PROLOGUE

It was an unnaturally windy night in Lagos. Bits of debris whirled about lazily in the air while in one of the shops nearby, an argument was taking place.
"What's wrong with you? All your friends are married and here you are, whining about your suitors. He's too fat, too skinny, too tall, too short! Grow up. Your beauty is fading. I'm sorry but I won't deceive you. Time is not on your side." the shopkeeper ranted growing more irritated with each word.
"Yes mom. Thanks for pointing out the fact that all my friends are married. However I will not marry some illiterate farmer, and yes I mean uncle Deji, just to give you grandchildren thus helping you achieve your dream of spawning the leaders of tomorrow!" the young lady spat vehemently her chest heaving rapidly.
"I don't care if you throw your life away but you will not be rude to me Ronke Bamidele! Do you hear?!" her mother screeched.
"Yes mom I hear you. But I will live my life as I see fit. So just leave me alone ok?" with that she squared her shoulders and stomped out of the shop, making it a point of duty to slam the door shut on her way out. She walked briskly, hands in her pockets and her shoulders hunched against the cold wind. Ronke was lost in deep thought and a frown creased her forehead as she mulled over the events of the previous day. Her parents had invited uncle Deji over for lunch. Then they both sneaked out leaving her alone with the cretin, who slobbered all over her, professing unconditional love for her. She tried every trick in the book but he wouldn’t budge, she pleaded, cried, yelled at him, argued with him but the thick headed slowpoke just wouldn’t take no for an answer. Finally she got through to him and he confessed that her father had assured him she was madly in love with him. How her father could have set her up with his own cousin she would never understand. Her blood had boiled over several times during the fiasco, and at a point she felt a very strong urge to brain the man with any heavy object she could lay her hands on. She was furious with her parents, but she pitied them. It couldn't be easy having a thirty-eight year old spinster as an only child. People were constantly asking for the date of her wedding, and she knew her parent's friends mocked them openly about their middle aged spinster daughter. Her parents were getting desperate. She thought about all this as she walked absent-mindedly and didn't notice when she crossed over to the alley. Neither did she notice the strangely grotesque shadows moving across the walls. She was so engrossed, she didn't look up till she heard a faint hissing sound and she dropped to the ground like a sack of potatoes. Ronke's eyes fluttered open and she saw she was in a large room with white walls and a door in the corner. The chair in the other corner was the only piece of furniture in the room besides the bed she lay on, with a white bed sheet covering her nudity. What happened to her clothes? The place looked like a hospital ward. She tried to get up but couldn't move a muscle; she was paralyzed from her neck to her feet. Then she turned her head to look around and she saw a shelf behind her. Her eyes grew as wide as saucers when she recognized the tools on the shelf. The shelf was lined with scalpels and forceps and a host of other surgical tools, all arrayed on the shelf like trophies. Her eyes bulged in terror as her memories came flooding back. She remembered walking from her mother's shop, heading into the alley then hearing a faint sound like gas being sprayed. She faintly remembered being dragged up some stairs, which didn't make any sense since she had been in an alley. Her mind raced and she considered her options scream or Play dead? She still hadn't decided when the door creaked open and someone came in. The person had very little hair but wasn't exactly bald as when compared with hairless. It was as if the person was born that way. She knew it was a man from his appearance, but there was something deformed about him. He didn't seem to have any skin and was all flesh. His face was weird. His brow ridge was non-existent and for a nose he just had a lump on his face with two holes. He walked towards her and she noticed how impossibly tall he was. The ceiling was at least ten feet high and his head was practically brushing it. He also walked in a very strange way, as though hopping from one foot to another. He was definitely human but there was something very wrong with him, he was somehow animalistic and she felt hatred and disgust for him. Maybe he was sick. He reached her bedside and stroked her hair with his abnormally long delicate fingers. Next he selected a knife from the shelf and unceremoniously tossed the sheet aside. He started cutting through her stomach and though she was paralyzed she felt the pain vividly as he hacked away at her abdomen. She screamed piteously and tossed her head from side to side, then she woke up.


CHAPTER ONE
Ronke opened her eyes and noticed a few changes to her surroundings. First of all there were other beds in the room with dozing occupants and her bed space was partitioned with a curtain. A plastic bag containing a clear liquid was stuck on a long metallic pole and was feeding its contents to her intravenously. This time she was certain she was in a hospital. Relief flooded through her when a nurse carrying a pitcher of water approached her. She suddenly realized how parched her throat was and drank thirstily when the nurse lowered a cup to her lips. When she had had her fill she turned her head aside and croaked “What....where...?"
The nurse put a hand to her forehead and said "You've been out for two days. Don't worry you're okay, just a little dehydrated. Do you remember what happened?" Ronke shook her head. "Alright your parents will be notified you've come to. They just left. Just rest for now." The nurse smiled and moved on to the next patient. Ronke didn't quite know what to think of her memories. Was it just a dream, or a hallucination? Was her mind playing tricks on her?
She was still mulling over her dilemma when her parents rushed into the room. Her mother flew straight at her, crushing her into the bed. "Oh thank God! I thought I had lost you. Oh Ronke my last words to you were that I didn't care what you did with your life. I'm sorry." her mother gushed, managing to cry and smile at the same time. Ronke just patted her mother’s back numbly and looked imploringly at her father.
"That’s enough. Don't smother the girl Lily." her father said, prying her mother off her then patting her shoulder reassuringly.
"What happened to me?" Ronke asked, shooting a grateful glance at her father.
"Some men found you unconscious in an alley close to your mother's shop. They rushed you here and you were promptly admitted. The nurses identified you through your national ID card and found our numbers on your phone. By the way thanks for storing my number as the man I call my father!" he said swatting her arm playfully. Ronke grimaced at her cheekiness. "We were rather worried when you didn't show up that night and refused to pick our calls, but I just assumed you had gone to your friend's house to stew. Your mom told me about your little spat." her father looked down guiltily.
Ronke squeezed his hand then asked "What happened to the men who rushed me here?"
"Well they stuck around long enough to accept a very generous present from your mom and I, but fled the scene at the mention of the word police. Apparently their activities in that alley were a bit questionable." her father chuckled.
"But what were you thinking, passing through that alley at such an ungodly hour? And what happened to your car? I assumed you would go straight home when you left the shop." her mother berated her rather sternly.
Ronke gaped at her mother before responding "I left my car at sade's place. I told you I would spend the night with sade yesterday. She needed it, so I took a cab to work, and I went to your shop from the office. I don't know what I was thinking going into that alley." she said sheepishly.
"What happened? Did you fall?" her mother asked searching Ronke's head for bruises.
Ronke shook her hand off then proceeded to tell her parents the whole story, trying not to omit anything. When she was done her parents gazed at her dazed looks on their faces.
Her mother placed a hand on her forehead and asked worriedly "Are you okay darling?"
Ronke inhaled sharply. "What? You don't believe me?" she asked testily.
Her parents exchanged a worried glance. "of course we believe you dear." her mother placated. Ronke sighed "It’s okay. I know the story sounds incredible. I can hardly believe it myself. It just felt so real. I guess I'm frustrated. So how is Susan?" Ronke fluffed her pillow as her mother told her how upset their neighbor had been when she learnt she intended to impeach her and become the next president of the street's vigilante group.

Ronke's story spread through the hospital like wildfire when she repeated the story to a nurse the next day. Ronke was discharged from the hospital three days later. The day before she was discharged, a reporter from Tell magazine paid her a visit. Apparently someone in the hospital had connections. Funke was asleep when the reporter arrived, so she was startled when she woke up and found a young man sitting beside her bed, reading a novel. He looked up when he heard her sheets rustling.
"Ah. You're awake. Ted Olujobi. I'm a columnist for Tell magazine. My column is called Panorama, maybe you've heard of it?" he said, offering her his hand.
She shook it then asked "How long have you been here and what do you want?"
"Just a few minutes." he said with a dismissive wave. "I heard your fantastic story and I just had to hear it again from the horse's mouth" he said, trying to stifle a yawn. The reporter must have seen the alarm that flashed across her eyes at that. "Oh please don’t be alarmed, I promise to keep you anonymous." he assured.
She looked warily at the stranger. "So you believe me?"
Ted hid a smile as he said “It doesn’t really matter whether I believe you or not, you’ll get your chance to be heard."
“Well ok then. Where do I begin?"
The reporter flipped his notepad open "Why don't you start from the beginning?"

Hmmm! Waiting for more. Nice one there.

Wow! Thanks Iolite, more to come very soon. Hope you don't scare easy

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