17/08/2023
STRANDED
BY SAMUEL AYOMIDE OKUNUGA
Chidi stood in front of J&J towers, wearing a long face and a dejected standing posture. He shrugged at intervals as he kept tilting his head from side to side, waving his index finger from time to time; he was deep in thought and didn't seem to notice Aliyu tap him on the shoulder to direct him away from the pedestrian gate he blocked. The time was 8:03 pm and Chidi hadn't left Ikoyi to his place of Abode at Ikorodu.
The truth was, he was stuck on the island. He didn't have transport fare to go back home. His hopes were dashed when Jolade his desk buddy didn't come to the office today. He tried asking from his other colleagues but today, nobody seem to have an extra cash to spare.
After series of waving his fingers, he came up with a plan; he was going to sleep at the office but he needed to pass Aliyu. When he went back to the gate, knocked in two rapid successions, his heart racing fast; he remembered Mr AZ's laughable warning "I don't like people using the office as a place of rest, you come and leave your body odour here and it refuses to follow you home."
Aliyu responded to the knocking with a quizzable look on his face. Chidi quickly answered the demeanour smiling and saying "e get one work wey Oga Az say make I finish and I no fit go house because of am". Aliyu sighed, gave him the key to the office and let him in.
Chidi thanked his stars as it look as if he came prepared for today
Chidi settled into the dimly lit office, grateful for the temporary reprieve from the uncertainty of the night ahead. He rummaged through his desk, searching for a blanket or anything that could make the office floor more comfortable. As he shuffled papers aside, his fingers brushed against something cold and metallic. Curious, he pulled out a small, old-fashioned key with an ornate design etched onto it.
Unfamiliar with this key, he wondered if it was related to some forgotten file or locked drawer in the office. Intrigued, Chidi decided to explore. He got up, clutching the key, and started wandering through the maze-like corridors of J&J towers. The building was eerily quiet, with only the faint hum of fluorescent lights accompanying his footsteps.
As he ventured deeper into the building, he stumbled upon a door that seemed out of place, tucked away in a corner. The key he had found fit perfectly into the lock, and with a hesitant twist, the door creaked open to reveal a hidden room. The room was suffused with an unsettling aura, adorned with unsettling symbols and dimly lit by flickering candles.
Chidi's heart raced as he took in the scene before him. The room seemed to be the setting for some kind of ritual, with a makeshift altar at the center. His stomach churned as he noticed a stained knife and a small, ornate box on the altar. He dared to glance inside the box and was horrified by what he saw – a collection of faded photographs, each depicting a different person.
Suddenly, the realization struck him like a lightning bolt. These were the victims of a string of unsolved kidnappings that had plagued the city. The news had been rife with stories of missing individuals, and now Chidi found himself face to face with the grim evidence of their fates.
Panicked, he backed away from the altar, knocking over a candle and plunging the room into darkness. Heart pounding, Chidi fumbled his way back to the door, his mind racing with fear. He needed to escape, to get out of that horrifying room and away from the truth he had uncovered.
As he reached the door, he heard a faint whisper behind him, accompanied by the sound of shuffling footsteps. The air grew icy cold, and a feeling of dread washed over him. Without looking back, Chidi dashed out of the hidden room, his heart pounding in his chest. He raced through the corridors, his breath hitching with each turn he took.
Chidi's only thought was to get back to his makeshift sleeping spot in the office, grab his belongings, and flee from J&J towers. He could feel a presence behind him, something malevolent and hungry, chasing him through the dimly lit passages. His fingers trembled as he reached the office door and fumbled for his keycard to unlock it.
Just as he swung the door open and stepped inside, he felt a bone-chilling grip on his shoulder. He turned around to find a figure draped in tattered clothing, its face obscured by shadows. With a guttural growl, the figure lunged at him, and Chidi's scream echoed through the office.
Desperation and adrenaline fueled his escape as he sprinted through the office, out into the night. The figure pursued him, its grotesque form moving with an uncanny speed. Chidi's breath came in ragged gasps as he burst out of the building and into the empty streets, his heart racing faster than ever.
He could feel the figure's presence behind him, but he dared not look back. He ran through the night, fueled by terror and the instinct to survive. The city seemed to blur around him as he sprinted towards the safety of civilization, the echoes of his harrowing encounter still ringing in his ears.
And so, Chidi's night of desperation turned into a night of unimaginable horror, as he became entangled in a web of darkness and malevolence he could never have anticipated.
As Chidi ran through the darkened streets, his fear and desperation were matched only by his determination to escape the clutches of the figure pursuing him. He didn't know how far he had run, but his lungs burned, and his legs threatened to give way beneath him. Just when he felt he could run no more, he spotted a faint light ahead, beckoning like a beacon of hope.
Summoning his last reserves of energy, Chidi sprinted towards the light, his heart pounding in rhythm with his footsteps. The light led him to a small, quaint bookstore nestled in an alley. The bookstore's windows were adorned with books of various genres, and its warm glow spilled onto the pavement.
Without hesitation, Chidi burst through the bookstore's door, startling the elderly proprietor who had been quietly reading behind the counter. The old man looked up, his eyes widening at the sight of the disheveled and terrified Chidi. Without a word, Chidi collapsed onto the floor, gasping for breath.
The old man hurriedly approached Chidi, concern etched on his wrinkled face. He offered a glass of water and patiently waited until Chidi's breathing began to steady. With a shaky voice, Chidi recounted the horrifying encounter he had just escaped.
The old man listened intently, his gaze distant as if lost in thought. When Chidi finished his story, the old man's expression turned grave. He explained that the bookstore held a secret, one that involved protecting the city from ancient forces that sought to harm it. He revealed that the figure Chidi encountered was a malevolent spirit, tied to a long-forgotten ritual that had unleashed darkness upon the city.
As Chidi listened to the old man's tale, he realized that the key he had found was no ordinary key; it was a relic with the power to lock away the malevolent spirits. The old man guided Chidi to a hidden room within the bookstore, where an ancient lock sat embedded in the wall. With trembling hands, Chidi inserted the key into the lock and turned it.
A soft, otherworldly hum filled the room as the lock glowed with a faint light. Chidi could feel a shift in the air, as if a heavy weight had been lifted. The old man smiled, explaining that Chidi's act had sealed away the malevolent spirit, bringing an end to the cycle of terror that had gripped the city.
The following morning, the news reported a sudden and unexplainable disappearance of the malevolent figure that had haunted the city. Chidi's story spread throughout the city, and he became known as a hero who had unwittingly stumbled upon a solution to the darkness that had plagued them.
In the days that followed, Chidi and the old man formed an unlikely friendship. Chidi helped out at the bookstore, and together they shared their love for books and stories. The city's atmosphere gradually shifted, as if the air itself had lightened.
As time passed, Chidi often looked back on that night of terror and the unexpected turn of events that had led him to the mysterious bookstore. The experience had forever changed him, reminding him that even in the darkest of moments, there could be a glimmer of hope, a chance to confront the unknown, and emerge victorious.
And so, Chidi's tale transformed from one of horror to a story of resilience, friendship, and the triumph of light over darkness.
