always

boss and

ness and som

safe and

bout a line... is not knowing

ding in Owerri, and the change was instant.The tension i

eels echoing down the hall

d slower, Softer

the radio played faintly in the background. My favorite song Ololufe played throu

n i heard

s sing whe

y pressed the iro

-shirt and gray joggers. No shoes, just casual,

n't hear yo

move. "Do i

" i

"That make

and left, the ghost of a smile p

hing odd tucked behind the pinned cleaning s

ten in a shar

balcony af

igna

new who

f me said i

et did no

lit by ground lanterns casting long shadows. I step

s forearms on the rail, a drink in hi

. "It reminds me of when this ho

letting the bre

y. "Do you stil

imes

f his drink, th

because i want to

ed, ca

mething that could change eve

"What kind

t makes peop

k like stones

anything," i said fi

on unreadable. "Even if it

u don't scare me lik

. A soft, amused sound th

but yours doesn

d. Not too close

this house, Tomiwa

ran down

do you

. "Not tonight i just i nee

u will

id

that answered something he

ose braid behind my ear his fingers brushed

t like the

ho them was, bu

p his drink again, and s

have wa

ed, buried the night li

stood

e spoke

ho you were... before y

quiet, but it

day," i

at me, but his s

t now i don't even know if i miss i

reply, i

to the dark pretending we were not falling

ke up to find another

. Midnight blue, embroi

e. No

sil

ized something terrifying,t