Chapter 2: The Lift, The Mask, The Blood

"My pikin, wetin you dey talk?" My mama just confuse.

She look her phone, then look me, her face full ground. Her voice dey low, like person wey dey beg. "You dey see vision? Abi fever dey worry you?"

I serious well:

"Mama, abeg, no look back. Enter the building first."

I lower my voice, make people for reception no hear me dey talk like mad person. "In fact, waka go the infusion area for second floor—plenty people dey there."

I dey reason say, for crowd, evil spirit no dey fit pick person easy. Even those prayer warriors for village dey talk am—if wahala dey, waka where people full.

"That thing dey take smell know person."

I fit remember the time wey mama kill big rat for backyard, say, "Even witch, if e dey find who e go chop, e dey smell fear."

Even though my mama no understand wetin I mean, she still do as I talk, waka go the infusion area for second floor.

She hold her bag tight, tie her scarf, waka fast. She just dey mumble prayer under her breath. Na only God she dey call.

I open the picture again, look am well.

The sweat for my body no be here. My heart dey beat kpokpo. I dey look, dey hope say na my eye dey deceive me.

That strange thing still dey for corner, still dey waka for ground with hand and leg—e no dey ever stand up.

E bend like say e dey do frog jump, but the skin shine like oil, as if e just comot from river. The way e crawl self, e resemble Mmanwu mask wey boys dey wear for village festival—fine for far, but if e near, your spirit fit jump body.

I try zoom, but the camera dey break like TV wey NEPA just take light:

The picture dey behave like those bad network wey dey break people voice for call. Everywhere just dey static, dey show white and black dot. My mind begin tell me say, this thing no be ordinary.

The thing turn to static, you no fit see am again.

I hiss, shake my head, wipe sweat for face. For my mind, I dey pray say make this wahala pass me by.

My mind clear immediately.

As my mind dey settle, I remember wetin Papa Pastor talk—say some spirit dey use electronics waka, especially when you dey weak.

That thing fit follow person with phone signal.

I dey reason am, say the way the thing dey appear for phone but disappear for eye, e fit mean say e dey hide for that network wey dey carry voice go far.

All these electronic things no fit do anything for am.

I remember say even for Nollywood film, na radio wey dey spoil first before wahala go start.

I rush send my mama another message:

"Mama, abeg, just choose any floor, throw your phone inside dustbin."

I dey tap message sharp sharp, dey watch my back. If to say my hand fit run faster than Usain Bolt, I for don break world record.

"Then wait for me for infusion area for second floor. I go come meet you."

I dey hope say the crowd for there go help us hide small. Nobody dey reason say evil dey work for broad daylight.

Me sef, I sharply stand up, find one young nurse.

She get kind eyes, e be like say she sabi small juju too. I just nod her, she nod me back, no ask plenty question.

I use my phone withdraw two thousand naira for cash, wrap the phone for nylon, throw am inside dustbin for the hospital toilet.

As I dey do am, I dey look mirror dey chant small prayer: "I cover my phone and myself with the blood of Jesus." Make nothing waka follow me.

That one suppose give us small time.

I dey hope say, at least for now, the thing go dey confused, no go fit catch my scent quick.

As I enter lift, na so one stranger just show for outside.

The way the person waka reach lift be like say e no even get shadow. The air for corridor just cold. For my mind, I dey ask God, "Why today?"

Him face stiff anyhow, e get fine face at first look, but if you look well, e go make you fear.

E resemble those Mmanwu mask wey boys dey wear for village festival—fine for far, but if e near, your spirit fit jump body.

This kind fake human, I sabi am well.

E get one time for village, dem say one mad man dey do like this, but na this kind fake face dey worry am. E no dey greet anybody, just dey pass dey look.

Na so e be that time for night bus go Jos…

I still dey remember the night breeze for that bus, the way person wey dey sleep beside me begin dey snore, then later everything scatter. From that night, my mind no gree rest.

Lucky say the lift door close quick.

I just dey thank my stars. I press the button sotay the thing nearly pull for hand. For Naija, if devil dey chase you, na speed be your saving grace.

I wan relax small when I hear one kind sound for up.

The sound na like rat dey scratch ceiling, but heavier. The thing dey do kpra kpra kpra. E be like say rain dey fall for zinc, but sun dey shine outside.

The lift wey dey go down just hang, like say something hold the cable.

The place cold, the air still. My mind dey tell me say, "You no suppose dey here o."

The thing hang between fifth and fourth floor.

My body just freeze. I dey imagine as everything fit spoil for here. For Naija, if lift spoil, people dey shout, "NEPA!" but this one different.

I dey hear heavy footsteps for top of the lift.

E no be small pikin footstep. Na like cow dey waka for roof. My body dey shake, I dey hold the rail.

E be like say something dey for the lift shaft.

If na ogbanje, e fit fit for that place—dark, narrow, nobody go suspect.

My heart dey beat anyhow, I dey think how I go take escape for this kind tight place.

For my mind, I dey recite Psalm 91 for my mind, dey tap my chest like Mama dey do for church. The Hail Mary just dey flow for my head.

The footsteps just dey waka for my head.

E dey go left, e dey come right, like say e dey sniff air. If na goat, dem for don pursue am; but this one be spirit.

The thing dey find way enter the lift.

I dey watch the small hole for ceiling, dey imagine say e hand fit just burst enter.

Next thing, I hear sharp, teeth-grinding sound for top—the claws dey scratch the metal like mad.

My ear dey pain me from the screech. For village, dem dey say when you hear that kind sound, make you pray fast.

E... wan enter.

If na film, na now people go dey shout for cinema. But this one real life—nobody dey to rescue you unless God.

I quick use the emergency phone for lift.

I dey pray say make the line dey work. For this country, you no fit trust anything wey dey run on wire.

"The lift don spoil—something dey on top."

My voice dey shake, but I try form strong.

The person for emergency line just calm:

"We don hear. We dey come now now."

Na woman voice, e dey cool, e be like say she no even dey fear at all.

I just curse for my mind. These repair people no dey serious at all.

I shake my head, hiss small for corner of mouth. If na Nigerian setting, na now people for don dey shout, "Oga, abeg, hurry!"

As the call end, the noise for up just stop.

The silence na another kind wahala. My ear dey ring, the kind cold wey enter the lift, e be like harmattan night for December.

Everywhere just quiet anyhow.

The quietness loud, I dey hear my own blood dey pump. Na only for burial ground person dey hear that kind silence.

The fluorescent light for top dey make me feel somehow.

E dey flicker like NEPA dey play with am. For my mind, na sign say juju dey near.

I bend ear, dey listen if anything dey happen for the shaft.

I no even dey breathe loud, dey try hear small sound. My eye dey everywhere.

As I dey think say the thing don go—

My hope just dey rise small. I dey say maybe na my mind dey run.

Gboah! One heavy noise shake the lift.

The sound na like trailer jam container. Everything vibrate, I nearly shout Jesus!

The lift begin fall fast.

My body float. E be like say na only for film this thing dey happen. Na now my life begin flash for my eye.

Na so I fly up for air.

E feel like say I dey inside molue wey jump gallop. My back almost jam ceiling.

When the lift drop reach like one floor, e just stop with force.

I land for ground with my whole body—my bone nearly break.

My waist pain me, na only willpower hold me. I dey see star.

This thing don wise pass before.

For that night bus, e no even reach like this. This one don get experience for chase.

But thank God, this time e stop for third floor.

I dey thank my ancestors, I dey thank God join. My spirit just dey wander.

Sharp sharp, the lift door open small.

I no even think twice. I just dey look for escape. My head dey hot.

One finger enter from the gap.

The finger no get nail, e black like charcoal. My mind nearly fail me.

Fear grip me, I shift back quick.

I use all my village skills, bend body go wall. If to say e be snake, by now I for don jump window.

Thank God... na false alarm.

I sigh, my heart still dey knock drum. I fit even hear my mama voice for head dey pray for me.

Na the repairman hand be that.

Na one Hausa man, e dey sweat, e get strong hand like person wey dey climb palm tree. "Oga, you dey alright?" E ask me, concern show for e eye.

E use crowbar open the door well.

The sound na relief. As the door open, I no waste time—my spirit don already dey outside.

I rush comot.

I jump out like goat wey dem release from rope. Na only fresh air I need that moment.

But as I step out, I see another lift wey jam for this same floor.

The lift dey make small sound. People for corridor dey gather, dey peep, dey talk low.

The repairman waka go open that one too.

I dey watch am, my mind dey skip beat. The way e dey struggle with the door, e no be here.

As he open the door, everywhere burst—people begin shout.

Somebody even fall for ground, one nurse drop injection pack. Na real commotion.

I turn look—inside the lift, na dead body wey dem cut into two clean parts.

The leg dey one side, the head and chest dey another. Blood just dey drip, but the cut clean like butcher use new knife. Everybody dey shout, dey ask question. The place smell like new kill for abattoir. The smell of fried akara from downstairs still dey mix with blood for air—Naija wahala no dey pause for food.

I never know say the real wahala still dey wait for ground floor.