[Continue from  E. 8 ] Mercy was among the first to get to the venue of the Covid-19 Presidential task force press briefing. She still felt grumpy from her lack of adequate sleep. Her active mind had persistently replayed her discussion with Ben almost all night. Yet she failed to figure out what was going on with her man. Was he still her man ? That was the question on her mind when she eventually fell asleep only for her blasted alarm to buzz her awake after three hours of sleep.  Her body had refused to get out of the bed,  having gotten used to waking up late, thanks to the lockdown. It took several  minutes of mental motivation before she could drag herself up then head for the bathroom for a quick shower, dress up carefully and hurry off to work without a bite of breakfast while Ben was still fast asleep in his room where he had locked himself up before she could get off the call with her boss last night. We will have to talk when I get back.  Mercy yawned...

Don't forget to Read E. 7 .   B en reached around her to grab her cutlery. Arranging her in his lap, Mercy suppressed a giggle, he focused on artfully dissecting the baked chicken drumsticks on her plate. Mercy's gaze followed his skilled fingers. She loved those fingers. Memories of how they had played her sensitive body like a clavier maestro all afternoon threatened to flood her restless mind but she clamped down on them. Now wasn't the time. She was more intent on getting answers to the puzzle plaguing her mind. Even the hunger pangs she had felt earlier had disappeared despite the unarguably mouthwatering meal Ben had painstakingly prepared for the night.  Moving slightly in his lap, she continued; "I think it's weird." Her voice was flat. Ben cleared his throat noisily. Her plate still held his rapt attention;  "Well, I think it's probably because you've refused to keep your mind busy during this lock down. I mean, why wont you forget thing...

Catch up on E. 6 "I am just tired but I will be fine. Don't worry too much.” Mercy grabbed the extra bottle of water on the table and gulped down most of it. That was her third bottle that night and she still felt unbelievably thirsty. Licking the water off her lips, she looked up to catch Ben's eyes on her. His eyes darted from her full lips to her partly touched dinner and back to her lips. She could guess what was going through his mind. Her body tingled in response. Ben pushed his plate away and stood up. "Too tired to eat?" He queried, reached for her hand and pulled her up.  She readily went to him and her worries flew out of her head the moment she felt his warm body against hers. His eyes riverted on her, unblinking, burning with the same emotions that had left her confused all day.  "Sit. I will feed you."

Read E. 5 Ben got comfy on the leather sofa in front of the large wall-mounted TV. He picked up his Xbox joystick from the tiled floor and grinned slowly at the thought of getting lost in the game world. Without taking his eyes off the screen, he pushed a throw pillow behind him on the sofa and watched as the game loaded. He was staring at the screen with so much intensity that he didn’t hear a door squeal open. “Ben?” The immersive display and sound of heavy gunfire bouncing off the walls of the living room from the high quality home theatre speakers had Ben's undivided attention and blurred the voice calling out from behind him.  His love for the game had been reignited by the lock down and it was gradually becoming his best companion. The thrill and rush of adrenaline it triggered in him always left him coming back for more. “Ben!” A hand brushed against his shoulder and Ben jumped off the sofa, spun around with the same speed and paused. H...

    Continue From Darkness   E.4 The sound of a baby crying pierced into the darkness. Someone should hush that baby! Can someone please? I am trying to sleep. As if in response to her silent plea, the baby’s voice faded. Mercy sighed with relief and grunted when something soft and warm lingered on her forehead. Her eyes slowly fluttered open. She winced against the bright  light hanging above her head. Her vision blurred and she shut her eyes. The lingering fragrance of mixed spices tickled her nostrils as her brain awakened. She carefully opened her eyes, blinking rapidly, she wondered where she was. A face suddenly appeared above her and Mercy jolted.

              Stop the spread of Corona virus Now 1. Stay Home To Save Lives 2. Maintain a safe Distance      3. Cover Your Mouth When coughing or Sneezing 4. Do Not touch your Eyes, Nose or Mouth       5. Wash Your Hands regularly with Soap & Water       6. Feeling Sick? Contact NCDC Help Line           Together, We Will Overcome         

Continue From;   DARKNESS E.3  Mercy felt a terrified shriek rise in her throat as it dawned on her that it's dark gaze were directly on her. Is it...? Jesus! It’s moving! A startled voice screamed in her head. Snapping out of her near paralysis, she hurriedly slid off the seat and crouched down under the steering wheel. Panic surged through her veins as she felt the cold fingers of fear grip her thumping heart. "Shit! Shit!"  She chanted like a prayer. From her position, she could feel the engine of her car humming. What was that? Oh my God it was looking at me. ..She placed her hand on her chest as if trying to prevent her heart from jumping out.  I need to get out of here ...Her brain blasted out of the frightening daze that was walling it in. She desperately looked around the plush interior of her car, trying to figure her next best move. Sweat broke out on her forehead. It was as if the AC had malfunctioned. "Mercy! I am talking to yo...

Continue From Darkness E. 2  When did Bola change her old Toyota Camry to a black SUV with tinted windows? Things must be getting better, she thought, turning in her seat to get a good look at the car gunning down the dusty pathway at top speed. Suddenly dust billowed into the air as the SUV screeched to a halt several yards away from her. Why is she stopping? Just then her phone started beeping. Grabbing the phone, her eyes darted to the screen and Mercy muttered before reluctantly answering the incoming call; "Hello baby." "Where are you?" Ben's deep voice grated out in her ear. She could hear the suppressed anger in his voice; "Sorry baby, I didn't want to wake you up. Actually have a brief meeting with Bola. I will soon be..." "Mercy Oni, bring yourself back here RIGHT NOW!" He interjected furiously. Mercy internally shrunk away from the phone plastered against her ear and massaged her temple with her free ...

Read  Darkness E.1 It was almost midnight when her phone beeped. The number was strange. Thinking it would be her boss, she  had reluctantly answered. The voice was barely above a whisper. It had taken her a while to figure out who the caller was. " Bola! Babe are you okay?"  Mercy could sense that something was wrong. Ever since Bola got the job with the Presidency, their usual girls time out had taken the back seat, if not tucked away in an old trunk. Her calls were never returned so Mercy eventually stopped calling. Hearing her voice that night had set off an alarm in her head. But she was happy to hear from her long lost friend. Bola was eager to drive over to her home that night but Mercy knew it would be too risky, so she promised to drop by her place first thing in the morning but that was when Bola freaked out. She said something about unseen eyes monitoring her movements and her home being unsafe. She then read out  some coordinates before han...

Enjoy Mercy's story...                          *********** Mercy eyed the diamond studded watch gracing her wrist as her frown deepened. Bola was late again and sitting inside her car for nearly an hour has never been on her to-do list of fun events.  Despite the comfort of her new C-Class, she was beginning to feel claustrophobic. She had suggested  waiting at an exotic restaurant  but Bola,  for some unknown reason had insisted on the scary location.  Pulling down the sun visor above her head to block out the piercing beam of the early morning sunlight, she caught sight of the tired eyes staring back at her in the mirror. You need more rest, a small voice in her head pointed out . Trying to ignore the obvious dark circles beneath her eyes, she focused on the white mask covering part of her face. It clung to her like an ugly appendage and reminded her of aliens in sci-fi movies....

May this Valentine's day fill our hearts with love and our nation with peace.  Have a beautiful celebration 🎉💖

Hello, I am a beautiful, smart and adorable Naija girl in my mid twenties who is PROUDLY SINGLE. I broke up with my bf last year (thank God) and I'm still not ready to hook up with any random guy. Simple English; I'm ready to wait for my true love. See, I laugh whenever I see all the bf/gf Val jokes implying; that day is mostly for "lovers". Seriously who says you need a partner to be alive or celebrate love? My church is planning a love feast only for married couples on that day and I was like; WHAT!? Where's it written that one must be married to be happy or celebrate Val's day?