Darkness by David Udorah

'Goodnight, Mum'. 

'Yeah,  goodnight, honey. And don't stay up late this time'.

'Okay, mum, I promise', I replied. I smiled as I watched mum climb up the stairs to her room. It was past nine and I wasn't feeling sleepy yet so instead of going to my room and tossing from one part of the bed to the other or staring at the ceiling, I decided to watch the last three episodes of Game of Thrones, Season 6.

There I was until I started seeing Klaus fighting against Elijah Michaelson. While wondering what could possibly have caused the fight between the brothers this time, the next scene showed Dominic Torredo and his team jumping off a plane in their various cars and Romeo screaming his guts out. The cars parachuted through the air for some time and when they were close to the ground, they released the parachute. The cars came raining from above and were about hitting the ground with a heavy thud when… 

I jerked awake and saw the stupid movie still playing instead of pausing when it noticed I was no longer watching. 

Grinning at the thought of having an automatic TV that pauses whatever it's displaying until the viewer's attention is back on it, I headed to the toilet to relieve myself. Okay, I know it sounds a little weird, especially for a lady, but I must really confess, I love darkness. Maybe because I know the house so well, I can find my way around with my eyes closed. I like it when the lights are out, the quietness and ironically, the noise, or rather, the sounds of nocturnal insects and birds. Feels wonderful. 

Anyway, I opened the toilet door and felt the cool breeze rush at me from the open window. Enjoying the sensation for some seconds, I pulled down my pajamas and was about doing the same to my panties when I saw…

'Jesus!' I kept screaming as I ran out. The picture kept flashing through my head. 'Oh God! Oh God!' I was shaking all over. Oh!, that slithering head, the somewhat yellow eyes that gave me goosebumps and the feeling of evil. And then those horrible fangs and… and….

'Oh God!' I screamed again. It looked like it was gonna attack. What if it did? And how the fuck did it get in there? Oh!, this was one time I wished dad was at home. 

I heard mum hurrying down the stairs and calling my name. 'Joanne! Joanne!'

Too shocked to answer, I kept quiet. She rushed into the living room and switched on the lights. There I was on the couch with my arms around my knees staring in shock with the TV as the only source of light. She came close and asked what was wrong. 

'Come on, honey, talk to me. What's wrong?' And then I saw it again!, this time like a flash and then it was gone.

'I saw them, mum. I fucking saw them'. 

'No swear words, honey, I thought I told you….'

'Yeah, I know but I fucking saw them'. Now I was sobbing and trying to speak at the same time. 'I saw the yellow eyes in the dish, mum. The fucking yellow eyes with…with…vertical lines between them.  And then,  the fangs! The fangs with dilating tongue that…that….' I was practically out of breath. 

'It's alright, honey. You probably had a nightmare and saw a snake-like….'

'It's not a nightmare! I saw it. I'm not crazy, mum, believe me. Okay, you see, I was going to pee in the toilet. You know the toilet, right? And then from nowhere I saw it stick out its head from the W.C. staring hard at me.  I swear, mum! I wasn't sleeping. It was right there. I saw it!'

'It's okay, honey, I believe you. You can go back to sleep now. I'll just check it out to….'

'No!, please don't. It's gonna strike. I saw it. It was real'. 

Meanwhile, mum already walked straight to the toilet while I was talking and switched on the light.  'Ahhh!' I screamed. 

'Shut up, Joanne! It's late and  there's nothing here. Now go to your room'. She gave me that look that said, 'I'm disappointed in you'. 

Then she started heading back to her room. Scared to drop my legs, I tried convincing her. 

'I swear, mum. It was there. It was just….'

Then I remembered! I left the toilet door open when I ran out. What if it crawled to the sitting room and was hiding somewhere quietly? Or what if it had already crawled to other rooms? Oh my God! I suddenly remembered again. 

I never close my bedroom door! Oh God, I hate darkness! 

David Udorah is a young talented writer born and bred in Lagos. He is a lover of fiction and anything related to the arts. He loves singing, reading and speaking . He is currently a student of English in Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba, Akoko, Ondo State.