Nice story you got here bro... I just hope you maintain a consistent update.
whispers. .... (the story line is great)

Episode 8 rolls out today. Get ready!


Thanks all for the warm reactions. I love it! Makes me glad I decided to do this; had double minds before, about writing this story.

And yeah, I'll be uploading at least 3 times a week, or more. I skip some days mostly due to the overwhelming pressure of work. But generally, it'd be consistent.


----The BizarreWriter

following dis back to back story

Here's a crazy episode! This episode reflects the kind of stories I tell, and also the reason why I'm called the Bizarre Writer. Enjoy!


Ep 8


This world is full of bizarre things, most of which manifest themselves in levels high above ours. We can see them, sometimes--through dreams and stuff--but other times they just float around unnoticed.

-----

I found myself standing in a dark space. I wouldn't call it a room, because there were no doors or windows.

There was only darkness. I stared into the distance and saw nothing but thick darkness. It was all around me, even below me. I seemed to be floating in this dark space; my body felt like it was in motion, but I couldn't tell because I was standing and there were no images around.

'Where am I?' I muttered to myself, looking around. The darkness was creeping, swirling and moving; I don't know how, but I could tell.
Then I heard voices echoing around me, different voices. They sounded really close, these voices, but at the same time far beyond my reach. I knew them; they were familiar but I really couldn't place them.

'Hello?' I called out and the voices suddenly stopped, and then they started to laugh. That's odd, I thought and then felt a shove behind me. It was fast and hard, and made me fall forward.

'What was that?'

I turned around, but there was no one, just more darkness. I grunted and stood up, suddenly feeling a solid ground under my feet. The voices started again, although much more distant now, or perhaps lowered.

There was no where for me to go, surrounded by this unending darkness, but I felt no fear, just curiosity. I needed to know what the hell was happening, and as if to answer my question a loud thud came from up ahead. I looked up, my eyes wide open waiting for even the slightest shimmer of light. It came.

A long, loud creak. Another loud thud, and a large rectangle sliced itself out of the darkness.

'A door,' I gasped and started towards it. The path to the door seemed long--actually, as I thought about it, it seemed as if I wasn't moving at all; I mean, my legs were moving ans I was swinging my arms real hard and fast, but the light from the door still maintained the same distance as when it'd first appeared.

It felt like I was walking on a treadmill. I continued straining with all my efforts, pushing hard and trying to break against the force holding me back and just like a snap, I fell forward free from the grasp of whatever had been holding me back, except this time I couldn't stop stumbling towards the door.

I tried to stop myself, but my legs were on auto-pilot and I found myself rushing towards the door, not sure what was beyond it.

Brightness. Intense brightness. I couldn't see what was beyond the door at first. As I got closer the light seemed blinding and I squinted my eyes and braced myself for anything.

A few moments later, my heart thumping from going so fast, I passed through the door. The sudden silence made my ears ring, and my eyes hurt from staring into so much light.

I felt around for a switch, waving my hands in the air, and my fingers hit something hard. There was a loud snap and the lights became moderate. I sighed and looked around where I was. It took a few minutes for the blur to settle, and for my sight to get back to normal, but once it did I found myself in a white room.

I was standing right on a white square which linked to the base of six stairways, all increasing in height. At the top of each stairs were doors--white, pink, blue, green, red, and black, and at the top of each door was a sign with a word on it.

Shifting my feet, I looked up at one of the stairs, at the door closest to me, the white door.

'Happy place,' I said, reading out the sign. I moved forward and hesitated a bit, turning to look at the other doors. I could only read out dreams and nightmares, on the pink and black doors respectively.

'Happy place it is,' I muttered to myself and started towards the stairs. As soon as I placed my foot on the first step, I heard a loud crumbling noise behind me.

With a sudden gasp, I turned around just in time to see the other stairs peeling off, like paper, and wafting off into the air like breeze. All that was left was darkness, and the white square, and the stairs leading to happy place, wherever that was. I turned back and continued up the steps.

The closer I got to this white door, the more unsettled I felt. A white door, happy place; it all sounded good, but there was something about it. Why did I settle for this door? I'd learnt that sometimes everything was not as it seemed, so what if that proved to be the case now?

'Only one way to find out,' I said to myself, took in a deep breath, squinted my eyes just in case there was more blinding light, and then opened the door.

The first thing I noticed was the sound around me. A music. A familiar music.

'Mr. Blue Sky,' I said under my breath and listened to the bouncing rhythm as it played on.
That song. I remembered now; that song brought a wave of memories rushing towards me. But literally--I found myself standing in a strange place, by a beach with dazzling purple-colored water. The skies were blue, the clouds dull as if made out of the brush strokes of oil paint.

I looked around me and walked along the beach, occasionally looking around to see where I was.

The purple water stretched into the distance, and it brought a familiar-scent with it; a scent which, coupled with that music, reminded me of her.

'Where is that song coming from?' I wondered out loud when the song stopped playing.

A second later I heard a loud click, and the song started all over again. It sounded like it came from up above, somewhere in the sky.

I noticed something else: as I walked along this beach, the water rushing in waves and bringing that scented-breeze my way, the sky changed colours.
It seemed rainbow-like in the way it drifted from blue to yellow, to purple, and red. It was mesmerizing, and I couldn't stop looking at it.

At least until I heard her voice. There was no mistaking that voice; the pain it'd brought, and the happiness. I felt it all over again, like some kind of lucid dream.

'It's wonderful, isn't it?'

Her voice was clear, coming from behind me. I turned around and there she was, standing right behind me.
She looked amazing, her body glowing and her brown hair drifting in the wind, looking much longer than I'd remembered. In fact, it was nothing like I remembered; it was more like a flag, long and with a lot of strands.

'Martha?'

She smiled at me.

'Dickson, how are you?'

'What are you doing here?' I looked around, 'shit, where is here?'

'You're still using that word I hate,' she said.

'I'm sorry.'

'You were always sorry, Dickson. Every time.' She started walking and I followed her. I was speechless for a while.

'Won't you say anything?'

I looked at her. Our music was playing right above us, and I really didn't know what to say, or if this was all a dream. That was our song, one we'd always listened to together, in bed, sharing one pair of my airpod.

'I'm really sorry, you know, for everything. I messed up.'

She suddenly stopped walking, and her face darkened. She looked angry.

'You're changing,' she said to me, and observed me closely. 'You're...different.'

I said nothing, and then was about to ask her where I was when the song suddenly stopped halfway and she turned sharply and starting heading back the way she came. I tried to follow but she said, 'you should be going now. I'll see you again.'

I didn't listening.

'Wait!' I called out, and tried to go to her but I couldn't; once again I felt unable to move, and then I heard those familiar voices. Everything started to go in reverse, rewinding right before my eyes.

My body floated into the air and shot towards the door I'd come through, and I floated still, without stopping, until I found myself in that dark space, still moving backwards.

The darkness thickened until everywhere became bright and I opened my eyes to see the trio still sitting where they'd been, although Jide was standing.

'How e be? You feel anything?' Jide asked, in between puffs.

I blinked and coughed softly, smoke escaping my mouth, and stared at the wrap in my hand.
'Nah, nothing at all.' With a shrug I handed the smoke back to Jide and said, 'abeg, I want to go in and sleep. Was tired anyway.'

I stood up and started going inside, except these guys were still staring at me in a weird way. It was then I realized I hadn't even stood up, I'd just been sitting there, staring at them when in my head I was already walking inside.

Shit, I'm bleeped up.

They were still watching me, even as I willed all my mental strength to my legs, hoping it'd move. I stood up, thank God, and wavered a little like some drunk as I turned towards the gate. It took me a few seconds, but I was able to steady myself.

What the hell was in that smoke? I thought--or at least I thought it was a mere thought, but then Sammy answered and said, 'it's weed, bro.'

I nodded and tried not to think anymore, since I'd apparently lost control of my brain and mouth, and started walking towards the gate.

'Who is Martha?' Chidi asked and I stopped by the gate, my hand on the grip.

Martha. I closed my eyes tight and sighed. I remembered it all again, those hallucinations. It'd all felt so real, I could even smell her, and hear her voice.

I quickly realized I'd been silent for a while, so I responded.

'No one important.' And went inside.

This is interesting such a fascinating plot TheBizzareWrite...

Dickson’s life just began, more updates please. Good boy turned bad!!!

Missmossy:
This is interesting such a fascinating plot TheBizzareWrite...

Dickson’s life just began, more updates please. Good boy turned bad!!!

finally got our first female commenter. That's amazing. Glad you're enjoying it. More updates will be coming

Just a little announcement: I might be changing perspectives from first to third. I want to broaden the story, and I'm way comfortable with third person than first.
I hope it won't be too jarring, but I doubt it will.

Keep reading. Thanks.

bizarre indeed

U can do better with ur updates please

elmogaji:
U can do better with ur updates please

Please clarify.

Thanks.

TheBizarreWrite:


Please clarify.

Thanks.

i gues he meant, you should update more frequently. Btw nice piece, bro

Duplik8t77:
i gues he meant, you should update more frequently. Btw nice piece, bro

Oh I see.
Honestly, I'd originally intended to be updating only twice a week, as I have so many other commitments. But I've been putting out at least four in the past couple of weeks.

I'll try and update more frequently, but I go as far as I can.

Thanks for reading

I love this

TheBizarreWrite:


Please clarify.

Thanks.

U need to update regularly, you just started it ...

Nice story bro

U are mouthed bro.. following..

UPDATE!

I will be posting new episodes at 9p.m. daily (unless on the few occasions when I burn out from various other tasks).

I hope this will be a better strategy to keep you guys engaged in the story.

Episode 9 rolls out tonight at 9.P.M!

E.p 9

I woke up to the brush of something against my skin, like a few crawling insects had latched onto my skin and started some kind of race. I pushed my body out of the bed and stood up quickly. My bearings were still jammed, so I walked straight and bumped my head against the wall, the thud unnecessarily hard on my forehead.

'Ow!' I looked around me and rubbed the spot.
There was no light; the room was still dark, and the curtains closed. I heard that familiar chirping of crickets outside, and felt the cool air circulating around the room, one I felt almost every morning.

I still had no idea what had been crawling on my skin, so I turned to face my bed. I could as make out a form on my bed, dark and hunched.

What is that? I thought, and my heart began to beat faster. Why was my heart always the first thing to race when I felt even the slightest fear? Does that make me a coward?

Relax, Dickson, It could just be a pile of clothes. I wanted to believe that, after all I'd received so many scares as a kid growing up, when I'd open my eyes at night to some figure hanging at one end of my room, which would always turn out to be a shirt or some trouser hanging in the wardrobe. I wouldn't know, of course, until my screams attracted my mother, who'd burst into my room and switch on the lights, startled and praying.

This time was different: My mother wasn't here, and for the life of me I still couldn't find my phone, or torchlight. Oh wait, I didn't have a torchlight, not anymore. My reading lamp had fallen and busted, and I hadn't bothered to fix it yet.

'Don't focus on the bed,' I repeatedly told myself and kept my eyes peeled as I walked around the room. The walls seemed so much farther now, possibly because of the darkness. I soon kicked the chair by my desk and I winced out in pain. I heard a sound behind me now and my heart skipped a beat. Jesus!

I quickly pushed the chair aside, not concerned about the noise it made when it fell and hit the wall, and scrambled for my phone which had to be on the desk. I was right.

Finally!

My fingers shook as I pressed the power button. Shit, switched off. I must have been imagining it, but I heard a low, soft groan coming from my bed, and a rattling noise.

A spirit, a voice in my head kept saying. I shook it off. The phone soon came on and the dull light lit up my face, to some extent. I quickly turned around and directed the rays towards my bed, and then I closed my eyes and sighed out of relief. I was never going to get used to this.
----
She rolled on the bed, and blinked her eyes at a sleepy pace when I directed the flashlight to her face. It took a few seconds for her to fully open her eyes and stare back at me.

My relief was gone, now replaced by confusion. I'd slept alone last night, I was sure of that, so how was she on my bed right now? It felt like I'd done this before.

'Good morning,' she said in her low, sleepy voice, and yawned. I quickly looked at my phone. 6:03 a.m.

'Priscilla, how did you-' I stopped halfway when I realized I still had the flashlight beaming straight at her face.

'Sorry,' I said, still standing. I mean, for all I knew this could be some hallucination or a super-real dream. I've had those before.

'Why did you not lock your door before sleeping?' She asked.

'What? I locked my-' the wheels in my head started to turn, and I tried to recall. Yes, I'd been outside with Jide, Sammy, and Chidi. Yes, I'd taken a drag from their smoke and...and I wasn't sure what happened after that. It all seemed unclear, and my head felt cloudy and clogged.

Priscilla sat there watching me, and must have gotten tired of doing that because she finally said, 'I came in here to charge my phone last night, and you were sleeping on the floor.'

Yes, I remember now. I'd stumbled into the compound feeling all light-headed and dazed, and I'd thanked God my room was so close to the gate.
I also remember struggling with the keys as I managed to finally get the door open. What I couldn't remember was if I locked the door after that, a mystery I knew I would soon have the answer to.

My gaze returned to her, and she continued.

'You were playing one song on your phone. I mean, the song kept playing over and over,' she stopped and looked up at me as if to ask why I would do such a stupid thing like putting a song on repeat. I knew that look. I didn't say anything, just stared back at her and waited for her to finish laying out the pieces.

'Do you know somebody could have entered here and robbed you? You just left the door wide open.'

'Oh, that's...wow! Really?' I still couldn't believe it. Did that really happen, or was she just making it up.

She must have read my expression, for she nodded and said, 'I'm serious.'

My legs felt weak now, and it seemed like I'd been standing on my feet forever. I flashed the light in the direction of the chair, which still lay face-down from when I'd tossed it off.

I started walking towards the chair and she watched me, saying nothing until I turned it and dragged it over to the desk and sat on it. Well, my ass had almost met the chair when she asked, 'do I make you uncomfortable?'

'Uh...' I blinked several times and just left my mouth hanging.

Uh, yes, you do. I could have said that, right? I could have said, you make me slightly uncomfortable because you're always around.

But it would have hurt her, and yet wasn't this why I'd been trying to give her a lot of space in the past few days?

Wasn't that why, whenever I was about to have lunch and heard her cheerfully greeting neighbors as she drew closer to my room, I'd quickly cover the food and jump on my bed, pretending to sleep?

She must have gotten the idea, so maybe this question was a good thing. Play this right, Dickson; you're about to be a free man once again.
Sure, she'll get hurt but she can get over it.
In all those time I still hadn't given her any response, so she stood up and took two steps off the bed.

Her face was plain, her eyes hurt. I knew it, and I couldn't look at her.

'Let me be going,' she said, and I felt goosebumps on my body. A part of me was swinging its arms and saying 'yes! yes!', but another part was just about to do something stupid.

'Hey,' I said and blocked her path. She kept her face low and didn't look at me. 'Where are you going?'

'I have my own room,' she responded and the first thing I thought was, oh really?

'I didn't say you make me uncomfortable,' I muttered and she looked up at me. That gaze of hope.

'But sometimes you act like I'm disturbing you.'

That's because you mostly are, I thought.

'No. You're not disturbing me,' I lied. 'I just like being alone sometimes.'

She lowered her head again and pushed against my arm. 'Let me leave you alone then.'

I sighed. 'I didn't say you should do that.'
She said nothing for a while, so I added, 'I don't want you to get hurt.'

Now she wrapped her arms around me and hugged me. 'I won't get hurt, don't worry. We're just having fun.'

'Yeah?'

No, seriously, are we just having fun?

She nodded and looked up, her face so close to mine. I wanted her to let go of me, and staring into those hopeful eyes made me feel that way even more intensely. She soon stood on her toes and kissed me short on my lips, giggled, and said 'good morning' again. She was gone soon after that, and all I could do was stand there, staring into space until the sound of my phone jolted me back to reality.

'God, I'm so stupid.'

----

The following week turned out to be the most significant for me, not because it rained constantly, or the lecture-free week, or even my sudden affinity with weed--which I smoke three more times. It wasn't any of that. It was something else, I knew I was in trouble when it happened.

I'd been outside reading a book when the gate opened and two girls walked into the compound. This happened for various reasons: sometimes, people came in search of vacancies, and other times it would just be the various girlfriends and side chicks of the sharpshooters in the compound.

Today was different, though. I never really paid any serious attention to these comings and goings, not until my eyes fell on the slim girl walking with the other girl. I say the 'other girl' because I really didn't see her, not as much as I saw the slim one.

Her complexion was light and soft, and her face round. She had large, dark eyes which reminded me of those animes I watched occasionally, and they sparkled. Her lips were puckered, as if naturally ready for a kiss.

I sat upright when she passed. She looked in my direction and our eyes met. I felt something in the line of fear and astonishment, and complete wonderment, of course.
My fingers felt numb and I couldn't feel the book again, my eyes fixed on her eyes, drawn into a world where it was just the two of us, with birds tweeting all around us, and soft winds blowing brown leaves over us.

You know, that bullshit one usually sees in the movies, except this was real.

Our gaze remained locked for what seemed like a long time, until she looked away and continued with the other girl.

I wasn't sure what it was, but I felt an excitement deep inside me, pumping through my body. Our eyes met again just as she walked out of the compound, and this time I smiled at her.

She smiled back and looked away. That was a first.
My chair shifted and bent as I fell off it and ran inside, and started pacing around. I'd never maintained eye contact with a girl and then smiled at her before. And she smiled back! I didn't ever feel bold enough to do that, and yet I'd just done it.

What do I do now? I wondered and then, for the first time, prayed there was a vacancy in the compound. I heard the gate open, and rushed to peer through my window. Maybe she was back. But no, it was someone else.

----

My prayers were answered though.
Two days later, they moved into the compound. I missed the whole thing, but when I came back from where I'd gone to cut my hair, the first thing I saw was Chidi talking to the slim, fair girl. I looked at her, hoping she would turn and catch my gaze again. She didn't.

That was the beginning of a whole different kind of pain for me. But how was I to know?

TheBizarreWrite:
E.p 9

I woke up to the brush of something against my skin, like a few crawling insects had latched onto my skin and started some kind of race. I pushed my body out of the bed and stood up quickly. My bearings were still jammed, so I walked straight and bumped my head against the wall, the thud unnecessarily hard on my forehead.

'Ow!' I looked around me and rubbed the spot.
There was no light; the room was still dark, and the curtains closed. I heard that familiar chirping of crickets outside, and felt the cool air circulating around the room, one I felt almost every morning.

I still had no idea what had been crawling on my skin, so I turned to face my bed. I could as make out a form on my bed, dark and hunched.

What is that? I thought, and my heart began to beat faster. Why was my heart always the first thing to race when I felt even the slightest fear? Does that make me a coward?

Relax, Dickson, It could just be a pile of clothes. I wanted to believe that, after all I'd received so many scares as a kid growing up, when I'd open my eyes at night to some figure hanging at one end of my room, which would always turn out to be a shirt or some trouser hanging in the wardrobe. I wouldn't know, of course, until my screams attracted my mother, who'd burst into my room and switch on the lights, startled and praying.

This time was different: My mother wasn't here, and for the life of me I still couldn't find my phone, or torchlight. Oh wait, I didn't have a torchlight, not anymore. My reading lamp had fallen and busted, and I hadn't bothered to fix it yet.

'Don't focus on the bed,' I repeatedly told myself and kept my eyes peeled as I walked around the room. The walls seemed so much farther now, possibly because of the darkness. I soon kicked the chair by my desk and I winced out in pain. I heard a sound behind me now and my heart skipped a beat. Jesus!

I quickly pushed the chair aside, not concerned about the noise it made when it fell and hit the wall, and scrambled for my phone which had to be on the desk. I was right.

Finally!

My fingers shook as I pressed the power button. Shit, switched off. I must have been imagining it, but I heard a low, soft groan coming from my bed, and a rattling noise.

A spirit, a voice in my head kept saying. I shook it off. The phone soon came on and the dull light lit up my face, to some extent. I quickly turned around and directed the rays towards my bed, and then I closed my eyes and sighed out of relief. I was never going to get used to this.
----
She rolled on the bed, and blinked her eyes at a sleepy pace when I directed the flashlight to her face. It took a few seconds for her to fully open her eyes and stare back at me.

My relief was gone, now replaced by confusion. I'd slept alone last night, I was sure of that, so how was she on my bed right now? It felt like I'd done this before.

'Good morning,' she said in her low, sleepy voice, and yawned. I quickly looked at my phone. 6:03 a.m.

'Priscilla, how did you-' I stopped halfway when I realized I still had the flashlight beaming straight at her face.

'Sorry,' I said, still standing. I mean, for all I knew this could be some hallucination or a super-real dream. I've had those before.

'Why did you not lock your door before sleeping?' She asked.

'What? I locked my-' the wheels in my head started to turn, and I tried to recall. Yes, I'd been outside with Jide, Sammy, and Chidi. Yes, I'd taken a drag from their smoke and...and I wasn't sure what happened after that. It all seemed unclear, and my head felt cloudy and clogged.

Priscilla sat there watching me, and must have gotten tired of doing that because she finally said, 'I came in here to charge my phone last night, and you were sleeping on the floor.'

Yes, I remember now. I'd stumbled into the compound feeling all light-headed and dazed, and I'd thanked God my room was so close to the gate.
I also remember struggling with the keys as I managed to finally get the door open. What I couldn't remember was if I locked the door after that, a mystery I knew I would soon have the answer to.

My gaze returned to her, and she continued.

'You were playing one song on your phone. I mean, the song kept playing over and over,' she stopped and looked up at me as if to ask why I would do such a stupid thing like putting a song on repeat. I knew that look. I didn't say anything, just stared back at her and waited for her to finish laying out the pieces.

'Do you know somebody could have entered here and robbed you? You just left the door wide open.'

'Oh, that's...wow! Really?' I still couldn't believe it. Did that really happen, or was she just making it up.

She must have read my expression, for she nodded and said, 'I'm serious.'

My legs felt weak now, and it seemed like I'd been standing on my feet forever. I flashed the light in the direction of the chair, which still lay face-down from when I'd tossed it off.

I started walking towards the chair and she watched me, saying nothing until I turned it and dragged it over to the desk and sat on it. Well, my ass had almost met the chair when she asked, 'do I make you uncomfortable?'

'Uh...' I blinked several times and just left my mouth hanging.

Uh, yes, you do. I could have said that, right? I could have said, you make me slightly uncomfortable because you're always around.

But it would have hurt her, and yet wasn't this why I'd been trying to give her a lot of space in the past few days?

Wasn't that why, whenever I was about to have lunch and heard her cheerfully greeting neighbors as she drew closer to my room, I'd quickly cover the food and jump on my bed, pretending to sleep?

She must have gotten the idea, so maybe this question was a good thing. Play this right, Dickson; you're about to be a free man once again.
Sure, she'll get hurt but she can get over it.
In all those time I still hadn't given her any response, so she stood up and took two steps off the bed.

Her face was plain, her eyes hurt. I knew it, and I couldn't look at her.

'Let me be going,' she said, and I felt goosebumps on my body. A part of me was swinging its arms and saying 'yes! yes!', but another part was just about to do something stupid.

'Hey,' I said and blocked her path. She kept her face low and didn't look at me. 'Where are you going?'

'I have my own room,' she responded and the first thing I thought was, oh really?

'I didn't say you make me uncomfortable,' I muttered and she looked up at me. That gaze of hope.

'But sometimes you act like I'm disturbing you.'

That's because you mostly are, I thought.

'No. You're not disturbing me,' I lied. 'I just like being alone sometimes.'

She lowered her head again and pushed against my arm. 'Let me leave you alone then.'

I sighed. 'I didn't say you should do that.'
She said nothing for a while, so I added, 'I don't want you to get hurt.'

Now she wrapped her arms around me and hugged me. 'I won't get hurt, don't worry. We're just having fun.'

'Yeah?'

No, seriously, are we just having fun?

She nodded and looked up, her face so close to mine. I wanted her to let go of me, and staring into those hopeful eyes made me feel that way even more intensely. She soon stood on her toes and kissed me short on my lips, giggled, and said 'good morning' again. She was gone soon after that, and all I could do was stand there, staring into space until the sound of my phone jolted me back to reality.

'God, I'm so stupid.'

----

The following week turned out to be the most significant for me, not because it rained constantly, or the lecture-free week, or even my sudden affinity with weed--which I smoke three more times. It wasn't any of that. It was something else, I knew I was in trouble when it happened.

I'd been outside reading a book when the gate opened and two girls walked into the compound. This happened for various reasons: sometimes, people came in search of vacancies, and other times it would just be the various girlfriends and side chicks of the sharpshooters in the compound.

Today was different, though. I never really paid any serious attention to these comings and goings, not until my eyes fell on the slim girl walking with the other girl. I say the 'other girl' because I really didn't see her, not as much as I saw the slim one.

Her complexion was light and soft, and her face round. She had large, dark eyes which reminded me of those animes I watched occasionally, and they sparkled. Her lips were puckered, as if naturally ready for a kiss.

I sat upright when she passed. She looked in my direction and our eyes met. I felt something in the line of fear and astonishment, and complete wonderment, of course.
My fingers felt numb and I couldn't feel the book again, my eyes fixed on her eyes, drawn into a world where it was just the two of us, with birds tweeting all around us, and soft winds blowing brown leaves over us.

You know, that bullshit one usually sees in the movies, except this was real.

Our gaze remained locked for what seemed like a long time, until she looked away and continued with the other girl.

I wasn't sure what it was, but I felt an excitement deep inside me, pumping through my body. Our eyes met again just as she walked out of the compound, and this time I smiled at her.

She smiled back and looked away. That was a first.
My chair shifted and bent as I fell off it and ran inside, and started pacing around. I'd never maintained eye contact with a girl and then smiled at her before. And she smiled back! I didn't ever feel bold enough to do that, and yet I'd just done it.

What do I do now? I wondered and then, for the first time, prayed there was a vacancy in the compound. I heard the gate open, and rushed to peer through my window. Maybe she was back. But no, it was someone else.

----

My prayers were answered though.
Two days later, they moved into the compound. I missed the whole thing, but when I came back from where I'd gone to cut my hair, the first thing I saw was Chidi talking to the slim, fair girl. I looked at her, hoping she would turn and catch my gaze again. She didn't.

That was the beginning of a whole different kind of pain for me. But how was I to know?

Interesting.. Ride on bro.

Lol.. you maintained eye contact with a girl.. that's a first, but you should know, there are "sharper shooters" than you in that compound.. lol.

Konphido:
Lol.. you maintained eye contact with a girl.. that's a first, but you should know, there are "sharper shooters" than you in that compound.. lol.

I guess someone's in trouble then. We'll see

E.p 10


Let me tell you a little about the intriguing lives of the trio: Jide, Sammy and Chidi. I say intriguing because it's almost too much fun being around them.
Although I knew I'd never be like them, at least not as wild and crazy as them. Not yet anyway; I was still this soft guy, and I knew my 'softness' would keep diluting whatever crazy stuff I did.

I learned to take weed just by sitting and watching them smoke the stuff. I didn't prefer it to my alcohol indulgences, but it was fun making little circles with the smoke. I don't think they knew that was the reason I actually smoked.

I loved dragging in the smoke, pursing my lips and puffing my cheeks, and then pushing out the smoke into uneven circles.

It was mesmerizing and I knew I'd have loved it as a child. Assuming children were allowed to smoke. Smoking always made me feel light-headed, but it never really brought back that type of hallucination I'd gotten the first time I took a drag.

I enjoyed it anyway. A whole new learning experience.

'Hey, Jide,' I said one time, while we sat outside and smoked. It was a cold evening, the stars hidden by rain clouds, and tiny drops of rain splashed around here and there, leaving that drip-drop sound on the roof and brown puddles on the road.

'Huh?' Jide grunted and craned his neck in my direction, wiping his brow with his thumb.
'Why do you guys always wince sharply after taking a drag?'

He gave me a blank stare, so I demonstrated for him. I felt that sour tang in my mouth as I licked my lips, and then took a long drag from the wrapped weed. My eyes watered from the smoke circulating around my face, and the end of the wrap glowed and sizzled. After a long drag, perhaps too long, I wince and clenched my teeth, drawing in a sharp breath.

I coughed, puffing out smoke in the process. 'Like...that.'

It seemed like I didn't do it well enough, for they just stared at me and shrugged like they had no idea. Whatever, I thought and passed the weed to Sammy.

'This night eh,' Sammy said, his face contorted as he smoked. 'This night boring die.'
I nodded. We all did.

It was Chidi who casually suggested that we go to the night club at the end of our street, and it was I who first said, causally, OK.
'Today is Wednesday,' he said. 'That's when they do–'
'Ladies night,' I cut in. My tongue still felt numb from the weed.
Chidi gave me a surprised look and then looked at the others. 'I told you this guy is bad. Low key bad guy.'

High praises, I thought.

The truth is, I was actually curious about that ladies night. I've never been to a night club, although there have been the few occasions when I walked past those brothels in school.

They weren't exactly clubs, and no one calls them brothels. Ashawo quarters, that's more like it.
Each time I took a stroll out in the evening, listening to the sounds around me and watching the flicker of lights, and joy that was the night life of school, I would always pass through those side streets.

The streets were usually dark, void of much noise except for the distant rumble of music which you somehow felt on the ground as you got closer. I'd walk down those streets, watching my surroundings in case something bad wanted to happen, and then my heart would start racing as soon as I sighted those red bulbs in the distance.

Once I got close enough I'd see them, the ladies. Smoking hard, dressed in skimpy outfits, sometimes just in underwear, shaking their asses dancing and, by God, whistling and calling at you, and sometimes--and this has happened to me several times--walking over to you and flashing their body, asking if you 'no dey Bleep'.

Surely the night club would be different than those. I was picturing something classier, but I didn't put my hopes up. I knew better than that.
'Make we go den,' Jide said and, very unusually, stubbed out his half-finished smoke.

He later told me he did that so he could have clear eyes enough to hustle one 'woman' back home.

These guys, I thought.

I was ready, eager and excited, but I tried not to show it. I went inside and showered, spending a good fifteen minutes under the cold stream of water.
And then I took out a white shirt and black jeans, one of my better combinations.

The time was 10:25, and the guys still weren't ready. I opened my door and peeked outside, not yet ready to show off my dressing before someone asked where I was going. Priscilla came to my mind.

I sighed and went back inside. A good thing there was light. The fan whirled quickly, cooling the room and my nerves. After waiting for twenty minutes, I kicked off my shoes and put on my headphone. I'll be here whenever they come.
A thought crossed my mind at that point.

What if they've already crashed for the night? What if they've even forgotten?

I pushed away those thoughts.

The music boomed in my head, filtering in from the headphone. I nodded to the beat and mumbled some lyrics, the ones I knew. After a short while I had this strange feeling that I wasn't alone anymore. I quickly turned around, pulling down the headphone.

There was no one there, just my curtains bellowing under the whim of the fan. A minute later, however, they showed up.

'Alright, bro. Let's move.' That was Sammy, bursting into the place like he owned it. He wore a brown baggy shorts and a Chelsea Jersey, with a bag slung over his shoulder. I thought to myself, what the hell?

Chidi wore white ripped jeans, the knees looking like something clawed out by an angry child armed with a pair of scissors. His gold watch glistened, and his white shirt matched perfectly with his trouser and white shoes.

Jide had this I-don't-care-how-I-look expression on his face, and he sure looked that way, with his loose black shirt, red trouser and black sandals.
Off we went, the time 10:56 p.m.

----

The club was packed full with people. Tables are chairs were arranged outside the hotel, also filled with people dancing and drinking.

We walked past different tables, some covered with bottles of beer, expensive wine, wraps of suya and BBQ fish, while others had the modest bottle or two, of water and some other soft drinks.

'Cheap ass dudes who just want to spend 2k to impress their babe, and then Bleep her,' Chidi whispered to me.

I paused. Wait, how much are we going to spend here? I touched my pocket and felt my debit card, and did a quick calculation of how much I had left.
Well, if I go broke tonight then it'd be worth it.

We went into the main club, entry fee: 500. Not bad. I paid. Once inside the club, things just seemed to go on automatically. Jide branched out when he met a girl he recognized, and we didn't see him again.

Sammy dug his hand into his satchel--I soon realized why he'd carried that lousy bag--and took out a pack of regular cigarettes. I'd seen a sign outside.

NO SMOKING OF IGBO (WID)

Although I think the person who wrote that had meant to spell WEED, but for all I know he may have been high on the stuff.

Sammy moved his body freely, smoking and puffing clouds of smoke into the ceiling. To be fair, the air was choking with the various smells of cigarette and tobacco smoke, and the ones vaping.

'Alright, bro. You're on your own,' Chidi said and tapped my shoulder.

'Have fun. I would have stayed, but I love ass, man. And look at that ass.' He pointed at a big-assed girl in a blue dress standing by a table. Like a dog after a treat, he went to her.

I was alone. I didn't mind. I felt like I could do whatever I wanted, without anyone watching me.
'Alright people,' the DJ shouted into his mike. He turned down the music and continued announcing.

'It's time forrrrr.....' He kept drawing out the word and people started clapping and shouting. I chuckled and folded my arms, my eyes fixed on the stage.

'LADIES NIGHTT!!!!'

The whistles and shouts were deafening.
The DJ started calling out the names of the ladies because hey, you have to have ladies for ladies night.

Weird names echoed around the hall. 'Sugar, chastity, Cherry, Jagua...'

Really?

One after the other, the ladies danced to the stage and straight up took off their tops, baring their jiggling breasts for everyone to see. They wore short shirts, the type that showed the two curves of their ass, and super mini skirts which rode up each time they bent over, giving us glimpse of their underwear. I looked around to make sure no one was watching me watch them, because I sure couldn't take my eyes off the show.

'Nice,' I said and smirked. I was surrounded by other people focused on the ladies, so who cares if I thought this lewd show was nice?

I found my way to the front and watched the ladies twerking to the DJ's songs. The one called sugar had a small frame. All she did was prance around the stage like a cat, throwing her legs up and squatting low as she twerked, if you could call what she did twerking.

Kitty would have suited her better, not Sugar.

For forty minutes, we watched these ladies dance around the stage, shaking their breasts at us and turning around to wiggle their ass. It was fun. I kept my eyes fixed on them for long, not missing anything, until I decided to get a drink.
That was when I saw her.

There are few moments in one's life when you meet someone who makes your heart beat fast, and makes your thoughts race past you. And this usually happens for two major reasons: love or lust, or however you wanted to classify it.

The first is that moment when you think you've just been shot by cupid, when you think you're instantly in love. The second, the one I felt now, was something stronger; something raw and immediate.

I watched her light up her sixth cigarette, her brown skin glistening with sweat and glitter as she danced along to the music blaring out in the club. She was a free spirit--or, I think, a freed spirit; for she danced and smoked like she'd never done it before but, at the same time, like she'd been doing it all her life.

I told myself, no matter how high I got tonight, I'm not going to dance. I hate dancing, and I dance stupid. But there she was. A dance, I knew, would get me to her.

Chidi came up behind me. 'Hey, bro,' he said and put his hand over my shoulder. I was beginning to think Chidi was wired to women, for he almost always seemed to show up when a female was involved.

He once told me a woman would be his downfall. If not, nothing can kill him.

He whistled after following my gaze, which was still fixed on the sexy dancing lady.

'She's...oh boy, you have good eyes o. Should I run her for you.'

Again with that question. What was he, Usain Bolt?

'No!' I said hastily and he gave me a weird look. I couldn't risk it. I've seen him with ladies; they unwittingly fell in love with him. I wanted to do this myself, and I told him just that.

'Okay o. Good luck.'

I watched him leave and then drew in a sharp breath. Yeah, good luck.

With my hand in my pocket, and my heart thumping hard, I walked over to her.

'Hi,' I said and she spun around and looked at me, her eyes wide with joy as if she'd just met a long lost friend. She was even more beautiful up close.
Her long fingers clasped the cigarette tight, and her red lips parted, showing a lovely gap tooth. She was dark-skinned, like those models you see in magazines. Her hair was cut short, too. Just like them. Tall and slim, her cleavage showing along the lining of her dress.


'Hi,' she replied, still looking at me. Then she said, 'can you buy me a drink?'

For you, I thought, I'd buy anything



Note from the BizarreWriter:

Please remember to leave a comment. This is a free story, so the comments and thoughts, and criticisms, are what I actually enjoy reading--as much as I enjoy writing this--so please take a minute, or half a minute, to leave a comment.

Thanks!

Nice one Bro.. Thanks for the update... abeg carry on

Bless up man you re doing well

Baba comment plenty for mouth...


This ur story na gidigba...


Sama me another one tomorrow o

U do well my brother..

Ciao

bro u got an awesome story, buh u just divert from d actually story u were saying in episode 9....

oloyedprince1:
bro u got an awesome story, buh u just divert from d actually story u were saying in episode 9....

I know. I did that on purpose. I'm kind of building a background. Hence the reason I started this episode the way I did.

Just keep following and you'll understand.

Nice write up bro. You are doing well.

For her you'll buy anything.. hehehe.. someone is about to spend his school fees on a woman.

Anything for ladies na even ur school fees

Konphido:
For her you'll buy anything.. hehehe.. someone is about to spend his school fees on a woman.

Lol. Update coming tomorrow. Thanks guys!

this story na blast