Tag Archives: Fiction

A Brief Encounter

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You’re up to your neck in what you’ve convinced yourself to be organized chaos but is in fact is an apartment that has suffered neglect. You blame this on your long office hours, late home arrivals and necessary cable TV binging. It’s not your fault that your bachelor pad looks like a pigsty – and that’s describing it lightly. The deadly combo of unwashed dishes, laundry heaps, Addams family-sized cobwebs and dust mites would drive any sane person to do what you should have done months ago – hire the services of a professional cleaner. Little do you know that you’re in for more than a clean sweep.

Your girlfriend recommends a young man in his twenties who’s got a couple of cleaning gigs up his belt. He’s like Rambo in this game, armed with every germ-killing, dirt scooping equipment. He knows his onions and he is going to make your onions cry. In next to no time you can see a remarkable transformation – your nostrils have been released from the captivity of stale leftovers. You’re now living la vida loca – well it’s more like lavendar loca the way the cleaner throws you into a sneeze fest on day one. After you reprimand him gently he moderates his commando urges and eases off the cleaning spray trigger. Your home is inviting and neither you nor your girlfriend has any complaints. If only you decided not to watch that disturbing clip caught on your spy camera two days later.

It would have been better if you caught him stealing one of your valuables. You could even stomach him bringing one of his girlfriends into your bed (and of course send him packing). But he was rummaging in a place he shouldn’t have been – your dirty laundry. You watch in horror as he sorts through your office shirts, gym shorts, socks and then picks up one of your boxers. He stares at them in awe like a map discovered by Indiana Jones. You notice you’re getting uneasy as you continue to watch then suddenly the video starts buffering – fucking internet! Why at this moment? You know you shouldn’t continue watching but you can’t help yourself.

You’re back online and you see him bury his face in that underwear. What’s worse is that you can see him taking a deep, long sniff. ‘What in Tommy Hilfiger briefs is going on here?’, you ask yourself. It doesn’t end there. He cuts to the bathroom with his new ‘face mask’ and your spy camera is out of focus. Fuck! Your mind is playing tricks on you. You’ve seen enough and need to address this clusterfuck. You contemplate calling your girlfriend who referred him but you can’t gather the words. How do you frame the accusation? What crime has been committed? You believe ‘invasion of privacy’ doesn’t do justice to the matter. You worry that this could somehow disrupt your relationship so maybe it’s best to handle this man to man.

(To be continued)

Fiction: 2021 (Pt.2)

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I walked into my office and met the usual two early risers: one cleaner employed to vacuum-clean, mop the floors and wash dishes. The other was contracted to neutralize the Corona virus handle detailed cleaning, disinfecting and sanitizing of every visible surface in the entire office space. I knew the latter was hard at work from the offensive bleach odours invading my nostrils. No doubt about it – when it came to hygiene my office could go toe to toe with a 5 star hospital.

My colleagues began to troop in one after the other in mask-off mode. We had all gotten quite acquainted to sitting beyond spitting distance from each other. The result – tendency to focus more on the work at hand and less time for idle chit-chat or probable virus transmission. Lunchtime was implicitly observed at one’s desk or in the lunchroom if only one person had a 4-seating table to oneself. Unfortunately one could not exercise proper social distancing in the restroom (at least I can speak for the males). The urinals were not designed for this new era as evident from the distance between them.

Curfews had been extended gradually every fortnight by the state government until midnight but nothing beyond. This was obviously bad news for night crawlers but for old fashioned family men like me (Disclaimer: I have been known to have quite a few doppelgangers on the bar scene) I was happy to close from work and get home as early as I could. On that day in particular my wife and I were not eager to walk into a sea of scattered toys, a gallery of amateur graffiti walls and a solo-performance from our unsigned artiste (no amp required). We heard that a new movie experience was in town – at least new to Lagosians.

The pandemic took its toll on the local movie theatres while Netflix and Cable TV giants were cashing out on both the health-conscious and the care-free couch potatoes. One movie theatre decided to launch a drive-in cinema. You could enjoy your own air space, recline your seat to 180 degrees, mount your feet on the dashboard, binge on whatever picnic basket you prepared. Only thing I’d have to worry about is getting good seats parking space also within pee-holding distance to the restrooms. Movie wasn’t due to start for another half hour so we decided to stroll to a nearby bar to see what anti-COVID enhancements may have been made. We were pleasantly surprised…

Image credits: autojosh.com

Fiction: 2021 (Pt.1)

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I woke up tired. Thought about turning on the TV. But I quickly changed my mind; rather have a strong dose of caffeine than another dose of Covid news. Had a shower and threw some clothes on. Kissed my wife and daughter then grabbed my car keys and face mask. Whispered a prayer and ventured into the unknown. Just a typical start to the new normal.

Hit the highway and got lost in the soundtrack of my life. As I drove through lanes of masked motorists I recalled the last social gathering I attended – a wedding reception. There I was greeted with security detail brandishing digital thermometers. My wife and I had to produce our invitations to gain entry. Once in, it was a stark contrast to my pre-covid wedding reception of close to 1,000 guests. Due to the government restrictions around congregation numbers, there were no more than 50 scantily seated family members, relatives and close friends in attendance. It was still a fun party.

Red light ahead snapped me back into consciousness. The government had taken over many billboards as creating more hygiene awareness superseded the private sector’s objective of driving consumer purchases. Local celebrities were the new face of hygiene and social distancing compliance. Street hawkers became a thing of the past. The cheapest public transportation was by bus as most motorcycles were banned. The combination of these elements made for a reduced journey time of 20 minutes – usually 45 minutes.

Arriving at my office building, I go through the usual protocol with security personnel getting my temperature scanned and hands sanitized – a ritual that somehow was reminiscent of the order enforced in the Equilibrium movie. At the lobby my finger was going nowhere near the elevator button. Instead I used the corner tip of my ID card. 50 per cent capacity was observed once inside. Familiar faces were greeted with gentle nods. Hands tucked away in pockets or arms firmly folded. Soon after silence was golden except for the female elevator voice announcing arrival at my floor. I step out and head to my second home.

Photo credit: Dreamstime

Blog Wars

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It is the year 2021. Blog world has been riddled with mayhem as there is a never ending battle between the Bloggers and the Spammers. There is one blogger however called Luke Skywriter who is the best there is at blogging and he is the last hope to restore Blog world to a state of useful information circulation. His predecessor, Anakin Skywriter, was supposed to make this possible. The elders had noticed that the Words were strong in him at the tender age of 9. But following his transition to the Dark side he was presumed dead after an epic pen-fight with Obi-Wan Kenotey.

Luke Skywriter, with the guidance of Princess Writea and the Scribe training from 900 yr old Posta, was instrumental in his execution of a well-laid out plan to annihilate the rebels of the Spam armed forces. In a terrible twist of fate, Luke comes face-to-face with his arch enemy, the devious Darth Pager, who later reveals that he is in fact his biological father – Anakin Skywriter. The confrontation leads to lot of ink being shed during the posting battle but Luke rises victorious and the blogs are restored to full circulation in Blog world. He is now married to Princess Writea and has taken over from Posta to train young-lings in Blog academy. There he shows them the way of the Scribe. 

I salute Luke and all that he has done for Blogworld. He is the wordsmith that all bloggers would aspire to be. On that note I’ll sign off saying, ‘May the Words be with you’.

Tea with Gadhafi

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It was a turbulent flight into Libya – hovering at thousands of feet for hours as UN fighter jets argued over my complete disregard for the no-fly zone imposed on the war-stricken country. Unfortunately I didn’t get the memo. Alas I seized a rare opportunity to land when the fighter jets had to return to base for refuelling. I passed the desert where Gaddafi was believed to have been born. The air was filled with dust and smoke. Pro and Anti-Gaddafi protesters were in various streets giving bloody exchanges in broad daylight while police officials looked on. Army tankers were operated by civilians and teenagers were wielding sophisticated assault rifles. I caught a glimpse of vandalized barricades and then I saw the abandoned corpses…I suddenly wanted to turn back and go home but my mission had to be completed. As the only person crazy enough to accept this mission, I needed to find out if there was anyway to convince Gaddafi to stop the killings and reach an agreement that would please the Libyan people – their lives depended on it.

I made my way to Gaddafi’s palace and I was escorted by armed bodyguards – not your everyday hefty Club-bouncer types but beautiful women whom I pray you would never have the misfortune of underestimating. They were rumoured to be deadly and quick to take care of any dirty business for their beloved dictator (So I did a good job of keeping my eyes off their assets). To my surprise we didn’t sit in the grandeur of hs lavish living rooms or terraces but in a large tent covered in lace pillows and mats made from raffia palms. There he was – Gaddafi in his elegant attire and that dazed look he wears so well like he was trying to recover from a never-ending hangover. We exchanged our Salaam Walekum-Walekum Salaams with a millisecond embrace. He motioned for me to sit and the bodyguards forced me down by my shoulders. It was going to be an interview like no other.

As I was trying to figure out the most comfortable way to fold my legs on the mat Gaddafi was brandishing a torch (don’t panic)…a Blackberry Torch. When I asked if we could start the interview he asked me to give him a few minutes while he finished chatting with al-Megrahi, also known to the world as The Lockerbie bomber (and there I was thinking he was chatting with his son).  I sipped on the aromatic  tea that was laid on a tray in front of me and almost felt right at home. Once he was through I told him what the media was saying about him – he didn’t care. I told him that the Libyan people were not happy that he usurped power for over 40 years – he didn’t see the big deal. I asked him if he ever thought of handing over to anyone, even his son – he looked confused. He didn’t say much and when he did I barely understood him (I can’t think why he didn’t allow me to come with someone who could translate gibberish).

One thing that he made clear was that it would be a cold day in hell before he would be overthrown in his own country, and that if the people could not show their gratitude towards him then he would have to show them discipline. He then asked me, out of his curiosity, whether I was Pro-Gaddafi or Anti-Gaddafi. I looked around at the hostile faces of the bodyguards. I remembered that I was on unfamiliar terrain with no guarantee of a safe return home. I knew what I wanted to say but I also knew what I had to say if I wanted to make it out of his tent alive… 🙁

How would YOU respond in that situation?

Sources: who2.com

*New post on The Other Side: The Tourist – A true story*

The day I died

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I tried to remember what happened but I couldn’t. It was as if the last 30 seconds of my life were erased from my memory. I felt like a big weight was taken off my shoulders. I was floating into space. There, I could see the world for what it really was – a haven overwhelmed with more selfish, power-hungry scavengers than do-gooders. It wasn’t getting better with time. It was getting worse. But I still wanted to be part of this cruel world. I wanted to experience life outside my comfort zone. Sadly, that wasn’t to be.

You see, I was right next to the guy who took my rightful place. We were pretty much identical. We were also quite aggressive and against all odds we beat millions of other hopefuls to the promise land – but there was only room for one. We faced-off for what felt like an eternity and then I thought, ‘What good would it be if neither of us gets to experience life?’ ‘What makes me better than this guy?’ ‘Why do I deserve to go?’ I couldn’t answer that question. I backed down and let my rival get past me – It was an excruciating sacrifice. I was able to catch one last glimpse of new life in motion before amnesia set in.

What then was my purpose? I was no better than my fallen comrades who died in paper graves and latex coffins. I didn’t make first place. I felt like a pushover, a loser, a quitter. But there was one thing my rival said after I let him swim past me that I’ll never forget, ‘I won’t let you down’.

That wasn’t exactly a thank you but it was good enough. Today marks the day that he remembered me. He has experienced pain, hurt and anger. But he has also experienced peace, joy and love. With regards how he treats people I think a bit of myself rubbed off on him.

So though I’m dead I’m glad to know that he kept his promise…

The Haven

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It all happened so suddenly. There wasn’t any warning…but of course I knew there wouldn’t be. I must have been asleep when all of a sudden there was this f***ing siren blaring – it made me jump out of my skin. It was as is if the car alarms of just about every car in the world went off at once. I leapt out of bed and ran to the window – I didn’t see anything unusual but a few minutes later my neighbours started to come out one by one. I looked ahead in the distance and people were streaming out of their houses – Everyone with a mystified look on their faces. Nobody knew where this annoying sound was coming from but it lasted for a good hour. The power was out…but nobody cared about switching on their generators, strangely enough. I ran downstairs and walked past my neighbours, out of the compound and into the streets where more people swarmed…not in hundreds but in thousands.

And then amidst all the breathing statues something peculiar caught my eye…this little boy…with a look of horror embedded in his face. At first I thought it was just some ugly little kid yawning but this seemed different. The deafening sound was still blaring away so it didn’t occur to me immediately that this little boy was in fact screaming. He was looking around him…like he was looking for someone. I noticed a few other people also had the same horrified look on their faces and some were even holding their hands over their heads and panicking – Thats when I got a glimpse of what was happening – people were disappearing.

There were probably about 3 distinct faces I saw around me who, in an instant, were nowhere to be seen. The blaring stopped. I could hear that little boy screaming for his mummy now. People were frantically trying to use their mobile phones but there was no signal on every single network. All the cars along the roads had also come to a stand-still. There was hysteria – shouting, crying, cursing, praying…and then there was a rumbling…like thunder but magnified by a hundred. I looked up to the clouds like everyone else and I couldn’t believe my eyes.

It looked like the clouds were…extraordinarily animated…like something was about to burst out of them…and the cloud started inching its way closer and closer to the earth – that was when absolute chaos broke out. Everyone was trying to hide from the abominable cloud. Some ran into buildings. Some dived into gutters. I and some others hid flat under stationary cars. Some just kept running. I looked up from my horizontal stance and beheld what seemed like CGI (Computer Generated Graphics). It was a battle in the clouds between two armies all in celestial forms…they only became visible each time there was lightning. There was no blood but every few seconds something large would fall from the sky. One of such objects crashed a few feet from me. It looked human but it had two large stumps protruding from the right and left side of its back. In the sky it seemed bright white but it was now looking burnt to a crisp. More of these creatures were falling from the sky like meteorites. It felt like it would never stop until they had completely covered the earth. I was terrified. This freak thunderstorm wasn’t sending down rain – it was sending down demons…and they weren’t dead.

(to be continued)

Lurking in the woods I

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There was a group of teenagers who set out travelling in a car early one morning at 5am before the sun was out. It was still dark and the young guys left so early because they wanted to arrive at their destination before 1pm. In the car were four guys. They were all wide awake and sharing jokes whilst zooming down the empty road, that is, up until 6am when nobody was laughing anymore.

The driver in the car had noticed a figure up ahead by the side of the road. As he got closer it became apparent that it was an elderly looking woman in a dark long gown. She was waving down the car. The driver started to slow down but the other guys objected to him stopping for the old lady.He insisted however on pulling over because it was ‘his car and his decision’. When he pulled over to the side of the road, the old lady smiled and asked if she could be taken to a nearby hospital. On seeing the old lady’s face they all saw that she was bleeding from the head and her clothes were stained with blood.

Everyone in the car decided that picking up the old lady wasn’t a good idea so the driver apologized to the old lady and put his foot on the accelerator. To their surprise their car wasn’t not moving but it was making screeching noises. As the guys looked to the side of the car they saw that the old lady had her hand on the side mirror. She didn’t look like she had the strength to do it but she was actually keeping the car at a stand still. Simultaneously the car window came down automatically and the old lady stuck her head through to the horror of the teenagers and shouted:

‘ THE MOMENT YOU CROSS ME A THIRD TIME YOU WILL SURELY DIE!’

All the while the driver was still accelerating but the car was going nowhere fast until the old lady released her hand from the car. The car sped off into the dark and all the guys in the car were left in a cold sweat, cursing and panicking. They could hear an eerie but distant cackle which was supposedly from the old lady they left behind. The guy in the front seat wanted to go back home. The two guys at the back kept arguing about myths and legends being fact or fiction. Only the driver remained completely silent, being the one whom the old lady appeared to be staring at when she uttered the dreaded curse.

As the guys continued on their journey they noticed a similar looking old lady by the side of the road waving down the car. On passing the lady they realized the lady looked exactly like the one they had passed earlier. The panicking got worse in the car but only the driver continued to remain silent…nervous but silent. He eventually stopped the car in the middle of the road and broke down in tears. The other guys were bemused at his display and asked what was wrong. The driver composed himself and made an unexpected revelation:

‘The woman we passed twice is the same lady that I ran over last night. It was an accident… I swear. She died and I had to get rid of the body…I mean, I don’t want to go to jail. I didn’t know what else to do. I freaked out. Look guys, If I keep going further I’ll pass the lady a third time and I don’t want to die. You guys are going to have to find your way.’

The guys looked puzzled and thought that he was joking about getting jilted. They were in the middle of nowhere and there wasn’t a vehicle in sight for the last half hour. The driver wasn’t willing to drive back either because he risked meeting the old lady again. The driver insisted that the other guys hitch a ride and to also confirm if they saw old lady along the way. They did exactly that after getting on a bus soon after. By the time they reached their destination hours later they called the driver and reported that the old lady was not seen.. The driver was content and confirmed that he was on his way to meet them up in 2 hours.

However, 6 hours later the driver didn’t show up. By the time it was evening the other guys had no choice but to get a bus back home. He wasn’t picking up any of the calls the guys had tried making to his mobile phone. On their way back they noticed the driver’s car parked by the side of the road. They quickly alerted the bus driver to drop them off. They approached the car slowly and called out the driver’s name. The car doors were unlocked and the car key was left in the ignition but he wasn’t inside. They tried reaching him on his mobile phone again and they were startled when they heard a faint ringtone close by.

After they searched the front and back seats of the car they went on to check around the car and the nearby roadside. But somehow the ringtone sounded louder when they stood close to the back of the car. One of the guys suggested to check the boot…

Low and behold the driver was found…

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…dead. His eyes were glazed open

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…with a horror-stricken expression

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…because he was not alone –

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…Clutching his left arm

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…was a dead old lady

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…with an unsettling smile.
..xTx..

Lurking in the woods II

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The 3 teenagers jumped aback on seeing their dead friend and the dead old lady that haunted them hours earlier. One of the teenagers quickly closed the boot and took continuous backward steps away from the car. The other two had their hands on their heads and began fretting like real mummy’s boys. They swore and blasphemed while they walked round in crooked circles. All this while the sun was going down and it was fast becoming dark.

The teenager who had gone astray suddenly came to his senses and ran back to meet the other two. He ordered them to get in the car while he got into the driver’s seat to start the engine. His hands were shaking terrribly as he frantically attempted to turn on the ignition. Fortunately he was able to start the car first time. He switched the headlights on and then turned the car around to head homebound. The breathing and panting in the car was very heavy and the guy in the back was crying bitterly.

‘Vince is dead! Shit! Oh shit!!! I dont f**king believe this shit!…he’s…’
‘Shut up Simon!’
‘But he spoke to us…he said he was on his way…how the f’**k did he get in the boot with that old lady, huh? Answer me Jake!!! What the f**k is going on!’
‘Put yourself together and let me drive us back home in one piece, okay! Louis, check the glove compartment for the map’.

Simon eventually quieted down and started staring at the monstrous, leafless trees that streamed both sides of the dark, long road. Louis tried to break the unnerving silence by putting on the radio but to everyone’s  surprise he couldn’t tune in to a single radio station. All he got was an irritating high-pitched static.

‘It must be that there’s no signal around here’
‘Just check the map so I’ll know where to turn when we reach a junction. Simon! You okay at the back there? Simon?’

Simon was wide awake but he just kept staring at the side of the road through his window looking dazed. The guys had been going on a straight road for close to 45 minutes when they should have at least been in their county within the hour. Jake told Louis to check the map again but there wasn’t really much point because they hadn’t come to a junction nor were there any signs to help direct them. Jake increased his accelaeration but the journey just seemed to get longer and longer. Something wasn’t right and Simon was the only one brave enough to admit it.

‘Guys,… I’ve been looking at these trees… and there’s this one that looks like…like it has a face in it and…’
‘Huh? What are you talking about? Quit messing around!’
‘Look Jake, whether you like it or not I’ve seen that tree…like nine times already!’
‘Nine? All the trees around here look bloody alike! Shut up if you haven’t got anything better to say!’
‘Can’t you see it? Just wait for it…there! there! that’s another one! Louis did you see it?

‘Yeah! Simon is right. That tree is completely identical to the other one.’
‘Both of you have gone absolutely bonkers! We’ll soon be home.’

Simon and Louis counted up to fifteen face-embedded trees after which Jake couldn’t take the counting any longer and then he came to a screeching halt.

‘Would you guys just shut the hell up!!! I’ve been on this straight road for over an hour now and there’s no signs, no junctions, no cars and no lights ahead! Give me that map, Louis!’
‘We don’t even know where we are, Jake. That map won’t do any good.’
‘Why don’t you just do me a favour and dial for help!’

Simon tried to make a call but his phone had been barred earlier that day after he exceeded his talktime.Louis checked his phone and saw that its battery indicator was blinking – It was almost dead. Jake tried to make a call with his phone but he kept getting an ‘error in connection’ message. Still not satisfied, Jake asked Simon to get Vince’s phone from the boot. Simon abruptly refused and asked him to go. Jake argued that Simon was closer to the boot but Simon didn’t budge. Louis decided to end this verbal tussle and proceeded to open his door. He got to the back of the car and slowly lifted the boot open…with his eyes wide shut. He was bracing himself for the sight of his dead friend and the bloodied old lady…but he gasped seconds later…
‘LOUIS!’, Jake yelled from inside the car. ‘Have you found it?’

Louis was in shock…

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…as he discovered that the two dead bodies

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…had mysteriously disappeared. But there…

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…in the centre of the boot

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…lay Vince’s mobile phone

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…Louis quivered as he picked it up and noticed ‘1 new message’

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…he took a deep breath and opened the message which read…

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***YOU ARE NEXT***
 

Sender: Unknown

Lurking in the woods III

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Louis froze with fear as he stared at the deadly message he just read. His throat was dry and he felt a sharp pain in his throat as he tried to swallow. Jake called out to Louis even louder the second time as he was getting pretty impatient. Louis hurriedly got back into the car and threw the phone into Jake’s lap.

‘Thanks man. Whats up with you?’
‘Er…nothing. Let’s just get out of here, okay!’
‘Sorry you had to see…you know…’
‘Yeah yeah, lets just go now’

Jake started the car again and set off while Simon tried to make a call with their dead friend’s phone. Simon couldn’t make a connection either and said he would try a liitle later so as not to drain the battery. Louis deliberately didn’t want to cause a panic with the new information only <i>he</i> knew about. He sat quietly but kept fidgeting uncontrollably. Jake kept his eyes on the road but Simon noticed Louis’ suspicious behaviour.

‘Why are you so edgy Louis? You’re biting your nails and…’
‘I’m fine. Just try making another call, alright!’
‘Ok. Don’t worry, we’ll get through this.’

Louis didn’t believe that. He believed he was marked for death. He just wanted to know how to prevent it. He was too scared to look at the face-embedded trees they kept passing so he looked straight ahead. Suddenly he could feel the car slowing down.

‘What are you doing?’
‘It’s not me. Oh sh*t! We’re almost out of petrol! Not now for f**k sake!!!’

The tank inevitably became empty and the car stopped. Simon kept asking what they were going to do but Jake and Louis didn’t know what to say. They all tried their mobile phones again and they were desperate to hear a familiar voice at the other end. Indeed they got more than they bargained for when they heard a muffled voice in the car. No one admitted hearing the sound at first but suddenly there was a continuous bang coming from the boot of the car. It was a male voice crying to be let out. Simon sat up anxiously. The banging was getting louder and more aggressive with each passing breath.

<BANG!><BANG!> <Jake! Hello! Simon! Louis! Get me out of here!>

‘What the f**k? That sounds like…that sounds like…Vince?’
‘That’s impossible. Vince is DEAD!

<Is that you Jake! let me out! guys! can’t you hear me?> <BANG!><BANG!> <Jake, Simon c’mon let me out! Louis please!…it’s dark in here!> <BANG!><BANG!><BANG!>

‘He’s trapped in the boot guys! We’ve got to let him out’
‘Simon, Vince is dead! You saw it, I saw it, Louis saw it!’
‘Can’t you hear him or is it just me! He’s alive! He was alive all along! We need to get him out!’

<BANG!><BANG!><BANG!> <Please guys! Let me out!!!>

‘Be my guest but i’m staying put. This shit is all f**ked up and my head is really f**ked up’.
‘Well I can’t take all this banging anymore. I’m going to get him out. You guys are unbelievable’

Simon gestured to open his door but <Photo 1>Louis commanded that he stayed in the car. The banging was increasingly becoming erratic. When Simon refused Louis shouted at him and blurted that Vince and the old lady were not in the boot when he went to get the phone earlier. Jake and Simon were stunned after Louis spoke. They both looked at Louis with a puzzled expression but strangely enough the banging had coincidentally stopped.

Before anyone could say a word, they heard a sound like a key unlocking. The creaking sound came from the boot and all the guys simultaneously turned to the rear windshield to see what would happen next…

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The boot unexpectedly burst open with a thunderous bang…
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…everyone one in the car gasped and they quickly locked all the car doors

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Simon sunk into his back seat and started muttering a prayer…

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Louis crouched as much as he could but Jake trembled as he looked in his rear view mirror…

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At first he saw the opened boot but he noticed four shriveled fingers at the top edge…

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In a split second, the fingers slapped the boot shut to reveal the bloodied, darkly dressed old lady

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and this time…she wasn’t smiling…