Do you ever get the overwhelming urge to do something stupid or utterly unnecessary, like say wash your hands with antibacterial gel for the tenth time in a row or scratch and pinch at your skin where there is no itch; the urge so strong you’re certain you might lose your mind if you don’t indulge, if yo Continue reading
Family Time
Emem and Joe were playing in the basement, laughing like the 9 year olds they were when they heard the door creak.
They hid.
“Emem! Joe! Timi! Emem! Joe! Timi! ” Their mum called wandering in the dark basement trying to reach the switch.
There was no response. She was sure she had heard laughter Continue reading
Dying Twice
Two Imams are standing at your feet. They initiate the prayer. Al-Fatiha and others follow suit, quietly. Everything is happening so fast, you can’t blame them, your religion teaches the burial of a body as soon as possible after death. The prayer is ending now.
Your eyes flip open. Continue reading
TIMELY OMENS
Every day, by 4:05, time pinched her.
She had begun to notice it a few weeks ago. At that particular time, something always drew her eyes to a clock, watch, phone……something with a time display. At first she had ignored the strange coincidence, but it had gone beyond that now. Now, she was scared. Continue reading
REVERSE
I saw him waiting but I turned around his car quickly and drove into the only parking space as soon as the red car moved out. He came down and walked to my window looking very ang
ry. Continue reading
SWAPPED
Stephanie returned the diamond ring but she didn’t return Cyril- the cuddly brown stuffed-bear that her ex-lover had bought her. Cyril had become her friend and no one should return friends. Continue reading
THE ACHUBA COLLECTOR (3)
…
30 seconds to go, 29… 28… another hard lump falls, hitting your face. Your upper lip is bruised and bleeding. The other Achubas are still deliberating. A large lump falls on one of them. He slumps to the ground.
10 seconds to go, 9… 8…. You run into Tunnel C. It is dark. Ve Continue reading
FRIDAY, THE 13TH
Jason is standing in front of his classroom, Primary 1b. He has to explain why he came so late to school. He’s the class clown so his mates are already eager to laugh. But, Jason isn’t smiling. It’s 11:55a.m Continue reading
The Achuba Collector And A Riddle To Solve (2)
Just as the water starts to enter your mouth, the Gargoyle protecting the middle door opens the door. The answer to the riddle had come quite simple. Your sister Debby had asked you a similar riddle a few months ago. You asked the three Gargoyles the same question: ‘Point to the wrong door’. With one truthful and two lying, two gargoyles pointed to the middle door and one pointed to the left door. That was all you needed. You were sure that the door pointed to by two of them is the right door. Continue reading
The Achuba Collector
“… I do not ask for your mercy. I ask that you give us a fighting chance, a chance to survive, just as that Achuba gave you when he threw you into the well.” You say, stuttering Continue reading
FOUR
I wasn’t so sure if Mike was comfortable with the furtive glances other people in the bar threw our way.
Those glances.
We got a lot of those the next day when my wife and I decided to give Mike a treat at the state park. Our dog, Tommy, tagged along also, making purring noises all the way. One of the people that couldn’t keep their eyes off was a photographer. I had him take shots of us as we jollied around and then we took a couple more holding hands around the Christmas tree. I gave him my address and he promised to come in by 10 a.m. the next day.
10 a.m. and the pictures came in. The first one showed me, alone, with my hands around the Christmas tree. The next showed me, alone, arms spread out eagle-wing style.
“Photographer!” I shouted, quite perplexed. “What is this? Why is my wife, Mike and Tommy not captured in these pictures?”
“Sir, you were alone in the park yesterday” the photographer answered calmly.
I turned to my wife. “Sweetheart, did you hear this clown?” I said.
“Sir, there is nobody in here with us.” The photographer said again, his voice starting to tremble.
**
_Joe Aito
the dark notes 