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"Brother, I'm telling you, something is off about this village. It's not the first time Nneoma is warning me about the weird happenings in that family house." Chinedu said, his voice laced with worry, as they drove into their village, Ikem.
"Nonsense, it's just a rural area, and that's why you all attribute evil happenings to it. I've warned you and Nneoma to stop watching too many Nollywood movies; they're making you both believe nonsense." His brother, Emeka, replied, dismissing his concerns while still focusing on the steering as he drove through the dusty and bumpy road that led to their village.
They had received a letter from their cousin, Nneoma, urging them not to return to their ancestral village for the annual New Year festival. She hinted at a family secret that had let loose, and now there was a looming danger that threatened their lives. Chinedu was sceptical at first, but Emeka, the eldest brother, convinced him to make the journey with him.
As they arrived at their family's old mansion, a chill ran down Chinedu's spine. The once-grand house now loomed over them, its windows like empty eyes staring back.
"Welcome home, brothers." Nneoma greeted them, emerging from a bush path and forcing a smile.
“Nneoma, how did you know we were home already?” Chinedu asked, stepping out of the car.
“I saw you guys drive past the village square,” Nneoma replied, hugging Chinedu. “You guys didn't get my letter?” she added.
“I tried telling...” Chinedu tried saying it but was cut short by Emeka.
“Tried telling who? Eh, these children tried telling who?. And Nneoma, what was that letter all about?” Emeka said, stepping out of the car.
“Brother, I know what I'm saying. Our forefathers had a dark past tied to an ancient evil malevolent spirit, known as the "Egwu,” which now lurks in the shadows. Egwu was meant to protect us and secure the family's wealth. But since the deaths of our fathers, nobody has performed rituals to keep the covenant alive. It now haunts anybody that steps into that house,” Nneoma explained, pointing at the family house in her last sentence.
“You don't know anything. Is it not the same house that our forefathers lived in? So now, in our turn, suddenly there's a mystery. My friend, leave that talk and come and give me a hug first,” Emeka said, spreading his hands to let in Nneoma.
"Welcome, brother," she greeted, falling into his warm embrace.
"Exactly," Emeka replied, looking her in the eye. “That's what you should have done first before believing hearsay.”.
As night fell, Emeka lay on the couch in the sitting room with Chinedu watching TV when, all of a sudden, a strange noise echoed through the hallway. Whispers seemed to come from nowhere and everywhere at once.
"Where's Nneoma?" Emeka asked Chinedu, his voice firm but laced with fear as he stared at his brother.
"I don't know; she left a few minutes after we settled in," Chinedu replied, his eyes wide with terror.
“I just hope she isn't playing pranks on us,” Emeka said, reclining on the couch, his voice shaky.
Suddenly, the lights flickered out, plunging them into darkness. The whispers grew louder and more urgent.
"Run!" Chinedu yelled.
With that, they sprinted out of the house into the night.
But the darkness outside was alive, tendrils of shadow wrapping around their ankles like cold fingers.
“Chinedu, stay here; I'll go get my car keys. We need to leave immediately,” Emeka called.
But there was no reply.
He turned around but couldn't see his brother.
"Brother, help!" A voice screamed in the distance; it was Chinedu; he was being pulled by a force unseen. The darkness was consuming him.
Emeka ran after him and tried to pull him free. After many attempts, he succeeded and pulled him free.
With that, they stumbled back into the house, desperate to grab the car keys and escape the clutches of the cursed family house. They listened, and the whispers were gone.
In that silence, they searched the house for the car key. They could hear their own hearts beating. Then came a low, menacing chuckle.
The chuckling stopped, and a voice boomed from the shadows: "You should not have come here. Unless you want to renew the covenant."
Suddenly, the lights flickered back to life, revealing the scary sight of an invisible cloak. Their eyes froze in a permanent scream. They were truly not alone in the cursed house of Ikem.
Then the lights flickered off again, and the chuckling grew louder, echoing off the walls. Their doors were slammed shut.
“I've found the key." Emeka announced
With a surge of adrenaline, Chinedu picked up a stool in the sitting room and smashed a window. They leapt out into the night, got into their car, and fled the clutches of their cursed family house, leaving behind the horrors that lurked within.
That was the last time they stepped foot in their hometown.