Chapter 1: The Madness Begins

When I returned to the hostel that night, wahala don land—one madman dey inside the hostel building. The kind of wahala wey fit scatter person sleep for one week.

As I step inside, the sharp stench hit me like hot slap—na that kind rotten body smell wey dey turn person belle upside down, make you wan vomit straight. Once you catch that kain smell for Naija, you sabi say ogbonge wahala don show face. The other students for common room just dey cover nose, some dey mutter prayers under their breath, others dey eye the corridor with pure fear, as if say the madman fit just burst enter any room. For my mind, na only for Nollywood film person dey see this kind matter.

Him body just dey rot, everywhere dey smell anyhow, and anybody wey cross am, na attack straight. As one girl waka pass, she cross herself quick, whisper, "Blood of Jesus." The tension just choke.

People wey still dey corridor dey run up and down, some dey drag amebo for phone, others dey curse—"Who let this kain wahala enter here?" The bold ones dey peep from staircase, but even them no gree pass where the madman dey. If you near am, na straight fight; e dey shout, dey throw hand like person wey dey wrestle with demon.

I just dey curse the hostel supervisor for my mind—dem dey collect salary, but dem no dey do their work. How dem go let this kind person waka enter here?

I squeeze my face, shake head, whisper curse under my breath. For this Nigeria, person go dey pay hostel fee, but security na story. "Na so dem go just dey chop money, forget say na human being dey here," I reason, my vex dey rise. My roommate Chuka just hiss, say, "E be like say dem wan chop sack letter."

As NEPA take light, everywhere dark like grave—mosquito just dey hum, tension dey heavy for air. The hostel supervisor suddenly drop message for the WhatsApp group:

"One madman dey for stairwell o. Abeg, make nobody open their door."

For hostel, once light don go, tension dey increase two times. The message come enter with that typical supervisor style—no apology, just warning. Somebody for the group quickly reply, "Uncle, abeg, e fit reach our block?" but e no answer.

No too long after, person begin knock for our door.

That knock loud, desperate, like say the person dey beg for life. The way e sound, e no resemble the normal knock wey person dey hear from fellow student, my heart skip one kind beat. Even Femi wey dey claim hard guy, shift near window, dey look as if e dey find escape route. For Naija, after light don go, knock for door na serious something.

I peep through the hole—na that same madman.

The corridor dey dim, but na the wild look and the way the man dey bang door make my skin cold. As I dey peep, my hand dey shake small. For my life, I never see anything wey resemble horror film like this.

But the next second, my body freeze. That madman na actually—

I no even fit complete the thought, cold dey my spine.

1

Na really that madman dey outside?

Everybody for the room just dey look me.

We just dey silent—no light, only the pale torchlight wey Femi dey shine for him phone. You fit hear person heartbeat, tension just dey hang for air like thick humidity before rain.

I peep again—the madman dey outside, but e be like say I sabi am from somewhere.

The way e dey stand, e dey bang head for wall small small, na that familiar hunch for him back, e resemble somebody wey we know. I dey squint, dey try place the face, but blood don cover everywhere.

Everybody begin take turn look am, all of us dey reason the same thing.

Even Seyi dey press him lips together, as if he dey fear to talk wetin dey him mind. E be like say all our spirit dey connect—who this person be?

But as e be, the madman face full with blood, him cloth tear scatter, mud full everywhere—person no fit recognize am.

You fit see the hostel slippers wey no belong to am, torn singlet, the way e dey drag one leg—something no dey add up. Everybody dey use small torchlight try see well, but na all guesswork.

Femi, our fourth roommate, come ask me:

"Oga, wetin we go do now?"

Femi voice dey tremble small, him eyes wide. Even though e dey try form hard guy, fear dey leak from him body. I dey try gather myself, but the responsibility dey my neck.

I reason small:

"Make nobody go outside."

I talk am calm, try make my voice strong—no need make panic spread. I flash eye give Chuka, make e help back up the instruction. Seyi nod, say, "E make sense, abeg."

The supervisor don already warn us for group: the madman dey violent, anybody wey e see, na to attack.

Na for this kain situation person go dey remember church prayer—Seyi just dey whisper Psalm 91 under breath, like say na spiritual warfare. I dey hold key for door tight, just dey pray say nothing go burst.

Five of us dey inside the room. E no be say we no fit hold am down, but who wan be the first to try?

Na all of us be boys, but nobody wan do pass himself. This na Nigeria, no be movie—if you catch craze, nobody dey dash you medal.

Other hostel people begin drop message for group chat:

"Uncle, how we go do now?"

"How person go sleep with this kain noise wey this madman dey make?"

Plenty voice note dey enter, person dey even curse, "If dem no do something, I go carry load go sleep for porter lodge tonight."

The supervisor reply sharp sharp:

"Abeg, make una just stay inside. I don already call the teachers for hostel management committee—dem dey come handle am soon."

Supervisor dey try form control, but everybody know say na just mouth. Somebody even drop meme of person dey hide under table, caption say "When school dey use me do experiment."

We be university students, everybody get energy.

Some boys for sports department come @ the supervisor:

"Make we just go hold am now now. From the way e dey, e no strong like that."

These sports boys dey always do as if dem be bouncers for hostel. Even as wahala dey, dem dey try show say dem get mind, but na just mouth for group chat.

Supervisor no even gree:

"Abeg, no start wahala. Make una stay for una room."

E talk am like person wey dey beg God. For him mind, if boys go jam the madman, na new level of gbege.

We sef try arrange to sleep, but the noise wey the madman dey make for corridor no gree anybody rest.

E dey bang door, dey shout, one kind low groan dey carry from end of corridor reach our door. Some people dey try use pillow cover ear, but you go still hear am as if e dey your window.

No too long, we hear the hostel management teachers don show.

You go know say na them because of the way shoe dey stamp for corridor—one teacher sabi dey drag foot like say e dey vex for life. All of us just dey hold breath, dey wait for miracle.

Dem voice dey echo for corridor:

"Where the madman dey?"

Na that one make hope rise small. For Naija, once adult voice enter, you go think solution dey near. But the way dem dey talk, e be like say dem sef dey fear.

We just dey hear gbam gbam for corridor, but e no sound like fight.

E resemble say dem dey drag chair or door, no be wrestling sound. My mind dey shake—who dem dey fight? Abi dem dey run?

One teacher just shout: "Jesus Christ!"

Once person hear that kain shout, you go know say wahala pass be careful. E loud, echo for corridor, even pass the madman own.

After that, everywhere calm small.

Everybody for our room just freeze. You fit hear mosquito for air. I hold my breath, dey pray say make no new wahala start.

Na only the sound of the madman waka for corridor remain, with him low groan dey enter our ear.

The madman dey pace front and back, dragging one leg, groaning. The sound dey enter bone. E be like say e dey look for who go open door.

Person come @ the supervisor for group:

"Uncle, how far now? Why the madman never comot?"

Another person add, "Abeg, make dem use force, we wan sleep na."

Supervisor no answer quick this time, like say something don happen.

Na after dem @ am like three times before e reply:

"Teacher talk say the madman fit get some kain serious disease."

"As dem try hold am just now, blood and wound full him body everywhere."

"Teacher don call local health center—dem go come handle am soon."

"No go outside. This one serious."

That official tone enter again—once school dey fear, na medical English go come. Everybody dey type "God forbid" for group, some dey drop prayer hand emoji.

People begin vex for group chat:

"Any small thing, na to shift blame. Which kind teacher be this?"

"This yeye school—person for just no come here."

One girl for group drop voice note, dey cry, "Mummy, come carry me go house!"

Na that time, knock come for our door again.

This one loud, as if the person dey use bone hit door. Chuka whisper, "E be like say door fit break soon o."

We peep—na true as supervisor talk: big patches of skin don spoil, pus and blood dey drip everywhere. This one no be small sickness at all.

My stomach turn, the smell even dey enter room. I cover my mouth, fear catch me. Seyi just dey look, eyes red.

Na only Seyi talk:

"This madman… no be Tunde?"

Seyi voice low, like whisper. The rest of us just freeze, look each other. Femi throat dry, Chuka eyes wide. For Naija, no be small thing to see your padi like that.