Chapter 5: Drawing Lots, Drawing Blood

"Wetin? We still gats go chief’s residence?" A boy with rough hair stand, voice loud. "Me I no go o! If na die, make I die here."

Hot-tempered sports prefect puff chest, eye red, "Dem wan use us do scapegoat. I no gree!"

"Go if you wan go. If not, just siddon dey wait for death," street wise guy yan. Everywhere quiet. Na the kind silence before thunder.

System voice break silence: [Reminder: Young chief’s son like gentle people.]

Class prefect adjust glasses, "Make we try calm, humble. No do shakara like class beauty. If we keep head down for chief’s residence and no stand out, we fit get 5 points every time we see chief’s son. Of course, na risk. I no go force anybody."

Her face show small fear, but she try cover am. My chest heavy, spirit dey warn me. System never talk say na team game. I dey reason, "Na me and dem, or na every man for himself?" Wetin if, for the end, only one person fit survive…

Everybody start to draw lots. We line up, hand dey shake, some dey pray, "God, abeg, make I draw stay behind."

Chief’s residence dey find 12 maidservants, 10 guards. Numbers dey show for board, people dey count, dey reason who fit blend. Class prefect dey control everything, dey keep head cool. Some grumble, nobody challenge am.

After picking, plan na to pool money buy system’s 20-point hypnosis function, so chief’s steward go choose dem. Sharp move. Function go help blend in, nobody suspect.

Tension high as we dey draw. Sweat dey plenty. Drawing order na by student number. I be last, fit only pick wetin remain. Luck no dey my side. I dey pray, beg God for miracle.

I slowly open my slip: [Go to chief’s residence.] My heart jump, hope rise small. Looking around, people dey watch me with suspicion. Class prefect suddenly appear, ask, "Ijeoma, show us, make everybody see."

I shock. The way she talk, e be like warning. My body cold. I answer, "I draw ‘go to chief’s residence.’"

Class prefect look thoughtful, then smile. "…Make we hope say we go fit return to real world alive together."

A few minutes later, everybody start to count. Numbers no dey add up. Suppose say 12 girls and 10 boys dey chosen, but now, one extra girl dey. Tension dey rise. "Somebody dey lie," class monitor yan. Class prefect say, "Oya, show your slip. No hide am."

I open my slip. My hand dey shake. Inside, e talk: [Stay in the shrine.] My eye big, mouth open. Na another handwriting, another paper. In a flash, my head buzz. My leg weak. All my hope just scatter. My slip don switch by somebody. My mouth dry. "Who do this kind thing?"