that guy, I won treat am the fuck up when he treat Dr, then you go become my girl, simple.”
The guy was one of the three new faces and I could just tell he was their leader and if I had doubt, it was confirmed with people cawing away from my area. He was dark and dyed the left side of his hair yellow, my worst color. His trousers were sagged which was same with others. He had two chains that looked heavy and a ring on the middle of his right finger. All were on red T-Shirt and had that confident posture. They had no idea who they were looking for.
“As much as I hate you obstructing my movement, I don’t think it’s enough for you to die. Human lives matter to me.”
They started laughing, I was not joking so what was the laughter for?
“I nor dey like stubborn people at all, I humble myself come ask you in peace and you wen nor reach anything dey waste my time. I won’t ask again, what is his name?”
My phone blinked.
‘Tell him, tell him he dies if he touches you, then get out now. Run and don’t stop till you get to your hostel.’
One of them tried to grab my phone but I pulled away in time. He had no idea I just saved his life. I would think of how he could know what was going on but if I did not get to my hostel on time, one of the policemen would die.
“His name is Ghost.”
They looked at each other knowingly, like they were trying to figure out who had that code name among their rivals. I used that distraction to jump over the wooden chair and started running, I ran without stopping. There was no way I would give him a reason to kill another person. I did not know I could run. If not for my predicament, I wouldn’t have believed I could run that long without stopping.
I was feeling faint by the time I got to LTV, Edo Street.  I paused to inhale enough air but felt tense, like on Thursday. I immediately continued my race and only felt relieved when I entered my room. It was after I had sat down I discovered he did not visit my room. It was still scattered, my clothes and books and my plates were still dirty. My phone blinked as I panted.
‘Don’t step out of your room until tomorrow morning.’
‘Now you are controlling my movement?’
‘Choose carefully, get out and witness death, stay in and save lives.’
‘I never had a choice, stop making it look like I had a choice.’
‘See you tomorrow night.’
‘I should feel relieved you are giving me the night off?’
No answer.
‘How do you know where I am all the time? How did you hear what they were saying?’
No answer.
‘I hate you…’ but I deleted it and wrote ‘I hate how you’ve taken over my life.’
And then he replied with ‘Dream of me.’
‘Yes, I will make sure I dream of hurting you…..’ I deleted it and changed it to ‘I hate nightmares’ but the message bounced back with ‘not sent.’ I was beginning to hate those words.
      My alarm woke me up by 6:AM. I remembered I did not pick the clothes I had hanged outside. I was lucky there was no rain. I said my prayers but I knew God would not answer. The clothes were cool to touch and would smell if I folded them, so I left them on the rope to get completely dry.
     I loved first service because they closed on time and I could use the rest of my day to study. I was able to make it in time exactly when the priests and the choir were about marching inside. I hated having to stay outside because the doors were blocked till prayers ended. I sat down at the right which was at the last roll of seats separating nursing mothers’ rolls of wooden seats. I tried to flow with the service but my heart kept beating and my mind kept screaming that I was a sinner. The guest speaker had not helped at all. His message was the sin of immorality. And he attacked me throughout the message. I begged God for forgiveness during closing prayers and I hoped my prayers were answered. I went straight home after service. I did not want to trek so I joined the bus waiting outside to pick people to Back Gate or Faculty. Those were the two names they called the park for UNIBEN student shuttle.
     I knew something was wrong as soon as I entered my room but I could not place it. I made custard and eat it with fried ripe plantain while trying to figure out what I was missing. I had so many books to read, lectures would continue on Monday but I just couldn’t get what was wrong until I noticed my bed was empty. Ibrahim was not there. I did not remember putting the teddy bear back in my bag but I still went to search. If he had entered my room, I would have known because he would have arranged my stuffs but Ibrahim couldn’t have just disappeared. I quickly picked my phone and sent him a text.
‘Where is Ibrahim?’
He replied almost immediately.
‘With me and I’m thinking if I should throw it in the waste bin.’
I did not know when I started dialing the line, I was not expecting it to go through but it did and he picked.
“Bring it back right now” I shouted.
“I am really scared Ella.”
“You can’t throw it away, it means a lot to me.”
“How?”
“Bring it back.”
“Who is Ibrahim, why is he different from the other Hausas and Fulanis you hate and see as things?”
“Is that what this is all about? You feel a teddy bear is your competition?” I shouted.
“Yes.”
“That teddy bear is worth more than anything I have, stop invading every part of my life, bring it back.”
“Who is Ibrahim?”
“Get lost.”
“Okay.”
“Nooo don’t” I pleaded.
I could not hold back my tears.
“Please don’t do this to me. I know you don’t have a soul and my tears and pain means nothing to you, but please I need that teddy bear, it’s my sanity and all I have please, I’m begging please.”
“You are yet to say what I want to hear.”
“I will tell you whatever you want to know but please don’t throw it away, don’t take away the only sanity I have please” I cried.
He did not answer but cut the call making me to panic. I would not survive it, I could not live without that teddy bear. I wished I could show him my mind. I wished he could see my thoughts and understand what that teddy bear meant to me. My phone blinked as I tried to call back.
‘Deal, everything I ask in exchange for Ibrahim. See you this night.’
‘You are hurting me, I can’t figure you out, I don’t know what you will do any moment, you are scaring me and making my life miserable.’
‘Now we are understanding each other’ he replied.
‘Just prepare to kill me if you are not bringing Ibrahim.’
‘Okay.’
‘Did you find the file?’ but the message bounced back ‘not sent.’
I was not expecting any form of sympathy or empathy and I was not surprised with his last text. At least I was sure he would bring back Ibrahim, he was always with the deal thing. I had no idea how far he would go to torment me. He just knew what to do to get at me and my tears would not matter to him because he was really a ghost. I should have understood him long again. Ghosts scare people, they could not been seen but could see everyone and most importantly a ghost had no emotion whatsoever.