Crickets chirped outside their bedroom window and the full moon flooded the land with light. The Fabiyi family house was in an isolated area on the outskirts of the village. As usual, it was as silent as the grave because the people kept a fearful distance from the Chief Priest's property.

"I had fun today. Thank you." Kelly murmured as she lay beside Kunle.

He wrapped his arm around her from behind and pecked her shoulder. "Don't mention it."

"Too bad I didn't meet your folks."

Kunle preferred the peace and quiet they enjoyed since they arrived. It was better than his parents and their drama. "I'm kinda glad mum and dad aren't around," he replied with a yawn.

Kelly shrugged his arm off. "Because you're not sure about me?"

"That's not what I meant. Let me exp-"

The floorboards in the hallway creaked, and they both sat upright sharply. Kelly froze when slow footsteps approached their room. Kunle tossed their bed sheet aside and stormed towards the door.

"W-what a-are you d-doing?" Kelly stammered.

He looked back. "Checking to see what made that sound."

"Now's not the time for braggado, Kunle," she snapped.

He ignored her warning and flung the door wide open. There had been stories about seeing spirits in the house and its surroundings, but Kunle was sure people were fabricating spooky tales. Just as he expected, the hallway was empty. He stepped out and flashed a torchlight over the ceiling and the walls. When Kunle did not see or hear anything, he leaned over the staircase and looked downstairs.

"Hey."

"What the heck? Don't creep up on people, Kelly."

"Oops. Sorry."

Before they could return to bed, Kelly pointed a trembling finger at the shrine room. "L-look! The door is open," she gasped.

He cast a carefree glance in that direction, and his heart thudded in an irregular beat when he saw that it was indeed open. The door swung on its hinges and screeched with each movement.

"Calm down, Kelly. I'll go and close it. Maybe the lock is broken."

They went down the old-fashioned stairs, and their cautious steps echoed in the house. Kelly tarried at the foot of the staircase, and Kunle strode towards the room to secure the door. Just before he could lay his hand on the doorknob, a bright red light shone from within the room.

Blood ran cold in his veins. Despite his inability to move, he could still hear Kelly screaming on one spot behind him. She must have been immobile too. In a fleeting moment of clarity, he recollected an incantation his father taught him. His frozen body regained strength and the sound of a baby crying drew him into the room.

Inside, a beautiful newborn child lay on a mat wrapped in a sparkling shawl and Kunle proceeded with caution to approach the baby. Before he could lay a hand on the child, it shape shifted. A tall, feminine being with a red wrapper tied around its body and green reptilian skin faced him squarely. Its black eyes were slits which surveyed his body from head to toe. The weeping baby noise ceased immediately.

"Ifakunle, son of Ifabiyi," It cackled. "My true form should not shock you. I have just returned from many cycles in the family of your father's enemy. After several bouts of being born and dying, they are destitute and still in mourning. On which errand do you wish to send me tonight?"

Kunle coughed to clear his dry throat, and fought to control his trembling tongue. "Return to where you came from. I have no task for you."

It scoffed. "Yes, you do."

Within seconds, Kelly was silent.

"Please don't hurt her," Kunle pleaded. "She is innocent."

An evil laugh was its response. "You are a novice and not fit to step in the shoes of your father," It growled. "When you swished the sacred beads between the gold and brass hook, you summoned me. Now I am here, you are arguing like a market woman on the harvest day. So, a twenty three year old man could play with ancient rites like a clueless child? If not for your father you would have burnt into ashes by now."

"What-"

"Get out!" It howled.

"But it's the middle of the night and we have nowhere to go. Ple-"

It bared long, sharp pointed fangs and hissed. "If you do not want to be forever humiliated like the snail which carries its house on its back, you and your chatterbox must flee."

Kunle stumbled and fell backwards in his frantic rush to escape. He knocked into Kelly who snapped out of her trance. "What happened?" she asked in a drowsy voice.

He pulled her towards the door, but she resisted. "I'm in a see through nightshirt with-"

"So what? Let's go."

"What about our things, Kunle?"

The reptilian spirit lay on its belly and slithered towards them with its large mouth wide open.

"Of what use are clothes and shoes to the dead? Forget everything and run!"

All the doors and the windows in the house slammed shut, one after the other. The front door was the last option and it closed with a quiet click before they could reach it. Silent tears flowed from their eyes when they turned to face their imminent death.

The evil reptile paused in a coiled position and reared its head. It looked from Kunle to Kelly several times before hissing.

"Kunle, before we die there's something I've got to tell you," Kelly murmured. "I'm pregnant."

"Pregnant?" he gasped. A wave of sadness swept over him at the announcement of the best thing he never had. Kunle placed a hand on Kelly's flat abdomen. "What would you have called it?" he asked.

Before Kelly could respond, the reptilian spirit shrieked and surged forward at lightning speed. "You haven't seen the last of me!" It moaned.

Wide mouthed with horror, Kunle watched as the spirit rushed into Kelly and entered her body. She wailed at the impact, clutched her stomach and slumped. Kunle dove to gather her in his arms before she hit the floor. Her body was limp and motionless.

Overwhelmed with grief, Kunle leaned against the wall and cried. He brushed one of Kelly's dreadlocks away from her face, and whispered quiet apologies in her ear. The village experience might have been her idea, but he blamed himself for not refusing it. Kunle told her that if she survived, he would spend the rest of his life cherishing her.

"Promise?" Kelly breathed.

Startled by her sudden utterance, Kunle almost dropped her. His tears of sorrow switched to tears of joy. "You're alive! Are you okay?"

"Yes. You can put me down now."

When Kunle gently lowered her to her feet, she waved her arms and legs to confirm that she was fine. "See? I'm alright."

They looked all around, but there was no sign of any spirit or danger. The shrine room door was shut, and the house windows opened. All the horrors they encountered earlier appeared to be a figment of their imagination. Maybe it was a harmless scare tactic from a spirit angered by their unwanted presence. Exhausted and confused about the night, they opted to get some sleep. After returning to bed, Kunle and Kelly laid on their backs staring at the ceiling.

"No!" Kunle screamed. His body was drenched with sweat, and he clawed at invisible shackles on his wrists.

Kelly hugged him and stroked his back. "Calm down, honey. You had a nightmare."

"What?" He was still short of breath and his pulse raced.

"We were talking and you fell asleep...just after I told you that I'm pregnant," she added with a frown but a calm voice.

"I'm so sorry, babe."

Kelly squeezed his hand and sighed. A brief moment of silence was broken by her excited gasp. "It kicked!" She pulled his hand and placed it on her lower abdomen. A few minutes passed before he felt a small movement

"Wow! That's great, Kelly," he said.

She had a huge grin on her face, and it would be heartless to break her heart. If they lived to see the sunrise, steps had to be taken. His nightmare was not just a dream. Perhaps he would see a herbalist who did not commit evil like his own father. Kunle was not an expert, but he knew his baby was too young to be kicking. Something sinister had taken its place.