The camp we left behind.

They needed to take a break from the 9 to 5, 5 times in a week job, endless traffic, and social burnout of Lagos. Tunde and Gift, Bode and Kemi, two couples who had known each other since Grade 1 at Obafemi Awolowo University’s staff school and now happen to work at the same company at Apapa, Lagos. The trip wasn’t just for fun, it was their way of saying, “Let’s remember who we are to each other.” They chose Idanre Hills for the silence, the view, and the isolation. Just one week with the first and last night in a campsite in the woods to laugh, reconnect, and breathe.

They left early Saturday morning in Tunde’s SUV, singing off key to Davido's old school hits, and debating over who made the worst hostel noodles back in uni. “No phones, no stress, Just jollof rice, drinks, Suya(roasted beef), music, and vibes.” Gift said as she stretched out in the back seat.

A few minutes past noon, they spotted an old looking eatery at the roadside between Akure and Idanre and decided to stop by. It had the look of a place that hadn’t been painted in a decade. They grabbed drinks and snacks for refreshments before they would continue the journey. Bode who loves to make jokes out of everything pointed at a yellow plastic bowl by the counter with a sign on it that reads, “Furtune cookie, Take only what’s meant for you.”

“Omo, una wan sabi wetin the spirits de talk?” he said, picking up the last four cookies in the bowl. “Guy abeg, that’s how horror movies start.” Gift said, rolling her eyes to continue scrolling through tiktok but Bode insisted so they all grabbed one as they walked back to the car.

While the journey continues, Tunde cracked his cookies and read out loud from the note in it. “When the light goes out, so will your way.” What does that even mean, Gift said with a curious looking face as she picked hers to crack it open and read from the note “You brought it with you.” She stared at the piece trying to think of what she could have brought with her. "See na them Sabi" she looks away with a facial expression that clearly stated, it's none of my business. Bode's fortune note read “Beware of the one who laughs last.” After reading out, he grinned wide and said, “Na me go always laugh last, Kemi Wetin your own talk?” Kemi opened hers but it was blank. Literally no fortune.

“Wahala for who no get prophecy,” Bode joked, and everyone laughed. Kemi rolled her eyes, tucked it into her pocket, and forgot about it.

They got to their campsite by late afternoon, a quiet location hidden through a forest hill on the east side of the Idanre Hills with a freshwater stream nearby. By nightfall, the friends had setup their tents under a full moon. It breezed gently, and the sound of owls echoed through the forest. They played music, danced, and roasted suya.

A few minutes to midnight, the environment started to feel strange, they could hear disturbing whispers from the trees as if the forest was gossiping about them. Suddenly the campfire went off and the whispers disappeared, the forest went silent as if it noticed that they were listening. Even the insects stopped buzzing, nothing else could be heard apart from the heavy breath and heartbeat from the four of them.

“Relax, I'll find my way to the car for backup" Tunde said as he tried to on the flashlight placed beside him and also tried to stay calm. But when he stood, he noticed that he could no longer tell where the river was, or the tents, or even the tracks that led to where the car had been parked. The trees around them looked wrong, like they had moved. “Tunde,” Gift whispered, “which direction leads to the car?” He moved in slow circles and said. “I… I don’t know.” Without any more words, they all looked at each other as if. They were thinking about the same thing. TUNDE'S FURTUNE NOTE!!! 😳

Bode thought it was all hilarious. “Haha, this is why I love camping, nature showing us pepper.” But no one responded ,not even showing signs that they heard anything he said. He yelled and even waved his arms at their faces but nothing. It was as if he wasn’t there. Then he heard his voice just from behind him saying what he had just said. “Haha, this is why I love camping, nature showing us pepper." He slowly turned and saw himself standing just behind him with a shock on his face.

"Can you just be serious for a moment." Gift responded, giving the second Bode a serious face with a deep breath of panic. She began to search desperately through her bag for her phone but noticed a small pendant that she hadn’t seen in years. It was her mother's gift to her for protection while she was younger, but had buried it in her suitcase back at home after a little misunderstanding with her parents. She froze, "My mother's protection pendant".

Kemi hadn’t spoken a word the whole time, she had remained on the stool where she sat, trying to process everything that was happening until she reached into her jacket pocket and felt the blank piece she had tucked in it some hours ago. She brought it out and looked to confirm that nothing was written on it the second time, but this time she saw “You were never supposed to be here.” Her breath seized. She stood up slowly.

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“Bode!” she called, "yes dear" he replied but she could not hear nor see him as she walked towards the other Bode who looked at the fortune note and made a joke out of it, followed by an irritating laugh.

"Really" she replied as she snatched the piece of paper from him and angrily walked towards Tunde and Gift to show them the note. "Baby, that's not me. I'm right here" Bode screamed but no one could hear him. It was silent for a moment, then the fire sparked back to life on its own and everything seemed normal as if nothing weird just happened. The river, the trackway to the car, the tent, the camp fire, everything was back in place.

Bode looked around but couldn't find the other him. It appears that his friends could now see and hear him, but just right there he said nothing. He was seriously in shock for the first time during the trip.

They packed their tents immediately and walked back to the car. Tunde drove to a more secured carpark where they all slept in the car. The rest of the night was silent they barely spoke a word to each other.

The next morning, as soon as it was daybreak they left Idanre for Lagos with unspoken fear in their minds. Tunde kept checking his rearview mirror the whole time. Bode never spoke a word about what he saw or what happened to him. Tunde and the ladies wondered why he looked seriously calm on their way back, ut was so unlikely of him. After all, his fortune cookie never came to reality, they thought.

I am @corporareay and this is my entry for the Inkwell Fiction prompt #226. I appreciate your time here.