I can’t be hallucinating, right? I stared at the wall clock that read 11:58 p.m. “Two more minutes left till I turn 22!” I squealed in excitement as I awaited my birth anniversary. The clock finally struck 12, and I smiled widely, waiting for the messages to roll into my…

it had just been a normal night… — “A writer…” I said in a whisper. “Other 17-year-olds are thinking of becoming medical doctors to earn lots of money, yet, here you are thinking of becoming a writer!” Uncle Tom yelled in anger. Unlike my parents who said I could be whatever I wanted to be, these people didn’t…

i never should have forgotten… — The dim light bulb cast shadows over my face as I sat on the counter stool in the open kitchen. I shook the cup in my hand and watched as its contents twirled. The drink was meant to be a comfort, a distraction from the thoughts that haunted me. …

weight of nostalgia I gazed at the unremarkable ceiling and asked, “Do you remember the first time we kissed?” “It’s hard to forget our first meeting,” Dom whispered. I looked around, but I couldn’t see anyone around me. “Great. My life flashes before my eyes, and he’s the first one…

I was narrowly saved… I stared at the screen in horror as I re-read the message Ola had sent to me. I cleaned my eyes in hopes that I was mistaken, but no, I wasn’t. The message of him apologizing for asking me out as he had fallen in love with Adesuwa, the lead…

tales are just tales… or are they? I grinned as I placed the wooden stool on the verandah and settled into it, my eyes fixed on the other teenagers in our vast, fenced compound. My closest friend and age-mate, Ngozika, waved at me when our gazes locked. “Come and join us to play suwe, Chidera.” She offered. …

choose one! As I descended the creaky stairs, a gentle knock echoed through the quiet house. “Camila, go see who it is.” My mother ordered as she passed by me and went upstairs. Rolling my eyes, I made my way to the door. Through the peephole, I spotted a small child waiting…

all because of man! Goodbye world, till we meet to part no more. I squinted my eyes and clutched the rope tightly, which I had fastened securely to the ceiling fan. Suddenly, my eyelids shot open, and my eyes adjusted to the dimly lit room. My legs wavered, almost causing me to topple from…

get set…go! The sound of my labored breathing was drowned out by the wind rushing past my ears as I sprinted through the dense forest, leaping over tree branches. The hooting owls perched high above only intensified the urgency of the situation. Suddenly, a cry of pain escaped my lips as I…