Chapter 7: Missing 402 and Chat Red Flags

That time, another message land for group:

402: [Nothing dey happen for there, we just dey think too much. Make una sleep.]

The text look dry—no emoji, no 'ya', no nothing.

I look my phone, shock.

My hand even shake small. The kain message no get the normal tone. I dey reason say maybe na another person dey use 402 phone.

I no hear 402 come back or close door—at all.

As per area boy, I sabi when person dey waka for corridor, but this time, no single footstep, no door creak.

When e commot, e close door, so how e go come back without open and close am?

Even rat wey dey run for corridor no fit sneak pass me. My ear dey sharp, but this one pass my power.

Abi e enter 404?

This question jam me for chest. For my mind, I dey picture wetin fit dey happen for inside 404.

That thought make my body cold.

Goosebumps waka for my skin, like say cold breeze blow from village shrine.

For screen, 601 and 302 say make we sleep.

Dem just dey type 'goodnight', but I know say dem no go fit sleep. Nobody wan carry strange dream enter sleep.

Only 504 no talk.

I dey expect say e go drop joke, but e just ghost for group.

Then I see say e don send me private message:

[Guy, you never sleep abeg. Single men like us no dey sleep early, I no believe say you sleep… You see all the group gist?]

The message come with eye emoji and that 'wink' wey we dey use play game gist.

I shock small, but e make sense.

E fit be say e wan run coded yarn, no wan cause panic for main group.

504 na single guy too, sometimes we dey play game together, both of us na night crawler.

True true, we dey play FIFA till 2am sometimes, dey order suya for gate. Na him dey yarn me pass for block.

So I no hide am, reply: [Sleep dey catch me, but I see everything. No be over?]

I try act as if I no too bother, but my hand dey shake.

I no tell am the strange thing wey I hear—I just wan know why e message me.

I dey reason say maybe e notice something I miss.

504 no waste time: [Guy, you no feel say something dey off?]

E even add that wide eye emoji again. E no dey play this night.

Of course I feel am, but I no wan talk am direct, make wahala no too much.

For Naija, if you carry gist reach certain level, e fit pass your power.

So I reply: [Wetin dey off?]

I act like mumu, but my mind dey run marathon.

E reply quick, e dey tense: [402—your neighbour—him last message no be like him own. You no notice say e dey always type with that small ‘ya’ for end?]

As e talk am, e come clear for my eye. Some people dey get signature for chat—one word wey dey mark dem.

Which kind thing be that?

I rush go group chat, scroll check 402 messages.

I dey check like detective, dey match sentence with 'ya', dey scroll back back. My mind dey tally the pattern.

Na true—this guy, anytime e type, e dey add ‘ya’ for end of sentence.

Even for normal greeting, e go say 'Good morning, ya.'

But, but—

This last message dry like Agege bread, no single 'ya' for tail.

After e waka go 404, the message wey say make we sleep, no get ‘ya’ for end.

E just serious anyhow.

That kain tone na red flag—like say another person dey imitate am, but e no sabi the real lingo.

E mean say…

My brain begin dey process wahala wey pass me. Even my hand cold.

I no fit reason am finish.

The fear dey jam my thought like bad traffic for Ojuelegba.

I just reply 504: [You mean that ‘ya’? You dey talk say the last message no be from am?]

I dey try make sure say I understand am well, before mind go run wild.

Na that time I hear small sound for my door:

Like say person dey waka softly, try hide e step.

For block wey tile dey, any soft step dey echo. This one quiet sotey e be like cat dey tiptoe.

I no fit hold myself, I press my eye for peephole…

I dey pray say make na my mind dey play trick, but fear no gree my body calm.

As I look, my body freeze—

Because for outside, the strange face of 404 man press for my own peephole too. E eyes red, like person wey NEPA cheat for prepaid meter.

If na film, na here soundtrack for horror go start. God abeg, no let wahala jam me for this block.