.

 I could hardly remember the last word I had said to Charles the previous night he had called, before I slept off. My alarm rang so loud that I had to quickly put it off.

 

In few minutes, I had stepped out of the house and as I headed for the office, I saw someone step out of a white car, parked beside the house.

 

 Then, I realised it was Charles! Seriously! I had no word to express my surprise. I just stood, deep rooted on one spot.

 

"Ready for work? Good Morning!" Charles greeted cheerfully.

 

Still trying to find the right words, I just smiled. Charles ushered me into the car, of course I wasn't going to resist it, if not for anything, I really needed a quick ride because I was fast behind time.

 

"So, which way is closer to your office?" Charles asked, as he began to drive. Then, I snapped out of my oblivion.

 

"Wait, how did you really locate my house? I don't remember actually giving you specific details." I said.

 

"I guess by now, you should know that I love springing up surprises. It's my forte." Charles replied, smiling from ear to ear.

 

I heaved a heavy sigh and continued to ponder over this mystery and was quite curious to know where it was leading.

 

"Do I navigate left or right?" Charles inquired.

 

"Left, please." I replied.

 

In few minutes, we had arrived at my office. Charles parked by the gate.  "I am so grateful." I said, as I stepped out.

 

"No problem, would you need me to come, take you home, wouldn't mind." Charles said.

 

'Really?' I thought. 

 

Then I hesitated for a while, just as I was about to respond, I saw a car, parked beside me. As I looked closely, I saw Lanre, step out. Then my heart pounded. What was going on? Charles and Lanre, same time?

 

Th Story Continues...

 

 

I couldn’t raise my head to see the person who shot the gun. I was really scared to even make any movement. I just stood at the front of the dead corpse like a puppet and was expecting to receive a bullet in my head too. That’s the most merciful death I can get.

 

At that moment, my notion has extremely shifted away from escaping, my intention now is to look for a quicker and painless way to die. I don’t think escape is possible.

I was still looking down like a shy lady when the corpse before started moving. I was right and wrong at the same time. My assumption that the dead man is dead was wrong but my belief that a dead man can’t die again was right.

I opened my mouth in awe. The dead man just stood up like nothing happened. He held his scattered head and started rearranging it. He was even dusting his shirt and trousers.

Now I don’t know what to do, I don’t want look at his regenerating head and I don’t want to look at the man who shot the gun. Closing my eye either is a bad option.

I was still thinking of what to do when I heard a voice whispering, but also seems very loud. ” Come over, come here” was the word that kept resounding in my head. Then I shifted my gaze to the left to see the man that shot earlier. What I saw was enough to end my life that instance.

The man that shot was a direct replica of the man that just got shot down, replica of the man that was discussing with me all this while. He kept on waving to me to come over. The way he was gesturing to me seems like he’s trying to save me from an impending danger.

Do I have a choice?, I quickly ran towards his direction, stepping on every graves on my way. I got to where he stood successfully and he led me to another place that seems like a safe house, a hide out.

He sat me down on one of the chairs and even gave me water to calm my nerves because of the way I’ve been running since. I won’t actually believe it if someone tells me that I will experience this that midnight. What also baffles me is that I’ve spent over 9 and half hours in that cemetery, but there’s no sign that morning will soon come.

After he realized that I’ve calmed down a bit, he sat down beside and cleared his throat just like the way his twin did earlier. Everything about the two was the same, even their voice.

” I know what you’ve been experiencing since”, he started with a manipulative tone. Everyone will believe every word coming out of his mouth.

” I heard all the things he told you”, he continued using the sugar coated tone, ” Everything he said was right except that he is not the man he said he was, he is actually among the spirit tormenting this place and I’m the real man that owns the money”.

I just opened my eyes and mouth wide open as if I want to swallow him. I don’t what to believe what he is saying. I just continued starring at him unbelievably.

” So what’s the assurance that you’re not a spirit too”, I asked to justify my doubt.

” You don’t have to believe me, he responded, but just follow me and let me help you to escape from this mysterious world.

“Wow, thank God I’m safe”, I murmured to myself. His word sound so reassuring than his twin I met earlier, and his twin didn’t even offer to follow me out.

I was smiling happily and was watching him adjusting himself so that he can begin his mission to take me out.

He was about to stand up when I heard another sound of gunshot, more louder than the previous one. The man before me, the man I suppose will help me out of this cemetery fell down immediately. His head was scattered brutally on the floor. His brains and blood also popped out of his skull.

To be continued...

_10:44pm_
23th December

Another one?, I mumbled. This would make the fourth time in a row that I was seeing this very post from Richard. "What do you want for Christmas, Santa might be listening".
I've got a thousand and more items on my wishlist. Funny how I spent the whole year without achieving up to a quarter of it. This year has been a really tough one for me. The list of things I needed to buy this year was still in my old bag. Hung in my wardrobe. Forgotten.
I had spent more and enjoyed less this year. The bills, all of it was my responsibility. The expenses were way too much partly because my salary wasn't proportional to my cost of living.

I'm a 23 year old lady, who just started living a life of her own. Moving out of my family home was a difficult but necessary decision I had to take. I needed to leave home, because it was as if staying at my family house prevented me from a lot of things. I was in a stage of my life where my freedom really mattered. All I ever wanted was to get an apartment and a job till I figured out what I really wanted to do with my life. I'm a reserved girl who so much loves her space, my apartment was a proof because it was situated in the outskirts of the city, away from noise.

My apartment was a very simple one. Two bedrooms, a sizeable living room, a kitchen and a bathroom. I lived alone. No friends, no family. My cat, Nina, my only companion died last 2 months (bless her soul). My routine was as straightforward. Wake up. Shower. Breakfast. Work. Back home. Movies. Sleep. Weekends were for jogging, that's when I get to greet Stan, an aquataince I never wanted to get attached to. A friendly dude. Nice looking, with the neat hair cut and a nice smell, the one that could turn a lady on. Scent that could make your mind linger, turn dirty maybe. He tried striking an intimate conversation twice but I'd always shy away. I was still trying to figure out myself in this part of the world. My watchword was NO DISTRACTIONS and I tried my best to stick to it!

Phew! I need a laptop and a sneakers and a boyfriend, I quickly wrote in response to Richard's post. I typed it with so much doubt, well, there was no harm in trying. Santa might remember me this time around. I sluggishly kept my phone beneath my pillow and slept off.

_11:54pm_
24th December

I woke up with a startle. Was I dreaming?. I was so sure I heard it. The sound, it came from the kitchen or was it the living room? I had spent all day indoors, because I didn't go to work. My boss gave us a 3 day holiday in the spirit of Christmas celebration. I had bought myself a popcorn, barbeque and a Red wine. I got chocolates too, even though I didn't like eating them, the brown color was very pleasing to my eyes. Eating alone was dreadful, but what could I do? I made up my mind to leave home so, here I was, wallowing in loneliness and never agreeing that it was my case. I remembered littering the parlor with barbeque wrap because I was too lazy to dispose it. Could it rat? I doubted it because the last time I saw a rodent in my apartment was early last year and I got a strong repellent specially for them!

I quickly tiptoed towards the living room and then I heard it again. This time, more clearly. "Come to boyfriend baby, I got the the laptop and sneakers.

I froze. I literally fainted whilst standing. I passed out even before I saw the creepy image sitting on my sofa!