Riley)
People say the supernatural is just a fantasy, a myth.. a fairy tail that it doesn’t exist but its not true, I don’t believe in the supernatural but I know they exist, even the holy books and mythical texts have talked about them… Giants once lived in this earth but there are no more… Witches exist and they live among us.
Everything most human tend to believe is not true or doesn’t exist does….
History is a very cunning thing, those who witness these kind of beings either refuse to write about them or erase very trace of their existence completely off the books fearing the kind of power they possess but as we all know Fate works in a mysterious ways.
My name is Riley Femi, a soon to be graduate and student of history, I’m quite the celebrity at school of winning the Universal history quiz contest and bringing fame to our university and country, Everyone began to see me as a hero, especially the ladies, not only were the ladies interested of me because of my fame but also I was quite the Charming guy, so not bad if you ask me.
But I’m not the guy that basks in fame and luxury for long.. I like to be left alone and do some other things like sight seeing and taking long walks in the forest. You may call me weird or creepy, but I find it soothing and peaceful when I do that.
As for my family, I’m from a family of religious folks , my father Mr. Femi, is a Doctor, he usually prays before treating or performing a surgery and as for my mom, Mrs. Sara was a catholic activist, always going to church and giving hard core speeches about Christ and the christian faith.
My brother Lionel and I were quite different from our parents, Lionel was the party and enjoy life kind of guy, always partying around, having fun with ladies and enjoying the good things in life…. What a family, right?
When you put us all together you might think that, we never get along but we do, we love each other, and work things out together when the going goes rough, But despite all that we don’t share the same ideas, While I may believe in the existence of the supernatural, my mom hates them, my mom would always pray silently at night, praying to God to protect us against witches and devils, and when I try to watch any movies relating to the supernatural, she wouldn’t allow us to watch it, even mentioning of it means trouble, you either get flogged or punished, but that was a long time ago.. Now she would only preach and scold us especially me about it.
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Sara ➡ Riley I’ve told you times without number, never mentioned those damned creatures here in this house.
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Riley ➡ But mom, its not forbidden to talk about them, unless you try to worship them.
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Sara ➡ I don’t care… You’re not supposed to be talking about them, they’re all servants of the devil and don’t forget this is a christian home and I won’t allow my children to wallow in such devilish conspiracies.
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That’s how it is, always going on… So the only way to avoid mom’s scolding was by not mentioning it in her presence.
Ibadan is a place where there are lots of forestry and forests, and as it turns out, our house was close to bush or rather our area was surrounded by it.
Every night I would go out and take deep walks into it, to pass the time or to calm myself and feel the sweet smell of nature.
My favorite spot was a big Iroko tree which some claimed was hundreds of years old and was cursed,…. Naija people too dey fear.
I would climb the Iroko tree right up to the top, to see the view of the neighborhood which was lovely and beautiful…..
One Sunday evening as I was taking a walk to my usual spot, I saw some thing right in front of the Iroko tree where I usually stood, I couldn’t tell who it was but the figure of the person looked feminine, as I walked on I decided to check who it was.
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Riley ➡ Hey! You there…. Are you lost?
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As soon as I said that, the person turned around, I couldn’t see the face or what she looked like, as she saw me, she disappeared into thin air, I couldn’t believe it, she just vanished like she wasn’t there… I had to rub my eyes to see if I was dreaming but I wasn’t..
In this kind of circumstances, a regular person would run for his dear life but I didn’t, instead I walked to where the stranger stood looking around if I could see her. Strange.
As I was about to walk away, I saw an object on the ground, it looked more like a necklace, I picked it up and examine it, the object on the necklace looked like the devil’s triangle the one Satan worshippers draw on their forehead.
Despite how it looked, it was really Beautiful, so I put it in my pocket and went back home.
Later that night when my brother and I were in our room, I decided to tell him about it.
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Riley ➡ Bro, I wan talk to you.
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Lio ➡ Wetin? I wan sleep jare…
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Riley ➡ You believe in ghosts?
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Lio ➡ You don start now abi? Why you come they talk about ghost for this time of the night?
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Riley ➡ As I dey go that Iroko tree, I see one stranger wey look like woman, but as I talk to am, she vanish.
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Lio ➡ She run?
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Riley ➡ No, as in she vanish, disappear like that.
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Lio ➡ Disappear?
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Riley ➡ Yes.
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Lio ➡ Guy, you smoke weed? Wetin dey worry you, see the problem of believing in nonsense bah? Soon you go dey talk nonsense.. Guy you don mad o…
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Riley ➡ No, seriously I thought say na illusion but na real o, see wetin I find for the place.
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I showed him the necklace, he collected it and examined it for a while, I was hoping he would see the sense in what I was saying but before I knew it, he threw the necklace back at me.
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Lio ➡ Guy go sleep, I think say your head no correct maybe if you sleep you, your head go format that nonsense and tomorrow you go think like better person.
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Riley ➡ But the necklace…
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Lio ➡ Guy!? No disturb me… That necklace na junk, if you go market, you go see something like this, maybe na one idiot come throw am way…… Ghost ke? Abeg sleep.
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Lionel pulled his blanket over him and went to sleep… Well at least he listened to what I had to say…. But I definitely know I saw something and this necklace isn’t something someone threw away cause I go to the Iroko tree every day, so there’s no way I couldn’t have possibly seen this. After staring at the necklace for a while, I felt asleep.
The next morning at Campus, I went straight to class to receive lectures, as I entered my friend Khalid snuck behind me and gave me a good wallop on my back… WAPOW!!!
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Khalid ➡ Shege yaro….. Riley how far?
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Riley ➡ Guy must you always do that?
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Khalid ➡ Sorry but I always tell you, you have to be aware of your surroundings, you’re lucky it wasn’t a thief. How was your night?
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Riley ➡ Strange..
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Khalid ➡ How strange?
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I told him exactly the same thing I told my brother, after I had finished telling him that, he gave me a stare as if I was blabbering nonsense.
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Khalid ➡ Wait… You mean to tell me you saw a woman and she disappeared?
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Riley ➡ Yes..
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Khalid ➡ Mallam are you sure, you didn’t fall on your head last night? Maybe you’re still dreaming..
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Riley ➡ Look, I’m serious… I know what I saw..
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Khalid ➡ An illusion! Haba Mallam, if you had really seen her disappear, you would have ran away… But you stayed… Who do you think you are….. Superman?
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As we were talking my other friend came, Tina an Igbo girl who hates nonsense and is very serious, and she’s not the person I can tell this to.
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Tina ➡ Wassup guys?
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Khalid ➡ Ehn Tina fine girl, how far?
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Tina ➡ Khalid, better watch your mouth…
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Khalid ➡ Sorry, ehm listen… Can you believe what this guy is saying? He saw a lady that disappeared last night.
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Tina ➡ disappeared? I dont understand as in did she run?
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Khalid ➡ No as in disappear into thin air.
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Tina ➡ Riley… You’re starting to lose your nuts..
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Khalid ➡ Which nuts? The up or down one?
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Tina ➡ You know what I mean… See Riley, I suggest you go and see a doctor, this witch and ghost stuff you’re into is getting into your head that you’re starting to see things.
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Khalid ➡ Definitely and speaking of seeing things have you guys noticed that new girl that came to this campus?
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Tina ➡ The transfer student that doesn’t talk to anyone. Yes I’ve noticed her, she’s quite strange if you ask me.
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Khalid ➡ And a fine ass, if you ask me..
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Tina ➡ (poking Khalid) is that all you know? Jesus….
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Khalid ➡ And she’s also a history student as well
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Tina ➡ Don’t even bother, she doesn’t talk to anyone.
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Riley ➡ Maybe she like to be left alone but how come I didn’t know of this?
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Tina ➡ What? Its been 3 days now and you don’t know…
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Khalid ➡ He’s too deep in his supernatural nonsense to know what’s going on.
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Riley ➡ Khalid, you’re mad… And its not nonsense.
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Tina ➡ It is…
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As we were talking our Professor, Abiyola came into the class to give us lectures, as soon as he entered everyone went back to their seats.
Its not like I didn’t know about the new girl being transfered here in this institute its just I didn’t give a d–n about it, though what I find surprising was, how was it possible to transfer a student from a different institute to another, and to a final year class? How..
Well, the girl must be from a very rich family, if not that wouldn’t have been possible, cause in Nigeria when you have money and power, anything is possible.
After lectures, I went to the cafeteria to have something to eat, as I arrived there, my so called girlfriend Rukky Ferdinand rushed at me giving me a hug!
Rukky Ferdinand is the type you call slay queens or mamas, she’s too materialistic and proud of herself, she’s beautiful but that’s thanks to all these bleaching creams and expensive lotions, we started dating back when I won the Universal history contest, of course her love wasn’t real, it was so because she wanted to be known as the girlfriend of a brainy. Despite all that, I do get the ass most often, and she’s a good F–k, she claims to love me and all but I know I’m not the only dude she sees.
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Rukky ➡ Hi baby!
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Riley ➡ Hey Rukky, how’re you doing?
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Rukky ➡ I’m fine… You haven’t been on the zone, I tried calling you but you haven’t been picking my calls.
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Riley ➡ I know baby, I’ve been busy lately.
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Rukky ➡ That’s okay,…. I’m hungry baby I need something to eat.
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Riley ➡ okay, what do you want?
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Rukky ➡ Uhm… Shawarma, burger 🍔 chips 🍟 and a soda…
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Riley ➡ You know this Cafeteria doesn’t serve soda and burgers except maybe Shawarma.
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Rukky ➡ Okay, that will do… I want 5 of those with a bottle of Pepsi..
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Riley ➡ Five? You’re going to eat five?
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Rukky ➡ Not me silly me and my girlfriend’s over there.
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Riley ➡ Baby I only have enough money for two and that’s you and me! I can’t afford them all.
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Rukky ➡ Haba, Riley why do you always ruin things up?
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Riley ➡ Well, I can’t go hungry just to please your friends, its either I buy you one or don’t buy any for you at all.
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I gave her the money for her own share and bought mine, I left her standing there and went to have a sit, as I was looking for a place to sit, many of the girls were signaling me to seat with them but I wasn’t interested in girls at the moment, Luckily I found an empty sit and went there straight to it.
As I was eating my snack, Everyone in the cafeteria began to murmur and look at a particular direction, as curious as the rest of the people I decided to check it out.
The mysterious girl whom everyone was talking about came into the cafeteria, she didn’t talk to anyone, she just came and ordered what she wanted to buy, Khalid was right about her, she was really a fine piece of ass, she had a light skin but not that light, more like a light chocolate skin, her hair was long and silky like those Indian or Arabian ladies, as for her structure, she was a perfect figure eight, except her dressing was quite odd like the way Goths or rock stars dress, she had a headphone 🎧 around her neck, and her nails were painted all in black, despite how moody her face was, she was a real beauty and she would have been more beautiful if she smiled, her stare was cold and motionless, she stood like she wasn’t alive.
As soon as she got her snack from the shop owner, she left just as she came, everyone began to whisper and talk about her.
Rukky and her friends came to my table hoping to know if I knew the girl.
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Rukky ➡ Riley, did you see that girl?
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Riley ➡ What kind of question is that? Of course I did.
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Rukky ➡ I heard she’s in your department… Do you know anything about her?
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Riley ➡ Nope… Why should I?
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Eliza ➡ I heard that b—h has the guys drooling over her.
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Riley ➡ Stop calling her a b—h… Its rude!
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Simi ➡ But I heard she’s turned down every guy that asks her out… In fact nobody knows her name or which university she was transferred from…
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Rukky ➡ Well, I don’t care if she doesn’t talk to anyone just as long as she doesn’t take away someone’s boyfriend especially my sweet Riley.
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Riley ➡ Enough rukky… Besides I need to go, I have lots of work to do..
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Rukky ➡ Riley, there’s going to be a party a few days from now are you…
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Riley ➡ Not interested.
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After I was done eating, I left the Cafeteria… Hours went by and the lectures sessions were over, while some went to the hostel, I went back home to rest and work on my theories about the supernatural.
Though people don’t believe in my theories of the supernatural, I didn’t care I just paid attention to my work, I’ve been going to libraries, churches and mosques asking and acquiring more knowledge about them, why I do this because is so I could write a book about them.
So after I returned from school I went to the library to see if I could find anything about this necklace I found, as I gathered all the ancient religious books, i found something about the sign on the necklace but I already knew what it was after that I found nothing, I kept reading and searching but nothing was still found.
Hours later, I went back home to relax as I entered my mom, began to ask questions.
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Sara ➡ Where were you? I’ve been trying to contact you.
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Riley ➡ Sorry mom, I went to the library to read.
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Sara ➡ I hope you’re not still obsessed about those nonsense about the supernatural.
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Riley ➡ No mom..
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Sara ➡ Here’s your meal, its getting cold.
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After mom left I sat down and began to eat my meal, as I was eating, the news on the TV began, the newscaster reported that some people were missing and there was no trace of it.
To be honest, I began to get worried a little cause this wasn’t something new, for some months now people have gotten missing and not many of them have came back alive, some where found with their eyes white and foams in their mouth, while some where found shrunken completely as if they were HIV patients.
As soon as I was done eating, I went back to my room to sleep. As I was resting in my bed, My brother Lionel walked in fuming and complaining.
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Riley ➡ Wetin do you?
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Lio ➡ That girl dares to hurt my manly pride?
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Riley ➡ Which girl?
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Lio ➡ that new girl, who does she think she is?
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Riley ➡ So you’ve approached her?
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Lio ➡ Yes, I was with my friends when I approached her, she just walked passed me like I wasn’t even there… What an insult.
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Riley ➡ At least she didn’t humiliate you, just let her be…
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Lio ➡ But she should just said she wasn’t interested, but why the snub? I hope she remains alone forever… Women like her always remain lonely and unwanted.
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Riley ➡ Maybe that’s what she wants. Good night joor, let me sleep.
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Lionel removed his clothes and went to bed still murmuring to himself, I don’t know what is so wrong with what the girl did, after all its not by force..
As I was about to go back to bed, our window opened forcefully and a gush of wind entered our room, it was odd but the cold season was approaching so…
I stood up and went to close it but as I was about to do that, I saw that same figure I saw last night, but this time it was facing me but I couldn’t see anything just black shadow, in an instant, it disappeared just like it did, yesterday… This was no illusion or dream,… It was real..
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To be CONTINUED
