🌃 NDOLA NIGHTS
EPISODE 1: The Message That Came Before Midnight
People say nothing happens in Ndola.
Thatâs because most people are asleep before it begins.
The message came at 21:47.
Unknown number. No profile picture.
âDonât go inside tonight.â
I stared at it, then laughed.
Because in Ndola, random messages are either scams⌠or someone bored.
I was outside anywayâload shedding had hit again. The street was quiet, the kind of quiet that makes your ears ring.
Then the dogs started barking.
All of them.
At the same time.
Thatâs when the taxi showed up.
No headlights at first. Just⌠there.
The driver leaned over and opened the door.
âGet in,â he said.
âBoss, I didnâtââ
âGet in if you want to see tomorrow.â
âŚSo I got in.
EPISODE 2: The Driver Who Knew Too Much
âSeatbelt,â he said.
I looked at him.
âSince when do taxis in Ndola care about seatbelts?â
He didnât even smile.
Thatâs when I knew.
This wasnât normal.
As we drove off, I looked back at my street.
Everything looked fine⌠until the streetlight flickered.
For a split secondâ
Something was standing exactly where I had been.
Tall. Still.
Watching.
âYou saw it,â the driver said.
That wasnât a question.
EPISODE 3: The Other Ndola
We took a turn Iâve never seen before.
Same Ndola roads.
Same houses.
But everything felt⌠off.
Quieter. Slower.
Like the city had been copied⌠but something didnât transfer properly.
âWhat is this?â I asked.
He shrugged.
âNdola. Just not your version.â
Then suddenlyâ
Music.
Lights.
A full street party in the middle of nowhere.
People dancing like nothing in the world mattered.
Someone shoved a drink in my hand.
âRelax,â they said. âFirst night is always confusing.â
I almost believed them.
Until I looked down.
Nobody had a shadow.
EPISODE 4: The Girl Who Didnât Belong
âThatâs your first mistake.â
I turned.
She was leaning against a wall, arms folded, watching everything like sheâd seen it a thousand times.
Unlike everyone elseâŚ
she had a shadow.
âNew?â she asked.
âIs it that obvious?â
âYouâre still breathing like you belong here.â
She walked up to me, calm, sharp.
âIâm Leya,â she said.
âTry not to die on your first night.â
âComforting,â I muttered.
She smirked.
âYouâll get used to it.â
EPISODE 5: The Thing That Followed
The music stopped.
Just like that.
Everyone froze.
Then slowly⌠they turned.
Not at me.
Not at Leya.
But behind us.
Footsteps.
Heavy.
Slow.
Coming from the road.
Leya sighed.
âGreat. It followed you.â
âWHAT followed me??â
She ignored me and grabbed my wrist.
âRule one,â she said.
âIf it knows your face⌠you run.â
âRun WHERE??â
âExactly.â
EPISODE 6: First Heroic Mistake
We ran.
Through streets that didnât make sense.
Past houses that looked abandoned⌠but felt occupied.
I was out of breath in seconds.
âWhy is it so fast?!â I shouted.
Leya didnât even look back.
âBecause you hesitated.â
We turned a cornerâand hit a dead end.
Wall. High. No escape.
Footsteps getting closer.
âGreat,â I said, trying to catch my breath.
âSo this is how I die? In fake Ndola?â
Leya rolled her eyes.
âYou talk too much.â
Then she turned, calm.
Stepped forward.
And for the first timeâ
I saw fear⌠not in her.
But in whatever was coming.
EPISODE 7: The Girl Who Fights Back
It stepped into the light.
Tall. Twisted. Wrong in ways I couldnât explain.
Like a person⌠stretched into something else.
I froze.
Leya didnât.
She cracked her knuckles.
âFinally,â she said.
âSomething interesting.â
âInteresting?? That thing wants to kill us!â
She glanced at me.
âRelax,â she said.
Then smiledâ
the kind of smile that makes you question everything.
âIâve killed worse.â
EPISODE 8: The First Fight
The thing moved first.
Fast. Too fast.
One second it was across the streetâ
the next, it was right in front of us.
I didnât even see it move.
I stumbled back.
âYeah⌠weâre dead.â
Leya stepped forward.
Calm.
Like sheâd done this before.
âStay behind me,â she said.
âGladly.â
The creature lunged.
She didnât run.
She moved sidewaysâquick, preciseâthen drove her fist straight into its chest.
A sound came out of itâŚ
Not a scream.
More like something breaking from the inside.
âWaitâŚâ I blinked.
âYou can actually fight these things??â
She didnât look at me.
âNot fight,â she said.
âI end them.â
EPISODE 9: The Rules of the Night
After it disappearedâliterally faded into nothingâI finally exhaled.
âOkay,â I said. âYouâre explaining everything.â
We sat on a low wall.
Somewhere far off, I could hear music again.
Like nothing had happened.
Leya held up three fingers.
âSimple rules,â she said.
âRule one: If it watches you, itâs already too late.â
âRule two: Donât trust anything that feels familiar.â
âRule three: If Ndola feels normal⌠run.â
I stared at her.
âThatâs not simple.â
She shrugged.
âYouâll learn fast⌠or not at all.â
EPISODE 10: The Conductor
We didnât walk far before we saw him.
Standing in the middle of the road.
Wearing a bright conductor vest.
Holding a minibus door⌠with no bus attached.
âBoss!â he shouted.
âTown! Town! Last seat!â
I frowned.
âIs this guy serious right now?â
Leya went still.
âThatâs not a conductor,â she said quietly.
The man smiled too wide.
âCome,â he said.
âFree ride tonight.â
âYeah, Iâm good,â I said.
He tilted his head.
âEveryone gets on eventually.â
Leya grabbed my arm.
âDonât answer him again,â she whispered.
âWhy?â
âBecause the moment you agreeâŚâ
ââŚyou donât get off.â
EPISODE 11: Running Isnât Enough
We walked faster.
Then faster.
Then⌠we were running again.
Behind us, I could hear him shoutingâ
âLast seat! LAST SEAT!â
I glanced back.
Big mistake.
Now there was a bus.
Full.
Every seat occupied.
Every passenger staring at me.
None of them blinking.
âDonât look!â Leya snapped.
âI already did!â
âThen run faster!â
EPISODE 12: The Safe Place That Isnât Safe
We ducked into a small food spot.
A late-night stand.
Charcoal. Smoke. The smell of grilled meat.
Everything looked normal again.
A guy behind the stand looked up.
âBoss, what will you have?â
I almost cried.
âFinally. A normal human being.â
Leya didnât relax.
âWhat day is it?â she asked him.
He paused.
Too long.
Then smiled.
âAny day you want.â
She grabbed me again.
âWeâre leaving.â
âWait, I didnât even order!â
âYou donât eat in places that donât exist.â
EPISODE 13: The Truth About Me
We stopped near an empty football field.
No lights. Just moonlight.
I sat down, exhausted.
âWhy me?â I asked.
Leya didnât answer immediately.
Then she saidâ
âBecause it saw you first.â
âWhat does that mean?â
She looked at me seriously now.
âMost people pass through the night and never notice it.â
âYou noticed.â
âAnd?â
âAnd it noticed back.â
Silence.
âSo what⌠Iâm just stuck in this now?â
She shook her head.
âNo.â
Pause.
âYouâre connected to it now.â
EPISODE 14: The Real Villain
The air changed.
Cold.
Heavy.
Even Leya stood up slowly.
âThatâs not good.â
âWHAT now??â
She didnât answer.
She was looking behind me.
I turned.
And there it was.
Not like the others.
Bigger.
Still.
Controlled.
It didnât chase.
Didnât rush.
It just stood thereâŚ
Like it owned everything.
âWhat is that?â I whispered.
Leyaâs voice dropped.
âThatâs the one that runs this side of Ndola.â
ââŚruns it??â
She nodded.
âItâs called The Watcher.â
EPISODE 15: The Hero You Didnât Choose to Be
The Watcher stepped forward.
Slow.
Deliberate.
I couldnât move.
My body just⌠froze.
Leya stepped in front of me.
For the first timeâ
she looked unsure.
âListen,â she said quickly.
âIf I say run, you run. Donât think. Donât stop.â
âWhat about you?â
She smirked.
Even now.
âIâll catch up.â
The Watcher tilted its head.
Like it was studying me.
Then it spoke.
Not loud.
Not scary.
Just⌠certain.
âYouâre not supposed to be here.â
I swallowed.
âYeah⌠I figured that out.â
It took another step.
âBut now that you areâŚâ
Pause.
ââŚyou donât leave.â
Something in me snapped.
Not fear.
Something else.
Maybe anger.
Maybe survival.
I stepped forward.
Past Leya.
She grabbed my arm.
âWhat are you doing??â
I looked at The Watcher.
Heart racing.
âI donât know what this place is,â I said.
ââŚbut Iâm not dying in it.â
For a secondâ
everything went still.
Then The Watcher smiled.
And Leya whispered:
ââŚyeah.â
âNow youâre becoming dangerous.â
To be continuedâŚ
