The Midnight Invaders.

The repeated banging on one of the flat's door woke me up and I was wondering who it could be. I slept not long after taking some pain relief for my tooth which started hurting late last night.

"Is someone at the gate? Who could that be?" Numerous questions crossed my mind as I tried to figure out whatever was happening.

My head ached badly and I couldn't think as the ache kept interfering with my thoughts.

The banging didn't stop and I got out of bed at once. It wasn't the first time such was happening so I got my lamp and decided to check whoever was disturbing us in the compound because there are days when people lost their keys or probably forget them somewhere.

I was about getting out of my room when it struck my mind to check the time first and I had to reach for my phone by my bedside.

Upon tapping the screen, I saw 1:25 am and immediately realized that it was midnight.

"It's midnight. I thought I just closed my eyes now," I muttered while staring at the phone. For some seconds, I wasn't bothered about whoever was knocking, but when it crossed my mind again, I became nervous.

"Is the house under attack, I thought and quickly turned off my lamp as I heard voices whispering close to my window.

I kept quiet and paid much attention to the voices but they didn't sound familiar. I quickly dropped a message in the tenants' Whatsapp group but got no response.

I was about to proceed with my initial plans of going out to see whatever was happening when I heard footsteps again so I paused.

"Where is your husband?" An unfamiliar male voice asked I think immediately they gained access to the apartment door they were banging on.

"He is not around," My neighbour's wife answered.

"Where could he by this time of the day?" The voice asked.

"He didn't return home last night," She replied.

I paid attention to the conversation and suddenly my phone started ringing. It was my brother calling and I quickly ended the call.

I rushed to WhatsApp to tell him to stay quiet and his messages were already there waiting for me.

"Bro, it seems there is someone at my window. Can we check it?" He asked and I told him to turn off the light in his room.

I gently opened my door and tiptoed to Mom's room as well. She was fast asleep and I turned off the light in her room as well. I tapped her to wake up and did the same to everyone in the house.

I still paid attention to the voices and footsteps walking around the compound. I checked the WhatsApp group again but got no response. Calling wasn't an option because I didn't want to draw attention to the other tenants' flats when their phones started ringing.

I heard more than one pair of footstep approaching my flat and a male voice said, "He is around, the back door is open. Check the whole compound,"

"Assassin! Armed robbers" Different thoughts crossed my mind again and my heart raced.

"Why? Who could they be looking for?" I thought and kept every scenario playing in my head to myself because I didn't want to frighten my family. Their safety was my concern and I hoped we wouldn't have to face any life threatening situation from the invaders.

"He is here,"

"Don't let him run,"

"Shoot him if he does anything silly,"

Different voices said and the word "shoot" worsened my fear.

"They have guns," My brother whispered and I told everyone to lay on the ground immediately.

"Please don't shoot," I heard my neighbour's voice pleading.

"Why are you running?" A male voice asked.

"I don't know who you guys are so I tried hiding," My neighbour replied.

"You left your family to hide," The voice replied and immediately another person was challenging my neighbour's wife for lying that her husband wasn't at home earlier.

She tried apologizing and they continued asking questions while my neighbour was begging them to stop beating him.

I could hear the slaps and I felt terrible for him.
"Please I am not feeling well, I have a drip in my hand," My neighbour didn't stop screaming and his wife kept pleading too. I was really helpless and there was nothing I could do about it.

I reached out to my landlord immediately hopefully he could reach out to the local security but he wasn't responding, I bet he was awake as well but didn't want to put himself in danger just like every other tenant who didn't come out of their apartment.

"You are a criminal. You know it and that's why you are running,"

"I am not a criminal," My neighbour replied.

"So why are you running?" A voice asked and everyone became silent for some seconds.

"Handcuff him," One of the voices ordered and I heard the footsteps going in the direction of the gate.

"What could be the problem? My mom asked and I told her it wasn't the first time police had come to arrest the man but it never happened at midnight before, and whether it was police or not, it was not safe to interfere because of the insecurity in the country.

After we heard their car drive off, we stepped out and discovered that they actually jumped over the fence to open the gate from behind.

_{Image was captured by me}

I was really nervous because I thought my family could be in danger and everything that happened brought back a robbery experience I had as a kid. It was really terrible and I still can't take the memories off my head.

We asked the neighbour's wife if there was anything we could do to help and she said things would be sorted out in the morning. While on my bed, writing this experience as my response to the Inkwell nonfiction prompt, I can hear her making calls.

I hope I can get back to sleep after sharing this, they actually ruined my rest.