Nina fixed her gaze on the old television set, its screen flickering with the vibrant colors of her favorite K-drama series. The characters' antics and love triangles had almost made her forget about the house and its troubles. But as she glanced around, she noticed the transformation that had taken place. The house, once a relic of the past, now looked almost welcoming. The work done by their friends, guests, and Michael had made a significant difference. New curtains, doormats, and rugs had replaced the old, worn-out ones, giving the house a little sparkle.
"Babe, what's the time?" Michael asked, slouching on the brown leather cushion beside Nina. His voice was lazy, his eyes half-closed in relaxation.
"It should be 4:39, I guess," Nina replied, her eyes still fixed on the TV. She took out her cell phone, peeping into it briefly. "Oh, it's five o'clock," she corrected, her gaze returning to the screen.
Michael chuckled, his head leaning on her shoulders. "Trust me, you're very bad at guessing."
Nina raised an eyebrow, a hint of amusement in her voice. "Is that supposed to be a compliment?"
Michael ignored her question, pretending to sleep as he made snoring sounds. Nina shook her head, a smile playing on her lips. What a partner she had gotten herself - quirky, loving, and full of humor.
The living room became almost silent, except for the uncomfortable tapping sound that Michael had said came from the leaking roof. The adults, for one minute, never doubted him and were all busy with their cellphones and laptops, their faces bathed in the soft glow of screens. But then, the doorbell rang, causing the adults to look in the direction of the door all at once. The sudden noise broke the spell, and they exchanged nervous glances.
The house was located far away from the town and also far from Mkporo, the next village, which led them to believe that it must have been an intruder. Who could it be at this time? They all reasoned at once, their minds racing with possibilities. But Michael knew better. He stood from the furniture and walked towards the door, his movements calm and deliberate, causing a suspicion to rise among them.
Nina wanted to question him, but felt too lazy to do so and therefore kept her questions to herself. She watched as Michael opened the door, causing cold, dry wind to blow in, carrying dry leaves into the house. The air outside the house looked cold and misty, like a veil of secrecy.
From the house, a dark figure could be seen walking alongside Michael, its features indistinct. Everyone in the living room put down their gadgets in fear, anticipating that something was coming for them. They held their breath, waiting for the worst. However, they felt rather stupid when Michael walked in with a very innocent-looking fast-food delivery guy, who looked like the only thing he could murder was the chicken and vegetables that he cooked in the restaurant.
The delivery guy's bright orange uniform and cheerful smile were a stark contrast to the ominous atmosphere that had built up. He looked around at the group, seemingly oblivious to the tension, and asked, "Hi, is this where I deliver the food?"
"Free food for everybody!" Michael yelled into the living room, his voice booming off the walls. An uproar of joy followed thereafter, with the guests cheering and clapping. Nina shook her head, a mixture of amusement and exasperation on her face. Michael had pranked their wedding guests, just as he had pranked her countless times before. Could he ever stop playing his pranks now that he would soon be a husband? Or would he continue to play jokes on their kids when they had them?
"How I so love free food," Esther mumbled, standing up from her seat and walking towards the delivery guy, her eyes shining with excitement. Nina lay back on the couch, her gaze drifting towards the staircase that curled down into the living room. She was worried that her parents hadn't called or cared that she was back in town, just a few miles away from them. It was as if they didn't even know she was there.
As she stared at the steps, she caught sight of a beautiful, petite-looking lady in a white dress staring down at her from the handrails. The lady's face was pale, her eyes dark, and her presence seemed to radiate an otherworldly aura. Nina looked around at the adults to see if they had seen the same thing, but they behaved and acted like they hadn't seen a thing. They were all too busy enjoying their free food and chatting among themselves.
Nina looked back at the staircase again, but the lady had vanished into thin air. She sighed softly and continued doing her business, trying to shake off the feeling of unease that had settled in the pit of her stomach. Nothing would ruin their wedding, not even her brain, which seemed to be giving her stupid, horrifying images.
"Babe, are you okay?" Michael asked, placing a food pack on her lap and sitting down beside her. His eyes were concerned, his voice soft.
"It's this house," Nina confessed, her voice barely above a whisper. "It creeps me out."
Michael held her hands, his touch warm and reassuring. "It's okay, you probably haven't been anywhere except your house and my house," he said, trying to rationalize her fears. "You're just not used to new places."
Nina nodded, feeling a little better. She proceeded to unpack her food pack, remembering that she hadn't eaten since morning. The smell of fried chicken and vegetables wafted up, making her stomach growl with hunger.
"When is your family coming over?" Nina asked, remembering Michael had said something about them earlier, but she hadn't paid attention then.
"Trish and Cora tweeted me minutes ago that they had already left the airport with my parents," Michael replied with a shrug, wondering why Nina was so worried about his family.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Nina whined, her voice laced with a hint of accusation, as if Michael had committed an abomination.
"It slipped my mind," Michael said, his tone neutral, while Nina snorted, feeling a sense of betrayal.
"It always does," Nina mused, lying flat on the sofa, her eyes fixed on the ceiling.
Michael sighed, knowing that responding would only fuel the fire. He had learned to pick his battles with Nina.
********
Otitochukwu stretched herself on the large bed, trying to ignore the tapping sounds from the bathroom's leaking faucets. She lay flat on her back, staring at the low ceilings, lost in thought. She was beautiful, with more bodily features than Nina, but was single, with a failed relationship, while Nina was living and enjoying life better than she was?
Her cell phone beeped on the bedside stool, jolting her from her thoughts. "Hello, Otito," her caller spoke from her phone, but she ignored them, biting her lips.
"I'm scared about this dream I had about you," Jerome's petrified voice spoke over the phone, but Otitochukwu wasn't bothered by his sudden concern for her safety.
"Go on," Otitochukwu mumbled, squeezing her mouth in disgust.
"I saw you die," Jerome said, but Otitochukwu hissed, disrupting the call. She didn't take his words to heart, believing he had hurt her enough by cheating on her with her coworkers.
She tossed her phone over the bed and lay awake, hoping to fall asleep over the day's stress, yet she couldn't shake off the feeling of unease. She stood up, walking over to the bathroom.
The bathroom walls were old and looked over-scrubbed, the ceilings were low, and the shower was broken. She stared at the old, dirty, torn towel hanging on the rusty towel hanger, almost barfing at the disgusting sight.
She wondered why someone as wealthy as Michael hadn't rebuilt or bought a new house, but concluded that Michael had his reasons for his actions.
Otitochukwu twisted the stiff, rusty faucets open, washing her face over the running water. She wiped her wet face on her clothes and proceeded to leave the bathroom, but was surprised to see that the doors were locked. She stood paralyzed, gaping at the door, for she hadn't locked them, nor had she heard it close. She got scared, her heart racing with every passing second.
She walked over to the door and shook it, but it wouldn't budge. She pushed it, and yet it wouldn't move. Frustration set in as she realized her hopeless state. Otitochukwu saw a knife lying under the sink and picked it up without any thought, hoping it would help her with the door. But as she approached the door, the light bulb buzzed, flickered, and then went off, plunging her into darkness.
She tried to scream, but her voice was muffled, only whispers escaping her lips. Fear gripped her as she recalled Jerome's ominous words over the phone. She struggled and strained to get the door to open, but all her attempts were useless. The door creaked and bulged, but refused to yield.
Just as she was about to give up hope in the dark room, the lights turned back on, casting an eerie glow. Otitochukwu felt a bit relieved, yet scared that there was no escape from the room. She heard an inhumane growl behind her, sending shivers down her spine.
Slowly and carefully, she turned to face a shadowy, dark figure with a pair of black beady eyes and sharp, long talons peering into her eyes. She screamed and ran over to the door, banging wildly as the monster closed in. The door creaked under her frantic pounding, but refused to open, trapping her with the terrifying creature.