Ella lets go first. Blessing slumps backwards, her weight collapsing into you. your grip loosening, and she crumples to the floor like a broken doll as you let go of her. The sound of her body hitting the floor is dull, final.
Silence swallows the room.
You stare down at her, your chest heaving, your heartbeat a drum in your ears. Ella backs away, her breathing sharp, shallow. Her hands are shaking. Your hands are shaking.
Blessing doesn't move.
The dim light catches on her open, empty eyes. Her lips are parted slightly, as if she's about to say something. But she never will.
A shudder runs through you. The room is too quiet. Too still.
Then the blood comes.
No
It was already there, you remember the hot water and you realize the hot water wasn't just tears.
Then you remember the crack you heard.
It seeps from beneath her head, dark and thick, spreading across the cold hostel floor in slow, creeping tendrils. Your breath catches in your throat. Your chest, Your breasts, all covered in blood. You can't look away.
This wasn't supposed to happen.
Ella whispers something, her voice hoarse, but you don't hear her. You only hear the silence. You only hear the blood as it spreads, dripping from your chest and the one inching toward your feet from her head, flowing like rivers of living water. You only hear the laughter of happy hostel girls outside, laughing at the old daddies that comes looking for them.
And somewhere, in the depths of your chest, something cold curls around your heart.
The deed has been done, and there's no turning back now.
Then you hear it.
A sound that freezes every nerve in your body. Footsteps.
Slow, deliberate, just outside the door.
Your breath catches and slowed. Your pulse hammers against your ribs. Every muscle in your body locks as your mind races. Did someone hear? Did they see her come in? Are they standing there, listening? Your fingers dig into your palms. You feel Ella's grip on your arm, tight and shaking. You don't dare move.
The air is too thick. Ella's breathing is too loud. The blood—God, the blood—it's still spreading, a damning stain on the floor.If they knock, what do you do? If they call her name, do you answer? If they try to open the door—
Then—
No. No, no, no.
You swallow a scream, eyes darting to the door, your body stiff and cold.
The door.
It's open!!!!!
Though slightly.
A sliver of the hallway, a crack of dim hostel light spilling into the room, a pathway straight to the horror on the floor. Your stomach twists violently. How? When? Did they see? Did they—
Then Ella moves.
Fast. Almost too fast. Faster than the first time she closed the stupid door. Her bare feet barely make a sound against the floor as she lunges. Maybe because she wasn't wearing anything to make her body heavy, maybe because..
The door swings shut just as the unseen person reaches for it.
"CRACK"
A sharp yelp of pain pierces the suffocating silence.
Your blood turns ice cold.
A muffled curse. A sharp inhale. The sound of fingers pulling back, of shifting weight. Your breath locks in your throat. Ella hesitates for half a second—too long—before wrenching the door open just enough to poke her head out.
You can't move. Can't breathe. You press yourself against the wall, body trembling, ears straining for every single sound.
Then Ella speaks. Her voice is controlled, barely above a whisper, thick with concern but not panic. Not suspicion.
"Jesus, you dey okay?"
A sniff. A shaky exhale from the unknown visitor.
" Ella, which kind nonsense be that, you wan break my hand?" The voice is irritated, pained, but casual. Clueless. "Good. Good", you thought .
"Which kind talk be that? Because she I even tell you sorry abi? Na your room be this? Wetin you dey find for here self?" Ella said appearing utterly angry.
"You couldn't breath, is Ella serious right now?" You ask yourself. "Or is it all part of a plan?"
" No vex abeg, as you close that door, you jam my hand na" Ella didn't respond, you could see the fake anger still there on her face. "I bin wan ask if you dey okay, I hear as something fall for your room".
Your stomach drops. That should be when the chair fell, and when all the whole struggle was going on.
"Oh, I dey okay, na my chair fall, nothing much", Ella replied after a little hesitation.
Ella's hesitation is barely noticeable. Barely.
"Ok, no wahala, make I dey go na" the voice said, while her footsteps already recided.
"Thank you Sha, you self dey try, but next time knock before you open or try to open" Ella advised
"E don do na, I don hear" Ella retrieved her head when the final question came. A question you thought will determine your fate.
"You dey go night class?"
Silence. A shift of weight. Your fingernails dig into your palms so hard it stings.
"Maybe, I fit go, I fit no go"
A small chuckle. "No wahala" A shuffling of feet. Then—mercifully—retreating steps down the hall.
"How about your roommates them? Them dey go?" A door opens and you could swear you hate that girl for asking so much questions.
You know her name to be Ima-abasi, one of the girls occupying the hostel room close to yours. No special relationship except that she has always been nice and caring to you, same way she has been nice and caring to every other person. But not today, the last thing you need now is nice. That's exactly what a rumor bird is. Even the devil is nice.
"Oh, Chioma don travel, I no know where Edidiong dey, maybe she don even go night class Sha" Ella responded.
"Abi oh, I hear say she wan carry first class", you hear her say before Ella closes the door.
The moment Ella closes the door, locking it this time. Nobody moves as you both remains silent.
You hear the sound of a door closing and the dam inside you breaks. You suck in a shuddering breath, your entire body vibrating with the force of your heartbeat.
Ella turns to you, eyes wild, chest heaving. Neither of you speak. You don't have to.
The body is still there. The blood is still wet. And you were seconds away from being caught.