Margret felt a tad bit hazy as she woke up. She had no idea why she had a kink in her neck. She rose a little, supporting herself with an elbow and massaging her neck with her other hand. Struggling to open her eyes, she wondered why couldn't feel her pillow, or why her bed felt hard like the floor, and why her shirt felt soaked. Slowly, she opened her eyes to a shocking realization.
The cold eyes of a lifeless Sylvester staring back at her!
She became fully awake instantly. Sickened by a pool of blood all over her, she quickly jumped to her feet, tossing the stretched arm of the body wayward. She started walking backward, her steps in sync with the rhythm her pounding heart was making till she reached the bookshelf separating her from the wall. Immediately, images began flashing to her head, and the pounding in her chest increased with every horror she saw. The horror of what she had done.
* * *
It was very unlikely for Margret to ever miss school. She was the most serious student among the four girls and although that Friday there was nothing academic to do in school because of the big football game their school had against Lakeville to determine the champion of the Interschool football cup competition, they had all agreed the evening before to be in school to watch together their school try to make history by winning for the first time.
It was already starting to be a sunny afternoon. The sun was lashing its rays on the grass of the open field and the players as well as a few of the spectators couldn't find shades but it didn't bother anyone, the atmosphere was perfect. The game was already fifteen minutes in already and Margret hadn't responded to any of their texts and calls and they were getting worried
"Have you tried her number again?" Joana asked June, trying to raise her voice above the cheering and the music that came from the trumpets and drums. Her worry over Margret divided her attention from watching and cheering on her boyfriend.
"Yeah, still nothing," June answered. She was the most worried of the three girls. Ever since that night, she felt that something was going to happen, that it wasn't over yet. And that feeling terrified her.
She shrugged. No matter what happens she had to conceal her fears, for Joana's sake. For her sake.
She looked at Grace who was absent-minded.
"How about you?"
Grace in hearing June, withdrew her eyes from who they were watching, Veronica. Like June, she had imagined things weren't over with Veronica and she made it her duty to watch the new girl every time she had the chance.
"What?" She had asked looking at June, then immediately remembered Margret. She threw a glance at the phone and realized Margret was calling. "Oh! She's calling."
June and Joana gave sighs of relief.
Grace put the phone to her ear.
"Hello? Babe where have--"
"Help! Please, come to my house. Now!" Margret said with a shaky voice then hung up.
"What's going on?" Joanna asked.
"We have to leave now. C'mon."
* * *
Sneaking out of school was quite easier than they thought. They had a lecture-free week that week because of their extracurricular activities and the big game. And at that time, the gateman didn't care who walked into the school or who left. No questions asked.
They quickly boarded a shuttle taking them to Margret's street and walked the rest of the way to her front door.
No one responded to Margret's door when the girls knocked and Grace with so much impatience in her had kicked the door open to find Sylvester lying on the floor, a pool of dry blood on the rug surrounding his body, and a frightened Margret who had as much blood on her too.
"My God!" Joana exclaimed at the horror before her eyes.
June covered her gaping mouth with her hands to prevent herself from screaming. Her worst fears were coming true.
Grace although shocked, was the only one whose mind was still active. She turned her eyes from the lifeless body to Margret.
"Has anybody been here?"
Margret didn't answer.
"Is anyone else at home? Your mum? Baby Stanl--" Her eyes opened widely at the realization of Baby Stanley's wail upstairs. "Oh my God, Baby Stanley!"
June and Joana's minds came rushing back but were too slow to react as Grace ran up the stairs as fast as she could, locating the room through his high-pitched cry which got louder as she got closer to the room. She swung the unlocked door wide open then rushed in to pick the baby up.
She placed her hands on his head feeling his temperature. Her heart sunk at the burning sensation she felt. The poor boy could have been crying all morning, she thought.
She started rocking and patting Stanley to calm him down as she made her way back to her friends.
Margret remained the way Grace had left her. Numb.
"I killed him." She said speaking for the first time.
"What no! You couldn't hurt a fly. Something must be wrong somewhere." Joana said reaching for her friend but was brushed off immediately.
"No. I killed him the exact way I said I would." Margret said withdrawing her shaking fingers from Joana's. "I'm a Murderer."
Joana became more confused.
"How you said you would?" She asked in bewilderment. "What exactly is going on here?"
June froze at the thought of her sister finding out about the game but was saved by an unexpected turn of events.
"That's not what you should be worried about now. You can ask questions later." Veronica said.
The girls were both surprised and alarmed at her presence.
"How are you here?" Grace asked.
"I overheard you guys at the game and sensed something was up. So I followed you guys here... Plus you left the door open." She said with a disappointed expression on her face. She shut the door and turned back to everyone.
"So, am guessing that's Sylvester huh?"
Grace felt angry at once.
"You are enjoying this, aren't you?" She said, trying her best not to startle Stanley who was already calm. "And why do you feel like you are a part of this all of a sudden."
"Because I'm your only option in making sure your dear friend Margret doesn't spend the rest of her young life in jail."
The rest remained perplexed.
Veronica sighed.
"How quick were you guys to forget my murder mystery skills? I can help you solve this."
"Help my foot!" Joana yelled. She left Margret's side to confront her. "For all, we know you probably have a hand in all of this."
"So what are you trying to say, that I killed someone I never met in my life?" She said glaring at Joana.
"Still, my friends have been acting weird since your stupid party, and now this... I'm sure It's all your fault."
Something sparked inside Veronica.
"Bitch please it was even your--" She started at first but stopped.
She wanted to argue but knew it was of no use. There would just end up passing blames till there was enough for everyone and that would just be a waste of time. The time that they were running out of. She sighed again.
"Look we don't have enough time, you want my help or not?"
Joana was about to return with a harsh statement but June backed her off.
"Jo, she has a point." She said placing her hands on her sister's shoulder.
"So you trust her?"
"No I don't, but as she said, we don't know what to do. We have been standing here for minutes without doing anything. Time is running out. Let's hear what she has to say."
Joana threw glances at Grace and Margret who showed their approval.
"Fine," Joana said. "What do we do now?"
Veronica let out a short breath and walked into the view of everyone in the living room. Her mind was off like a flash.
"We have to get rid of his body, and the knife too... Made it look like he skipped town."
She walked up to Margret.
"Do you know where your mum keeps her expensive jewelry, or where she stashes her money in the house?"
Margret didn't answer.
"Margret!" Veronica said shaking her. "You have to pull yourself together if you want to make this work."
Margret nodded and Veronica beamed a smile back at her.
"So do you know where she keeps those things?"
"Yeah, in a box under her bed."
"Good, go get them. And get out of those bloody clothes too... Now."
Margret felt like herself again. She nodded and went up the stairs.
Veronica turned to the rest.
"Okay, now we have to clean the entire room, leave no trace of blood or anything." As she was talking her eyes caught the body on the floor again. "We have to wrap him up in the rug. Come on." She said then walked over to the body.
The rest were shocked to see how she took charge of the whole situation. They watched in awe as she bent down ready for action.
Veronica raised her head.
"Guys, come on!"
With that June and Joana joined her folding up Sylvester's body in the rug while Grace, with the baby in her hand, watched and commended their efforts as they struggled each time they turned the rug over.
They stood uprightly immediately after, their panting audible throughout the room.
"Okay," Veronica said holding her breath. "We still have to leave this place spotlessly clean... And feed the baby too."
"I'll handle that," Margret said taking Stanley off Grace's hands. "Thank you." She said to Grace who smiled in return.
She had changed from her pajamas into a Jean skirt and a checkered shirt which she left open, showing her black tank top. She handed nylon containing the previous attire over to Veronica.
"I'm guessing this needs to go too."
"Yes," Veronica answered, tossing the bag to the corner where the body has been rolled too. "We can't get him out of here without raising any suspicions, we need a ride."
"But none of us have a car," June said, stating the obvious.
"My Uncle Kim does." Veronica replied "And I can go home, get the car and other things we need to get rid of Sylvester, and be back while you guys clean this place up. Grace, you are with me."
"Why her?" Joana asked in skepticism.
"You want me and you alone in a car right now?"
"Veronica is right, it's best I go with her," Grace said.
"Alright then, we will back as soon as we can. Good luck." Veronica finally said then left the house with Grace.
Outside the door, as they walked to the main road, Grace had pulled her back.
"This changes nothing, we're still angry at you."
"I know," Veronica replied, giving away no expression on her face. She turned back to the road calling on the motorcycle that rode past them.
"Bike!"
The ride to Veronica's had been a silent one. Grace had nothing to say to her and neither did she. And she understood why they were all angry at her. She had lied from the very beginning and now it seemed like everything that was happening was her fault. She knew that Grace had been keeping a close eye on her since that night, and she had used it to her advantage, acting loose so she could figure out what they would do next. She wasn't expecting a dead body when she trailed the girls from school to Margret's house, but she had hoped that this would help take some of the guilt away but it was clear from Grace's expression that that wasn't going to happen.Veronica didn't bother calling Hakeem, he was always at home although often left the house when she was around to give her space. She was counting on the former and it was indeed so. "Veronica, what are you doing home by this time? The game is over?" Hakeem asked as Veronica and Grace barged into the living room. He threw a curious
"Oh, my God Jo what have you done?!" Margret yelled staring at Francis's motionless body on the floor. Joana dropped the remainder of the broken vase in her hand."I-I don't know, I panicked." She stammered. "I thought were going to be caught... I can't go to prison." She started pacing back and forth a few steps, trying to catch her breath. Just then she remembered the front door was still open. She quickly closed it shut, turning the key in its mouth to make sure it stays closed. They all went silent. She might have saved them there, but it was only momentarily. And it could go worse from there. "Is he dead?" June asked sending Joana into action as Margret and her watch. She bent down towards Francis, reach for his upper neck with two fingers, looking to feel a pulse. While she did she held her breath in a short prayer as the story of her life flashed before her eyes. Lord knows how she did her best to stay away from trouble. She only wanted to be happy, grow up to be a fulfille
We had gathered all we needed to bury Sylvester's body. Margret had called her mother explaining to her that everything was fine. Everything was going according to plan. You might probably be wondering how a cute little rich Nigerian girl like me could come to have all of these ideas. It's simple. Back when I was younger, when all the other girls were engaging their fantasies with romance novels, I was a fan of murder mysteries. I read stories, watched movies, studied cases, and analyzed all of them. And don't get me wrong, I still had friends and I had fun. It was a weird hobby to my parents but it never stopped me from getting the materials I needed to continue. Who would have thought it would come in handy?It took our combined efforts to carry the folded rug outside to the back of the truck. I stood in front, peering my head out the door to see if the coast was clear before staggered out and dropped the body with a thud."Phew!" I exclaimed wiping off the sweat that gathered in
I got home that evening to find my mum waiting for me on the couch. I had frozen at the glimpse of her figure that was barely revealed by the dimly lit room. "Where have you been?" She asked coldly. "I was with my friend's ma," I answered as I walked into view of the room and tried my best to avoid eye contact as I did. "Since? And you took Stanley with you?" She yelled springing to her feet. I was tired, I was frustrated and most of all I was in shock. I was used to her shouting, her usual way of dealing with her stress was transferring her aggression from work to me. But I couldn't take it now, not this night. "And who was I supposed to keep him with? No one else was at home.""What about Sylvester?"Veronica had made me rehearse what I would tell my mum over and over during the ride back home. It was supposed to happen while she was relaxed and calm, the direct opposite of what was going on. Oh well, no time like the present, I thought."He is gone, mother! Your boyfriend aban
What do you do after buying a dead body?For me, I went back to my quiet little apartment. No parents. They died five years ago and the closest person I had as a guardian was my elder brother who was barely around due to the nature of his job. Efe, my brother was a journalist and you couldn't make it being a journalist in a small boring town like Ketu so he moved around a lot in search of bigger stories. On getting home, I quickly heated the noodles I had made earlier that morning before heading for school and headed straight for my bed. I did my best not to think about anything that happened as I ate quietly that night. We weren't caught. I'd sleep it off and by tomorrow I would be over it. Just then, my phone vibrated from a text. 'Hey, how u holding up?'It was an unknown number. I sat up, wondering who it could be. My phone beeped again. 'It's Veronica'It only increased my curiosity. 'How did you get my number?' I asked. 'I have my ways' She replied with a winking emoji.
I was pretty much pissed that night. Or maybe with filled mixed feelings. But I knew I was pissed. I was now stuck in the middle of a situation I never wanted. Veronica was bad news and I had that feeling from the beginning but I never pictured having to deal with a dead body afterward. If only Grace had listened when I told her. I was mad at her for that. Thank God we weren't caught, I thought as June and I trekked to our house that night. We knew our parents would still be at the store by that time so we weren't bothered about having to lie about anything. Thank God we weren't caught. I didn't know about my friends but I already had my life planned ahead of me. After graduation, I'd leave the town to go study Medicine at UNN and after spending seven years there, go on to further my masters and get my Ph.D. and finally become a certified medical doctor. I couldn't screw it up when I hadn't even barely begun. How the hell did we even get here? The girls had barely said anything whe
I was scared. The game came to life, Margret killed her mother's boyfriend, Grace was next and after her, I would kill my sister.I was also terrified of what would happen when Joana finds out what I did. I knew she was going to ask me what happened that night at the party immediately we got home and I couldn't help but think she would hate me forever if I did. So I decided to start avoiding her any way I could. I texted Margret and Grace that night immediately Joana confronted me in the living room begging them not to tell my sister anything yet. Margret didn't reply but I was sure to count on her.I knew I couldn't avoid her forever but I did my best to stay away from them throughout the weekend. I hung around my mum and dad mostly, knowing that she couldn't bring up the topic with them around. On Monday, I had hurriedly left the house before her even though we always walked to school together. I also couldn't bear passing through Grandpa's farm. It only brought back the images and
Love. Lies. Pretense.They never saw me coming but I was watching all along. This is just the beginning. They're all pawns in my game. It's just a matter of time. I'll show them. I'll show her.__________________Grace stood in front of Veronica's door later that afternoon contemplating whether to knock or not. On her way over she kept beating herself that everything was all her fault. If only she had stayed away from the beginning, if only had kept her stupid fantasies to herself, everything would still be normal.Her friends were no longer speaking to her. They never said any word to each other throughout the school hours till they got home and the same could be said for Veronica who had left her at the lab after she released her without saying a word.She had decided to go over to Veronica's house when she realized she was going crazy over the thought of her having to kill Raymond. Time was running out and she had to do something regardless of who was with her or not.Veronica was t