#THE_UNKNOWN (A series of short horrifying tales)
   
Author: Sam Freddy
   
Issue 4: NECROMANCER.
   
Part 2
   
    Friday. 5:15 PM.
   
    After a long day at work, I met Sewa’s friend Dorothy at the main gate outside. I was supposed to meet Sewa there, but I saw her white friend instead, chewing gum and popping bubbles with her back resting against the wall. She happens to be my coworker, and the smartest one among us all for that matter. She’s a mix of Mexican and Italian with long and wavy blonde hair, bright blue eyes, a straight nose, nice lips that were often coated in red lipstick, smooth cheekbones, deep dimples that could simply be seen through her smiles, a long, slender neck and a great shape that could easily pass for modelling if she wanted to; a goddess personified. Plus, she’s puffed with mad skills and has the tendency to misbehave often, like a crack addict. Sometimes I wonder how she could be so smart and versatile, yet so… random.
   
    However, I greeted her and she did the same, informing me about Sewa’s whereabouts before I could even ask. In her own words: “You were taking too long to show up, so she decided to go to the nearest ATM spot to withdraw some moola. Just chill. She’ll be back in a jiffy.”
   
    “You’ve got to be kidding me.” I heaved a slow sigh and rested my back against the wall too, feeling disappointed. “God, I’m starving!”
   
    “Me, too.” Dorothy said and popped a bubble. “I’m so hungry right now, I could eat a dead zombie.”
   
    “Gross.” I remarked and grimaced. “With all due respect, ma’am, I’m not that nuts. I’d rather wait for your friend to return so that we can all get something to eat at a restaurant or something.”
   
    “Good luck finding a restaurant that sells good food around here.” She laughed, blew and popped another bubble. “And, oh, speak of the devil!”
   
    Dorothy pointed in a certain direction and I looked at once, only to see Adesewa scurrying towards us. In no time at all, she covered the gap and extended a hand to me, looking all beautiful and sweet, as always.
   
    “Hi, Sam.”
   
    “Hey.” I shook her hand and smiled. “It’s good to see you, sissy.”
   
    “Pleasure’s all mine, douchebag.” She winked at me and withdrew her hand to embrace her friend. “What’s up, Doro?”
   
    “Cool, babe.” Dorothy replied, smiling. “Now can we leave here? I’m hungry.”
   
    “Sure. I am, too.” Sewa concurred, gripping her purse firmly. “I know a cool spot where we can check.”
   
    “Please tell me it’s not the same wack-ass cafeteria you led me to last month, is it?” Dorothy said dully, frowning.
   
    Sewa giggled. “Nah! It’s definitely not that one.” She placed a hand on Dorothy’s shoulder and smiled. “This place is much better. Trust me.”
   
    “Well, in that case, what’re we waiting for?”
   
    05:45 PM.
   
    We were presently sitting in a nice restaurant, making merry. True to Sewa’s assertion, this place wasn’t bad at all. Their food was good, service was on point, with reliable and polite workers. I could even spot out a few blacks working as cooks and others who had come in with their family to wine and dine.
   
    “See? It’s not as bad as you thought it’d be.” Adesewa said, referring to Dorothy. “Admit it.”
   
    Dorothy swallowed the piece of salad in her mouth and answered: “As much as I hate to admit it, you were right, babe. This place is fire!”
   
    “Told ya.” Sewa took a sip from her canned soda and looked at me. “Sam, how about you? What do you have to say?”
   
    “In just three words,” I answered, “it’s simply amazing.”
   
    “That’s what’s up, homie!”
   
    By this time, we were done eating. All that was left to do was settle our respective bills at the counter and exit, but to our amazement, Sewa told us not to stress about it and single-handedly cleared everything, and even tipped the cashier before we left the restaurant.
   
    Dorothy asked us to pay her a visit on Saturday or Sunday if we had the chance, and we agreed, before she left in a cab.
   
    Instead of taking a taxicab to the old lady’s shop downtown, Adesewa and I started walking along the sidewalk in absolute silence. The air was clear, the sky was blue, and the sun was nowhere to be found, due to the present chilly weather. I would’ve preferred a hot weather than a frosty one this evening, all the same, I ignored the blistering cold and started stealing glances at Adesewa’s face whilst walking beside her.
   
    So far, unlike most Africans I’d encountered during my short stay in Ohio, Adesewa was different. For starters, she was friendly; VERY friendly and kind. And, although she was born and raised in the United States of America, she seriously acts more like an actual Nigerian. The way she talks, smiles and laughs gives me goosebumps every time, but I’ve vowed not to ever show my affection towards her in order not to ruin our friendship.
   
    In all honesty, Adesewa was just an average lady in terms of appearance: brown-skinned, had a normal short brown hair with black eyebrows that harbored brown eyes underneath them, a normal nose, plump cheeks, small but well-lined lips, a thin neck and a slim figure. Although I was taller than her, I had to admit that she was one hell of a tall woman. Much taller than her stunning friend, Dorothy.
   
    “You know I can clearly see you eyeballing me, right?” Sewa’s question jolted me at once. I stole one last glance at her face and looked elsewhere. From what I deduced, she wasn’t smiling about the issue, neither was she frowning. She just had a blank facial expression with her gaze fixated ahead. I couldn’t even tell if she was offended or not.
   
    “Are you upset?”
   
    “Nah. It’s a normal thing.” She answered, still not bothering to look at me. “It kind of makes me feel awesome and more confident about myself, you know?”
   
    “Hmm.” I was at a loss for words, but I still managed to add: “I see.”
   
    “Which reminds me, did you bring everything I asked for?”
   
    “Yes. They’re all in my bag.”
   
    “Nice.” Sewa remarked and looked at me, clutching her coat. “I swear to God, this cold is killing me big time! How’re you even able to cope without a sweater, or something?”
   
    “The cold is the least of my worries for now.” I answered, looking back at her. “I’ve got better things to worry about.”
   
    “Oh, Sam, I pity you so much.” Sewa said, taunting me. “If I were you, I’d find the nearest fireplace and sit close to it for three good hours so that I don’t catch a cold before the end of the day. Or, tell me, do you want to fall sick?”
   
    “No. Of course not.”
   
    “Then why didn’t you bring a sweater?”
   
    “Like I said, I’ve got better things to worry about.”
   
    “Well, should I take my coat off and lend you for a couple of minutes?”
   
    “Thanks, but that wouldn’t be necessary.”
   
    “Okay, then. If you say so.” Adesewa muttered and looked away, shrugging. “Lord knows I tried.”
   
    A moment of silence ensued between us, filled with the faint sounds of our walking steps. Soon, we crossed the road and walked into the next street called The Unknown Hill.
   
    “Are you sure you know where we are going?”
   
    Adesewa gave me a weird look before nodding her head in response, keeping quiet on purpose.
   
    “Why are you doing this?”
   
    “Doing what?”
   
    “Helping me.”
   
    “Oh.” She placed the strap of her purse on her left shoulder and tucked both hands into the side pockets of her coat. “Well, I don’t know. I mean, I see no reason why I shouldn’t. You’re my friend and I care about you, so this is the least I can do to show you how much I’m concerned about your present ‘condition’.”
   
    “Not that I don’t appreciate it or something, but you really don’t have to go through all this stress for me, you know?”
   
    “Well, I choose to.” Sewa said. “I want to, because I know it’ll be worth it in the end. I have faith in you, Sam, and that’s enough.”
   
    “Honestly speaking, Sewa, I don’t even know what you see in me.” I said, keeping my eyes on the withered trees at a vast playground ahead, just to avoid eye contact with her. “I’m just like every other normal guy out there. I’m average, somewhat immature, insecure, and broke. I’m not even in your league, to begin with. I wonder why you still talk to me.”
   
    “Wait a sec! What do you even take me for?” Sewa asked rhetorically, sounding offended. “You think I’m after your money, huh? You actually think I’m more concerned about material things and a person’s financial worth than their true personality? Huh?”
   
    “Sorry to say, but yes, that’s the bitter truth about women.” I answered, putting both hands in my pockets as well, shrugging. “No matter how good and simple you all might pretend to be at first, there’s always that part of you that yearns for luxury, deep down inside. Judging by the way things are going between us, I bet it’s only a matter of time before you reveal your true color to me.”
   
    “What’re you even yapping about?” Adesewa’s confusion was evident, but she continued speaking nonetheless: “I guess this is the part where I’m meant to use your own words against you, Sam.”
   
    “Which are?”
   
    “"Honestly speaking, for the first time in history, I’m actually disappointed in your mindset. You’ve let me down. Darn! I thought you would’ve left this wack mentality back in Africa where it belongs."”
   
    I burst out laughing at once, so did she. The way she quoted each word and mimicked my voice was more than funny.
   
    “Honestly, it’s not funny, Sam.” Adesewa continued amid laughter. “Although it may be all fun and jokes to both of us right now, it’s really not cool. Anyone who still indulges in stereotyping women and men in this present age has a long way to go before they’ll find true love. It wouldn’t be easy for such a person because they would always have trust issues, and that’s not a good thing for anyone, you know?”
   
    “I dig it.” I replied, nodding. “I grab.”
   
    “So, if I were you, I’d quit making unnecessary assumptions and learn to live and accept life for what it is, ’cause life’s not perfect in any way, neither are we.” Sewa advised, grinning. “Make the most out of it while you still can, bro, ’cause this life is too short.”
   
    “Yeah. I guess.”
   
    We got to another junction and turned left. I noticed that there were no cars driving on the roads of The Unknown Hill Street, nor were there people walking about. The playground we passed before was completely empty, the trees around the environment were all dried up, and the public benches and all the houses I had seen so far seemed to be deserted.
   
    “This place creeps the hell out of me.” I complained, still observing the area. “Why’s it so quiet?”
   
    “That’s to let you know we are getting close.”
   
    “Are you sure this is a nice idea?” I asked, focusing on Adesewa’s face this time around. “Is it safe?”
   
    “I won’t even lie to you, Sam. It’s not safe at all.” She said, looking at me too. “I’m scared, too, but we have to ignore the fear and do this thing once and for all. It’s necessary.”
   
    “I won’t be able to forgive myself if anything goes wrong.” I confessed, showing concern. “If anything happens to you, I’ll never…”
   
    “Sam, relax. You worry too much.” Sewa cut me off and smiled, giving me a reassuring look. “Nothing would go wrong. Nothing would happen to any one of us. Alright?”
   
    I nodded affirmatively, feeling a bit of relief. “Fine. If you say so.”
   
    “That’s my boy.” She laughed and winked at me, and asked: “Now, if you don’t mind, I’d like to see the pictures you brought along.”
   
    I was hesitant at first, but when I couldn’t bear Sewa’s intense stare anymore, I took off my bag and removed the brown folder from it, then handed it to her. She opened it and started looking at the content, one by one.
   
    “Is this your late mother?” Sewa asked, showing me the first photograph.
   
    “Yes.”
   
    “And your sister?” She showed me the second one, looking sad.
   
    I nodded. “Yes. She was.”
   
    “They were so beautiful.” She complimented softly, staring at the last photograph. “And this man here sure does look like you. The resemblance is glaring.”
   
    “I know, right?”
   
    “And I’m sure they were all good people.” Adesewa added, putting the photos back in the folder. “They didn’t deserve what happened to them. They didn’t deserve it at all.”
   
    I was quiet. Sewa handed the folder to me and I placed it back in the bag.
   
    “Sometimes, I wonder why the good people die untimely and the bad ones live longer than they deserve.”
   
    “So do I.” I concurred and kicked a pebble with my right foot, keeping both eyes on the ground. “You are not alone.”
   
    “Don’t worry, it’ll all be over in a matter of time.” She said, tapping my shoulder. “Because we have arrived!”
   
    I looked up at once, surprised. Truly, we were standing in front of a big shop with a huge banner in front of it that read: ‘Welcome to YOUR future!’ And it had a strange logo which seemed to be a flute… or a magic wand, rather. I wasn’t really sure what it was, and I wasn’t interested in it at all.
   
    “Finally!” I gasped, widening my eyes. “Here we are! And it’s way bigger than I thought.”
   
    The smile on Adesewa’s face was priceless. “True talk. I was also amazed the first time I came here ’cause it surpassed my expectations. If you think the exterior view is awesome, just wait till you get inside and see the wonders in there.”
   
    “Sounds fascinating!” I said, folding my hands with anxiety. “So, now what?”
   
    “Now, we move.” Adesewa said whilst walking closer to the door. I followed her and stopped moving when she stopped. I was expecting her to open the door, but she just stood there, looking at it in profound silence. I trailed her gaze and that was when it dawned on me that her eyes were locked on the sign on the door, which showed: ‘CLOSED.’
   
    “Now what do we do?” I felt disheartened. “Should we come back tomorrow?”
   
    “No way!” Adesewa disagreed, wagging her head for emphasis. “I’m sure there’s someone in there. I’m not going back without getting the answers we came here for.”
   
    “Sewa, it’s closed, for goodness’ sake! Let’s leave this place before somebody sees us and calls the cops.”
   
    Adesewa burst out laughing at once. After having a good laugh, she spoke calmly, saying, “Sam, stop being such a clown and follow me right away. C’mon, hurry up, let’s sneak in through the back window!”