Chapter 1: Ancestors and Shadows

Do you know about the uncanny valley effect?

That kind of primal fear don dey with us since ancient times, back when our ancestors dey run jam things—creatures wey almost, but no be, human.

Dem resemble us, but something about dem just dey somehow. Now, dem dey hide for inside modern society, maybe even among your friends and family.

So, the real question be: How you go take sabi dem…?

1

A million years ago, humans just discover fire, so dem no dey chop raw meat and drink blood again. As dusk dey fall, one group of apemen return compound with wetin dem catch, come light fire.

The evening breeze blow small, carry the smell of roasting meat, the far cry of bush fowl, and the sharp peppery aroma of plantain roasting on the side. One of the elders tear small roasted bushmeat, sprinkle salt and ata rodo, pass am round. Everybody gather round the orange glow, shadows long for ground, faces half-light, half-dark, as the elders dey talk low.

Na that time, another figure waka enter from outside. Him face dey inside darkness, so the rest no fit see am well.

The fire snap and spark, some of the small pikin shift closer to their mothers, eyes dey peep the stranger. The night bush quiet, only the crackle, soft grumble of bellies, and the sizzle as plantain dey turn on hot stone.

Wetin the people no know be say this "person" no really be one of them.

But the stranger stand well, posture strong, like person wey sabi the bush way wella. Yet, as the light lick e legs, e shadow no blend with the others for ground—like say e no belong.

One sharp apeman carry burning stick, waka go near am, dey observe the newcomer from head to toe. E look the same, e resemble dem, but the sharp apeman still dey feel say something no pure.

The sharp apeman eyes sharp like hunter. E look the person toe to head—skin, hair, even the scar for leg, all dey familiar, but the inside e body dey send warning. Even e heart beat quick small.

E just talk for the stranger, "I never see you before."

E voice cut through the chatter, make some people look up. The other hunters grip spear tight, but no talk yet.

The stranger smile. "I just dey pass. I wan sleep here."

E teeth white, but e smile no reach e eye. The fire reflect for e face, make am look both friendly and strange at once.

Human beings na social animals, so the people agree make e stay.

Dem murmur, shift small to make space, one woman nod, another man grunt, but nobody talk against am. For bush, hospitality dey important pass suspicion, so dem let am.

That night, everybody sleep. The sharp apeman wey hold burning stick before, just dey turn for ground, sleep no gree am. One question dey disturb am—

Mosquito hum for e ear, but e no send. E take some local leaves, crush am, rub for e skin to chase mosquito away, but e mind still dey race. The moon crawl for sky, and the fire for center dey die small small. Still, the apeman mind dey heavy.

Wetin really dey wrong with this newcomer?

E chest tight, like say person press stone on top. For bush, instinct dey save person—e feel say this one na matter of life and death.

One nose, two eyes, one mouth, two ears, two hands, two legs…

E count am for e mind, like say e wan recite ancestors' names. But e spirit still dey shake.

Everything dey normal. E no get extra tail or wings.

E even look under the stranger foot when e waka, but nothing strange.

The sharp apeman confuse. E just know say something dey off.

E rub e jaw, turn face, but the feeling stubborn—like mosquito wey no wan die.

E look the stranger small—the person dey sleep like say nothing dey happen.

The stranger chest dey rise and fall, calm pass river after rain. But the sharp apeman no fit rest.

For the second half of the night, the ancient person finally manage sleep, come begin dream. For the dream, e see the newcomer again.

The fire inside the dream dey shine white, shadows dey dance. The stranger waka come near, the night dey quiet, fear dey grip the apeman bone.

This time, na only two of dem. Fear just catch am, e begin pray make the ancestors protect am.

E mouth dey move, call names of people wey don waka before, beg make their spirit stand for am.

The stranger act like say e fit hear wetin the apeman dey think, e whisper, "Shh, even the ancestors no sabi say I dey…"

The voice cold, e words carry weight like harmattan breeze. The apeman feel say e dey naked for spirit world.

The two of them dey close, dey close. The apeman dey shake as e look the other person face, and at last, e remember wetin dey wrong.

For that moment, e eyes open for dream. E see wetin no fit explain with mouth, e spirit begin scatter. E wan shout but the world swallow e voice.

E just wake up with fear, run comot compound, dey shout for night.

As e rush out, sand dey enter e foot, e no send. Some people wake, others just turn for mat, but the apeman dey sweat, mouth dey dry.

"E too fear person. I must tell everybody this secret."

E voice scatter the night, some people begin whisper, others grip stick tight.

Since that day, the gene to dey fear things like this pass from one human to another. Na from there the term uncanny valley effect enter modern society.

Even as time waka, stories about the stranger wey almost be human but no pure, dey pass from mouth to ear, generation to generation.