Ada had always believed that the worst kind of nightmare was the one that followed someone even after they opened their eyes.
But what happened to her that Thursday night would make her question whether she had actually woken up at all.
It started with a phone call, "Hello, who is this?" Ada asked, staring at the strange number on her screen.
For a few seconds, nobody answered, then a woman whispered, "Ada, don't open the door tonight."
Ada frowned, "Who are you? How do you know my name?"
"Just promise me you won't open it. No matter who knocks," before Ada could ask another question, the call ended, She laughed nervously and dropped her phone on the bed.
"Wonderful, now strangers are calling me to give me instructions, maybe I should also submit my daily report to them," she muttered.
Ada lived alone in a small apartment on the outskirts of Abuja, it was not the most comfortable place in the world, but at least she had her peace, or so she thought, around 11:40 p.m., somebody knocked on her door.
Knock, Knock, Knock..... Ada froze.
"Who is there?" "It's me, Ada, open the door."
Her mother's voice.
She rushed towards the door, but something stopped her, her mother lived in Enugu, there was no way she could be standing outside her apartment at that hour without telling her she was coming.
"Mummy?".... "Yes, my daughter, open the door, I am tired" , Ada reached for her phone to call her mother, but before she could dial, it rang...
MUMMY CALLING.
She stared at the screen, If her mother was outside, who was calling her?
She answered with trembling fingers, "Ada, are you asleep?" her mother's voice asked.
"Mummy, where are you?" , "I'm at home, of course, why are you asking?"
Ada could no longer breathe properly.
"Mummy..... somebody is outside my door, and the person sounds exactly like you," there was silence on the other end.
Then her mother whispered, "Ada, listen to me carefully, whatever happens, do not open that door."
The knocking stopped.
For about thirty seconds, the entire apartment became so quiet that Ada could hear her own heartbeat, then the voice outside changed.
"Ada, please, it is me," this time, it sounded like her younger brother, Daniel.
"Please open the door, i need your help."
Tears filled Ada's eyes. Daniel had died in a car accident three years earlier.
She stumbled backwards, "No. No, this isn't happening."
"Ada, I'm cold," the voice cried, "Why did you leave me there?" she covered her ears, but the voice grew louder.
"YOU LEFT ME THERE, ADA!"
The lights went off.
Ada screamed and ran into her bedroom, locking the door behind her, her phone slipped from her hand and landed beneath the bed.
Something scratched the bedroom door, slowly.
Repeatedly, then came three knocks.
Knock, Knock, Knock....
"Ada," the voice whispered from the other side, "you can stop pretending now", she wanted to scream, but her throat felt locked.
The bedroom door creaked open, a tall figure stood in the darkness... , Ada could not see it face, but she could smell the familiar perfume her mother always wore..
It stepped towards her, she tried to run, but her legs refused to move.
Then it leaned close to her ear, "Wake up, Ada."
Ada opened her eyes with a violent gasp, morning sunlight filled her room...
She was in her bed, sweating and shaking, her phone lay beside her, and the clock showed 6:15 am, it had been a nightmare.
Just a nightmare, she laughed, wiped her face, and immediately called her mother.
"Good morning, Mummy."
"Good morning, my daughter, why do you sound like somebody chased you through the night?", "Mummy, I had the most terrible dream."
Ada told her everything, including Daniel's voice at the door, her mother remained quiet for so long that Ada thought the call had disconnected.
"Mummy?"
"Ada," her mother finally said, her voice trembling, "Did you say somebody called you last night?"
"Yes, A strange woman."
"What did she tell you?"
Ada swallowed.
"She said I shouldn't open the door."
Her mother began to cry.
"That was Daniel's last phone call to me before his accident," she whispered, "He told me the same thing, he said somebody was knocking at his window, calling his name."
Ada's blood turned cold, before she could respond, somebody knocked on her bedroom door.
Three times...
Knock, Knock, Knock....
Then she heard her brother's voice, "Ada, wake up, you have slept long enough."
She stared at the door, tears rolling down her cheeks, because this time, she was wide awake, and whatever was outside knew it.
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