The shadows within
722 Words
WITHIN
A Nigerian Boarding School Thriller
CHAPTER ONE: THE WHISPERS IN THE DARK
The night air was thick with silence.
Not the peaceful kind, but the kind that made the hairs on your skin rise—the kind that carried secrets.
Divine Grace Girls’ College was asleep, or at least, most of it was. The dormitories were dark, the classrooms empty, and the security lights flickered lazily, as though too tired to stay awake. But somewhere, in the forgotten corners of the school, something stirred.
Something dark.
Something forbidden.
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Fifteen-year-old Oluchi Nwosu lay awake in her bunk, her heart drumming in her chest. She had been hearing strange sounds for weeks now—low whispers, footsteps where no one should be, and on some nights, an eerie humming that seemed to come from the old classroom block.
Tonight, the sounds were louder.
She turned to her bunkmate, Farida, who was snoring softly. If she woke her up, Farida would only tell her to mind her business. But Oluchi had never been good at minding her business.
She slid out of bed as quietly as she could, careful not to wake the other girls in the dormitory. The moment her feet touched the cold floor, a shiver ran down her spine. Something felt… wrong.
She tiptoed to the window and peeked through the curtain.
Her breath caught in her throat.
There, moving like shadows under the dim moonlight, was a group of girls. They were dressed in long black robes, their faces hidden under hoods. They moved in perfect unison, silent as ghosts, heading toward the old classroom block—the one nobody used anymore.
Oluchi’s fingers tightened around the curtain.
She had heard the rumors. Everyone had.
The stories of The Shadows.
They weren’t just senior students. They were something else. Something powerful. Something dangerous.
And they ruled Divine Grace Girls’ College in ways no one dared to speak about.
She turned away from the window, her heart pounding.
She had to tell someone.
But who?
Nobody ever spoke against The Shadows and remained the same. Some students had tried, but they had either transferred, fallen sick, or returned the next term as shadows of themselves—quiet, withdrawn, and afraid.
Oluchi swallowed hard.
She should go back to bed. She should pretend she saw nothing.
But something inside her whispered: No. Don’t ignore this. Don’t be like the others.
Her legs trembled, but she took a deep breath, straightened her shoulders, and made a decision.
She was going to find out the truth.
Even if it killed her.
---
THE DARK RITUAL
Senior Yewande, the head girl, stood in the center of the old classroom block, the flickering candlelight making her sharp features even more striking.
Eleven girls knelt before her, their hands raised in silent submission. The air smelled of burning incense and something else… something metallic.
Beside Yewande stood her two closest allies: Aisha Danjuma, with her calculating eyes, and Chiamaka Okorie, whose smile never reached her eyes.
They were the heart of The Shadows.
And tonight, they were welcoming new members.
“The light has deceived you long enough,” Yewande said, her voice smooth and commanding. “But now, you are one of us. The shadows have claimed you.”
One by one, the kneeling girls repeated the words.
“The shadows have claimed me.”
Yewande’s lips curled into a satisfied smile.
Divine Grace Girls’ College was hers.
And soon, not even heaven would be able to stop her.
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A PRAYER IN THE DARK
Far away, in the junior hostel, Adaeze Ojo knelt by her bed, gripping her Bible tightly.
She was only in JSS2, but she could feel it—the darkness in the school.
She had seen the bruises hidden beneath junior students’ sleeves, the fear in their eyes, the way even teachers avoided certain students.
Something terrible was happening in Divine Grace Girls’ College.
And she knew, deep in her heart, that God was calling her to do something about it.
She closed her eyes and whispered, “Father, show me what to do. Use me to bring Your light.”
Outside, the wind howled.
And then… the door creaked open.
Adaeze’s eyes flew open, her heart slamming against her ribs.
Standing in the doorway was a shadow.
Watching her.
Waiting.
- Writer
