Before The Dawn

CHAPTER ONE

04:00 Sunday, 24th February.

His phone rang aloud, Chris Brown was singing don't wake me up on it, but that was ironic cos he was awake already. He tilted himself back and forth on the mattress, he was worn out and his body was totally adamant to getting up from bed albeit the cacophonous sound from his phone. That was an alarm, he thought as he managed to roll over to the edge of the bed where his phone lay. He picked up his phone, the flashlight was blinking red, and he knew it wasn't an alarm, but a call or message. He checked the clock on the mantelpiece, it read five minutes past four, that was too early, who could be calling or could have messaged at this time of the day? He thought as he swiped the screen of his phone to unlock it.

Stephen was a drunk, but only on Fridays and Saturdays. He was a young and perfect embodiment of success. He graduated from the University of Lagos at the age of 21 and currently, he worked in one of the multinational companies in the country. At 27 years of age, he already lived in luxury, the kind his mates couldn't afford.

He stared at the screen of his iPhone X, hoping the caller would call again, but it was a long wait, no call was forthcoming. He needed to get back to sleep, and hardly had he buried his face in his mattress when the call that's going to change his live forever came in.

"Will you stop singing Chris Brown? I'm awake already" he gritted as he picked up his phone and glared at the anonymous number on the screen.

"Happy Birthday Stephen" a manly voice said from the other end of the receiver. Stephen was a jerk, he didn't remember his birth date.

"But today is..."

"24th of February" the voice interrupted

"This is too early, can we talk in the morning please?"

"I wish we could but I'm afraid you're not going to see the dawn" the voice replied, and despite the air conditioning was on, Stephen was sweating profusely.

"How do you mean?" Stephen asked trying his best to conceal the fear that engulfed him.

"You have an intruder in your house, and if you act lately, it may cost your life!" the voice replied. Despite Stephen was a night crawler, the man at the other end of the receiver had succeeded in intimidating him, and therein arose fear in him.

"You may want to confirm if I'm right, go to your kitchen and see for yourself!" the voice furthered.

Stephen rose up from his bed, and walked stealthily into the darkness of the living room. Many things were absurd, his living room had never been dark like this before, he scrambled on the wall in search of the switch, and he put the light on, the sitting room was how he had left it, but how had he left the sitting room?

He dashed into the kitchen, ensuring he wasn't making any sound with the flip flop of his slippers. He opened the door, it made a clunking sound and it irritated him, his presence had been revealed. He entered the kitchen to meet the shock of his life, the water was running from the tap and the gas cooker was on. He was startled as he moved closer to the running water, counting the steps he made in his mind. He turned the knobs of the cooker and the tap, and the silence resumed.

His phone rang again.

"Have you confirmed it?" the voice emerged again from the receiver.

"Y..ye..yes" Stephen stuttered, his voice trembled.

"Now go get the bastard intruder" the voice said again the line was disconnected.

Stephen picked the table knife from the racket, and opened the drawers one after the other, but there was no one. He was impatient, and he paced up the length and breadth of the kitchen. Then he stopped, it was a faint voice from the outside of the kitchen, he strained his ears again, the voice was coming from the guest room and he stepped out of the kitchen and proceeded up the stairs. The sound became louder as he approached the door, and he stood gaping at the door knob as trepidations overwhelmed him.

He pressed the button and the door opened, there was no sound again, and inside was a darkness that revealed a figure cloaked in black, and in hand with a knife whose tip drooled of blood. He was afraid and he staggered backward, who are you? He asked the thick darkness but no one responded. He asked again as he switched on the light, the figure disappeared and another tragedy lay comfortably on the bed, gnawing at him like a prey, that was Diana. He turned the switch off again, the figure was nowhere, and neither was Diana on the bed again when he switched on the light. He rubbed his face with fear, and sat at the door knob wondering why Diana suddenly appeared after three years.

04:30 Sunday 24th February

On the television was a voice, or rather a news report ongoing about Diana's death. He was the still in the guest room, seated on the floor when he had the sound from the television. He descended the stairs back into the living room, his face clouded with fears and his hands and legs trembled, knocking at each other as he walked. The living room was dark, and the television set was off. A figure crept into the horizon, approaching him with a club in the hand, Stephen moved backward in fears, he searched the wall for the switch but it was futile, the figure closed in ferociously, raising the club above the head in the way of hitting him, but just then his phone rang again, and the figure vanished.

"He..llo" he stuttered

"How is it with the intruder?" the voice asked

"This is not a human, I don't know who he/she is, and he has been tormenting me for the past thirty minutes!" he replied

"What do you suggest I do?" he furthered and the voice responded before the line was disconnected.

"Kill it!" he muttered silently to himself while staring at impenetrable darkness.