Must Read: Shadows

Episode 7 years ago

Must Read: Shadows

“my guy’s something go com stand gidigba for angel front”
Everyone laughed this time, shaking their heads as they watched Emma dramatize all he was saying. On the outside he looks like he’s gotten over Moji but he was burning up inside and Lanre knew it. They’ve been close for awhile and Emma always finds a comic relief to every situation around him, it doesn’t matter how bad or how hurt he is.

Their laughter was cut short as an image ran right behind them, getting everyone sprung up on their feet. Looking around but they saw no one.

No one said a word, they all just stood up looking around until Daniel spoke.

Daniel: What was that?
Uche: I don’t know…. did anyone see anything?
Lanre: Let’s calm down… i think the shadow is trying to scare us off so we can all split up again..
Emma: Ahh… It’s working man… Because if that thing… whatever that thing is… run behind me like that again , I’ll tear away from here real fast.

Lanre: Just calm down Okay… we’ll all walk out of here slowly.

Emma: Good idea… slowly and without dying….
it’s important to add the last part.
They back one another so everyone was facing different directions and looking around.

They moved slowly, dragging their feet. Right to where Emma was facing, the image ran across again

Emma: Holy ghost Jesus son of man!!!

Lanre: (whispering) What is it Emma?

Emma: Is there a way we can move faster.


Mary: Oh my God….. Guys look here.

Slowly they all turned their heads to see what direction Mary was pointing to…

Daniel: Oh maaan…. Are those ……?

Emma: Graves? Yes they are!

Daniel: Damn… Are we all standing in …….?

Emma: Cemetery? Yes we are!

Startled, they all have have been sitting and resting in a cemetery.

Emma: Emmm… Is it just me, or does what we are standing on feels like concrete?
Silence….. They all looked down….

Lanre: Yeey…. move…. we’re standing on someone’s grave!

In a flash, they dashed off the grave they were standing on. Emma jumped off and landing face first on another grave but he didn’t realise that just yet.

He winced in pain as migraine ran over his head. Still on the ground, he touched and rubbed his forehead.

The rest went to him to see if he was alright.

Mary: You okay Emma?

Emma: Yea, just wanna lie down a little b….
His statement was cut short as the grave he layed on started vibrating. He rose up in fear, watching in disbelief as were the others.

They first thing they saw was a hand rising up, trying to get out of the grave.
No one waited to see the rest of the body. They ran in the same direction this time.

As they ran, they noticed they were deeper into the cemetery than they first thought.

The graves were opening up and more bodies were hauling out of the graves.

Lanre: Keep running okay…. no one should look back…

Emma; Too late…. i looked back and their still coming o. I think they want to eat us….

But Uche whose leg was wounded kept drawing them back. Lanre and Daniel were by his side, his arms on their shoulders as they lift him.

Emma of course, was with the girls upfront but he wouldn’t lead for the fear of running into something so he made sure Mary and Temmy were in front of him with Lanre, Uche and Daniel behind him.

They finally got to the main entrance of the cemetery, it has a gate..

Lanre; We have to lock this gate or they’ll come out after us.

But the gate was blocked, the only hook to it was inside and no way to lock it from outside
Emma: Woow… what kind of idiot design a gate like this? Does he expects the dead people to lock the gate themselves.

Daniel: I think the better question is what is a cemetery doing in the middle of nowhere…

what kind of people did they bury here.
Temmy: They are angry dead people i swear.
Mary: But the good thing is, o believe we’re closer to getting on the road, at least the people who buried the dead here got here somehow.

We should find a road soon.
Lanre: let’s keep going….

They started moving but Uche stayed….

Daniel: C’mon Uche! Let’s go!

Uche: (sighs) …you guys go…. I’ll stay in and lock the gate…
Daniel: Are you insane! Let’s go man!

Uche:If we leave this gate opened, they will come out after us and then we’ll keep running but i can’t run on these legs…. I’ll keep holding you down and they might get us all….so go on.

Lanre: Uche! Don’t even think for one moment that we’re going to leave you here… if i have to beat your butt0ckz and drag you out of here with us…. i will!

Uche: Don’t you understand? I brought this upon us! I kicked that man out, if i didn’t, all these wouldn’t have happened

Lanre: We don’t know that!!

Uche: No Lanre! We do! And you know I’m right. How can i live with myself knowing i caused all these deaths? If i run off with you, we’ll might need to run again and i won’t be able to…

Daniel: No man, don’t do this.

Uche: It’s my decision and I’ve decided. I want my death to mean something. Give me this last opportunity to save your lives before i die! All our classmates are dead and i feel responsible, i will die happy knowing my last act was to make sure my friends survive this.
Lanre knew Uche got his mind made up already… he sighed, moved closer to him and gave him a hug.

Lanre: Thank you man.

Daniel, Temmy and Mary hugged him too. All in tears

Emma: You know Uche…. I promise not to tell anyone you screamed like a girl when you saw a snake.

They forced some laughters out while wiping tears off their eyes… They looked up again and saw the bodies hauling themselves towards the group.

Uche: You guys go now… I’ll lock the gate from inside….go!

They started dragging their feets.

Uche: Guys! Move now! Stop acting like dummies, don’t make me feel like I’m giving my life for idiots….

They watched in horror as Uche limped back behind the gate and began closing them. He gave a last look at them….

Uche: I never had any…. but in the last few hours, you guys were my family and I’m glad i spent my last moments with you….

He closed the gate and hooked it from behind making sure it held tight. The rest continued running, Lanre held Mary tight as they ran together. It was 5:00 in the morning, all they heard were humming birds and Uche’s screams and then…… silence.