Early evening mrs lawal enters briskly, clutching her handbag zara follows behind, relieved.
Mrs Lawal
Mina, you're losing weight. And your eyes have you slept at all?
She hugs Amina firmly, then holds her at arm's length.
Amina
Mom, there's something wrong in this place. My shadow it doesn't move like me
Mrs Lawal
(firm, interrupting)
Enough. You're exhausted, that's all.
Amina
I'm not making this up!
Mrs Lawal
(softening but skeptical)
Darling, when we're stressed, the mind plays tricks. You left school, you moved alone it's too much change at once.
Zara nods behind her, grateful for backup.
Mrs kayode knocks, cheerful, with a dish covered in foil.
Mrs kayode
I brought you dinner. A girl can't live on noodles.
Mrs Lawal
(smiling)
You're too kind.
Amina
(blurts)
Mrs kayode, have you ever seen anything strange in these walls?
The older woman chuckles kindly, patting her arm.
Mrs kayode
Only when the paint peels. You're scaring yourself, dear.
Mrs Lawal frowns at amina.
mrs lawal
See? Even your neighbor says there's nothing. Stop feeding this nonsense.
Amina bites her lip, fighting tears.
They eat quietly amina keeps glancing at the walls.
Amina (internal thought)
It's waiting,watching.
Later, as they settle in for the night, mrs. Lawal hears faint scratching but ignores it.
Mrs Lawal (to herself)
Old pipes. Just pipes.
She rolls over and goes to sleep.
Amina
You didn't hear it? Something was moving in the wall!
Mrs Lawal
(firmly)
Mina, enough. I won't indulge this.
Zara
(quiet)
Maybe she should talk to someone... a therapist?
Amina
(staring at them both)
You really think I'm crazy.
Mrs Lawal
I think you're tired. That's all. We'll take you home soon, and you'll laugh at all this.
Amina
(Sobbing)Mom,even you don't believe me,you think I'm insane or you think I am creating this
No mom something's wrong with this house why doesn't anyone believes me
Mrs Lawal
Darling it's not that mom doesn't believe you but it doesn't feels surreal why don't you clear your head and rest dear.
That afternoon, mrs kayode drops off more food and chats warmly with mrs lawal in the hallway.
Mrs kayode
Your daughter just needs rest. These old flats get in people's heads but there's nothing wrong with them.
Mrs Lawal
Exactly what I told her.
Inside, amina listens through the door, hands trembling. The walls seem to hum as if laughing at her.
Late at night mrs lawal tiptoes to the kitchen for water. The apartment is silent too silent.
She sees amina asleep on the couch... but her shadow on the wall isn't lying down. It's standing, head tilted toward the door.
Mrs Lawal blinks hard. The shadow snaps back into place.
Mrs Lawal (murmurs )
No. I'm just tired. Just tired.
She doesn't wake amina. In the morning, she says nothing about what she saw.
Next day, zara visits again. Amina glares at both of them.
Amina
Still think I'm making it up?
Mrs Lawal (though skeptical)
I think you're stressed. That's all.
But when she goes to set Amina's phone on the counter, mrs Lawal notices faint hand-shaped smudges on the wall much too large to be her daughter's.
She wipes at them quickly. The marks smear and vanish.
Mrs Lawal thought internally
Old paint. Old paint. Right?
Late afternoon mrs lawal steps out to take a call while Amina naps. In the corridor, she hears soft laughter Amina's voice.
Mrs Lawal
(smiling to herself)
At least she's in a good mood.
But when she returns inside, Amina is still asleep on the couch, breathing evenly mrs lawal freezes.
Mrs Lawal (internal thought)
Maybe it's mrs kayode's TV Just that.
She shakes it off and makes tea, forcing herself to hum to drown out the unease
That evening, zara drops by with groceries. The three sit around the small table, trying to talk about normal things.
Mrs Lawal glances at a framed photo on the shelf Amina's graduation picture. In the dim lamp light, the shadow of the frame slides a few inches across the wall... even though no one has moved.
Mrs. Lawal blinks hard, rubs her eyes. When she looks again, it's back in place.
Mrs Lawal (internal thought)
Your mind is playing tricks. You're tired too.
Zara
You okay, ma? You look pale.
Mrs Lawal
(quickly)
Just low blood sugar. I'll be fine
Late night,mrs lawal wakes to use the bathroom. Passing the hallway wall, she hears faint whispering. Not words just breath, like someone pressed their lips to the plaster.
She leans closer, heart pounding.
VOICE (from wall, faint)
...Lawal...
Mrs Lawal stumbles back, slapping a hand over her mouth. She forces herself to calm down.
Mrs Lawal (to herself)
No. No. Old buildings creak. It's air in the pipes. That's all.
She refuses to wake Amina. Lies back down, wide-eyed, telling herself she imagined it.
Next morning, zara makes breakfast while Amina sulks silently on the couch mrs Lawal glances up... and sees a black shape clinging to the ceiling, stretched impossibly thin.
She almost drops her cup. When she looks again, there's nothing.
Mrs Lawal (internal thought, shaky)No. I refuse to believe this.
Zara
Ma?
Mrs Lawal
(quickly)
Just spilled tea. That's all.
Amina watches her carefully she sees her mother's denial cracking but says nothing.
Later, mrs kayode stops by with warm akara.
Mrs Kayode
How's my girl today? Feeling better?
Mrs Lawal
(stiffly)
We're getting her rested. That's all she needs.
But as they talk, mrs Lawal notices something on mrs Kayode's wallpaper faint gray handprints, almost wiped clean mrs kayode doesn't see them.
Mrs Lawal(internal thought)
Stop it. Stop looking for things.
She forces a smile and accepts the food.
That night, Mrs. Lawal finally dozes off. She wakes to find the apartment cold too cold. Amina is curled up asleep... but her shadow is standing over Mrs. Lawal, watching.
Mrs. Lawal freezes, terrified, refusing to blink. The shadow slowly tilts its head then snaps back flat against the wall as Amina stirs.
Mrs Lawal (whispering to herself)
No... no, I didn't see that. I didn't.
She presses both hands over her eyes, trembling but deep down, the denial is cracking.