34. Valentine 101

Amara smiled as she saw the room key, a silvery sculpture, the numbers 101c boldly inscribed on its black plastic holder. It brought Uche her uncle to mind. He often told her little brother Richard and her tales, mostly scary ones, the one she remembered in particular was about a hunted and vague room 101c that often appeared and vanished in hotels at random. These rooms never failed to leave their occupants lives drastically altered, and that was if there was any life left.
The story that was frightening to her then was now completely hilarious she almost laughed out loud, she discovered many flaws and plot holes that she failed to notice as a kid as she relived the moments. It then dawned on her hoe much she missed her Uncle.

"Here you go, maam" said the concierge, as he put down her her suitcase. Amara scuffled with her bag and tipped him with a thousand naira. He thanked her and left hurriedly as if she would change her mind. Seeing the room 101c, it wasn't bad for one that was allegedly hunted, clean floors, plasma television, comfy bed and air-conditioning were all in check. "what a hectic day it was" she thought to herself, remembering how her flight was delayed, she arrived in Abuja very late. All the hotels were already booked because it was the 14th of February, a holiday Nigerians women never joke with. It saddened her that she was going to spend it alone in a room with just her television set. Ring!...ring! Went her iPhone.

"Hello, mummy"

"darling, have you gotten a hotel"

"Yes o, finally... and It lived up to its name, 9th miracle hotel, I thought I was eventually gonna sleep on the streets today"

"Oh, am so relieved. Truly a miracle"

"How is Kelvin"

"he misses you, a two year old still needs his mother.. we are in a church, somewhere that bastard Tony can't find us"

"When Benson revealed how Tony had promised our son as an offering to their cult, you stepped up and took Kelvin's safety into your hands. I can't thank you enough..."

"Nonsense, no one needs to tell me to protect my own grandson. I always said that guy was trouble, just look at you now running for your life. I just hope the police get him soon."

"Me too"

They both said their goodbyes. Amara unzipped her red gown and it slid to the floor, she studied her body infront of the mirror adjacent to the bathroom. She had just fled with Kelvin from an abusive relationship, she had scars to show, both physical and emotional but she still looked good for someone's former punching bag. Her long legs, average curves, and smooth dark skin still could attract masculine attention. She unhooked her pink push up bra and stepped out of her underwear, sinking her naked body into the bath tub she had filled with warm water, she slowly closed her eyes in an attempt to relax.

Ring! ring!, Amaka was awoken by the sound of her phone, it dawned on her that she had slept for awhile,the warm water now freezing cold. She scrambled to quickly pick the call but missed it at the last second. It was an usaved number
08030160101. her phone read 55 missed calls, all from the same number, it must be truly important. She quickly called back, It went on four or five times until someone picked.

"...."

" hello, good evening" said Amara glancing at the clock which read 22:10pm, she concluded she must have been very tired to have slept in the bath for hours.

"...."

Before she could say another word, the call ended, she called back several times but got a reply that the number didnt exist.
Suddenly she noticed her room door was slightly opened. She could have sworn she had locked it. Now she wasnt sure anymore, perhaps she dreamt that she did, she was asleep for almost two hours, anything could have happened within that time, She thought.

Somewhere in the halls of the 9th Miracle hotel, a catfight broke out between two friends who discovered they were dating the same guy.

"You two seem to be enjoying this"

the doorman that Amaka tipped said. Natty and Titi giggled

"Chidi, you know It's always lively on valentine's day" said Titi.

"Just look that the two fools, the usless man has even left them to themselves." She added.

"I just remembered, I was about to alert security" said Chidi

"Why, because of this insignificant scuffle?" Natty asked.

Chidi explained that he saw a suspicious guy heading to the first floor when he was comming downstairs.
The two girls laughed

"This is a hotel, these rooms are almost always filled by criminals" Natty ended.

Amara locked the door and landed chest down on the comfortable bed. She made calls to all her girlfriends, none of them picked up, she concluded they were probably at home or in a hotel somewhere making love to their partners. She even dared to wish Tony was with her at that moment, the soft and caring Tony not the berserk woman beater and life threatener he morphed into later in their marriage. She took out her diamond ring from her bag, admiring it. Thinking about how she was blinded by his charms, mostly his wealth and connections that she missed all the signs that he could have been a ritualist and a cultist. Despite how things turned out, she still loved him and she hated that fact but she couldn't deny there were some good times. He was once a good listener, a friend and still the only lover she ever knew.

Back in Lagos, Amara's mother was feeling uncomfortable. She had just gotten off the phone with Richard who confirmed he was safe and sound in his hostel. She had checked with everyone, they were all okay, so why did she still have a terrible feeling that something was wrong? She pondered.
She was always over protective of the two children she raised single-handedly. She usually had hunches when they were in harms way and was right most of the time. She even despised Tony the moment she saw him, being totally against the marriage put a dent on her relationship with Amara who was mesmerized by him at the time. Eventually, her late husband's family members forced her to bless the marriage when Tony showered them with gifts.

Amara switched on the television, it displayed white noise on channel 101, she pushed on the remote, the channel didn't change. she began to get a little shaken, she recalled that there had been a lot of 101's since she checked in, this was exactly how her uncle stories started out before disaster struck, the time she woke up was 22:10, which is 10:10pm, the strange number that called ended with 101 and now the television was stuck on channel 101.she wondered if she was paranoid, if her mind was just putting emphasis on subtle things.

Chidi the hotel staff discovered that the remote control batteries were worn out and replaced them, apologizing for the inconvenience. She was relieved. Soon a call came in, it was Dayo.
Dayo was an admirer she forced into the friend-zone because of Tony. However he never stopped making advances even after she got married. One time when she was vunerable she confided in him about a certain marital issue, he kissed her and she lost control and kissed him back, he was already fondling her body when she regained her senses and pushed him away, he bombarded her phone with calls since then although he stopped after months of her snubbing them, well atleast she thought he had.

"Hello" She picks, changing the channel to E! Entertainment.

"Wow, you picked, I thought we were atleast friends"

"What did I do?"

"You blocked me out, I was given no chance to apologise, I felt bad for making you feel guilty and i came to terms with you being something I just couldn't have"

"So all you wanted to do was apologise?"

Amara was somehow disappointed, she thought he still wanted her, subconsciously the idea gave her strength against Tony when he emotionally bullied her, atleast there was someone who wanted her, called her everyday.

"Yes, anyway I just called because I thought I saw someone like you a while ago, but I was busy and didn't know when she disappeared"

"It's unlikely, where did you see this person"

"At one 9th miracle hotel"

"Are you serious?"

"Was it you?"

"Yes"

"Wow, small world, oh my God!, am so sorry, you must have come her with Tony for the valentine, and here I am interruption your celebration"

"Tony and I are over"

"For real?... What happened"

"Really long story, am here in Abuja for meeting early tommorow"

"A photo-shoot?" she resented the fact she put her modeling career on hold only because it could lead Tony straight to her.

"Not really, and you, why are you here?"

"...well"

"You have a girl with you"

"Naa... I wish, but no, I was just tired of Lagos, I wanted something dif but not entirely different, so it was either here or PH"

"I see"

"Amara, I don't know if you are still ignoring me, but I'd love your company, can I come over?"

"Erm.."

She hears something shatter in the bathroom.

"Sorry Dayo, I have to go"

She droped the call before he could respond and rushed to see what had brokeb, it was the wall mirror, she also noticed that the tap was opened even though she remembered closing it. A cold wind came in through the bathroom window, bringing out goosebumps all over her skin.

Wondering why Dayo requested to come over so late, she glanced at the wall clock again, only to discover the time was still 10:10pm since she last checked, she was puzzled because the seconds hand was ticking just fine and she knew that about an hour should have passed since the last time she checked. The television was back to channel 101, displaying white noise patterns, that was when she noticed...

A spectre was siting backing her on the chair, watching the white noise on the channel 101 and seemed to be enjoying it.
She screamed and was sure it echoed throughout the building. With her knees trembling she made for the door, amazed that she hadn't fainted yet.

"you look like you've seen a ghost"

Amara turned the knob and almost flung the door off its hinges, ignoring the fact that a ghost was just talking to her or that it had a sense of humor. She nearly flew outside when she realized she would have fallen into empty space. Her hands were circling to maintain balance, she managed to hold the door frame.

"What do you want from me" she asked, turning to look at the spectre.

She noticed it was now standing, facing her and approaching her from behind hovering slightly about the ground.
It was from this view that she really saw what it looked like, a golden halo above its head that was clearly cracked in the front, its masculine figure and voice, he was bald and bearded. He wore a tux. the only things that made him look ethereal were the broken halo, his transparency and a large purple burning aura that shrouded him.

"Stay away from me ghost" she shouted, unsure whether to jump into the nothingness or stay and be captured by him.

"Ghost?, am insulted child" he said, pushing her shoulder from behind, Amara fell off the floating room into a sea of nothingness and the spectre jumped with her.

"You asked what I wanted with you... Yet you're the one who came to my abode, afraid to die. Isn't that why you sought and found me"

"What are you talking about, I don't know you, get away from me"

"You would soon discover, you would see for yourself."

She begins falling faster, her body crashed into the hotel room.

But this time things were different, clock time was correct, the mirror was unbroken, everything was in order except the blood all over the marble floors. It made a trail like it came from the bathroom, her head turned tracing it to the top of the bed. She saw the most gruesome of things.

A fresh corpse, it was hers, naked and stabbed all over, lifeless on the bed it was almost unrecognizable.
Then it all came back to her, slowly.
She recalled the room she was given was actually room 33. She had soaked herself in a bathtub only to be awoken by a hand to her mouth and a sharp knife pointed towards her throat.

"don't make any sound or youre dead" she heard from behind, she could see her reflection in the mirror. She looked so helpless, her attacker was masked and she thought his voice sounded familiar.

The hand that covered her mouth started running all over her naked body with the knife still kept close to her throat, a window of opportunity opened and she bit hard on his ear untill she could taste his blood, he began stabbing her, she kept biting, punching and kicking untill she passed out.

"Now do you remember?" asked the spectre hovering behind her.

"So, you mean it was all a dream, the missed calls, the television, the broken mirror, Dayo's call?" she asked.

"I don't know why he called you on the spirit plane, he might have something to do with your death."

"You have to send me back, I have a son, he is just two. I can't leave him defenceless"

"Worry about yourself, there are worse dangers to the dead than the living, especially the newly dead, my hotel room is the safest place for you at the moment"

"So you can't send me back"

"Look at that body, its already dead, I can send you back, but not as before, know should you are already dead things would never return to what they were"

"And just what would you take in return, my soul?"

" you insinuate am the devil?"

"Aren't you?"

"I am far worse, I would see both the forces of light and darkness destroyed"

His countenance changed and he sprouted wings like an Angel but she knew she was dealing with something more sinister. Just what was he?, she pondered.

"I am building an army, beings just like you, whom i have saved from judgment and condemnation, together we shall cripple the system and bring about true freedom."

"So in return I must join this army"

"No, you shall command it"

Behind the spectre opened a dimension like the fabric of space tore apart and she saw a mulitiude of spectres, standing infront was her uncle Uche

"I knew you would make it" he said smiling.

• Written by Akilo Joseph