Chapter 3: Blood for Bedsheet, Fear for Night

As I dey wait, I pick my phone begin watch some short TikTok Naija videos. Hunger dey worry me, so I open food app, dey reason suya—maybe grilled kidney fit boost my body.

I watch comedian wey dey mimic Abuja politicians—dey laugh small to calm my mind. But hunger no gree, my belle dey drum like masquerade talking drum.

As I order finish, school notifications just dey pop for my phone. At first I ignore, but one catch my eye:

[Recently, one student for our school miss as e go tutor. Police don enter the matter. All students wey dey go tutor, work or find job, abeg make una dey careful with una safety...]

I pause, dey read am again. The matter get as e be. Na only for northern side of Lagos you go hear this kind news, but our side dey always calm.

I shock. Since I dey this school, I never hear say person disappear before.

E never reach like this for area before. Na so my heart begin do kpim kpim.

For school to send public notice, the matter serious—no be just ordinary disappear.

My guy for hostel dey always talk say any time school send long message, make you ready run.

I breathe deep, small fear begin enter me.

I try form hard man, but my palm cold. I dey tell myself say na coincidence, but body no gree believe.

Outside, I dey hear her dey hum song—her voice get that kind seduction.

Na that “Onyeoma” gospel song she dey hum, but the way she drag am, e dey sound like jazz. E just dey enter my ear, dey make my body cold and hot the same time.

I drop my phone, tell myself make I just enjoy tonight.

I try shake off the fear, dey reason say na overthink dey worry me. After all, she never do me bad before.

But as I stand from bed, wear my rubber slippers, my eye jam one kain stain for the edge of the bedsheet.

I bend well, come see the reddish-brown stain. My throat dry. For my mind, I dey pray say na zobo stain. E just dey for one corner, as if person try hide am. My heart skip.

I stretch hand touch am—na blood stain.

The thing dey sticky, never old reach two days. I quick wipe my hand for my short, dey try calm myself.

How blood go dey here?

For my head, na different story dey play—maybe na from nosebleed, or maybe pikin wound herself. But this one too much for small scratch.

My body begin tense. I follow the bedsheet look under bed.

I try bend well—my mind dey race. For Naija, dem dey always say, 'who dey find, go see.'

Everywhere dark. I use phone torch check, I no see anything strange.

I dey shine light up and down, but apart from dust and one old wrapper, nothing dey. My hand dey shake.

Maybe na my mind dey play trick. Sometimes if my leg dey scratch for night, I fit wound myself, next day blood go stain sheet.

I dey try use logic hold body—no be every stain be wahala. I remember last time for hostel, na groundnut oil stain nearly make me fight roommate.

I tell myself make I no dey paranoid.

I try laugh small, tell myself say Naija film don dey affect my brain.

But as I wan off the torch, something flash under the bed.

The light bounce for metal. E get as e be. I dey feel small sweat for my armpit, even though rain dey fall.

I look well, see say for the gap of the bedframe, something dey—na card, or more like half card.

Na like say person try break am or cut am. E get blue colour, my heart begin race.

Even though na just part, I recognize am sharp-sharp—na our school student ID card.

For our school, na only us get that rubbery ID, with sharp green and gold strip for edge.