WebNovels

Chapter 1 - Golden Dust

Lightning flashed beneath thick dark clouds, coating the sky with its unnatural tapestry. It weaved and webbed, like the horizon had shattered and pieces of the heavens were falling on earth. Or at least that's how I would have described it. Shit was scary; my heart trembled and my body shivered at the sound of thunder that seemed to want to tear the world asunder. Only after gazing at the sky for a while, watching the never ending crackling within, did I notice that something was wrong.

Ah, where am I? The soft embrace of my blanket, the caress of my pillows, the warmth of my room and the strawberry scent from my candle were all gone, replaced by thick grassy smell and hints of petrichor. The cold wind bit into my skin, caressing my exposed arms and although there were no insects to bite, I wasn't blind that I couldn't see the gigantic stems of trees that littered the expanse before me.

How did I get to a forest? Was I kidnapped? Without my knowing?

To say I was confused was to call the ocean 'deep'. A vast understatement. That thing is unfathomable but that's beside the point. This can't be a prank, and even though vivid, for some reason I felt this wasn't quite real.

"That would depend on what you classify as real." I flinched, whipping my head backwards to locate the source of the voice. Aged and feminine and quite familiar, a visage appeared in my mind just as it did my sight.

"Grandma?" I tilted my head, brows furrowed, "When did you get there? I swear you weren't there a few moments ago."

Before me stood my maternal grandmother, old and frail as I remembered, yet undoubtedly the strongest woman I know. It's been a while since I've last seen her,... It's been years actually.

"You and your unnecessary skepticism, you haven't changed at all." she chuckled. 'Yet you've changed so much.' I whispered in my mind. She looked older, more tired than I remembered. Thinner too.

Memories of our last moments together flashed, clouding my vision. Suddenly, there's an awkward silence.

"I've missed you, grandma." My voice cracked, I could feel the tears welling up. Strange, why am I even crying?

"I know my boy. I know." She took a step forward and suddenly, she was standing before me. My heart skipped, aching. Guilt and sorrow took over and tears poured out. Why was I sad? Well, it's because I've suddenly realised that this was a dream. It all makes sense now. Yes, that's definitely the reason, not because I miss my grandma like hell and I just want to hug her forever like a baby. Not at all.

I wiped my nose as she pulled away, her eyes staring at me dotingly. Then, they suddenly turned serious, I felt a chill.

"My cookbook, Ruhei. Find my cookbook and keep it close."

What? What's that even supposed to mean?

"You must remember, Ruhei, that's everything I've told you has always been a lesson. Don't forget them for they are your only guidance in the dark times that's about to come." Grandma pulled away, floating backwards. Fog filled the forest, lightning began acting up once again and the thunder, which I just noticed reduced sometime between my pondering and Grandma's appearance, came back with renewed vigor, threatening to split my eardrums.

" Grandma, wait! Don't go! Come on, are you going to leave me behind with your weird superstitions again?!"

"Remember, Ruhei. Superstitions exist for a reason." and with that, she was gone. Vanished as suddenly as she appeared. The only thing stranger than her disappearance was how loud and clear her voice was even among the thunder. Did she use a microphone or something?

Oh God!!!!! I hate my dreams. How can a normal, perfect, reunion with my Grandma turn into this bizarre crap about a cookbook?

I sighed, exasperated. All this superstitious nonsense is why I left in the first place.

I better return to sleep. How do I even do that?...

***

It's early in the morning, the sun is barely peeking out from beyond the horizon, the streets are scanty; well, as scanty as Lagos street can be. Even this early the pedestrian walkways are crowded with beggars and civilians hurrying to work. Danfo drivers and their conductors loading, ticket thugs doing their own thing too.

A young man dressed in grey knitted sweater and a pair of khaki pants stopped before a roadside trolley.

"One cup of Nescafé, abeg." Stephen yawned while the aboki got to work, brewing a cup of instant coffee. He struggled to keep his eyes open yet somehow managed to maintain his vigilance before he gets woken up "Lagos style".

"Hey." Her perfume drifted into his nose, tapping his senses awake before her voice came. Stephen turned to flash a tired smile at his guest, his face creasing into a scowl when he laid eyes on her.

"How the hell are you even well dressed and not looking a little bit tired?" He complained and he gave her a once over. Her hair was carefully braided into two locks, minimal makeup, well ironed Palazzo outfit and black heels. Morayo looked like she was going to work, not even as a regular but as the boss in leisure. A complete contrast to Stephen.

" You've been working with the bureau for 5 years, you should be used to this by now." She rolled her eyes in reply just before collecting his instant coffee from the aboki. Stephen muttered and gestured for him to make another.

"But I shouldn't have to. Why would I finish night shift at 5am and be called back to work 6:30am?"

"Stop being a baby. I heard something serious happened." Stephen paid for the coffees, he and Morayo then began heading into an unknown street.

"They told you that much? All I got was "Be at this address in 10 minutes." Stephen groaned. "Guy, I'm so tired. I fit dey sleep walk like this sef."

The rest of the walk was quiet. They sipped their coffee, Stephen trying to jolt himself awake as the caffeine waged war with his brain.

They both arrived before a black gate, at the front was a police officer. Morayo flashed him her badge and he let her in with a nod. The air shimmered as they stepped through the gate — a ripple that brushed across their skin like static. It left a clean, tingling sensation, and the noise of the street dulled to nothing.

"They set up a barrier?" Stephen wondered drowsily when suddenly, his sleep vanished and his slumped figure straightened. His pupils constricted, he looked beside him to see Morayo with a similar expression as his; shock, fear, dread.

"What the hell happened here?" 

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