Ever since returning from the Evil Forest, Ego had slept with one eye open.
Every rustle of leaves outside her hut.
Every creak of bamboo.
Every dog's bark in the distance.
Everything startled her.
Sleep came only in short intervals before fear chased it away again.
That night, she had barely drifted off when she felt the unmistakable presence of someone sitting beside her.
A gentle hand rested upon hers.
Then a familiar whisper floated into her ear.
"Ego... wake up. It is me."
Her eyes flew open.
The old woman sat calmly on the edge of the bamboo bed, smiling as though she had merely come to pay a friendly evening visit.
Moonlight streamed through the doorway, revealing the white wrapper tied neatly from her chest to her knees. Cowries and tiny broken mirrors glittered upon the cloth whenever they caught the firelight. Her grey hair remained as untidy as ever, hanging in loose strands around her weathered face.
Ego's heart almost stopped.
With a frightened gasp, she rolled backward off the bed and landed hard on the floor.
"You!"
She scrambled backwards until her shoulders struck the wall.
"What are you doing here?"
Her voice shook with fear and anger.
"How did you get into my house?"
"What do you want from me?"
"And how did you even know where I live?"
The old woman simply watched her.
She neither flinched nor defended herself.
Instead, she stretched out a wrinkled hand.
"Come."
Ego stared at it.
Then slowly shook her head.
The old woman sighed softly and withdrew her hand.
"I entered through your door while you were asleep," she replied gently. "I thought I would surprise you."
The explanation only irritated Ego further.
She folded her arms tightly across her chest.
"Continue."
The old woman nodded.
"I left my hut before sunset. I thought your village was closer than it truly is. Perhaps these old legs no longer carry me as quickly as they once did."
A faint smile crossed her lips.
"When I reached Umudibia, a group of women directed me here."
She chuckled quietly.
"You are quite well known in this village."
Ego's expression remained hard.
Not even the slightest smile appeared on her face.
She looked at the old woman the way one looks at a snake that has crawled into the house.
"What do you want?"
The question lingered in the room.
For the first time, the old woman's smile disappeared.
"Can an old woman not visit a friend?"
Ego answered only by raising an eyebrow.
The silence was answer enough.
The old woman lowered her gaze.
"I came to see how you were doing," she admitted quietly.
"You disappeared without saying goodbye."
Ego stood upright.
She tightened the wrapper across her chest before folding her arms again.
"So..."
"You are going to pretend nothing happened?"
The old woman frowned.
"What do you mean?"
"You truly expect me to believe you know nothing?"
Ego's voice rose.
"You lured me into that shrine."
"You watched while they tied me up."
"You watched while they accused me of murdering my husband."
"They forced me to drink that horrible concoction."
"I nearly died."
"And now you come here pretending none of it happened?"
The old woman's eyes widened.
There was genuine confusion upon her face.
She slowly reached for Ego's hands.
"My child..."
"I truly do not understand what you are saying."
"Sit with me."
"Tell me everything."
For a long moment Ego hesitated.
Then curiosity overcame her anger.
She sat down cautiously, leaving a noticeable gap between them.
Taking slow breaths, she began recounting everything.
She spoke of leaving the hut to answer the call of nature.
Of seeing the torches approaching through the forest.
Of returning to find both the old woman and Ogologo missing.
Of hiding among the trees.
Of being led to another hut.
Of the terrifying shrine.
The dibia.
Her mother-in-law.
The accusations.
The mysterious drink.
The unbearable pain.
The darkness.
The coffin.
Everything.
When she finished, silence settled over the hut.
The old woman remained thoughtful for several moments.
Then she sighed.
"My poor child."
She gently squeezed Ego's hands.
"I believe the fever was speaking through your mind."
Ego frowned.
"What fever?"
"The fever you had after I found you."
"...Found me?"
"In that shallow grave."
Ego jerked her hands away.
"What did you just say?"
The old woman looked at her steadily.
"I found you buried beneath leaves and loose earth deep inside Ajofia."
Ego's breathing stopped.
"...Buried?"
The old woman nodded.
"You were unconscious."
"Burning with fever."
"I thought you were already dead."
Every hair on Ego's body stood erect.
Her heartbeat quickened.
"No..."
She shook her head.
"That cannot be."
"It was real."
"I remember everything."
"The shrine."
"The priest."
"The drink."
"My mother-in-law."
"It all happened."
The old woman leaned closer and spoke almost in a whisper.
"Fever can be cruel."
"It can make a person hear voices."
"It can make them see people who were never there."
"It can make dreams feel more real than waking."
Ego stared blankly at the floor.
Her mind felt as though it had been torn into two halves.
One half insisted every terrifying moment had truly happened.
The other struggled to accept what the old woman was saying.
Slowly she buried her face in her trembling hands.
"...Am I losing my mind?"
"No."
The old woman's answer came immediately.
"You are not."
"There is nothing wrong with your mind."
Ego looked up.
"Then explain the grave."
The old woman's face became unusually serious.
"I will tell you exactly what happened that night."
She paused.
"But you must promise not to interrupt until I finish."