Chapter one - Friends

Anne sat at a spot which was overly familiar to her, and stared at the vast empty sky distractedly.

Since she got admitted into the university three months ago, she has felt the presence of a lurking danger, but couldn't tell what it was.

And now, more than ever, she could feel it. It hung heavily above her, like she could reach out and touch it. It filled her senses, making breathing somewhat difficult.

All her attempts to push the feeling aside only brought it more heavily upon her.

With a sigh, she gave up trying , and instead focused on the danger which she could almost reach out and touch, wondering what could possibly go wrong.

"Hey, Anne." Josephine and Naomi called at once, and Anne who was lost in thought was startled.

"You were gone for a long time." Anne pointed out to her friends, happy to be distracted at last.

"You should blame Josephine, it was all her fault." Naomi replied immediately.

"You know how untrue that is." Josephine defended, while she stared daggers at Naomi.

Both Naomi and Josephine had gone to get lunch, and Anne had stayed back to wait on them since she wasn't feeling hungry.

"We should head back to the class." Anne suggested, rising. The presence of her friends did not entirely drive away the feeling, as it came back to tease her senses. She figured out that she will feel safer in a class than in the open.

Her friends, clueless as expected, walked beside her to the class. They had no idea the feeling she fought within.

"Do y'all remember this spot? It's where we all met." Naomi said, pointing at a snacks store.

All three friends had met at the shop for the first time after an exhausted class. They were surprised when they discovered that they were in the same department and in their first year.

"I remember Naomi looking as scared as a frightened chicken." Josephine teased, and all three friends wind up laughing.

"I wasn't scared, I was only cautious." Naomi defended, but the others jeered playfully at her.

They soon got to the class, and located a seat in the middle of the class. The one thousand capacity lecture hall was nearly filled up as it was a combined class.

"I hope this class gets cancelled. I just want to go home." Josephine said, and exchanged knowing looks with her friends.

The hall suddenly became rowdy as students began to leave. Anne and her friends looked around them, and noticed that the students from the same department with them were still seated, and so they remained on their seat.

A few minutes later, the class rep announced the cancellation of the class, and Josephine yelped for joy.

"I said it, didn't I?" Josephine asked.

"No, you only wished it." Anne replied. She too felt pleased at the idea of going home earlier than planned.

"Are you happy now?" Naomi asked.

"We all are. We should head home." Josephine told her friends, rising while they followed suit.

They stepped out of the hall the same way they had stepped in, walking side-by-side, and teasing each other.

* * * * * *

It was 05:04 pm, and having slept for most of the time since she arrived a few hours ago, Anne proceeded to make dinner. She often joked that her family made her school from home not because they loved her too much but so that she could continue with the chores. Even though it is only a joke, Anne knows that to some extent it is true.

She hurriedly prepared dinner, did the dishes, and settled down to browse the internet. Logging into her favorite social media platform, Facebook, she met tons of messages from old and new friends, and as expected, she ignored them all, searching for the familiar name 'Collins-Maxwell' who over the years remained her favorite friend on Facebook.

Their friendship dates back to Anne's Senior secondary school days, Collins was in his first year at Benue State University and their friendship had blossomed since then. Their friendship had only a setback- her delay in responding to his relationship proposal. A message soon popped up at the top of her screen.

"Hello there, good evening."

Good evening, How was your day?" And so they talked about other things

like they always do.

"You mean you hiked to the main gate with your tiny legs?" Collins asked at a point.

"It wasn't so long a journey and mind you, my legs are not tiny " she defended. Just then her phone rang and it was Josephine.

"Hey, good evening ".

"Good evening, Exam timetable is out, we have less than two weeks before the exams commence ".

"Are you for real?? They've barely taught us anything worthwhile ".

"Maybe they will be more serious now before the exams ".

"I doubt that, anyway thanks for calling, did you call Naomi?"

"I will, after this call".

"Okay bye".

Wow! She exclaimed inwardly and told Collins of the latest development.

"You should quit Facebook for now and face your books instead ".

"I still have a week plus to prepare sir".

"I know but I want you to be serious and make me proud ".

"Make you proud as my Father or what?"

"As your would-be husband of course ".

"I have told you to stop dreaming, Collins".

"But seriously when will you give me a reply to my proposal?"

"You are right, I have to study for my exams. Good night Collins".