The sickly orange glow from aging street lights cast long shadows across Hannah's path. Crushed cans and torn plastic bags skittered across the cracked pavement, dancing in the evening breeze. Each step was a careful calculation, navigating through Lagos's forgotten corners.
Fresh out of NYSC, desperation had led her here - a neighborhood that existed in the grey spaces between government maps. Modern amenities were more myth than reality, yet somehow they had stuttered electricity and occasional running water. The rent was what mattered; it was what she could afford.
The familiar electrical hum above her died suddenly, plunging the street into darkness. A chorus of voices erupted from surrounding buildings - "NEPA!" The age-old cry of Nigerian frustration. Hannah smiled despite herself, whispering "Sweet country" into the darkness.
Moonlight filtered through thin clouds, barely enough to outline the path ahead. She fished her phone from her bag, its harsh LED beam cutting through the darkness. Her heart stopped.
Inches from her face stood a mountain of a man, wrapped in black fabric that seemed to absorb what little light existed. Through the ski mask's eye holes, bloodshot eyes studied her with an unnatural stillness. His presence defied logic - how had he approached so silently? Her throat constricted, choking back a scream that wouldn't come.
As his hand moved to his waist, survival instincts kicked in. She hurled her purse at him, muscles coiling to flee. With frightening speed, he batted away her offering like an irritating insect. His hand clamped around her wrist, yanking her downward with such force that the pop of her dislocated joint echoed in the empty street.
The moonlight caught his blade as he drew it, transforming the steel into liquid silver. Her mind went blank, acceptance washing over her like cold rain. She waited for the end.
"Good evening," his voice was surprisingly gentle, almost professional. "I'll be taking your life today." He adjusted his grip on the knife. “But first - would you mind participating in a quick survey?”
