DARKNESS
“What is light without darkness? Who would know truth if lies didn’t exist? Why do we always see things in twos? Could there be a third dimension lurking in the shadows? So close, yet so far.“
– Pebble
As boys stood up laughing at their friend whose club had been beaten earlier, he bowed his head in shame. Giggles rose from different parts of the lecture theatre in response to the joke the guys just cracked.
Betty watched the whole scene unfold in front of her. She could never understand what interested boys in football. Why run after a ball only to kick it away again? How senseless.
She was seated at the back seat of ODLT 2 (Oduduwa Lecture Theatre), trying to prepare for a test she had the next day. It was some minutes after two in the morning.
She looked around and tried to stop thinking of her friend who went to get them something to eat. The lecture theatre was filled with students who were supposedly reading.
The noisy football fellows directly in front of her, the couple to her right who were almost kissing each other.
“Madam, just climb on him already, since your seat is not big enough for you.” She felt like screaming at them.
The tutorial dudes were at the extreme front, and the sleeping gang scattered around.
“Why leave the comfort of your bed to come and sleep on wood?” she murmured to herself.
“I am back oo.” Tracy declared her presence.
“You should have slept there na, how long does it take to prepare Risky?” Betty scolded her.
“Sorry, people were many at the Risky stand, the woman was also too sluggish.” Tracy apologized.
“Many people how? Did people come to read or eat? I am sure it was a guy that delayed you.”
“See, leave me oo. You owe me #100. I got the suya you requested. She put it in the Risky.”
“Oh, thank you,” Betty said, smacking her lips. She opened the package and frowned.
“This bread is cold oo and there’s no cabbage here.” she lamented.
“Betty! Cabbage inside bread and egg? Are you pregnant?”
“Cabbage is supposed to come with the suya na.”
“Let me be, if you like don’t eat it or you can go back and request for the cabbage. I want to read for my test.”
“All these impromptu tests. What’s wrong with that Prof sef? Will someone not fail like this?” Betty asked.
“It’s either you pass the test or he passes through you. No other way.”
“Ah, is that still happening in this university? I thought the school authorities had put a stop to that.”
“They are trying oo sisters, but you know old habits die hard,” A guy from the noisy football group turned back and replied.
The ladies looked at each other. Who was this one again?
“Sorry for jumping into your conversation, I am Adam – part 4 Law department. Can I know your names? Daughters of Eve.”
Betty almost choked on the bite she was chewing. That was the lamest pickup line she had ever heard. She couldn’t hold back her laughter; it came out despite her efforts.
“I am Tracy, and my friend is Betty. Don’t mind her; she doesn’t know how to comport herself,” Tracy said, giving her a strong stare.
“I am sorry, Adam. The food went the wrong way.” Betty apologized.
“Yeah, it’s ok. I always have that effect on ladies.”
Is this dude a clown? Which effect does he think he is having?
He probably makes every lady choke to death with laughter. What confidence! The last person she had known with such boldness had been a figment of her imagination. The only good thing her periodic headache had ever given her.
She watched Adam and Tracy talk. Her mind trailed away as she recalled the face, the lips, the voice… She would do anything to have that headache again.
She felt a tap on her shoulder and turned but saw no one.
The air around her grew warm. Too warm, too suddenly. She felt the tap again, twice this time. She needed air; maybe wishing for the headache wasn’t good after all.
She stood up to leave.
“Adam and daughter of Eve, I need fresh air.”
“Don’t stay too long; remember the test,” Tracy called after her.
“The Third Dimension: From the union of twos it is formed. Ever fluid and ever free – bound to be forever beyond our reach. On the other side of darkness it is found.”
Pebble
The midnight atmosphere was cool.
Betty’s hair danced in the light cool breeze. Outside was much different. Some people were moving around; others were in twos and up to no good. Even the frogs seemed to feel the tension as they croaked loudly into the night air.
She sat on a concrete slab and held her head in her hands.
The symptoms of her headache were back. It hadn’t shown up in weeks. If only all her wishes always came through so easily.
She felt another tap and someone’s eyes on her neck. She looked up and almost choked again, this time on mere air. There he was, staring at her just a few meters away. Her legs felt weak all of a sudden.
Was she dreaming? Had she developed the power to grant wishes?
He was smiling at her. Why was he smiling? Did he want her to fade out of existence?
Oh no, he was going to do it. He was going to speak; Betty remembered how mesmerizing his voice had been the first time.
“Why are you staring at me like you’ve seen a ghost?” Mika said.
“Because you’re not supposed to be real, am I Iosing my sanity?”
“Mika the Unreal. That’s a new name. I should write that down.” He laughed.
“But I went to the College of Health Sciences, I….”
“Yeah, I heard you’ve been snooping around. I might not be able to read and control your thoughts, but I can control others. If I don’t want to be found, you can’t find me.”
Betty remembered the scary details of their last meeting. If he was real, then all that happened that day was also real.
“Watch this”, He said as he beckoned to a passerby.
“Bros, please one minute. Can you see me?” He asked.
The passerby looked confused. He looked at Betty; she was also blank.
“Yes, I can see you. What can I do for you?” He answered impatiently.
“Ok, that’s good. Now, I want you to tell me everything about yourself.”
Betty gasped as she saw the guy’s eyeballs roll back in their sockets and become clear white. He stood transfixed on the spot.
“I am Adeniyi John, I am 21 years old. I am a 300L Political Science student of Obafemi Awolowo University.”
“I love to play football and volleyball. I love Olanike Grace Shina, but she says my head is too large and….”
“Hold on. Say what?” Mika asked, laughing out loud.
“Mika, stop this right now. Set him free.” Betty cried out.
“Oh, sorry. You can go now. If Nike thinks your face is too large, she doesn’t deserve you. Have fun, bro.”
“Is this what you do to everyone?” Betty asked as she watched him walk away.
“Of course not, I just wanted to prove I was real.” He pleaded.
“Ok, you’ve proven your point. What are you doing here? What do you want?”
“I came because I wanted to see you,” He answered, “And to tell you that you’ve been summoned.”
Betty’s heart skipped multiple beats at the first statement, but it was short-lived. The second bothered her.
“Summoned to where? By who? Why?” She queried.
He looked at her silently. She felt too comfortable with him; she should be scared.
“We’re going to the Third Dimension. You’ve been summoned to the Hall of Light, by the High 12, and because my brother wouldn’t keep his mouth shut. They all know you see and cannot be controlled. They call you ‘The Stiff.’ Some don’t believe yet.”
Betty burst out laughing. He stared at her in confusion.
“Wait oo, so you guys have a place called The Hall of Light. So a hall is supposed to be dark? Why is there ‘light’ in the name?” Betty said, laughing.
“Is it that funny?” He said, squinting his face. “It’s called the Hall of Light because one will have to pass through total darkness to get there.”
“Don’t mind me. What if I say I am not going?” Betty asked.
“Then you’ll be taken, I actually pleaded with them to let me get you myself.”
“Taken?” Betty answered, scared, “What have I done?”
“Don’t worry, no one will hurt you as long as I am here. I will bring you back safely.”
“So when are we going?” She asked.
“Now, they are waiting.”
Looking at her shabby shirt and joggers, she asked, “Now? Like this? How will we get there?”
“Just hold me”, Mika said.
Betty looked at him suspiciously before taking his outstretched hands.
“Wait,” she said, “Why is your face not glittering today?”
“Does the sun shine at night here?” He asked her sarcastically.
She shook her head. He shrugged his shoulders.
“Let’s go then, you might want to close your eyes. I don’t what effect the darkness will have on you.”Before she could object or ask another question, he raised his hands and then… DARKNESS.
Wowwww, magnificent. 5 Stars for the writer. Awesome😊🤯