The Ride

You reminisced hugging your mother real tight before stepping into the bus earlier today. You've always been the greenhorn of the house—you know; yet you fail to acknowledge that fact.
You definitely were missing your Mom, even when it's been six hours away from the motor park.

_{Image by Ana Sadli}

You've dialled your mother's number for like eight times within the late hours of the morning and noon, chit-chatting about the most gullible of things.

You were that same person who wanted to get admission into the University, and now, you're the one who's getting homesick. You decided to cheer yourself up and place yourself in the seat of anticipation of what the University of Abuja shall be like.

You were the antisocial type, but the girl sitting next to you seemed to be the exact opposite. She even spoke to you first. You didn't even know when you got comfortable and started talking with her, laughing your heart out at her every jokes.

The time reads 04:18 p.m., and the driver decided to stop at a canteen in Okene, Lokoja. Your new friend lures you into getting down to get something to eat alongside her, but you explained you might puke if you eat. She laughs at your response, but still forces you down the bus.

You got a can of energy drink from a nearby stall, and she decided to buy street food, packed in a 'take-away'.

After a few minutes of watching her muffle words while she ate, everyone got back into the bus and the journey continued.

An hour was engulfed into the journey when a passenger complained about being 'pressed'. Everyone, including the driver groaned in frustration, asking the young woman why she didn't do all of that when we stopped by the canteen a hour ago. She pleaded she eased herself.

The driver eventually granted her a chance to.

The door flew open, and off she went into the bushes. Your new friend teased you, wondering if you'd be in the same position as the woman if you had eaten anything. You laughed at what she said, taking notice of the direction the woman stepped into the bush.

Seven minutes gone, and she wasn't back yet.

The driver grits his teeth in frustration, cursing the woman as he tightened his grip on the steering wheel. A passenger added that the driver should continue the journey, since the woman refuses to return.

That was when you heard it: a cry.

You shifted your gaze from the driver towards the direction you felt the sound came from—the direction the woman went through. Almost immediately, the driver and several other men got down from the bus, in fear that something might have injured the woman whilst easing herself.

The cries continued. It was now more evident it was the cry of a woman. The men went through the bush, and the cry seemed to die down for a second. Everyone in the bus heaved a sigh of relief.

Then, another cry resurfaced.

This time, it just wasn't the cry of a woman. It sounded like a multitude of men crying alongside her also. You stared at your new friend, who stared back at you, puzzled. She got down from the bus, saying,

"Perhaps, they need help."

You wanted to speak, but you simply nodded in response.

Out of the blues, a humanoid figure leaped out of the bushes, landing just a few feet away from your new friend. It looked really odd to be classified a human. It was definitely naked and bare-skinned, covered in mud and slime. Its limbs were distortioned, and the head was rotating a complete 360° in an eerie way.

It let out a screech and extended one of it's limbs towards your new friend. You quickly reached for her hand, trying to pull her back into the bus. She, alongside everyone else in the bus were already screaming in terror. It was distracting and annoying, but you tried to focus your mind on pushing your new friend into the bus.

The creature caught her other hand, ripping it off her shoulder in the flash of an eye. Blood spewed here and there, in sync with the shrill cry that erupted out of your new friend's mouth.

You finally pulled her into the bus, and slammed the door shut instantaneously. This time around, the creature growled, probably beckoning on its kind.

They responded.

Several odd-looking creatures emerged from the bush, their form quite similar to the first you had an encounter with. A particular one stood out, it's chest having a sort of elevation on either side. You assumed it to be a female.

"The woman…" you mutter to yourself.

"Can someone here drive???" an old man cried out as the creatures lunged forward for the bus, pounding on it with their limbs.

You broke my gaze from the creatures, answering the old man, "I can."

"Just keep riding forward. Let's get out of here!!!" he yelled yet again.

You looked down at your friend, who had obviously lost consciousness because of her ripped shoulder. You turned to the young ladies behind you, begging them to tend to your new friend. They nodded their heads in unison.

You jumped to the driver's seat, propping your hand on the steering wheel. You started the vehicle's engine, and stared at the creature that seemed different from the rest one more time before zooming off to only-God-knows-where.