HIDDEN HOLLOW

Chapter

1

THE MYSTERIOUS GIRL

In a secret facility, hidden deep beneath the ground, scientists conduct classified experiments. The facility houses advanced technology. Some of the scientists are working on a bizarre and seemingly surreal machine. “Sir, it’s ready”, one of the scientists tells a man who seems to be the overseer of the experiments being conducted. “Superb, activate the machine”. The overseer said. The scientists begin to push buttons; switches are flipped, and a lever is moved. The machine is activated. A concentrated pulse of raw energy forms at a singularity humming with power. Unforeseeably, the machine stops working, and it appears as if there was a sudden but subtle fluctuation in time. “We’re making progress”, one of the scientists said.

Meanwhile, at “FL (future leaders)” primary and secondary schools.

The school bell rings… and the principal starts chasing the secondary school students with a cane in hand. This might seem unusual, but it’s quite frankly a normal thing… or as the students say, “a norm” at FL secondary school. The principal, “Mr. Ahmed,” is chasing the students out of the school because learning hours have ended, but some students don’t want to go home early.

“Omo see as I just dodged that man’s cane,” said Joseph. “Why that man dey chase us like that. That man na monster ajeh,” said Ayo. Ayo and Joseph are best friends and are currently in S.S. 2. As they walk along the street, their attention is captured by the sight of a short, middle-aged woman screaming at nearly the peak of her voice.

“HOLD HER! HOLD HER! SHE’S MAD OHH! SHE’S MAD OHH! Shock stirs in the two boys as they are stunned by the sight of a young girl who looks the same age as them running from the woman.

The girl swoops by the boys and climbs up a hill. “Let’s follow that girl,” said Ayo in an enthusiastic manner.

Ayo has always fancied bravery and is often very courageous.

“Guy, something dey worry you, there is a thin… no, a thick line between bravery and stupidity, and what you just conceptualized is the epitome of stupidity.”

“Guy doesn’t use big words you don’t understand.”

“What if the girl is using charm?”

“Joseph, why are you always afraid like this,” Ayo said while running up the hill. Joseph, in agonizing frustration, follows Ayo.

They eventually meet up with the girl.

“Go and talk to the girl,” said Ayo.

“You first talk to her, then if you don’t get punched or she doesn’t throw juju on you… I’ll talk to her.”

“That woman… was she your mother?” Ayo slowly engages her as he senses the weight she’s been carrying in silence. However, the young girl doesn’t respond to Ayo, almost as if he doesn’t exist.

Ayo starts slowly and subtly approaching her. “Ayo, don’t be stupid,” Joseph whispers silently.

Ayo then proceeds to capture her attention by touching her, but she didn’t respond likely; and as Joseph anticipated, Ayo got punched in the face. As a result of this flabbergasting action, their interest in following the girl is cut short. And the girl runs off.

Two days later… Ayo is outside performing his weekly routine of playing football on the street with a couple of his friends every Sunday. The ball is passed to Ayo, and Ayo commences running towards two tires standing beside each other with a significant distance between them. The space between the tires serves as an improvised goalpost.

Ayo is astonished when he sees the mysterious girl he had encountered running on the street.

It appears as if she is being chased by a couple of black cars with translucent windows. Ayo tells someone to replace him on the field. Ayo, being intrigued by this… decides to once again follow the girl.

As she embarks on a compelling run… she abruptly stops; subtly moves toward a tree and hides behind it. The cars swoop by, unaware that the girl had hidden behind a tree. Ayo, watching from a distance, is startled by the sight of the girl collapsing to the ground due to exhaustion. Ayo, gripped by fear, but simultaneously gripped by his obligation to do what’s right, decides to carry the girl and take her to his home.

John, Ayo’s elder brother, lounges on the couch as he watches the news on the television.

“There are multiple cases of mysterious murders around King Street. Citizens are advised to stay indoors,” said a reporter on the news.

“The police are unsure of who or what has been killing these people, as some of the wounds on the victims appear to have been caused by a wild animal,” said a police officer on the news.

“What’s going on in these streets these days?” said John.

KNOCK! KNOCK! Someone aggressively bangs on the door.

“Who’s that one?” said John while opening the door. To his surprise, his younger brother, Ayo, rushes into the house while carrying an unconscious girl.

“Help me, na” said Ayo while lying her on the couch.

“Ayo, who is this person…”

“As I was on the road, I just saw her collapse.”

“So, you brought a stranger into the house because you saw her faint on the road. Why didn’t you just tell people on the road to take her to the hospital, or call the police?” said John.

“John, you know the police are going to take a very long time before they come.”

“Okay, then, why not just tell people to help her?”

“I couldn’t... some people were after her… see, let’s just help her first.”

Ayo and John live relatively complicated lives. Their parents are divorced; their father lives in the United States and constantly sends them money to provide for their needs. They live alone in Nigeria. John is a final year student at university, studying petroleum engineering. Ever since they started living alone, John has always acted as a fatherly figure to Ayo.

“Pick now,” said John in frustration as he called the police and awaited a response. While John is trying to call the police, he is interrupted by the girl lying on the couch. “Where am I! Where am I!” The girl exclaims.

“Calm down, you’re safe now.” Said Ayo, to calm her down.

“You again, why are you after me?”

“Hey! Hey! You’ll be alright, just let me call the police.”

“No! Please… don’t tell anybody where I am.”

“Okay, who are you? Why would people be after you?” said John. The girl doesn’t respond to John; she just makes a silent but frustrating facial expression.

“If you don’t start talking, I’m calling the police,” said John.

“Please, if you tell them where I am… they’ll kill the three of us.” The two brothers, in hearing that statement, stare at each other in disturbing confusion.

As the girl sits on the couch, gripped by consternation and trepidation, she eventually starts talking.

“My name is Esther Williams. When I was much younger, before my life became a living hell, I used to live with my parents, but after my father died in a car accident, and my mother became poor. My mother, desperate to provide for herself and her daughter, decided to go down the criminal route. She knew a friend who offered to make us rich.” As John and Ayo listen to Esther’s story, they both give off a mixture of concerned, disturbed, and perplexed facial expressions.

“My mother’s friend advised my mother to tell me to join a particular group of individuals who specialized in hacking.

He said that they could teach me hacking, and I would help them hack into people’s bank accounts. The deal was that if I helped them, they would provide for me and my mother’s needs. My mother naively accepted the offer and told me to join these people.

After I joined them, my mother and I became rich. We then could afford our needs and wants. But everything changed when I hacked into a strange organization.”

“I just wanted to test my skills; I didn’t think I would even succeed.” She begins to sob but quickly stops. “But I succeeded. And after the day I hacked that organization, some men wearing black suits attacked us with guns; they… they killed everyone in the hacking syndicate. I barely escaped. Since then, these men have been chasing me. I told my mother and… and then… and then she was killed.” She starts sobbing once more but quickly stops.

“And since then, I’ve been going from place to place trying to escape them. I even told the police about what happened, but they gave them my location. These people even have ties with the police. It has been three years since all these happened.”

“So, you’ve been running from them for three years.” Said Ayo.

“Yes, assuming everything she said is true,” said John.

“John, look at her. Is this how someone who’s lying would act. And even if she wanted to lie, would she even think of telling us that kind of lie?” After John hears Ayo’s statement, he stirs to silence as his conscience and intellect begin their quiet war.

“See what is going to happen, Esther. You can stay with us, but you must never come outside of the house, no matter what. Ayo, you must never tell anybody about this girl. I hope you understand how serious this is.”

“Of course I do,” said Ayo.

“You’re lucky to have met us,” John silently whispers to himself.

In a shadowy, unknown site, two men engage in a conversation.

“Sir, we’ve gotten the location of Esther Williams. We’re just waiting for your orders to act.” One of the men said.

“No, cancel the search for Esther Williams. We have more pressing matters at hand...”