Chapter 3: Hunted in the Wardrobe

Bloody human skin just slide commot from door crack.

E resemble when person dey remove snake skin after long dry season. The skin limp, dey drag for ground, face twist with pain.

That skin limp like snake wey shed, face still dey twist like how 502 take fear before e die.

I see mouth open, eye wide, e resemble mask wey people dey use for new yam festival.

The back of the head tear open, edge rough, like something burst out from inside.

Blood dey drip, e dey soak the rug for corridor. Even rat no go fit near that kain thing.

My body dey shake, belle dey turn.

I nearly vomit for ground. Na so I hold wall, dey pray, "God abeg, not today."

Then, from inside 502 house, one blood-soaked monkey waka come out.

E move with strength, each step heavy, fur stained with blood and human oil.

The monkey big well well—taller than person.

Na so e shadow cover the corridor light—e fit break door if e try.

Blood-red eyes dey shine like lantern for night.

Eye dey burn, no blink, e dey search up and down like torchlight.

E pick 502 skin, carry e monkey head put inside.

As if person dey wear masquerade—head enter, body expand, skin dey stretch, e dey twist like person dey fight for inside.

The skin swell up, like person blow balloon, form human shape.

E fit like e dey try remember how to stand like person—leg dey shake.

E stand up, joint dey crack.

Sound loud, like when you dey break dry stick—crack, crack, crack.

502 face slowly turn face my door, mouth dey wide, dey show wicked smile, just like "Uncle Musa" own.

E no dey blink—e dey fix eye for my door, as if e dey dare me to peep.

I bite my hand, taste of blood full my mouth.

Hand dey tremble, teeth dey dig into flesh, just to hold scream.

E don wear 502 skin.

I dey watch am, mind dey race. E fit come knock any time.

Group chat still dey hot—

401: [Everybody run! Even if you hide, no open door, e no go help. E no dey spare anybody.]

601: [401, you dey craze? If you send another message, I go call police.]

602: [Ignore this mad woman. E fit don smoke.]

702: [Abeg, una dey disturb sleep.]

People dey curse, dey joke, but only me sabi say wahala don land.

But 401 no send, she still dey drop message:

[E don get another skin now.]

[Guess who e go find next?]

That moment, the monkey wey wear skin for corridor just bend e head, blood-red eyes dey look my peephole direct.

E dey stare through keyhole, e dey see me. My heart stop, my breath hold for throat.

E stagger come my door.

Leg dey shake, body dey twist, like say e dey learn how to waka with new skin. E dey do like puppet wey rope dey pull anyhow.

E waka funny, like say the skin dey worry am—knee dey bend back, elbow twist, like puppet wey rope dey pull.

My mind dey run—e resemble those church drama wey spirit dey possess person body, mouth dey move but na another voice dey talk.

I rush enter bedroom, lock door, curl inside wardrobe.

My heart dey beat for mouth, hand dey press chest. Na so I enter wardrobe, squeeze between hangers, cover myself with wrapper.

Na so camphor smell from wrapper dey choke me, but fear no gree me shift.

*Dong, dong, dong*

Knocking start as I expect.

The knock loud, wardrobe dey shake, wall dey vibrate. Even hanger for wardrobe dey jingle.

Heavy, urgent, pass before.

How e take know say I dey house? I never make sound, never tell anybody.

I dey suspect e get spirit sense, or maybe camera dey somewhere. Sweat dey roll for forehead, wrapper dey soak.

That time, 502 send me two messages.

My phone buzz, I almost throw am for ground. E no make sense—502 suppose don die.

502? E never die?

I dey think, abi na spirit dey use phone now? Na Lagos, nothing dey shock me again.

My hand dey shake as I open am.

Finger dey tap screen, hand dey cold.

First one na selfie—face wey dem don peel skin, just raw bloody flesh, nerves dey move.

The image red, muscle dey show, eye dey roll. E resemble meat for abattoir, but this one dey look camera.

The thing dey glare camera.

I nearly drop phone, but hand dey stiff. My throat dry, I dey swallow spit.

Next ones na voice note. As I hear am, cold just catch me.

502: [Ngozi, I sabi say you dey house. Hehe, you no expect am, abi? I don put camera for your house since, dey watch all your dirty livestream.]

[Now, e dey come for you. I wan make you feel how e dey be when dem peel person skin alive.]

Voice dey drag, sound like person wey dey die but still wan curse. My heart dey hammer, tears dey my eye.

E use all e strength for those voice notes. After that, nothing again.

Na so message cut, voice stop, everywhere silent.

That time, the knocking stop.

Na so I hold my breath, praying say e don go.

Everywhere quiet, then I hear small *click*—

The click clear for my ear, like say key dey turn for my head.

Na my front door lock dey turn!

Door dey beep, lock dey whine. My mind scatter, I dey remember everything I do wrong.

How e take know my password?

I remember last week, when 502 jam me for corridor, insist say e wan help me carry load, "accidentally" touch my password lock.

I dey remember as e dey laugh, hand dey rub lock, say, "Na so you secure your money?"

Now, that e dirty smile dey fear me.

I fit see e teeth for my mind, the way e dey bite lips. I dey wish I never let am near.

Na 502! E don cram my password that time!

My heart dey pound, sweat dey pour, leg dey fail me.

But which kind monkey be this? E dey knock, e sabi code join?

No ordinary animal fit do am. E get sense pass person, e dey observe, e dey plan.

*Beep—Verification successful.*

That electronic voice loud for my ear.

Na that robot voice from the lock, the one wey dey announce for corridor. My heart sink.

*Da da da da...*

Footsteps enter, turn for parlour, stop for bedroom door.

E dey approach, each step heavy, wardrobe dey shake. I dey press myself smaller.

*Dong, dong, dong*

E start to knock bedroom door.

E dey pound, like say e go break wood, each knock enter my bone.

I hold my mouth, tears dey my eye.

Mouth dey full with cloth, hand dey tremble. I dey pray, dey remember Mama prayer, "Holy Ghost fire!"

Suddenly, the knocking stop.

E quick, as if e hear something. I dey listen with all my body.

Then—big bang—

*Bang!*

Bedroom door burst open!

Wood fly, hinge break, wardrobe dey rattle. I dey see shadow for outside, red eye dey shine for darkness.

Outside wardrobe, two blood-red eyes dey press close, dey look inside.

Breath hot, dey smell like burnt suya and blood, dey blow for my face.

I dey hear breath—hot, heavy, dey blow for my face. My time fit don reach. I hold tight to wrapper, close eye, whisper one last prayer: "God, abeg, if na my sin cause this, forgive me."

I close eye, but I dey hear the wardrobe door dey creak—if I open eye, na who I go see?