Ezekiel escorts Amina back to her family's compound in silence, his grip on her arm firm but not unkind. The village is quiet now, the only sounds the distant barking of dogs and the occasional rustle of palm fronds in the evening breeze. When they reach her gate, Ezekiel gives her a stern look. "Be careful, Amina. The river is no place for young girls at night. Spirits or no spirits, it's dangerous."
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgEzCdKIjT2
Amina nods, too shaken to argue. She murmurs a quiet "Thank you, Uncle Ezekiel," before slipping inside.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfo2cFJk5OI
***
The smell of egusi soup and pounded yam fills the small dining room, but Amina's appetite is gone. Her mother, **Mama Nkechi**, is already seated, her face a mask of disapproval. Her father, **Papa Chukwuma**, sits at the head of the table, his expression unreadable as he scoops soup onto his plate.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnriBGRRih0
"Where have you been?" Mama Nkechi demands as soon as Amina sits down. Her voice is sharp, cutting through the quiet like a knife. "Do you know what time it is? Do you want to give me a heart attack?"
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxkYlE8ZaXB
Amina opens her mouth to explain, but the words stick in her throat. How can she tell them about the child, the cat, the song, the tentacles? They'll think she's gone mad.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ96Y16l2ez
"I... I was just outside," she stammers, avoiding her mother's gaze.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcFXmsdrN7C
"Outside doing what? Following boys?" Mama Nkechi's voice rises, her hands gesturing wildly. "Amina, are you trying to get pregnant? Is that what you want? To ruin your life before it even starts?"
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdRx5pYYnzR
Amina flinches, her cheeks burning with shame. "Mama, it's not like that—"
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsHQlYa4E99
"Then what is it like?" her mother interrupts. "You think because you're in school, you can do whatever you want? Eh? You think you're too clever to listen to your parents?"
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyAO78GFPCF
Papa Chukwuma clears his throat, his deep voice cutting through the tension. "Enough, Nkechi. Let the girl eat."
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlowNc7aEXI
Mama Nkechi glares at him but says nothing more. The rest of the meal passes in tense silence, broken only by the clink of spoons against plates.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡozmL2HAItl
After dinner, Amina picks up a kerosene lamp and prepares to retreat to her room. She's eager to lose herself in a book, to escape the weight of her mother's disappointment and the lingering fear of what happened at the river. But before she can leave, Papa Chukwuma speaks.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBkoLvrQGT6
"Amina, sit down. I have something to say."
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2OhzUVT3zE
Reluctantly, she obeys, setting the lamp on the table and sitting on the edge of her chair.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHSg9RWNcez
"I've been speaking with my friend, **Chief Emeka**," her father begins, his tone matter-of-fact. "His son, **Ifeanyi**, is a good boy. He's studying engineering at the university in Lagos. I think he would make a fine husband for you."
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡevG3rsKrUt
Amina's heart sinks. "Papa, I'm still in school. I want to focus on my studies."
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDwcWeE7iAh
Papa Chukwuma frowns, his bushy eyebrows drawing together. "And what good will that do? You're failing your classes, Amina. Do you think education will feed you? I married your mother when she was still in school, and we've built a good life together."
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzYDuFFNRzc
Mama Nkechi cuts in sharply, her voice softer now but no less firm. "Chukwuma, let the girl breathe. She's young. There's time for marriage later."
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMblmnD7qlF
Papa Chukwuma sighs, his stern expression softening slightly. He looks at Amina, his dark eyes searching hers. "What do you need for your studies?"
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTbDRfH9chn
Amina hesitates, then says, "I need some books, Papa. For literature and biology. They're part of the curriculum."
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1wfppn3UMV
Her father nods, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a wad of naira notes. He counts out **₦5,000** and hands it to her. "Buy what you need. But remember, education is not everything. A woman must have a husband, a home."
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYs0i5bQ5LH
Amina takes the money, her fingers trembling slightly. "Thank you, Papa. I'll think about what you said."
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE29581YoAC
As she stands to leave, her father calls after her. "Amina."
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzoMYZsTMmr
She turns, the lamp casting a warm glow on her face. "Yes, Papa?"
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsN8bs46J5X
"Goodnight," he says, his voice gruff but not unkind.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9GCVY3iYWK
"Goodnight, Papa," she replies, a small smile tugging at her lips. "I love you."
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMg3RIh0UWM
He doesn't respond, but the way his eyes soften tells her everything she needs to know. She leaves the room, her parents' voices fading as they turn their attention to the evening news on the old television in the corner.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo8EWpeWWyk
The Blank Books:
Inside her room, Amina sits at her wooden desk, the kerosene lamp casting flickering shadows on the walls. She opens her biology textbook, determined to study, but the words swim before her eyes. No matter how hard she tries, she can't focus. The pages seem to blur, the text fading into incomprehensible gibberish. Frustrated, she flips back and forth, hoping to find something she can understand, but it's no use.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ75FTyRfbs4
Then, something strange happens. The words on the page begin to disappear, leaving behind blank, white sheets. Before she can process what's happening, new words start to form—lyrics, written in a flowing, elegant script. They're the same lyrics from the song by the river:
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVkI4vjlPgT
*"My beautiful Amina, come to me, come to me,
Troubled by the problems of the world, come to me, come to me..."*
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOKqcKvrZMW
Amina's heart pounds as the lyrics seem to hum in her head, the melody growing louder and more insistent. Her body stiffens, her muscles locking in place. From the corner of the room, a figure emerges, illuminated by the soft glow of the lamp. It's a woman—Mami Wata. Her beauty is breathtaking, her skin glowing like moonlight, her eyes deep and hypnotic. She smiles, her voice soft and melodic.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡonnSGR4Ps0
"Come to me, Amina."
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdKyyjkJfcq
Amina's body moves against her will, her legs carrying her toward the spirit. She tries to resist, to scream, but no sound comes out. The pull is too strong, too enchanting. Just as she's about to reach Mami Wata, she manages to break free for a moment, stumbling backward. But then, something even more terrifying happens—her body begins to levitate, floating toward the spirit as if gravity no longer applies.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOAl0wvNbPm
Just as she's about to be pulled into Mami Wata's grasp, a sharp knock on the window shatters the trance. Amina jolts awake, her heart racing. She's slumped over her desk, a small pool of drool staining the pages of her book. The room is quiet, the kerosene lamp still burning steadily.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1rKUrWHgK2
She hears the knock again, softer this time. Rubbing her eyes, she rushes to the window and pulls back the curtain. Standing outside is **Emeka**, a boy from her school. He's wearing nothing but his sleeping shorts, shivering slightly in the cool night air.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhgvBdpbG4b
"What are you doing here?" Amina whispers, her voice a mix of surprise and annoyance.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5Zch3iglmw
"Let me in first," Emeka replies, his teeth chattering.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVMDbOy9xy9
Amina hesitates, then glances over her shoulder to make sure her parents aren't around. She opens the window just enough for Emeka to climb through. He lands softly on the floor, his bare feet making no sound.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOgQ8tmq3tk
Emeka grins, his unkempt hair and patchy goatee making him look both boyish and mischievous. "I missed you," he says, his voice low. "I followed you home the other day. I just... wanted to see you."
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDfGAzn7ZP8
Amina rolls her eyes but can't help smiling. They sit on the edge of her bed, talking in hushed tones about the holiday, school, and their plans for the next semester. Emeka is funny and charming, and despite his scruffy appearance, Amina finds herself drawn to him.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWDtTKTUHwk
As they talk, their eyes meet, and for a moment, the world seems to fade away. Emeka leans in, his face inches from hers. Amina's heart skips a beat, but before their lips can meet, there's a sharp knock at the door.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0J5ZAqkBff
"Amina!" her father's voice booms from the other side.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMyAxddfzFi
Panicked, Emeka dives under the bed, his breathing shallow. Amina quickly smooths her hair and opens the door.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlAP73CfDix
"Are you laughing by yourself?" Papa Chukwuma asks, his brow furrowed as he steps into the room.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUyzlVlNKL2
"I... I read something funny in my book," Amina stammers, her voice trembling slightly.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYQTpcdT4KK
Her father looks around the room, his sharp eyes scanning every corner. For a moment, Amina is sure he'll find Emeka, but then he hands her a bowl of ice cream.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlx2bNuCLET
"Your mother wants you to have this," he says, his tone softening. "Eat it, and don't stay up late laughing with your books."
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7Ed6RJL5XQ
He lingers for a moment, his gaze sweeping the room once more, before finally leaving. Amina lets out a breath she didn't realize she was holding.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXNIIVqN8fH
***
Under the bed, Emeka is frozen in fear. As he listens to Amina's father's voice, his heart pounds so loudly he's sure it will give him away. The room feels colder now, the shadows deeper. He shifts slightly, trying to get comfortable, when suddenly—he feels it.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡygzwU5pWiL
A hand grabs his ankle.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVnulKDRqXd
Emeka's breath catches in his throat. The grip is firm, almost painful, and he can't tell if it's Amina's father reaching under the bed or something far worse. His mind races. If it's her father, he's dead. The man is ex-military, a sprinter, and there's no way Emeka can outrun him—especially not with a cutlass in hand. But if it's not her father...
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi9jcgsz3GN
He dares to glance down, his eyes straining in the darkness. What he sees makes his blood run cold. A long, dirt-covered finger is wrapped around his ankle, the nails jagged and blackened. The hand is attached to an arm that seems to stretch impossibly far into the shadows under the bed. Emeka's gaze follows the arm, and his stomach churns as he sees the creature's glowing eyes staring back at him.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY3rVgg8RmE
The creature's face is grotesque, its skin mottled and peeling, its teeth jagged and yellow. It presses a finger to its lips, gesturing for Emeka to stay silent. Then, with a slow, deliberate movement, it releases his ankle and retreats into the shadows, disappearing as if it were never there.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLvGJgBe891
Emeka's heart is pounding so hard he feels like it might burst. He wants to scream, to scramble out from under the bed and run as far as he can, but he knows he can't. Amina's father is still in the room, and the cutlass hanging on the wall is a stark reminder of the consequences of being caught.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡifG0nSiFu5
Just as Emeka is about to lose his composure, he hears Amina's voice.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbEigv5iqRK
"Have you slept under there already? Come out, my father is gone."
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3wx9k0R9O4
Emeka hesitates for a moment, his eyes darting to the spot where the creature disappeared. When he's sure it's gone, he crawls out from under the bed, his hands trembling. He looks into Amina's eyes, and for a moment, the fear fades. Her beauty is enchanting, her presence calming.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGKVbgTj02T
"You okay?" Amina asks, noticing the sweat on his brow.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpjBJClr8C6
"Yeah, I'm fine," Emeka lies, forcing a smile. "Just... cramped under there."
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuDj3rhydtS
They chat for a while longer, but Emeka can't shake the image of the creature. When he finally notices the time—10 p.m.—he knows he has to leave.
ns3.145.159.123da2
and then Add to home screen.