Sonia's POV
Men!
I had never felt more alive than I did at that moment, surrounded by flashing lights, blaring music, and friends all laughing and having the time of their lives.
The house party was in full swing, a typical Friday night where everything seemed perfect. People were dancing, cracking jokes, and letting loose. The air was thick with excitement. I was dancing too, trying to shake off the weight of my thoughts. But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't escape it.
There was something heavy on my chest, something that had been building for weeks. My relationship with Noah had been hanging on by a thread. It started with the little things, misunderstandings, words said in anger, and that feeling of distance between us that I couldn't ignore. Now, it felt like we were at the breaking point. He'd asked for space, and I hadn't heard from him since.
For the first time in two years, I felt this sinking feeling in my gut: Noah wasn't the person I thought he was. I tried to hold onto hope, though, hoping we could work things out.
I danced some more, jumping up and down, laughing, trying to forget about everything, to lose myself in the moment. But it wasn't enough. It wasn't enough to make me forget the weight of a relationship I thought was solid, now crumbling before my very eyes.
Finally, I made my way to the table, panting from all the jumping. I grabbed a glass of wine, hoping it would help quench my thirst and calm my nerves.
As I stood in the crowded living room, holding the glass of wine in my hand, my phone buzzed in my pocket.
I fumbled for it, my heart already sinking, not wanting to see what it was. But when I looked at the screen, my stomach dropped.
"Sonia, I think it's best if we end things now. It's over."
The words were blunt. Cold. Final.
I froze, my fingers going numb as I stared at the text, unable to process what I was reading.
Gosh, I hadn't expected this. Not so soon. Not like this.
Lost in my thoughts, I felt a cold hand on my shoulder. I looked up and saw Precious, my best friend and the hostess of the party.
She sat down beside me, pouring herself a glass of champagne, taking a sip before speaking.
"Aha, girl, wetin sup? Why you no dey join us for the dance floor?" she asked with concern, sensing something was off.
I stared at her, blank, trying to hold back the tears that were already threatening to fall. I whispered, my voice barely audible, "He broke up with me."
Her eyes widened as she quickly put the glass down, more shocked than I was.
"Jesus Christ!" she gasped, covering her mouth before letting out a disbelieving breath. "Are you serious?"
I nodded, handing her the phone to show her the message.
"God! This boy don vex! Omo, see as e bad. So na for text e wan end am?" She sighed deeply before taking my phone back, then tried to console me. "E ma binu, kó séé se, no too reason am, e go beta."
Her voice was soothing, but the tears couldn't be stopped anymore. They flowed freely now, my heart breaking as I realized that a two-year relationship had just come to a cold end.
The party around me seemed to get louder, more suffocating. The music felt distant, like a hum in the background. I shoved my phone into my pocket and stood up, ignoring Precious, who was trying everything to comfort me. I pushed through the crowd, not caring about the concerned glances from my friends.
I needed to get out.
The cool night air hit my face as I stepped outside, and I began walking without any particular destination in mind. I just needed to escape. I didn't want to think about Noah, or about anything anymore.
I wandered, lost in thought, until I reached the curb and stopped a taxi, not caring where it took me, just needing to get away from everything, the noise, the people, the reality of what had just happened.
My mind was spinning, the alcohol mixing with the disbelief, fogging up my thoughts. I didn't notice how dark the streets had gotten or how quiet everything had become. It was like the world had gone still, leaving me alone in my misery.
The taxi finally stopped at my street. I stepped out, handed the driver the fare without waiting for change, and trudged along the familiar, uneven road. My feet dragged on the ground, and my body felt heavy, weighed down by the alcohol and the heartache.
I didn't want to think about Noah. I didn't want to think about anything at all.
But as I walked, the world around me seemed to close in.
That's when I heard them.
Footsteps.
Three men were loitering ahead, their shadows stretching across the dimly lit street as they turned toward me. My heart skipped a beat, and instinctively, I pulled my jacket tighter around me.
I quickened my pace, hoping they'd just pass by, but they didn't. One of them called out, his voice slurred, dripping with menace.
"Fine girl, where you dey go by this time?"
My stomach twisted. I glanced back, trying to gauge how much of a threat they were, but it was already too late. One of them grabbed my arm, pulling me back.
"Let me go!" I yelled, my voice trembling as panic surged through me.
But they didn't listen. Another man stepped forward, a creepy grin spreading across his face. He scanned me from head to toe, his eyes lingering in a way that made my skin crawl.
"Come on, girl, no need to act like that. We just want to have some fun," he said, his breath stinking of alcohol and cigarettes.
I yanked my arm free, heart racing. Panic set in. I turned to run, but the third man was already blocking my path.
That was when the realization hit me: I was trapped.
My mind screamed for help, but there was no one around. I had no choice but to fight back. I swung my fist, hitting the closest man in the neck.
"See this one oo, this one don dey craze!" the man blocking my path shouted as he lunged at me.
My hands scrambled for something to defend myself with. I found a shard of broken glass on the ground and, without hesitation, swung it at the man closest to me. The sharp edge sliced across his neck. He gasped, stumbling back, blood spilling from the wound.
For a brief moment, everything froze. The other two men exchanged a shocked glance. My breath was ragged, my eyes wide with terror, but the adrenaline surged through me. I wasn't going down without a fight.
The man I'd cut grabbed his throat, blood pouring through his fingers, and collapsed to the ground. The other man lunged at me. I swung the glass again, but it wasn't enough. He knocked me to the ground, his weight pressing down on me, and he started stripping my clothes.
I kicked, screamed, and fought with everything I had.
Desperation set in.
My hands found something cold and heavy, a metal pipe.
Without thinking, I swung it at the man's skull with all my might. There was a sickening crack as he fell, twitching, before his body went still.
The last man, the one who had been silent, turned and fled.
I stood there, chest heaving, staring at the lifeless bodies around me. My mind was spinning, unable to comprehend what had just happened. I didn't have time to think. I had to leave.
As I stumbled away, I glanced back one last time. The bodies... they weren't just dead. They were twitching. Their eyes were wide open, but there was something off about them. They were alive, but not... quite.
I couldn't stick around to figure out what was going on. I ran, the cold night air biting at my skin, as everything I knew, my life, my relationship, my sanity, began to unravel.
I was lost. And I didn't know what would happen next.