Must Read: Shadows

Episode 7 years ago

Must Read: Shadows

But no… they reached a height and with full speed, they started coming back down again except this time they were even more than before.

Mary: Guys…. look! They are coming back.

Lanre: Everyone! Run to the church! More bats are coming.

Everyone scampered off their feets and started making their way towards the church they had feared not to enter. Emma led, followed closely by Lanre who was holding Mary as they ran.

Daniel and Temmy was behind with the birds getting closer.

In a nick of time, they finally got into the church, with Daniel closing the door behind them with a bang . They heard the birds scratching against the door and windows of the church, trying to get in.

Silence…

The birds flew away, leaving behind creepy silence, it was dark in the church. Only Daniel still had a lamp in hand, so he switched it on.

They all had different bite marks on their hands and at the center of their heads. No one said a word . Mary started crying as Lanre held her in his arms, Emma was silent, breathing heavily and holding his chest. Daniel was adjusting the lamp and Temmy….. Temmy was nowhere to be found….

Daniel: Temmy… Temmy…. Where is Temmy? Guys…

They looked around the whole church but she wasn’t there.
Lanre: Wait…. Who was the last one to enter this church?

Daniel: ehh…. emmm… I did…. i did.
Lanre: Who closed the door?

Emma: Daniel did.

Lanre: Daniel, was Temmy running in front of you or behind you?

Daniel: Oh ma God…. Oh ma God! I shut her out!

I shut her out…. i ran in and just closed the door behind me (Crying)

Daniel ran towards the door but Emma held him down.

Emma: Daniel…. wait…wait! They might still be out there.

Daniel: Get out of my way man! I shut the door on her…. out of my way please….(crying)

Lanre: Ok… wait. Let me go out and see okay. Everybody calm down please. Okay.

Mary: Lanre.. please be careful.
Lanre drew a deep breath and moved towards the door. He turned the door knob and slowly began to open it. He took a peek, breathe hard again and took his first step out.

The rest stayed behind him fidgeting. Emma still held Daniel down who kept crying and wailing, trying to get up.

Lanre looked up, at first he saw nothing but then he looked down, right at the foot of the church entrance…. and there she was, lying in a pool of blood.

She la!d down facing up. Blood gushing from her forehead where she must have hit her head against the door as Daniel closed it. Her eyes….

Y her eyes were out of her sockets, the birds must have eaten the eyeballs.

Hitting her head against the door made her pass out, that’s why they didn’t here her scream as the birds fed on her.

Lanre gasped, he felt nauseated from seeing her bloody face with no eyeballs. He went back inside the church, totally numb, oblivious to everything around him.

Mary: (crying) Lanre…. Lanre… Is she? Is she?

Lanre: Don’t look…. please don’t look!
She tried running out but he grabbed her. Daniel finally broke free from Emma’s grib and ran out of the church to see the horror. He let out a scream, hitting himself on the chest, bent down beside Temmy’s Corpse and holding her tight.

Emma stood up too, he couldn’t stop the tears either.

All of a sudden, Daniel stopped crying. He stood up and went back into the church silently, making his way slowly towards the front.
Daniel: (Wailing )… Ahhhhhhhhhh! I killed her! She loved me and i killed her!!!! SHADOWS….. come out you f@#king bast**d! Freaking coward! I’m tired of your game so come the f@#k out! ….. I’m here! I’m right here you dummy! Come and get me… I’m not running.
The rest tried to hold him but pushed them all away.

Lanre: Please Daniel….Please…. you can’t afford to lose it now! We are so close to getting out! It will be 6:00am in like 30mins…. please don’t give up man
Daniel: Shut up! Can’t you all freaking see that there’s no way out of here?? You idiots…..(Laughing ) we are dying here! Emma was right all along,we are all going to die on this God forsaking trip! Lanre….all you have done is try to calm us down but we keep dying… we’ll all die here and you know it.

Emma: Daniel… you’re not thinking right just try and….

Daniel: (laughing ) You idiots.. there’s nothing left to do…..(Crying) I killed Temmy…she loved me… can’t you see? I wasn’t paying her attention in school and she loved me still….. she didn’t even wanna come to this BS camping…. she came for me and look where it got her!!! She came because of me and i killed her.

There’s only one thing left to do….
Before anyone could stop him, Daniel ran towards the edge of the wall, grabbed a Church clock and threw it on the ground. The glass broke into pieces so he grabbed the largest shard of glass and held it up.

Lanre and Emma stepped back, thinking he might attack them.

Daniel: You know.. I’m tired of playing the SHADOWS game, i won’t give him the satisfaction of killing me, i won’t be a coward and wait for my death. By the way, i have to catch up with Temmy before she goes too far…..

Emma & Lanre: No…no…no…. Wait!
He raised the glass up, lifted it towards his neck and before both of them could get to him, Daniel slit his own throat.

The blood spilled, they both froze in shock, Mary screamed as Daniel fell on his knees with his hands around his neck, gulping and gagging….

he fell on the floor face first, his blood spilled and rounded him up….. in a few seconds.. He stopped moving, Daniel was dead.
*********************
Lanre: (Calmly ) Let’s get out of here! We can’t stay here surrounded my corpse of our friends.

Mary: (crying) It’s 5:40am, 20mins to 6:00am.

I hope we make it out of here.

Emma: Hmm… i still don’t understand how both of you think. Daniel was right, there’s no getting out of here alive. We have nothing left to fight for. 28 students came here and now we are down to just 3. Both of you are the best friends I’ve ever had and it will be a honour to die right by your sides.

Lanre: We still have hope and faith. That’s what’s left to fight for..

Emma: What about Fate brother? Maybe it’s fate that we’ll die here.

Lanre: Fate is whatever you make of it. You’re my best friend and Mary is my soul mate…. I’ll do whatever i can to make sure you both get out of here.

Mary: I love you both!

Emma: Haa… really? Can we quickly do a threesome then? Oya…

Mary: Hahaha… C’mon silly! You’re never serious, you still found a way to crack jokes ehen..

Emma: That’s one thing the SHADOWS can’t take from me, even if i will die, i have to die laughing… die happy!
Mary: You’re my friend Emmanuel! You make me laugh even when i don’t want to and i love you for that.

Lanre: That’s it Pal… if i have to choose my friends again….I’ll choose you over and over.
Emma: Wait… if you guys think you can tell me nice things so that when the next death comes, you’ll now sacrifice me then get out of here and get married. My ghost will haunt you for the rest of your lives ni o.

Lanre & Mary: Hahahaha
Emma: I love you both too….. emmm… just in case the 3 of us don’t die and we get to go home….forget i ever said i love you…Ok?… it’s creepy abeg.

Mary: I Love you Lanre! I’m sorry i made you come here!
Lanre: No.. I’d rather die beside you than die alone babe.. I love you Mary!
Emma: awwww…. that’s so sweet… but don’t die of diabetes! Looks like we’ve said our goodbyes… let’s get out of here…
Mary: Well… it doesn’t have to be goodbyes you know..
Lanre: Then there’s only one way to find out….. Shall we?…
Emma led the way with a smile on his face. Mary and Lanre followed him, holding each others hands.

And so the 3 of them made their way out of the church.