At the first sound of gunfire, Chinasa dragged Chioma and ran towards the church.
"What's going on?" Chioma shouted as she ran.
"I don't know," Chinasa replied. "Just run."
They started running towards the gate used by the town people when attending mass but stopped when they saw armed men outside the gate.
"This way," Chinasa dragged Chioma towards the back of the church.
There was a small bush behind the church and Chinasa dragged Chioma into it. Both of them lay down within the bushes as the armed men gained entrance into the compound.
Concealed within the bushes, Chinasa and Chioma huddled close, their breaths hushed in the tense silence.
The distant echoes of the armed men's footsteps and urgent voices intensified, signaling their entrance into the compound.
As the armed men patrolled the area, Chinasa and Chioma lay low, their bodies pressed against the earth, hidden within the foliage. The rustling leaves and the subtle sounds of nature masked their presence, creating a fragile illusion of safety amidst the uncertainty.
There were a few more gunshots coming from the direction of the field where they Inter-House games had been holding.
The distant echoes of gunshots pierced the air, adding a new layer of dread to Chinasa and Chioma's concealed refuge within the small bush.
The sounds reverberated from the direction of the field, where joyful cheers from the Inter-House games had once filled the atmosphere a few moments ago.
Tension gripped the hidden duo as the gunshots echoed, leaving an ominous trail of uncertainty.
Chinasa and Chioma exchanged anxious glances, their minds racing with questions about the unfolding chaos.
The small bush, which had initially offered a momentary sanctuary, now felt more exposed as the unexpected gunfire added to the perilous atmosphere surrounding them. Each gunshot intensified the urgency of their situation, heightening the need for a careful and calculated escape from the unpredictable danger that loomed beyond the safety of their hiding spot.
Then the shooting stopped and everything seemed to calm down.
Chioma and Chinasa could hear sounds of heavy boots and loud orders being barked at scared students and staff of the school by the invaders.
The air grew thick with tension as the sounds of heavy boots and harsh orders reached Chioma and Chinasa within their concealed refuge. The once-familiar environment of their school now echoed with the unsettling presence of invaders, their menacing commands instilling fear among the students and staff.
The invaders' authoritative voices, coupled with the palpable fear of their fellow students and staff, painted a grim picture of the situation. Chioma and Chinasa exchanged somber glances, silently acknowledging the severity of the threat that surrounded them.
"We must call for help," Chioma whispered. "Where do you keep your phone?"
"In the hostel," Chinasa replied.
"We must get it and call for help," Chioma said.
"Wait," Chinasa replied. "They'll see us now if we come out. Let's wait till it's a little dark then we can sneak into the hostel and get the phone."
It sounded like a good plan. The girls lay there waiting for the sun to go down.
From their hiding place, the girls could hear the arrival of the security forces as they took position outside the school premises. They could also hear a helicopter flying overhead.
"I think help has arrived," Chinasa whispered. "That must be the police. They'll come to rescue the governor's wife and liberate the school."
"Why are they not coming in?" Chioma wondered aloud.
Chinasa could not proffer any answer. Chioma thought about if for a while and suggested that the school premises had been rigged with explosives.
"We need to get to that phone," Chioma concluded. "I've watched enough movies to know terrorists taking people hostage most of the times plant explosives around to keep the police away from the place. We can't attempt an escape without being sure."
As the evening descended, a gradual darkness engulfed the school compound.
The hostage takers, aware of the encroaching night, ordered the school's utility manager to turn on the streetlights surrounding the school perimeter.
The flickering bulbs burst to life, one by one, along the fence, casting an eerie glow on the compound. The artificial light created a stark contrast between the illuminated areas and the deepening shadows beyond, heightening the sense of confinement within the school grounds.
The figures of the hostage takers, dimly visible against the brightened fence, appeared as indistinct shadows. Their actions, bathed in the artificial light, carried an ominous weight, signaling a new phase in the tense situation.
"Come," Chinasa said. "We'll go through the old graveyard. They didn't install lights in that area. We can work out way to the hostel through there."
Chioma's breath hung in the cold night air, her heart pounding with an erratic rhythm that matched the chaos unfolding around her.
The mere thought of traversing the silent, shadowed expanse of the graveyard sent a shiver down her spine, her instincts warning her of the unnerving unknown that lay ahead.
Standing at the edge of the cemetery, Chioma's silhouette was framed against the backdrop of weathered tombstones, each one a silent sentinel in the moonlit darkness. The soft glow of the moon cast an ethereal light, illuminating the path she had to take, while also accentuating the haunting beauty of the ancient resting place.
With each step forward, the crunch of gravel beneath her feet echoed through the stillness, the sound a stark contrast to the distant clamor emanating from the besieged school. The cold mist swirling around her ankles added an eerie layer to the scene, veiling the ground in a ghostly haze and heightening the sense of solitude.
Chioma's resolve, fueled by the imminent danger of armed intruders prowling the school grounds, outweighed her fear of the desolate graveyard.
Her figure moved cautiously yet purposefully through the maze of tombstones, her breaths shallow and her senses on high alert. The fear for her safety intertwined with the unsettling ambiance, her determination to evade capture lending her movements an air of silent urgency amidst the chilling tranquility of the burial ground.
"Who goes there?"
The figures of two heavily armed men loomed ominously before the girls as they were halfway through the graveyard. The heavy weaponry the men carried casting foreboding shadows across the ground. The intense beams from the flashlights they aimed at the girls, like accusing fingers, pinpointed the girls, freezing them in a petrified tableau.
Time seemed suspended as the girls locked eyes with the barrel tips of the rifles, glistening menacingly in the harsh glare.
"Look what we have here," one of the men laughed. "Two very beautiful girls."
"Do you know the last time I've been with a woman," the other one said. "Why don't we help ourselves?"
"My thoughts exactly."
"Please sir," begged Chinasa going on her knees as the first man started lowering his gun. "Don't do this sir."
"If either of you shouts," the men threatened. "We'll kill you here and bury you amongst these graves. Nobody will find you."
Chioma's frantic gaze darted around the graveyard, seeking an avenue of escape, but everywhere she looked, the encircling darkness offered no solace.
Turning to her side, she noticed she was standing next to the grave that had the long chain around it - Madam Koi Koi's grave.
"They say you love the school," Chioma whispered frantically. "Please help us."
In a moment of sheer desperation, Chioma's trembling fingers grasped the weathered chain encircling Madam Koi Koi's grave.
With a surge of determination coursing through her, she summoned every ounce of strength, her muscles straining as she braced herself against the weighty resistance of the rusted links.
With a resolute tug, she pulled relentlessly, feeling the aged metal creak and strain against her efforts.
The padlock, weathered and worn from years of exposure, groaned in protest.
In a dramatic climax, the padlock finally succumbed to Chioma's unwavering resolve, yielding to the force of her determined pull.
A resounding snap echoed through the graveyard as the rusted lock gave way, its metallic pieces scattering on the ground.
The severed chain slithered from the tombstone, each link relinquishing its hold, unraveled by Chioma's bold act of defiance.
The graveyard seemed to hold its breath, the silence broken only by the clatter of the broken padlock hitting the ground.
Chioma stood still, staring at the open grave before her expectantly.
She had nothing else to lose.
The men had stopped removing their clothes and watched her as she pulled at the chain and broke the padlock.
Then they bursted out into laughter.
"So what were you planning to do with the chain?" one of the laughed. "Beat us to death with it? I like this one, she is strong, I think I'll start with her."
"I'll do when you're done," the other one said pointing his rifle at Chinasa. "Somebody has to be alert here."
In the midst of the frantic struggle between Chioma and her assailant who was trying to get out of his trousers, a mysterious transformation begins to unfurl unnoticed above Madam Koi Koi's grave.
As the struggle intensifies, a subtle disturbance in the air goes unnoticed—a faint shimmering that coalesces into a mysterious mist. This ethereal fog, barely perceptible at first, starts to gather and swirl, weaving tendrils of hazy luminescence around the disturbed tomb.
Gradually, the mist thickens and took on a spectral form, drawing on the surrounding darkness to manifest an otherworldly presence.
A gentle glow radiates from within the mist, illuminating the graveyard with an eerie, pulsating light that seems to echo the cadence of the struggle occurring nearby.
From within the luminescent haze, an enigmatic silhouette begins to take shape—a spectral figure emerging slowly, draped in an ethereal veil of swirling energy. The form gains substance, resembling the outline of a woman, her features obscured by the mystical shroud enveloping her.
The tension in the air shifted abruptly as the struggle between Chioma and her assailant came to an abrupt pause. Both frozen in disbelief, their attention was drawn, almost magnetically, to the spectral figure that had materialized above Madam Koi Koi's grave.
The assailant, his grip loosened on Chioma, remained motionless atop her, his eyes wide with shock and disbelief. Chioma, beneath him, looked on in astonishment, her struggle momentarily forgotten as her gaze fixated on the ethereal presence taking shape above them.
Slowly, a horrific looking Madam Koi Koi, dressed in her burial dress still stained with blood at her midsection and wearing her red high heeled shoes materialised.
Madam Koi Koi's countenance was that of unrelenting fury and harrowing anguish.
Her face, a ghastly canvas of horror, appeared deathly pale yet smeared with crimson streaks—a visage steeped in an otherworldly anger.
Dark, bloodshot eyes blazed with an intensity that transcended mortal rage, the fiery redness within them a haunting testament to her eternal torment.
Strands of her hair, once woven in graceful braids, now formed a wild, tangled mass—an untamed mane swirling around her head like a dark, spectral halo. Every strand seemed charged with an unearthly energy, dancing wildly around her face, mirroring the chaotic turmoil within.
deeply onto her furrowed brow was an indelible frown, lines of distress etched into her spectral form, each wrinkle a testament to her ceaseless suffering.
Her face contorted in a deep, twisted scowl, revealing a snarl that exposed spectral teeth, bared in a haunting display of relentless anger and unyielding sorrow.
"What in the hell?" the armed man started to speak.
The discarded chain, once coiled and broken, lifted from the ground as if guided by an unseen force, hurtling through the air toward Madam Koi Koi's wrinkled hand.
With spectral speed and an eerie precision, the chain snaked its way into her open, gnarled fingers.
In a blur of spectral movement, Madam Koi Koi, her face contorted in a terrifying display of wrath and vengeance, swung the chain with an otherworldly speed.
The metallic links, imbued with an unearthly force, sliced through the air like a spectral whip.
The armed man, caught off guard by the sudden turn of events, fumbled to flip the safety switch on his rifle, but the spectral strike was too swift, too unforgiving.
Before he could react, the chain, wielded by the furious ghost, lashed out with spectral force, the metallic links cracking the air as they whirled toward him.
The man's severed head rolled on the ground as his headless body twitched uncontrollablly as it crumbled to the ground.
The scene unfolded in a sudden, harrowing moment that left the remaining man and the girls frozen in shock and horror.
Their collective screams pierced the air in an anguished chorus, echoing through the graveyard amidst the chaos and terror.
The man, startled by the sudden turn of events, watched in terror as his companion met a gruesome fate, his own scream of disbelief joining the cacophony of horrified voices.
The girls, already traumatized by the unfolding events, were further jolted by the ghastly sight, their screams merging with the chorus of fear and distress.
The man still startled, desperately tried to reach his weapon.
He jumped away from Chioma, his eyes fixated on the firearm lying just a few meters ahead.
Madam Koi Koi struck again.
The chain, glinting in the moonlight, cut through the air and coiled around the man's neck with a chilling grip, a spectral noose forged from unearthly energy.
His fingers, mere inches from the firearm, clutched at the air in desperation as the spectral force tightened its grasp around his throat, rendering him gasping for breath.
The man's panicked struggles intensified, his attempts to free himself futile against the spectral force that held him in an iron grip. His eyes widened in a silent plea for mercy, terror etched onto his face as the spectral chain constricted around his neck, cutting off his breath and sealing his fate in a nightmarish twist of events.
Madam Koi Koi moved.
Her body moved with an ethereal grace, her high heeled shoes clicking ominously against the ground, the sound echoing through the eerie silence of the night.
As she approached the suspended man, her presence exuded an aura of furious vengeance that sent shivers down the spine of the girls who were witnessing the chilling scene.
The man, suspended in the air by the old chain, was met with the terrifying sight of Madam Koi Koi standing before him. Her face contorted in a grotesque display of anger and bitterness, revealed a snarl that exposed her darkened, broken teeth—an ominous warning of the wrathful spirit's boundless fury.
In this chilling moment, Madam Koi Koi's dark eyes blazed with an intensity that transcended mortal emotions. Her gaze bore into the man's soul, filled with an unfathomable rage that seemed to sear through his very being. Each bared tooth, each furrow on her spectral brow, spoke volumes of the anguish and fury that bound her spirit to this unearthly realm.
The man, helpless and terrified, could only gaze upon the enraged spirit before him, his own fear mirrored in the haunting visage that glared back at him.
The chain constricted tighter around the man's neck and he slowly stopped struggling. He was dead.
Madam Koi Koi, seething with anger and grief, unleashed a haunting cry that tore through the stillness of the night.
Her wail, a melancholic and heart-wrenching sound, resonated across the desolate school compound, carrying with it an otherworldly agony that seemed to transcend the boundaries of mortal comprehension.
The mournful cry, filled with an inexplicable sorrow and rage, echoed through the air like a chilling lament—a spectral symphony of anguish that pierced the darkness and reverberated against the walls of the school buildings. Its haunting resonance seemed to linger, weaving its sorrowful melody into the very fabric of the night.
The sound of Madam Koi Koi's lamentation enveloped the surroundings, a mournful requiem that echoed across the compound, leaving an indelible mark on all who heard it. The spectral cry carried the weight of her over fifty yearsold grievances, a declaration of the anguish and suffering that had bound her restless spirit to the earthly realm.
"What was that?" Jude heard the sound. Everybody did. He jumped to his feet and grabbed his rifle. "What was that?"
He rushed out from the office. He had ten men stationed outside the office and they looked very startled at the sound.
"Have we been breeched?" Jide asked his demolition expert.
"No boss," the dismissed soldier replied. He was sure the military wouldn't be able to get through the explosives he planted without at least setting one of them off.
"Overwatch One," Jide spoke into the short wave radio he had procured for the mission as he called out to his men stationed on the roofs of the buildings in the school. "What's your status? Where did that sound come from?"
Nobody knew where the sound had come from.
The chain released the man and his body fell to the ground. The terrified girls were hugging each other, trembling in fear as they looked at Madam Koi Koi.
Madam Koi Koi shifted her gaze towards the girls, her apparition exuding an otherworldly presence that held an eerie sense of purpose.
With an ethereal calmness, she cast a silent, penetrating stare upon them, her dark haunting eyes seeming to carry an unfathomable message.
In a hauntingly deliberate move, the ghostly figure turned away from the girls, her spectral presence walking gracefully in the direction of the school.
Each step, though weightless, resonated with an otherworldly determination, the sound of her high-heeled shoes echoing hauntingly through the stillness of the night.
The rhythmic click-clack of her heels against the ground reverberated across the desolate surroundings, each step punctuating the silence with an ominous reminder of her spectral presence.
The girls, transfixed by this ghostly encounter, watched in a mix of awe and trepidation as the ghostly apparition moved away, leaving behind an inexplicable sense of foreboding in the night air.
Madam Koi Koi was back.