43 - Don't Blink

“I should have left for Ado-Ekiti earlier than I did. What was I thinking? That I’d leave Lagos 6 PM and get to Kendal’s school before 9pm? Jesus! I’m screwed now. Its 7:30 and I’m just getting to Ibadan. I’ll find somewhere to spend the night as soon as I get to Osun State. I can’t kill myself.”
I continued driving for hours, the silence frequently interrupted by the radio stations and their poor choice of songs. “I should be getting to Osun State anytime soon.”
Its 9:30pm when I finally get to Osun. “Jesus! It’s that late already? I really should find someplace to lay my head.”
After driving for a couple of minutes and not seeing anyone to ask for directions to the nearest hotel, I decide that the nearest tree I see, I’m spending the night in my car, beneath it. Soon after, I find a good spot with a tree big enough. I quietly drove under it, put out the headlamps, adjusted my car seat as far back as possible, I made myself comfortable. I closed my eyes and let the tiredness wash over me into sleep.
I couldn’t have been asleep for up to 30 minutes when I felt a strange presence. I looked up and sure enough, it was there. A figure was watching over me. The more I looked the farther way it seemed, looking closely at it I realized it was just a statue so I relaxed. Immediately I looked away I felt a strange presence and as I was turning my eyes back to the direction of the statue yo and behold it was right in front of the car just staring. I slowly reached to check if I had all the doors locked, thank God they were. It kept staring at me with a blank expressionless face like that for the next 20-30 minutes. It didn’t flinch, didn’t blink, did absolutely nothing but stand still and stare. I blinked for a second and it was no longer there. I wondered what made it leave now. I mustered the courage I had left, turned on the headlights and looked around. What I saw made my blood crawl, my heart gave way. Beyond him was a long line of similar statues, stretched as far as your eyes can see. In the form of Men, women, children, even crawling infants were not left out. The more I blinked the closer they got.
Seeing all of that, sleep deserted me, I couldn’t stay here much longer. I had to leave. I drove out and continued my search for a hotel since sleeping in your car has proved to be a bad idea.
Finally, I come across this signboard that reads “Hotel Seireitei welcomes you.” The joy that filled my heart cannot be quantified as I sped up to its gate.
“Oga gateman, una still get room for here?” “Sir, me I no know o, I resemble receptionist?” Ignoring his rude remark, I drove into the parking lot. I noticed not too many cars inside the building. I consider that strange because for a building this big with 3 floors, you’d expect more. I’m too tired to be bothered about this please.
I get out of my car, and walk into the reception. The receptionist welcome me with a warm smile
“Thank you for coming, what may I help you with?” “I need a room to spend the night, do you have any available room” “You’re in luck sir, we have just one free room available, you’ll take it?” I thought it strange, only one room left? Only 4 cars parked outside, this doesn’t add up at all. Then I remember what I saw beneath the tree.
“See question, of course I’ll take it”
I pay the required fee, and I’m handed the keys to room 100c, hopefully I’ll get a good night sleep and get to Kendal’s school before 10 tomorrow morning.
Room 100c was on the top floor. Apparently he was serious when he said they had only a room left. Different sounds and odor came from each of the rooms as I made my way to the far end of the room. Mostly that of the sex workers though. I finally made it to my room.
I tried opening my room but it won’t budge. I tried and tried again, still nothing. I started banging on the door out of desperation, but still nothing. One surprising thing was that nobody came out to tell me to keep it down. The sex workers are doing a god job I guess.
Just as I was about giving up, I noticed another room opposite the door and there it was, Room 101c.
I walked over to it and tried my key since no one was watching. Everything about the room was different, from the door to the interior. It was obviously more costly and it looked way too fancy to be located opposite a cheap room like mine.
I quickly settled down into the room, changed into one of the white bath robes. Super comfortable. I had a quick shower and I hit the bed.
Hours must have gone by or so I thought when I woke up. I was seriously hot. Sweat pouring down my body like rainfall. The pillows were soaked, the blankets were soaked, the bed, everything was entirely soaked.
I opened my eyes and the room as I remembered it was gone. It was replaced by this cubicle. The room was pitch black and was boiling hot like a bonfire was there in the room with me. I tried to move my hands but they were tied behind me. I felt helpless. In fact I was. This calm came over me, the kind of calm that devoid of hope. My heart didn’t race, my pulse was steady, and it seemed for death I was ready.
I felt the presence of another being. Walking around me, scratching his nails against the walls. The sound sending shivers down my spine, making me produce much more sweat. I thought in my head “just kill me already!!”I just lay on the bed awaiting his actions.
Suddenly a door swung open and light came into the room. On the other side of the room was rainfall, cool breeze and everything I would give an arm for at the moment. My captor came to my ear and said
“Do you want that? Do you want to feel the cold breeze caress your skin? Be under the rain? Too bad for you, you’re never going to see any of that again. You’ll live what’s left of your life in here with me. Hotel Seireitei has paid using you. ” He walked over to the door and slammed it shut. So hard it felt like the entire hotel shook. No ominous laughter, no evil speeches, no nothing. I was thrown back into the dark abyss with the devil as my companion. To spend the rest of my life looking at that.
Or so I thought.

I woke up from what was obviously a dream to find myself beneath that tree, surrounded by different shapes and sizes of statues and a note on the dashboard saying “Don’t Blink.”
Time: 1:31am.

• Written by Olatona Similoluwa