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THE SERPENT'S SHADOW: WHERE TRUTH HIDES IN THE DARK CHAPTER 4: THE WEB OF LIESThe phone tumbled from Elizabeth's grip, i...
24/03/2025

THE SERPENT'S SHADOW: WHERE TRUTH HIDES IN THE DARK

CHAPTER 4: THE WEB OF LIES

The phone tumbled from Elizabeth's grip, its screen fracturing like the carefully constructed illusion of her marriage. That mechanized warning still coiled around her thoughts: You've put yourself in danger. She pressed her nails into her palms until crescent moons bloomed on her skin—the only pain she could trust. The grandfather clock's chime vibrated through the floorboards. 2 AM. Charles should have been asleep.

Then—the deliberate cadence of his oxfords on hardwood. "...not a problem... handled." His muffled voice slithered up the stairs. "The subject is contained."

Elizabeth counted thirty strained breaths before making a move. Her bare feet met icy hardwood, each step sending jolts up her calves. The study door stood ajar, moonlight carving a blade of silver across the floor. Swirling dust motes danced like ghosts of disturbed secrets.

Bourbon and the tang of aged paper choked the air—Charles's signature scent now laced with something medicinal beneath. Her pendant swung forward as she bent over the desk, the gold snake's emerald eyes glinting mockingly. Charles's anniversary gift. Had it always looked so much like the serpent emblem now staring up from the keycard?

The metal was corpse-cold. When she wiped her suddenly damp upper lip, her fingers came away scarlet. A nosebleed? The last one happened when she... no, the memory dissolved like smoke. But not before she caught flashes: white coats, the bite of rubber straps, a scream that might have been hers.

The intake form's clinical language curdled her stomach:
- PATIENT NAME: Lena T.
- ADMISSION DATE: Three weeks ago (the weekend Charles "visited his mother")
- TREATMENT CODE: SP-SERIES (Serpent Protocol)
- NOTES: "Subject exhibits resistance to memory-modification procedures. Recommend Stage 3 intervention."
In the margin, Charles's handwriting: "See what happened to 041 when she resisted. L.T. will comply."

A floorboard shrieked behind her. The air shifted, thick now with sandalwood and something beneath it—formaldehyde? Antiseptic? The scent of Blackwood.

"Looking for something, darling?"

Charles leaned against the doorframe, swirling his bourbon clockwise—always clockwise—the ice clinking like bones in a jar. Moonlight transformed his cufflinks into living serpents poised to strike. The amber liquid matched exactly the vials in Lena T.'s photograph.

He took a slow sip. "Or should I call you Subject 043?"

Somewhere in the house, water dripped. A steady plink... plink... plink from the ensuite bathroom. Except when she'd passed it, the sink had been bone dry.

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THE SERPENT'S SHADOW: WHERE TRUTH HIDES IN THE DARK CHAPTER 3: THE FIRST CONFRONTATIONElizabeth’s breath caught in her t...
17/03/2025

THE SERPENT'S SHADOW: WHERE TRUTH HIDES IN THE DARK

CHAPTER 3: THE FIRST CONFRONTATION

Elizabeth’s breath caught in her throat as Charles’s voice echoed down the staircase. The sound of his footsteps grew louder, each one a hammer blow to her already frayed nerves. She sat frozen in the darkness, her mind racing. What could she say? What could she do? The file was back in the drawer, but the evidence of his secret life was burned into her memory. She couldn’t unsee it. She couldn’t pretend it didn’t exist.

“Elizabeth?” Charles called again, his voice closer now. “Are you down there?”

She forced herself to stand, her legs trembling beneath her. “Yes, I’m here,” she called back, her voice barely above a whisper. She grabbed the flashlight and turned it on, the beam of light cutting through the darkness. She had to act normal, had to pretend everything was fine. But how could she, when her world had just been shattered?

Charles appeared at the top of the stairs, his tall frame silhouetted against the dim light from the hallway. “What are you doing down here?” he asked, his tone a mix of curiosity and irritation.

Elizabeth’s mind raced for an explanation. “I... I thought I heard a noise,” she said, the lie slipping out more easily this time. “I was just checking to make sure everything was all right.”

Charles descended the stairs, his polished shoes clicking against the wooden steps. He reached the bottom and glanced around the room, his expression unreadable. “A noise?” he repeated, his voice calm but with an edge that made Elizabeth’s skin crawl. “What kind of noise?”

“I don’t know,” she said, her voice trembling. “It was probably nothing. Just the house settling.”

Charles stepped closer, his eyes narrowing as he studied her face. “You look pale,” he said, reaching out to touch her cheek. “Are you feeling all right?”

Elizabeth flinched at his touch, pulling away before she could stop herself. “I’m fine,” she said quickly, forcing a smile. “Just a little tired, that’s all.”

Charles’s hand dropped to his side, and for a moment, he said nothing. Then he smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “You should get some rest,” he said. “You’ve been working too hard lately.”

Elizabeth nodded, her heart pounding. “You’re right. I’ll go upstairs now.”

She turned to leave, but Charles’s voice stopped her. “Elizabeth,” he said, his tone softer now. “Is there something you’re not telling me?”

She froze, her back to him. For a moment, she considered telling him everything—confronting him with what she’d found, demanding answers. But the memory of the photographs, the ledger, the chilling notes in his handwriting, stopped her. She couldn’t trust him. Not anymore.

“No,” she said, her voice barely audible. “There’s nothing.”

Charles was silent for a long moment. Then he sighed. “All right,” he said. “But if there’s ever anything you want to talk about, you know you can tell me, right?”

Elizabeth nodded, her throat tight. “I know,” she said. But the words felt hollow, a lie she told herself as much as him.

She climbed the stairs, her legs heavy with the weight of her deception. Charles followed close behind, his presence a constant reminder of the secrets that now lay between them. When they reached the top, he placed a hand on her shoulder, his touch sending a shiver down her spine.

“Goodnight, Elizabeth,” he said, his voice gentle.

“Goodnight,” she replied, forcing herself to meet his gaze. But as she turned away, she couldn’t shake the feeling that he was watching her, his eyes boring into her back.

She retreated to their bedroom, closing the door behind her and leaning against it for support. Her mind was a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions—fear, anger, confusion. She had to confront him, had to demand the truth. But how could she, when she didn’t even know what the truth was anymore?

She crossed the room to the window, staring out at the moonlit garden below. The world outside seemed so peaceful, so normal. But inside the mansion, nothing would ever be the same.

As she stood there, a faint sound reached her ears—a soft, rhythmic tapping, like footsteps approaching from the hallway. Her blood ran cold. She wasn’t alone after all.

Then, her phone buzzed on the nightstand. The screen lit up with a single notification: “Unknown Caller.” Elizabeth hesitated, her hand hovering over the device. Who could be calling her at this hour? She picked it up, her fingers trembling as she swiped to answer.

“Hello?” she whispered.

The voice on the other end was low and distorted, as if filtered through a machine. “You shouldn’t have gone looking, Elizabeth. Now you’ve put yourself in danger.”

The line went dead. Elizabeth stared at the phone, her heart pounding. The screen went dark, but the words echoed in her mind. You’ve put yourself in danger. Who was that? And how did they know what she’d found?



THE SERPENT'S SHADOW: WHERE TRUTH LIES IN THE DARKCHAPTER 2: THE SECRET LIFEThe rhythmic tapping grew louder, each step ...
17/03/2025

THE SERPENT'S SHADOW: WHERE TRUTH LIES IN THE DARK

CHAPTER 2: THE SECRET LIFE

The rhythmic tapping grew louder, each step echoing like a drumbeat in the silence of the hidden room. Elizabeth’s breath hitched, her heart pounding so hard she could feel it in her throat. She crouched low behind the desk, her mind racing. Was it Charles? Had he come home early? Or was it someone else—someone who knew about this place?

The footsteps paused at the top of the staircase, and for a moment, the world seemed to hold its breath. Then, a voice called out, sharp and impatient. “Elizabeth? Are you down here?”

It was Mrs. Henderson, the housekeeper. Relief flooded through Elizabeth, though it did little to ease the tension coiled in her chest. She stood, her legs still shaky, and called back, her voice trembling. “Yes, I’m here.”

Mrs. Henderson appeared at the bottom of the stairs, her brow furrowed in concern. “What on earth are you doing down here? I’ve been looking all over for you.”

Elizabeth hesitated, her mind scrambling for an explanation. She couldn’t tell the truth—not yet. Not until she understood what she’d found. “I... I thought I heard a noise,” she lied. “I was just checking to make sure everything was all right.”

Mrs. Henderson gave her a skeptical look but didn’t press further. “Well, Mr. Montgomery called. He’ll be home late again tonight. Shall I prepare dinner for one?”

Elizabeth nodded absently, her thoughts still tangled in the secrets of the hidden room. “Yes, thank you, Mrs. Henderson.”

As the housekeeper retreated up the stairs, Elizabeth turned back to the desk, her eyes drawn to the stack of documents she’d been examining. She couldn’t leave now, not without answers. She waited, listening intently. The distant click of Mrs. Henderson’s shoes faded down the hallway. Only then did she pick up the flashlight and resume her search.

The ledger was a meticulous record of payments, each entry dated and signed in Charles’s handwriting. The amounts varied, but the recipients were always the same: a series of initials—J.M., L.T., R.K.—followed by brief, cryptic notes. *“Delivery complete.” “Subject compliant.” “Phase two initiated.”* Elizabeth’s stomach turned as she flipped through the pages. What was Charles involved in? And who were these people?

Her hands trembled as she grabbed a notebook from the desk and began jotting down the names and dates, her heart pounding like a drum in her ears. She didn’t know what she was looking for, but she couldn’t stop now. The air in the room felt heavier, pressing down on her chest until she could barely breathe. She wanted to scream, to tear the papers to shreds, but she forced herself to keep reading.

Her eyes fell on a small, locked drawer at the bottom of the desk. It was the only thing she hadn’t examined yet. She tugged at it, but it wouldn’t budge. Frustrated, she rummaged through the desk for a key, her movements growing more frantic as the minutes ticked by. Finally, she found it—a tiny brass key hidden beneath a stack of envelopes. She inserted it into the lock, her breath catching as the drawer slid open.

Inside was a single file folder, its label marked with a single word: *“Project Serpent.”* Elizabeth’s pulse quickened as she opened it, revealing a stack of documents and photographs. The first photo stopped her cold. It was a young woman, no older than twenty, her face pale and her eyes wide with fear. A symbol was etched into the corner of the image—the same serpentine design she’d seen earlier.

Beneath the photo was a report, its contents even more chilling. It detailed the woman’s background, her habits, and her movements, as if she’d been under surveillance for months. At the bottom of the page was a note in Charles’s handwriting: *“Subject acquired. Awaiting further instructions.”*

Elizabeth’s hands shook as she flipped through the rest of the file. Each document told a similar story—a life meticulously tracked, a person reduced to a “subject.” And at the center of it all was Charles, his name appearing again and again as the orchestrator of this... this *operation.*

She sank into the chair, her mind reeling. Who was this man she’d married? The kind, charming husband she thought she knew—or the cold, calculating figure who emerged from these pages? Her chest tightened, a wave of nausea washing over her. She felt like she was standing on the edge of a precipice, staring into an abyss. Part of her wanted to close the file, to walk away and pretend she’d never seen it. But another part, stronger now, demanded answers. She couldn’t unsee what she’d found. She had to confront him. She had to know the truth.

But as she stood, a noise from the staircase froze her in place. The sound of footsteps, slow and deliberate, echoed from above. Elizabeth’s breath caught. Mrs. Henderson had left—hadn’t she? She grabbed the flashlight and turned it off, plunging the room into darkness. The footsteps grew louder, closer, until they stopped at the top of the stairs.

A voice called out, low and familiar. “Elizabeth? Are you down there?”

It was Charles. Her heart stopped. For a moment, she couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe. Then, instinct took over. She shoved the file back into the drawer, her hands shaking so badly she could barely turn the key. The footsteps were coming closer. She had to think, had to act. But all she could feel was the cold, creeping certainty that her life would never be the same.

As she sat in the darkness, a faint sound reached her ears—a soft, rhythmic tapping, like footsteps approaching from above. Her blood ran cold. The footsteps were coming closer. She had to think, had to act. But all she could feel was the cold, creeping certainty that her life would never be the same.



THE SERPENT'S SHADOW: WHERE TRUTH HIDES IN THE DARKCHAPTER 1: THE FIRST CRACKThe morning sun streamed through the floor-...
16/03/2025

THE SERPENT'S SHADOW: WHERE TRUTH HIDES IN THE DARK

CHAPTER 1: THE FIRST CRACK

The morning sun streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the Montgomery mansion, casting a golden glow over the polished marble floors. Elizabeth Montgomery stood in the center of the grand foyer, a cup of steaming coffee in her hand, surveying the quiet elegance of her home. It was a picture-perfect scene, one she had grown accustomed to over the years. But today, something felt... off.

She had been married to Charles for ten years, and in that time, their life together had been nothing short of extraordinary. He was a successful businessman, admired by his peers and adored by the public. Their marriage was the envy of their social circle, a union built on love, trust, and mutual respect—or so she had always believed. But lately, something felt off. The way he avoided her gaze, the late nights at the office, the phone calls he took in hushed tones. She told herself she was being paranoid, but the unease lingered, a shadow she couldn’t shake.

Elizabeth sighed, setting her coffee cup on the antique side table. She wandered through the mansion, her fingers trailing along the smooth surface of the mahogany paneling that lined the walls. The house was a masterpiece of design, a sprawling estate that Charles had commissioned shortly after their wedding. Every detail had been meticulously planned, from the crystal chandeliers to the handwoven Persian rugs. It was a symbol of their success, a testament to the life they had built together.

But as Elizabeth turned the corner into the east wing, something caught her eye. A faint line in the wall, almost imperceptible, ran vertically from floor to ceiling. She frowned, stepping closer. She had walked this hallway countless times, but she had never noticed it before. Curious, she ran her fingers along the edge, feeling a slight indentation. Was it a crack in the wood? Or something more?

Her heart quickened as she pressed against the panel, and to her surprise, it gave way with a soft click. The wall shifted, revealing a hidden door. Elizabeth’s breath caught in her throat. What was this? She glanced over her shoulder, half-expecting Charles to appear and explain, but the hallway was empty. The house was silent, save for the faint ticking of the grandfather clock in the foyer.

She hesitated, her mind racing. Should she go down there? What if it was nothing? What if it was something? Her curiosity won out. She grabbed a flashlight from the hall closet and stepped onto the staircase, the wood creaking beneath her feet. The beam of light cut through the darkness, revealing a small, hidden room at the bottom of the stairs. The space was cluttered with boxes, filing cabinets, and strange artifacts that seemed out of place in their pristine home. A chill ran through her as she stepped inside, her flashlight illuminating the room in flickering bursts.

The first thing she noticed was the photographs. Dozens of them, pinned to a corkboard that covered one wall. They were candid shots, taken from a distance, of people she didn’t recognize—mostly young women and teenagers. Her stomach churned as she studied the images, her mind struggling to make sense of what she was seeing. Who were these people? And why did Charles have their pictures?

Among the photographs, she noticed a symbol scrawled in red ink on the corner of one image—a strange, looping design that looked almost like a serpent. It was familiar, though she couldn’t place where she’d seen it before. The sight of it made her skin crawl.

Her eyes fell on a stack of documents on the desk, their edges yellowed with age. She picked up the top sheet, her hands trembling as she read the words scrawled across the page. It was a list of names, dates, and amounts of money, written in Charles’s familiar handwriting. Her heart pounded in her chest as she flipped through the pages, each one more incriminating than the last. What was this? A ledger? A record of payments? And to whom?

Elizabeth’s mind raced, her thoughts a jumble of fear and disbelief. She had always trusted Charles implicitly, but now, standing in this hidden room, surrounded by evidence of a life she knew nothing about, she felt the ground beneath her shift. The perfect world she had built with him was crumbling, and she didn’t know how to stop it.

She sank into the chair at the desk, her legs suddenly weak. The flashlight slipped from her hand, clattering to the floor. The room was plunged into darkness, but the images from the photographs burned in her mind. Who was Charles, really? And what had she married into? Her chest tightened, and for the first time in years, she felt truly alone.

Then, a faint sound reached her ears—a soft, rhythmic tapping, like footsteps approaching from above. Her blood ran cold. She wasn’t alone after all.



New Story Alert: The Serpent’s Shadow: Where Truth Hides in the DarkThis is a story of Elizabeth Montgomery married to a...
16/03/2025

New Story Alert: The Serpent’s Shadow: Where Truth Hides in the Dark

This is a story of Elizabeth Montgomery married to a very wealthy businessman but a sudden discovery threatens to shatter everything she has believed in for the ten years of her marriage.

Who triumphs in this?

Get glued because something big is coming.

GHOST: THE GENESISCHAPTER 3Doyin was finally happy the class was over and she could go to the recess. Not like they had ...
21/07/2024

GHOST: THE GENESIS
CHAPTER 3
Doyin was finally happy the class was over and she could go to the recess. Not like they had the best meal she had tasted but she could make do with the fresh air and not being in a close space with the boys in her class who were finding it hard to keep their raging hormones in check.

She scanned around and looked for Esther whom immediately waved at her as if she had been waiting for her long. She made an order for a bowl of spaghetti, a bowl of stew, a bottled water, a disposable cup, two boiled eggs and she picked up a pair of fork, spoon and a knife and put it on her tray. As she turned to walk to Esther’s the table, she could observe Esther trying to stifle her laughter. Before she could move two feet, she was accosted by a bully named Dotun in SSS 3. Doyin paused, sized him up wondering why he was suddenly obstructing her.
“Hey, please excuse me, you a-r-e stan-ding in-my-path”, Doyin slowly spoke to him.
‘Standing in your path? I don’t think so. Maybe you don’t know the route to where you are going and you need a prince charming to help you’, Dotun taunted Doyin as he pointed the toothpick he was holding at her.
“Prince Charming? Of course! I never thought about it”, Doyin replied him and then turned around looking for another path to take.
“Obviously”, she continued as she turned to face him, “I have no time for this lousy joke of yours. Get out of my way, let me have my lunch”, she shouted at him and tried to shove him but he stood like he was expecting it.

‘I still insist there is no way here unless you are accompanied by a prince charming’, he smiled at her and stretched his hands to her. She ignored the outstretched hands and turned to her left.

As she made to walk away from him, another male student sprang up to his feet making her nearly spill the content of her tray.

Furiously, Doyin charged at him. “Are you mad? Is something wrong with you? Why did you jump out like that and remained fixed like an electric pole?”
‘It’s obvious that there is no way here but if you want to pass, you need to give me the code’, he calmly said with his hands in his pocket.
“Which code again? It’s like eleyi ti ya were shaa?” Doyin was already fuming at this point while Esther sat put watching how the events were going to unfold.
‘You need to pay homage to Prince Charming…’ the boy said again as Doyin suddenly stopped him.
“You and that charming prince of yours, wait first.”

She beckoned a junior student to come carry her tray and asked her to wait for her. She then turned back to Dotun and his accomplice. “As I was saying before, it’s like nobody has dealt with you guys before. If I count three and you are still standing here, I will deal with both of you that it will affect both King charming and servant charming. One!” she raised her index finger as she counted and they both stood their ground. “Hei… these boys are trying me shaa. Two!”

As she counted two, a female student poured a cup of yoghurt on her uniform,
“What is this one again now?” Doyin asked before she turned to look at the girl. Is it that you can’t see or this school is full of abnormal students?”
‘Oh, what did I do? I poured a cup of yoghurt on the elephant herself. What should I do? Sorry, I’m not sorry’, the girl replied Doyin in a sing song manner.

Doyin picked up her bowl of stew from the tray still being carried by the junior student and emptied on her assailant’s face. The girl screamed out in pain while she clutched her eyes as some students came to her aid and took her to the bathroom.

“Now, where were we?” Doyin asked Dotun and his accomplice who were surprised by her action. Dotun stared at her blouse for a while before advising her that she needed to take off her shirt while Benson, his accomplice quipped in that it will help them see the colour and size of the bra she was putting on. His remark threw the boys in the cafeteria into a frenzy. In the midst of this commotion, three female students led by Abigail walk in wearing the same foot wears, wristbands and earrings.

Dotun ignored whatever was being said and walked close to Doyin. “Actually, if you don’t wash off that mess now, it will lead to an everlasting stain,” he told Doyin with concern in his voice. “let me help you,” he added as he made to help Doyin unbutton her shirt. She slapped his hands, apologized to the junior student carrying her tray, picked up the bottled water and emptied it on Dotun’s trousers.

Dotun was suddenly furious and raised his voice at her clearly showing his anger and displeasure as his veins bulged in his face and arms while he restrained himself from slapping her.
‘Have you suddenly gone mad? What was that for?’, he asked her as he brought out his handkerchief to clean his trousers.
“Now leave my way before I do something worse”, Doyin hissed at him before she tried to make a move out of Dotun’s presence. As she took a step, Benson drew her back and slapped her. Holding her cheeks, Doyin asked Benson what he did and before he could reply, Abigail interjected.

‘ Benson, leave her, let me handle her.’ Then she turned and faced Doyin who was still holding her cheeks. ‘It’s like you don’t know your mate abi? Your body size is deceiving you abi? That is why you can come here and ride everybody abi? Today I will teach you a lesson you will never forget.”

She slaps Doyin and they begin fighting. Amidst the scuffle, students are seen shouting “Biggie! Elephant! Abigail! Elephant! Abigail!”
The guidance counsellor who was walking by heard the noise and came to inspect what was happening. He was surprised to see two students fighting with nobody making an attempt to separate them. ‘What is going on here? What’s the meaning of this nonsense? When did the school Cafeteria turn into a boxing ring?’ he asked no one in particular.
On hearing his voice, the food prefect and senior prefect ran to separate the dissenting parties. After they had been successfully separated, the guidance counsellor summoned them to his office but not without punishing the food and senior prefect for not doing anything to stop the scuffle until his appearance. As Doyin left the cafeteria, she turned to look at Esther who was still on her seat wondering why she never made a move to come to her aid.

*I DID IT*(A POEM)Mummy, I'm sorry I did it.I ate the forbidden fruit at thirteenAt sixteen, I had my kidBut you didn't ...
16/07/2024

*I DID IT*
(A POEM)

Mummy, I'm sorry I did it.
I ate the forbidden fruit at thirteen
At sixteen, I had my kid
But you didn't despise me.


I'm sorry, mummy I did it
I lost focus, I didn't know my goals
So I veered off the road
Many lies, many stealing
My kid was with you - it wasn't giving

I'm sorry mummy I did it,
I ran from Owerri to lag to Mowe
All this without knowing my way
I dreamt I soared from Antartica to Norway
But my fears kept screaming no way

Mummy, I did it
Sorry but not sorry that I didn't realize it earlier
You said life was important and not wealth and riches
But without wealth how could one survive
I'm sorry I lost my way,
I'm sorry I hated those I was meant to love

Dear son,
This is your mother speaking,
I finally found what was lacking in me,
I didn't abandon you, love
I just couldn't face this travails with you
You are one baggage too enough
Your mum suddenly realized she was lacking value
If you ever need to speak me
I will be waiting in my grave
Please visit,
I hope you understand and don't hate me
I had no place in the world but one in the underworld where I truly belong
Mummy, I'm sorry I did it
©Young Dabold



GHOSTS: THE GENESIS CHAPTER TWO  Esther didn’t find her mother at home and so believed that she was either at the clinic...
21/06/2024

GHOSTS: THE GENESIS

CHAPTER TWO
Esther didn’t find her mother at home and so believed that she was either at the clinic or had gone to see a patient at home. She quickly prepared noodles for herself and settled to do her assignment before Doyin suddenly crept to her thoughts. She was from a wealthy home – no doubt about it- but she wasn’t pompous and proud about it like those as****es in her class. Also, she was academically sound without rubbing it in anybody’s face. She knew that was the kind of friend she wanted to have. If she was a friend to a wealthy person, she could always use the connection sometime in the future. Wasn’t that why she was at Dabiz?

Things had not always been hard for Esther and her mother. In fact, Esther didn’t know what it meant to be poor until she was 13 years, just three years ago. She grew up as a spoilt only child in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory. She had everything she wanted and asked for as her father called her his princess. Things took a turn for the worse when her father, the managing director of a realtor company, collapsed at work one day. He was rushed to the hospital and was diagnosed with stage five pancreatic cancer. She watched her mother spend all their savings trying to save her father but they still lost him to the icy hands of death. To compound anguish to their sorrows, her father’s family members laid claim to the only piece of land left to her father’s name after his death, chased them out of his house and sold it off. It was during this period that she learnt that he wasn’t really her father but that her mother had given birth to her for another man before they got married. Ultimately, living in Abuja was tough and they tried for a bit but soon ran out of money and things became harder. Her mother’s meagre salary was not enough to cope with the expensive lifestyle of living there. As a result, she had to drop out of school. One night, her mother came back to the house and told her that they had to leave. They packed the little they had and on they went to Lagos State.

Things had not initially been rosy as her mother kept getting rejected by hospitals. She had finished her studies as a nurse but never really got to practise because her late husband wanted her to be a stay at home wife. When the school session was about to begin, her mother sat her up and told her the story of her life - how she got pregnant for her secondary school sweetheart but his family never supported the union and she had to train her on her own. Now that things were a little bit difficult, she had to run to him for a favour. As he worked at Dabiz, he had agreed to pay her school fees but on the condition that nobody knew the relationship between them.

Coping and adjusting to the new reality was difficult for Esther. They were days she threw tantrums because she couldn’t have things she wanted. Initially, her mother tried explaining to her that times were different; later, she let her be. She gradually learnt and adjusted to living in Lagos. When she started schooling in Dabiz College, she tried to get accepted by her class mates. When she found out that they would never accept her because she didn’t come from a rich family like theirs and they’d rather she became their slave, she kept to herself and avoided them totally. This earned her the name ‘Ghost’. She wasn’t a dullard per se but she was definitely not one of the brightest students in her class yet she could hold her own. Not being one of the brightest students helped her slip under the radar at Dabiz and she was determined to keep it that way. She couldn’t match the students’ dressings, or attend the kind of parties they did so she was usually inept when she was in their midst. Oh! How she wished her father was alive.

Things took a turn last year when she clocked 15 years. She had woken up one night to hear her mother lament and cry over her inability to pay the rent. Of course, she didn’t want her mother to know she was awake so she quietly went back to bed. The next day, she went to school and asked her father for help. He turned her request down stating that it wasn’t part of the agreement he had with her mother. He also cited the fact that he had a family to feed and won’t be able to squeeze the rent out of his pay.

Grudgingly, she waited till she was able to meet their landlord the day he came around. He was a tall fair man with a gait that was funny to her. He seemed brash at times so she initially found it hard to approach him. When she finally did, she went on her kneels and pleaded with him to consider them. He told her that that wasn’t how things are done.
“You see my dear”, he started as he ran his fingers on her cheeks, “Life is transactional. You pay rent and you stay. I’m not an NGO nor a charity organization, neither am I Santa Claus.” This time his fingers were on her lips. Holding them tenderly, he bent and whispered to her. “I can make you stay here rent-free; you’ll just pay a one-time fee. When you are ready, let me know. If not, I’ll get my cash”, he winked at her and walked away.
She was fifteen but she understood what he meant and wanted. Her mother was everything she had and she hated seeing that woman cry. It broke her that she was unable to help her mother. Her only fear about giving in to her landlord’s desire was here fear of unwanted pregnancy and even STDs. One couldn’t tell if someone was a carrier by simply looking at them so she had to get herself prepared. She had purchased after morning pills in preparation for whatever was going to happen and hoped for the worst. If that was the price she will pay to put a roof over their head, she was ready to make that sacrifice.

Despite hoping for the worse, she couldn’t deny the fact that she enjoyed her first time with him. He took it slow and meticulous with her, calming her down and reassuring her that he wasn’t going to hurt her. At intervals, he stopped to ask her if she was comfortable or enjoying herself with what he was doing to her. She couldn’t say he r***d her; what he did was make love to her. Thinking about it now made her groins wet. Since that first day, he never bothered her although he was barely around. When her mother had later informed her of the fact that they were not going to pay rent, she was happy that he had kept his own part of the bargain. As a matter of fact, she had gone back to him willingly whenever he was around and she felt like it. Whenever she hears her class mates speak about their bad sexual encounters, she was happy that hers was different.

She was determined to keep her resolve of avoiding her class mates but an enemy of her enemy was definitely her friend and that was the reason she spoke to Doyin. Luckily for her, Doyin seemed to be different from the jerks in her class or so she had thought. She quickly shook Doyin off her thoughts and settled to do her assignments and the chores her mother had assigned to her. Since she landed a job through the landlord’s assistance at the general hospital in her vicinity, she was always busy and Doyin knew today would be no different. She smiled when she remembered the car ride with Doyin and suddenly wished her father was still alive. Well, to her, her transportation issue was definitely solved – walk to school in the morning and get driven home in the evening.

The next day, she went to school as usual and was surprised not to see Doyin in the class till the end of the first period. When she cat walked into the class, the whistles and cat calls came on again. Esther could never understand teenagers. Yes, Doyin had a big body but damn, it was a banging one. Her new uniform hugged her body and exposed all her curves. Stopping above her knees, Doyin showed off her sleek legs and waited for the calls and whistles to stop before walking majestically to her seat. Whatever Doyin had in mind was amusing to Esther and at the same time, it was working. Doyin had made a statement that she was going to put them in their place and she did this without even talking but with her mere looks. She sat down and winked to Esther.
“Hey, how was your night?” she asked as she brought a bubble gum to chew.
‘Just bland’, Esther replied parking her books.
“Care for a gum”.
‘Nah! They hurt my teeth.’
“Where are you heading to?”
‘The farm. I have agric.’
“Which means, I have TD. See you in the cafeteria during recess.”
Esther left the class while Doyin parked her stationery to attend the technical drawing class.

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