dead in

n’t come a

e with an unmistakable northern accent. If the conditions had been different, maybe I would h

I have watched lots of Hollywood thriller movies where the villain always finds a way t

a fork of sorts, with long moveable prongs on it. My ghost mind was torn between t

know who it was that pronged me from behind, but I was sure

er this time. “For the last time, who are you?” She wasn’t joking

m El

r, doesn’t r

s that ev

ns around here. Ho

me. I’m the one ph

N

to grow bigger by the second. How was I even able to feel cold? This ghost thing was really making me lose my min

says I’m the ninth kid

I felt the cold prongs in m

d, pouty cheeks and puffy hands and an expression that said they could kill you if you stepped o

nterested in the particular goat she was observing. Shaking her head slightly, she turned

yet she kept on moving, so I took a gamble. There was so much resemblance between her and Usman I decided that she could only be

people got very uncomfortable. The rest got immediately aggressive. She stopped and turned to face me. For a moment she l

ninth kid, Elias, or whatever you said your name was.” She said, and she was floating off again. “

tray puppy. So did my dying forebode death even for the d

pt moving on. “This is serious. How do

hild, I was used to undivided attention from both parent

don

… bu

irst time. She sized me up again, slowly this time. I surrendered myself to be manhandled by her piercing ga

d her finger, restricting my movement altogether. Her gaze now burned on to my face even a

looked at me as if she expected me

rly, she had forgot

y own demise to give myself enough time to study the book. At least I would be away from Usman’s commanding

are you tal

hi

my head around what just happened, she was already down, sorting through the

no no… It’s in h

uff?” I almost fl

doubt. As I reached for the papers, hoping to see if

, see

adjusted the paper a little away

e clock sat at twelve. The ‘hands’ of the clock were not just hands; they were keys of two different sizes. The kind with a round handle and two short horizontal protrusions at the tip. T

from Suliyat, hoping to take a cl

ith the paper, I felt a jolt of e

too. The light in the ho

’m the evil kid that breeds a curse wherever he goes. Just perfect. As the lights flickered, I spied someone at the other end of the ha

already” Suliyat’s ghost

. She was bent on the drawi

. I couldn’t bring myself to say anything. I merely

now. I imagined Adaeze and Usman squabbling over whose fault it was that I had di

away from reality with each glance in my direction. She didn’t seem to be as the others.

vertical tribal marks running down either side of her cheek that gave her the appea

ess took you?” I asked, unable

he darkness

it happen. Or were you no

idn’t even bother lifting her head to spare me a simple glance. I floated closer to her, close enough

regretting it. I sounded like

Elias, haven’t you figured

, and the triplets and the twin girls. That made them nine already. I was the extra. How come the others have not notic

o one has n

the most stupid questions

Adaeze knows every person that has come in to this house up till date. Th

what the house wants them

hou

You must have noticed that the hou

ut my guess is dif

stein. What’s y

ed to play it cool. There was no need stress

ou have been taken by the house

make that sort of

in. “Stop calling me

, or w

wasn’t worth

OOK Usman spea

didn’t bat

sman she could pass for his

” I call

ven listening

t do you think happe

’t give it a moment’s thought. I wondered what t

You all say that like it’s sup

espo

g to look

luck”. She didn’t ev