Halima's POV

I look at myself one last time in the mirror and grin. I look dashing in my blue gown.

It's fitted to the lower bust then flows from there down to my feet. It has long sleeves. Nothing more. It's simple, yet elegant.

I opt for simple makeup instead of my normal heavy makeup. I apply powder, arch my brows lightly and stain my lips with a nude lipstick then add a gloss to give it a glassy look.

For the eyes I do a light smokey eye shadow with dark blue, black and silver eye shadow. I draw cat eyes, apply kohl then lastly mascara.

I tie a blue satin on my head in a complex manner. I wear my silver earrings and rings, one on my index finger and the second on my middle finger, all on my right hand.

I wore two silver bangles on my right and a wristwatch on my left. I twirl in front of the mirror countless times. It's the first time that I've opted for simple makeup and it's definitely my new favorite look.

I pick my phone the same time ut rings. I accept the call and Ya Sa'eed's voice comes.

"I'm outside your house waiting fah." I quickly tell him I'm coming and pick my silver side bag and slip my inhaler, phone and earpod into it.

I slip my leg into my favorite silver stiletto and drape a moderate silver veil on my shoulder. I rush down and lock the house.

I enter the car and call mummy and she picks at the third ring.

"Hello Halima ya kike?" I can hear a man's voice from the background.

"Lafiya mummy ya aiki ya daddy?"

"Komai lafiya. Talk fast I'm in a conference." I can hear the frown in her words.

"Okay daman zamuje partyn ne yanzu Ya Sa'eed ya dauke ni."

"Okay toh have you locked the house? Did you recite the du'a i taught you for leaving the house?" I lower my voice to reply.

"Yes mummy amma I forgot the du'a please remind me." Ya Sa'eed gives me a brief glance. 

"Ai na fada miki. I told you to write it down amma you claimed that you have a retentive memory. Tell Sa'eed to remind you i need to go." She ends the call.

"Uhm. Ya Sa'eed, please what's the prayer for leaving the house?" I'm beyond embarrassed. As a muslim I'm supposed to know this du'as but I don't.

"Okay repeat after me, Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim. Bismillahi tawakaltu alalahi walahaula wala quwwatta illa billah." I repeat after him and we continue the process till we reach school. I thank him and we saunter into school.

We enter the hall and see everyone rushing to the corridor leading to the dressing rooms. I hear an ear piercing screech. Why does it sound like Teemah?

I rush in that direction. After scurrying through people I finally get to the front and there lays Teemah in a cloth that exposes a lot of skin.

I remove the veil and use it to cover her head and it reaches her lower bust. I pick her head and tie her hair up then place her head on my lap. She removes the veil and throws it away. She lets out another ear piercing screech and she starts shaking so much. She's running a high fever.

Amir rushes forward and sprinkles some water on her. The moment he touches her she sends him flying to the other side of the room. Her palm is clenched and the visible part is green. 

She peels her eyes open and they are completely white. Where the pupil disappeared to, I don't know. She jerks herself up and goes to where Amir is  lying down panting. She picks him up by the neck with one hand.

"If you ever come close to Fatima Abba Sulayman, I won't hesitate to kill you. I'm Azanraba and I don't go back on my words." The voice isn't hers. She dropa him with a thud and runs out releasing another ear piercing scream. I scramble up and run after her.

She finally reaches the field and falls down letting out another scream. She rolls on the floor, her body shaking. I see Ya Sa'eed coming with red musk.

"Rub this on your body." I do as told and he does the same. We rush to where she's rolling and shaking.

She tries to get up, screaming something in another language that sounds like Japanese or Chinese. I don't know what she's saying. Infact I don't know what is happening. I'm just doing anything I can to help my best friend.

"Wayyo. They want to kill me, wayyo. I'll leave, I'll leave. Please don't burn me, ku barni. Wayyo." I feel my eyes sting with tears. I push it back. What's wrong with my Teemah? The junior school Islamic studies teacher comes with the school Imam and Aqsam Shaddad - a senior that normally conducts MSS.

Aqsam is holding a cane and black seed oil in his hands.

"Hold her down." We do as told and he starts recitating the holy Quran off hand.

"Ladies, cover up or leave." The christains and some Muslims scamper leaving only few people including Hamza and Amir. He recites again and the male voice I heard earlier comes again.

"Don't burn me down, I'll leave I'll leave."

"What do you want? Why did you enter her body? Don't you fear Allah." By now I know it's a Jinn. It laughs, an evil one that sends a thunder of chills down my spine.

"I don't have to answer your questions. But I'll answer the last one, I don't know or care who Allah is. His name is forbidden where I come from. Now let me tell you a story..." The mallam attempts to talk but all that come out are mumbles.

"I guess you're not as strong religiously as I thought. Don't worry, I'll let go of your tongue once I finish my story. And before I start, you don't need to send me away, I'll leave once I'm done with my story.

"Fatima here has been in her parents custody since birth, she's been protected from me with Quran, musk, zamzam (holy water) and lots more. The parents were killing me slowly so I left for some time to heal though someone kept an eye on her for me. Then finally when she entered jss3, she stopped praying.

"She hardly prayed, I tried possessing her body but it didn't work because her perfume contained musk. Then last week her perfume finished and she started using another one that didn't contain musk. I still tried again but it didn't work, apparently she covered herself too much.

"I'd have done something but this gentleman here, Amir decided to help me. He didn't know he was doing it but well, he was. He started asking her to remove her cap for him to play with her hair. I tried possessing her through her hair but my king said she needs to let her thigh or breast open for me to possess her.

"He finally asked her to wear a skimpy dress and she gladly accepted. That leads us to here. I won't tell you why I'm here. But I love her, and I always will." I hear the Malam start his recitation all over again. Teemah lets out an ear piercing scream then starts shaking. She loses consciousness. I run to her side and hug her.

I don't realize I'm crying till I feel her gown getting wet. Ya Sa'eed comes and hands my veil and bag. I don't even know how he found them. I thank him then he picks her up and takes her to the car.

We drive to their house playing the Qur'an. We drop her in her room and Ya Sa'eed plays the Quran on his phone then connects to a MPlayer then places it on her dressing table. He also takes an incense burner and adds some black seed powder in it.

"I have to tell you something. You'll have to keep quiet till I'm done." I nod.

"Fatima used to be the not religious type. She didn't pray or would lie that she had prayed. Until she met our cousin, AbdulHalim who at that time had returned to Nigeria with our aunt and uncle. They always got transferred so we never really actually knew them.

"He stayed with us because his parents got transferred to Kuwait and they didn't want him to leave Nigeria again. They always got along. With time he started teaching her how to recite the holy Quran, Du'as and alot of things. He would sit her down and tell her about the Prophets, their companions, wives, children and whatnot. He used to call her Nana Fadimatu Muhammad because she's named after the Prophet's daughter, Fadima.

"Her favorite cartoons became those about the Prophets. Everything about her changed. Until the day he died. He was in a car accident. He died together with his dad when they were traveling. That day, she came home shouting I passed, i came first in the whole school, i passed. She was ecstatic. After hearing what happened she passed out. She didn't eat for two weeks. She even said she wanted to follow him. After some time she adjusted and got over his death.

"But she didn't continue. She stopped everything except the mandatory things. She'd say she sees AbdulHalim. One day she fainted, we were told that a Jinn attacked her. From that day, nothing was ever the same again". He finally looks up at me and his eyes look bloodshot.

He opens his mouth to say something but the sound of something falling then a scream stops him. We run up the stairs.