Moving into a two-bedroom apartment on the Lekki axis of Lagos Island was a fresh start after a messy breakup. I needed the distance, a place to think. But convincing the landlord had been a battle—his distrust of single male tenants was too intense. It was a chore getting this apartment as I had undergone a rigorous screening and scrutiny by the landlord who was understandably reluctant to lease out his house to a single male tenant for reasons best known to him. I'd provided two guarantors, my bank statement, a co-sign from my boss at the office and a referral from my previous landlady before he finally agreed to bend his rule of married couples only for me albeit a strict warning to evict me if I broke some of his rules with the most important being bringing multiple women to his house. Not like I had any plan of even having the other gender over, ever.  Unboxing my boxes felt like a chore to me and for the next two weeks, the apartment was left unattended with the boxes still left sealed. The only activities I did during this period were to go to work, eat out come in late and head straight to bed on a rinse and repeat pattern. My eyes were dull and my soul felt lifeless; I was like a non-performing character In a video game doing nothing but a pre-determined line of action by the game developer. 



It was a rainy Saturday evening and I had just finished unboxing and setting down the last piece of my pieces of stuff where I wanted it when I heard the gate open and a bus drive in. I was tempted to peek from the window but I opted against it not like it was any of my business. My stomach grumbled and I muttered a curse at the dispatch rider for taking so long to deliver my food. Ring! Ring! The doorbell went about 10 mins after and I made my way to the door expecting my food but was left with a confused look on my face as I saw a tall petite looking lady with a beautiful oval face and her big eyes smiling at me and a short robust man standing beside her with his hands wrapped around her waist. Hello! We're the Coker and we're your next-door neighbour they said. I remembered the flat next to me in my block was unoccupied; I managed to give a short curt reply and closed my door without waiting to receive a response.  What a weird couple I thought to myself as I crashed on my sofa, barely 1 hour into your new house and you're disturbing your neighbours already. A message popped up on my phone from the dispatch rider saying he wouldn't be able to deliver the food anymore for some reason and I'll be refunded. Bloody Cokers I cursed once more, it had to be them, coming into this place with their two left legs and jinxing my doorstep, I don't think we'll ever get along.



Ahhhh! I screamed as I repeatedly kicked the deflated tyre of my 2022 Toyota Camry out of frustration. I must have woken up on the wrong side of the bed today for everything to have been going so wrong. First, it was a missing file at the office, then a spoilt laptop charger and now this, and now it was looking like it was going to rain and this road looks deserted already. Mr David! I heard as I saw a Honda Civic car grind to a stop in front of me. Shit! I cursed under my breath as I pretended not to hear my name, of course, it had to be the Cokers to show up at this embarrassing moment, I had successfully evaded them for the past month since their arrival with just a curt greeting here and there and series of rejections to their various requests. Let's give you a ride home said the husband. I won't let you tell us no this time around Mr David the wife chipped in. And left with no other option, I grudgingly whispered thank you and got into the back seat. It was a silent ride home as I cursed the day in my mind, could you get any worse i screamed in my mind. I heaved a sigh of relief as we approached the house and probably as a punishment for cursing the day, a heavy downpour began. I said a curt thank you as I dashed to my apartment only to realise my pocket was devoid of that slight heaviness to indicate the presence of my key in there. God, please! God, please! I earnestly muttered under my breath as my hand slowly travelled to my back pocket with the hope that the key might be there but alas, it was as flat as a piece of paper as the only thing I could feel was the line of my boxer briefs. It was obvious I either left the key at the office or inside my car but either way, I knew I could not spend the night on my verandah and with small shameful steps, I made my way to the Coker's. I can't believe I'm doing this, I said to myself. It's been five long minutes of trying to decide if I should knock on the Coker's door, Standing outside,  my heart pounded in my chest. What was I even going to say? I could feel the rain starting to soak through my shirt. It was too late to turn back now; I raised my hand to knock, hesitated, and then..., the door was opened to reveal Mrs Coker herself. My hands were paused in the air in an awkward silence and I decided right there to turn back and just battle the night out on the verandah. Mr David! How long have you been standing here? Please come in, Mrs Coker said. Thank you I whispered as I took slow steps into the living room. The Cokers’ ante room was oddly sterile, like a showroom that had never seen real life. The air was thick with a scent that was both sweet and unsettling, as if masking something underneath.The living room was surprisingly tidy and sparsely furnished; a TV with a single console, two sofa chairs and a small centre rug which was a sharp contrast to my adequately furnished living area. Ahh! Mr David, I heard Mr Coker say. I'm sorry! I unfortunately left my key at the office and due to the downpour, I don't think I'll be able to head back to get it I was hoping I could spend the night here, and you don't need to bother about feeding. Oh! Don't be silly Mr David please join us for dinner before we usher you to the guest room for the night, we've been waiting so long for this day said Mrs Coker. I sat down at the dining table as I waited to be served my food. Dinner was Jollof rice and chicken which surprisingly didn't taste anything like I expected it to. It didn't have the smell nor the taste and it was just like I was eating a bland nothing. I thanked them for the food nonetheless making a mental note not to ever eat anything from them ever again. I Was ushered into the guest room for the night and I don't know, there was a way Mrs Coker had been ogling me right from the dining table that I found to be inappropriate for a married woman but I didn't pay attention to it but with the way she has knocked on my door twice in the space of five minutes to ask if I needed anything, I'm forced to be cautious as I wouldn't want to be misunderstood by her husband. I decided to lock the door properly to avoid any story that touched the heart. 



I took a good look at the room and I couldn't help but notice pieces of clothing littered all over one corner of the room I would've dismissed it as a dirty guest they had who couldn't tidy up properly and thus made a mess but my curious mind couldn't help but move closer. What's going on here? I asked myself. I was standing over littered pieces of clothes but the eerie part was that they didn't look like they belonged to a single person, I saw different types of wears ranging from an adult male to a child and I couldn't help but wonder how they got it. One night! Just this night! I said to myself as I made my way to bed. I must have felt so tired and slept heavily for me not to have heard when the door opened because I woke up to a figure straddling me and when my eyes were clear, I noticed it was Mrs Coker when it suddenly hit me! I locked the door behind me, didn't I? I tried standing up and shoving her away from me when I noticed I couldn't move my body. Don't bother! Mrs Coker said as she laughed out loud while using her middle finger to trail my body right from my mouth to my belly button. I've had my eyes on you from the very first moment I met you, she said and just over dinner, I couldn't get my eyes off you and I wanted to so badly swallow you upright there but I had to wait for the drug to settle into your system, and now I have you all to myself she said as she licked her mouth. What kind of mess am I in? This is why I always avoid people in general. Mrs Coker is a pretty woman, but I can't do it to Mr Coker so I decided to reason with her. Mrs Coker, we shouldn't be doing this you know, you're a married woman and I wouldn't want to do this act and sin against God and your husband you know. Hahaha, she laughed out loud uncontrollably as I panicked for fear of her husband walking in on us. Mrs Coker didn't stop laughing as she proceeded to undress me and soon I was completely naked on the bed when she spoke. Oh! Mr David, you're undeniably a handsome man but I'm sorry if you've misunderstood my intentions there. Babe! Hurry up would you? What?! Did she just call her husband? Omg! What will he think? I'm coming babe I heard Mr Coker reply to her before coming in with a big bowl that he kept beside the bed. Mr David! He said, you're not my type, but unfortunately my wife has set her eyes on you. I was confused as my eyes kept darting back and forth between husband and wife. Be nice baby Mrs Coker said as she stretched her hand toward my private organ and grabbed it. Let's start with this babe she said. Stop! I screamed if you rape me, I'll file a complaint at the police station for sexual assault so you better let me go I threatened with a stern voice. Rape? Mrs Coker laughed once more as she continued stroking my private organ which had unfortunately gotten erected by now. Give it to me babe she said and I watched Mr Coker reach into the bowl and bring a sharp knife with a glistening edge. What? My eyes opened wide. We're cannibals, my dear! Mrs Coker said and we don't enjoy normal food like other humans do, I'm sure you could've noticed from the horrible dinner we had. Water flowed from my eyes as I began to beg profusely, a stark difference from the bravado front I kept on earlier. Please! I begged, I'm an only child and my parents are dead, if you do this to me you'll only be ending my lineage please have mercy on me, I'll leave and never speak a word of this to anyone, please!! I begged. Aww you look so cute when you cry Mrs Coker said and I'd have let you go but I'm really hungry and I can't wait anymore. Alright, that's enough talk, garnish him with the spices and go start the fire baby she said to her husband but first let's cut this off she said as she grabbed my private organ and in one swift movement cut it off. 



Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!! I screamed as I woke up with my hand grasping my crotch area and my entire body drenched in sweat. It was a dream! It was a dream I said to myself as I heaved a sigh of relief having confirmed that my private part was still intact. I looked around and saw that I was in my apartment still unboxing. My stomach grumbled as I remembered that I was hungry. I must have fallen asleep while waiting for that nonsense dispatch rider. Ring! Ring! The doorbell went as I stood up with my mind made up to give the dispatch rider a tongue lashing as he was the reason behind this horrible nightmare I had. I opened the door and just as I opened my mouth to berate him, I paused in my tracks as I saw a man and a woman standing in front of me. Hello! We're the Coker and we're your next-door neighbour. My heart skipped a beat. Their introduction mirrored the nightmare. I forced a smile, feeling the weight of unease settle back over me. They looked ordinary enough, but my mind replayed the horrors of my dream."Ah, nice to meet you," I managed to say, my voice wavering slightly. I noticed Mrs. Coker's eyes linger on me just a bit too long, a hint of a smile playing at the corners of her mouth.As they left, I closed the door, bolting it behind me. I glanced out the window and saw the Cokers carrying in their boxes. A part of me wanted to believe it was all just my imagination running wild. But as I turned back to my apartment, I noticed something that made my heart race—a faint but distinct smell of Jollof rice, drifting in from under my door.Had I really cooked earlier? Or was my mind playing tricks on me?I clutched my Bible, whispering prayers under my breath, unsure whether to laugh at my own paranoia or dread what the night might bring.