Must Read: Shadows

7 years ago

Must Read: Shadows

2:47am

Hunter: Come out! No problem at all.

And like primary school pupils, matching from assembly in a straight line, they filed out one after the other. Still, none of them spoke, they just stared at the hunter who was about 6 feet plus tall and quite lanky.

With a surprised expression, the hunter asked
Hunter: What happen? All of you are plenty plenty before.

Lanre: (cleared his throat) Pardon us sir! We don’t know who you are and how did you know there were more of us?

Moji: (cuts in) Are you the shadow?

Hunter: Shadow? I don’t know shadow!

Mary: (pulls Moji out of her way) pls ignore her.

Have you by any chance seen the rest of our coursemates? We got lost in the bush and can’t seem to find anyone anywhere.

Hunter: No i have not seen nobody. You have to come follow me, it is not good, going about in this bush this night.

Lanre: What do you mean?

Hunter: I know you no lost.. you all running from something because you think he kill you.

They all stepped back in fear. .

Hunter: But you no worry. Long long time, i have hunt in this bush and i am alive till now. Come with me, i will show you the way out.

Once again they all faced Lanre, as if to wait for him to make a decision.

Lanre: I don’t know guys? What should we do?

Uche: I think we should go with him

Emma: What if he’s leading us to our deaths.

Moji: Good point.

Temmy: But he said he is not going to hurt us.

Emma: So we should just believe whatever he says?

Daniel: I have a bad feeling about this but do we have any other choice?

They all went mute at the realization that there isn’t much of a choice for them.

Lanre: Ok sir! But where are you taking us to ?

Hunter: I take you to place i sleep in the bush or i show you way out of here.

Emma: Do you sleep in the Cabin?

Hunter: Cabin? No no Cabin. No cabin in this bush.

Lanre: No…. We entered a cabin when the rain was falling

Hunter: What rain? No rain at all! No rain no fall here in months.

It was then they looked all around them , to see the ground was so dry like it hadn’t rain in months for real . They looked at one another in disbelief, beginning to doubt their own sanity.

Lanre: Are you telling us no rain has not fallen tonight and there is no cabin around here at all
Hunter: No No! No rain tonight, no cabin here!

Emma: Guys, what the hell is happening to us?

Daniel: I told you all we are just high and seeing things not real.

Moji: If we all are just high, then where is everybody else ? Didn’t we just saw one of us dragged into a cabin that apparently doesn’t exist?

Uche: We can’t be high and be seeing and experiencing the same things. That’s not possible.

Hunter: Hurry! Too much time going, let’s go now. I help take you out of this bush.

They followed him as he led the way, his strides and pace were wide and fast so they practically had to be on their hills to keep up with him.

Lanre walked up to him…

Lanre: Sir, Can you explain what is really going on? Why are our classmates dying?

The hunter stopped abruptly, looked at them all, the shock in his eyes got them worried.

Hunter: Dying? No no…… No dying.

Lanre: Yes.

Hunter: No! “Oregun” no kill anybody!

Emma: What are you saying? You just told us, you know something is trying to kill us.

Hunter: Yes but “Oregun” no kill anybody. “Oregun” never kill anybody.

Uche: What the hell us “Oregun” ?

Hunter: “Oregun” is our tree protector in the village.. People come with big trucks every time to come and chop down trees in our bush. We in the village no like that so we prayed to “Oregun” to protect our trees. He just scare the people away, they run out of bush but he no kill.

Emma: Well Mister, Your “Oregun” has started killing now

Hunter: “Oregun” scare people, they think he kill them but he don’t kill. If you say something is killing you…..that is not “Oregun” i have to go, you go your way, i want no trouble.

The hunter’s face lit up in fear, they had no doubt in their mind he was genuinely scared of whatever has been hunting them all night too . He began walking away as fast as he could.
Lanre: Sir! Please wait! You said you’d show us the way out of here.

Hunter: No , can’t do that. You go that way and that way but i no help you.

Temmy: (crying) please sir, help us!

Hunter: I no want trouble

Emma: Please just take us half the way out of here and you can go back.. You know your way around this bush, only you can help us.

The hunter looked down and sighed like he was having a deep thought. He wanted to say no to this cursed people, he didn’t want to have anything to do with them.

The urge of setting off and running away so fast crossed his mind but finally he shook his head and spoke.

Hunter: Okay i will take you
He led the way again as they all chorused their “Thank You” in unison.

But right at that moment he began walking, he started coughing. They murmured their Sorries to him but became alerted when the coughing didn’t stop.

They watched on, as he dropped on his knees, clutching and his palm placed on his chest.

Lanre and Uche ran to him .

Lanre: Water… . Water! Does anyone has water?

But no one had water so they kept watching in horror as his coughing got louder and blood was seen coming out of his mouth.

It seemed like their horror would never end until Suddenly, he fell on his face, it was quiet now. Every single one of them stood their positions except Lanre and Uche who had run to the hunter earlier on to try and help.

They looked dumbfounded as Uche got closer to the body on the ground and felt the hunter’s pulse.

He stood upright, with his hands folded across his chest as the others looked on at him to confirm their worst fears.

Uche: Guys….. He’s dead

Emma: (Sighed) (giggles) It’s official,…..
. we all are totally f@#ked!