When The Walls Watch: Chapter 1 (The Return)

The late afternoon sun streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows of Yewande's Lagos apartment, painting the stark white walls with a warm, buttery glow. The room, a testament to her hard-earned success as a marketing executive, was a sanctuary of sleek lines, minimalist furniture, and carefully curated art pieces. Vibrant Ankara throw pillows adorned the plush sofa, a subtle nod to her cultural heritage amidst the modern aesthetic. The air hummed with the rhythmic pulse of Burna Boy's On The Low, a vibrant soundtrack that usually filled Yewande with a sense of energy and optimism.

Today, however, the infectious rhythm did little to dispel the gnawing unease in her gut. The scent of frying dodo, a familiar comfort food, mingled with the rich aroma of freshly brewed coffee. Normally, these scents would have brought a smile to Yewande's face, but today, they twisted into something unsettling, a reminder of a past she had tried so desperately to bury.

A framed photograph on her sleek, mahogany desk caught her eye. It captured a group of teenagers laughing and carefree, their faces bathed in the golden glow of a summer sunset. Yewande, her younger self with braids cascading down her back, stood next to Ayodele, his arm casually draped around her shoulders, a mischievous glint in his eyes. The memory of his warmth, his unwavering loyalty, pierced through her carefully constructed facade of contentment.

A sharp rap on the door jolted her back to the present. With a sigh, she turned off the stove, leaving the plantains half-cooked. The doorbell chimed again, more insistent this time. Her heart pounded a frantic rhythm against her ribs as she crossed the room, her footsteps echoing in the sudden silence.

On the doorstep, a plain white envelope awaited her. The Briarwood family crest, a proud lion's head, was embossed on the thick paper. The wax seal, still unbroken, bore the same image. A tremor ran through Yewande as she recognized the return address. It was an invitation to return to the mansion, a summons from the ghosts of her past.

Inside, a single card, thick and creamy, bore the single word "Return." The elegant script, each stroke deliberate and precise, seemed to writhe on the page like a venomous serpent. Below the word, a date: February 13th, 2023. Exactly ten years since that night.

Memories, once buried deep, clawed their way to the surface. Chike, his voice dripping with disdain as he mocked Ayodele's artistic dreams during a drunken house party at the mansion. The memory of his cruel laughter sent a shiver down her spine, a chilling reminder of the darkness that lurked beneath his charming facade.

Imani, her eyes wide with fear, huddled in the dimly lit library, clutching a worn book on Yoruba folklore. Her whispered words, a chilling prophecy of unpaid debts and sins that cast long shadows, echoed in Yewande's ears.

But it was the memory of Ayodele that pierced her heart the deepest. The warmth of his smile, the gentle way he'd brushed a stray curl from her face on that fateful night...it all came rushing back, a bittersweet symphony of love and loss.

Yewande sank onto the sofa, the crumpled invitation clutched in her hand. A wave of nausea washed over her as the guilt of abandoning her friends resurfaced with renewed force. She had run, leaving them to face the consequences of their actions, the darkness that had consumed them that night.

The decision to return wasn't an easy one. Fear warred with curiosity, guilt with a burning need for answers. But beneath it all, a yearning for closure, for a chance to make amends for the past, pushed her forward. She would not run this time. She would return to Briarwood and face the ghosts that had haunted her for a decade.

As dusk settled over Lagos, Yewande found herself driving through the imposing gates of the Briarwood Estate. The once-grand mansion now stood as a decaying monument to a bygone era. The gardens, once meticulously manicured, were now overgrown with weeds and thorns. The air hung heavy with the scent of decay and unspoken secrets.

With each step towards the front door, Yewande's unease grew. The mansion seemed to watch her, its empty windows like hollow eyes following her every move. As she reached the threshold, a figure emerged onto the second-floor balcony, silhouetted against the fading light.

It was Ayodele, his face marked by a jagged scar that ran from his temple to his chin. The sight of him, alive but irrevocably changed, sent a shockwave through her. The impossible had become chillingly real. He raised a hand in a silent greeting, a flicker of a smile playing on his lips, a smile that held no warmth, only a promise of darkness to come.