Chapter 3: The Chainsaw and the End

True true, before I fit finish to call police, cold laugh come from the door.

The laugh get echo, like say person dey mock me from another world. I shiver, cover mouth make I no scream.

One strange man voice.

The voice rough, deep. The kind voice wey you no wan hear for midnight. E even get small Igbo accent inside, but e dey drag.

Then I hear as something heavy dey drag for ground.

The sound bad. E get as if person dey drag grinding machine or demonic generator for corridor. My body dey shake.

I hold my fists tight, body dey shake. Before I fit do anything, electric chainsaw just tear enter the door with serious noise.

The chainsaw noise loud reach to wake even the street dog wey dey sleep for gutter. E be like say the sound wan tear my ear. Door dey vibrate, splinters dey fly. I dey think whether to shout or just faint.

The chainsaw dey cut the wood, the sound loud like say na demon dey cry.

If neighbours no wake up now, I go believe say dem all don travel village. The chainsaw noise pass NEPA transformer when e spoil.

One man appear—black mask and cap, face hide finish.

No be ordinary criminal. E look like those cultist wey dey for film. All black, no logo. The only thing I fit see na the shine from im eye.

But I feel am, e dey look me. I dey step back dey fear, reach wall—nowhere to run.

My back touch my small calendar, e fall for ground. I dey pray, 'God abeg, let this man just turn back.'

He no talk, just dey look, then suddenly push the chainsaw, finish cut the door open.

No time to beg. My leg dey shake, security don scatter—my door dey ground like firewood for suya spot.

As hope don finish, I raise hand cover face. Wetin I do you? At least make I know why before I kpeme.

I wan talk 'abeg', but voice no come out. Na tears begin form for my eye. E no dey easy to beg for your life when your heart dey pound like drum.

But the man still quiet. Slowly, he raise the chainsaw, the teeth just dey shine for light.

For that moment, I dey remember all my small sins. All the things I never tell my mama sorry. E pain me say na so I go end.

He swing—

Pain just scatter my body. Everywhere turn red.

I feel the hot flash, sharp like pepper. The pain heavy—e pass anything wey I don ever chop for my life. My world dey spin.

My body split into two, pain just rush me like flood.

No time to even shout. I just dey hear blood for my ear. Tears run from my face. My last thought na, 'Who go tell my people say I no come out again?'

Before I faint, another set of bullet comments float pass.

The words waka across my mind, cold and sharp like knife.

[See am? Even if she no open door, she still die. Na so the story be—she be first victim, no escape.]

[Chai, see as she smart, but still no fit dodge death.]

[Abeg, people wey dey cry for up, rest. The hard part don finish. Next na the revenge wey the guy go do.]

Na so my eyes open wide. I dey hold breath, dey wait for who go appear. My fate still dey hang for thread. This Lagos night never finish with me.

For this kind Lagos, na only God and small street sense fit save person.