Abike ran down the road, her dress was torn, her feet was bare, her hair was messy, her make-up was ruined; mascara running, lipstick smeared and her foundation had caked. Where am I? She wondered stopping to catch her bearings. She eyed her surrounding, shocked at the crudity of the place; a large puddle of muddy water in the middle of the bad road, a rickety abandoned Volvo parked on one corner, an abandoned shack beside it, the battered rundown buildings that decorated both sides of the road and she struggled to remember how she got here.
It came to her like flash, memories of the previous night. She and Tade, her best friend had gone partying with bad boy Bade, they had partied hard at the club and were on their way to another club, driving, smoking, loud music blasting from Bade's car stereo. That was all she could remember.
She had to get out of here, she reasoned, turning to look behind her, only to see the same large expanse of land stretching behind, like a farm land. A surge of panic swept over her, overwhelming her every thoughts, Where was this place? She wondered. Why was there no sign of life on the road? She pondered, quickening her pace, she had to leave, every fibre of her being urged her to flee this place. Suddenly she no longer felt alone, she could feel the presence of another, something dark, menacing and violent, she turned quickly, her hair bouncing this way and that, craning her neck to get a view of what it was, but she saw nothing.
She had to get out of here, she broke into a run, sprinting across the puddle of muddy water, blatantly disregarding the splash of dirty water all over her body, she ran on, fearful of everything. She was almost at the end of the street now, relief flooded her as she approached the end of the street but what she saw next left her transfixed to the spot.
It was Bade's car, his black Mercedes he was so proud of, having hustled hard for months before his 'maga' had finally paid, but his car was not its usual glossy clean self has it had been last night. It's body was mangled almost beyond recognition, except for the number plate she would have doubted it was Bade's car. It had been an accident, the horrible realization hitting her as she suddenly remembered.
After they left the club, her mother had called, too stoned and drugged to realize she was not in the right frame to talk to anyone let alone her mother, she had answered, her mother had been furious over the phone.
"Where are you? Did you sneak out of the house again? Abike! What is the matter with you?" Her mother's voice had boomed angrily. Shit! She had thought, her mother had somehow discovered the pile of pillows she had stuffed under her duvet before sneaking out with Bade.
"Sorry." She had stifled a giggle, too high to pretend to be contrite. Bade and Tade had been laughing and the sound of Lowlife by The weekend blasting from Bade's stereo was a tad too loud.
"Listen to me Abike, your daddy is still asleep so he does not yet know you left the house. I want you to come home this instant!" Her mother's voice trembled with anger. Oh! Abike had thought, daddy dearest, the strict respectable disciplinarian, the reverend himself, he would throw a fit if he discovered what she had been up to. The effect of the codeine and the pills Tade had slipped her would not let her think straight. "Abike are you listening to me? Abike, get back home right now." Her mother's voice echoed in her ear.
"I can take care of myself and I don't care what Daddy thinks." She had said the first thing that came to her head without thinking.
"Why are you doing this? Why have you chosen a life of recklessness over the love of Christ? Please tell me where you are, I will send Friday to come and get you." Her mother's voice had softened, laced with motherly concern. Why have you chosen to go astray? Why are you leading down the path to hell? She could visualize her father's stern face reprimanding her, imagining his fury at his youngest daughter's total disregard for his beliefs and his reputation. Well, his reputation could go to hell for all she cared. She was sick of her family shoving their beliefs down her throat.
"Why? So you and daddy can tell me for the umpteenth time how hell was awaiting a sinner like me. I will come home when I want to mum, I have to go." She had hung up on her mother and tossed the phone aside. Bade had turned to look at her, his face as handsome as ever, despite the dopey look on his face.
"Are you in trouble?" He had asked.
"Sometimes I wish they could get off my back. My family is a bunch of pretentious, self-righteous, bigoted and scriptural hypocrites. My father thinks I am on a path to hell." She had rolled her eyes.
"Oh baby, sorry, why didn't you tell them that we are already in hell, all you have to do is take a look and see what's happening around the world." Bade teased and the Tade busted into peals of laughter. She had felt a chill down her spine, not from the air condition in the car, but from a sinking sensation of impending doom, a dread like never before had seized her gut. For a moment she had been sorely tempted to tell them to take her home, but that would have made her look like a wimpy coward.
"Oh come now. You are not going to let your old fart of a father get to you. The night is still young and it yields so much promise. We have barely even begun." Tade had teased and they all began laughing. Tade had leaned over to light a match for the joint hanging on Bade's lips when a car rammed right into them, sounds of wheels screeching, metal crushing, bones breaking filled her ears and as the car summersaulted off the road, a wave of black had enveloped her and she lost consciousness.
She remembered it all vividly as she gazed at the battered car. Where was she? Where were her friends? There was no sign of life on the road before her. She felt the presence behind her, the same sinister feeling that had been upon her ever since she awoke to find herself wandering down the old road. She could feel its grip on her shoulder, everything inside her wanted to scream, it was evil, a dark malevolent force that made her freeze in terror, she turned to see a dark shadow behind her, its form like that of the grim reaper.
"Your soul is mine!" it’s demonic voice called out, she screamed. NO! It cannot be. She was only nineteen. "I'm not dead, I'm not dead." She chanted like a mantra. Her cries reverberated in the still quietness of the deserted road.
"But you are my sweet, you are dead, and now you belong to me." He flashed ugly fangs at her as he swooped down on her, carrying her away into the oblivion.
