Morning.
Peaceful.
Too peaceful.
---
Daniel sat in his car, stuck in traffic like a man who had accepted suffering as a lifestyle.
"Omo…" he sighed, resting his head on the steering wheel.
"…this life no balance."
He looked at the long line of cars ahead.
Not moving.
Not even shaking.
Just there.
Like decoration.
---
"…See road oh. Everybody just dey here like say we dey do meeting."
He checked time.
Late.
Of course.
Always late.
---
"Why work no fit start by 12 sef? Who design this suffering system?"
No answer.
As usual.
---
He turned on the radio.
📻
> "—reports of unusual violent incidents—"
Daniel frowned.
"…Violent ke?"
He scratched his head.
"This early morning? Person never chop, you don start fight? That one no normal."
---
He looked left.
One man dey chop bread like say na competition.
He looked right.
One woman dey shout for phone like she wan break the network.
---
"…Yeah. Normal day."
---
Then—
🚗 SCREEEEEEEECH!!!
---
Daniel jumped.
"AH! Wetin be that?!"
---
One car ahead suddenly lost control.
Not small.
Like the driver say, "I don tire for this life."
---
💥 BAM!!
Crash.
Another one—
💥 BAM!!
Another—
💥 BAM!!
Chain reaction.
Free accident festival.
---
Daniel blinked slowly.
"…Ah."
Pause.
"…This one go delay me pass my boss anger."
---
People came out.
Shouting.
Arguing.
"ARE YOU BLIND?!"
"LOOK WHAT YOU DID!"
"MY CAR!!"
---
Then—
The driver of the first car came out.
Slow.
Dragging his legs.
Like NEPA just take light from his body.
---
Daniel squinted.
"…Why this one dey move like say his joints dey on strike?"
---
The man lifted his head.
---
Silence.
---
"…Ah."
---
Eyes.
Empty.
Like brain don relocate.
Blood for mouth.
Fresh.
---
Daniel leaned back slowly.
"…No be here oh."
---
The man suddenly rushed forward.
FAST.
Too fast.
---
"HEY—!"
---
He grabbed one guy—
And bit him.
---
Daniel froze.
---
"…Ehn???"
---
Pause.
---
"…OMO WHAT IS THIS???"
---
The victim screamed.
"ARE YOU MAD?!"
Blood everywhere.
People shouting.
Running.
Confusion.
---
Daniel looked left.
Looked right.
Looked forward.
---
"…Nobody wan explain wetin dey happen???"
---
The bitten guy fell.
Started shaking.
Convulsing.
---
Daniel pointed.
"…See am. See am! This one no normal oh!"
---
Then—
The guy stood up.
---
"…Ah ah."
---
Eyes gone.
Body stiff.
---
"…WHY HE STAND UP AGAIN??"
---
Now there were TWO.
---
"…Omo we don enter problem."
---
People started running.
Full panic.
---
"RUN!!"
"THEY'RE ATTACKING PEOPLE!!"
---
Daniel shouted from inside his car:
"RUN GO WHERE?! ROAD BLOCKED!!"
---
Nobody answered him.
Everybody dey run like free chicken.
---
Then—
BANG!!
---
Daniel screamed.
"JESUS!!"
---
He turned.
---
One of them.
Zombie.
Right beside his car.
---
"…Nope."
---
The thing slammed its head against the window.
BANG! BANG!
---
"…NOPE!!"
---
"Guy! Calm down! I no be food! I never even marinate!"
---
The zombie didn't care.
Of course it didn't care.
---
BANG!!
---
Glass cracked small.
---
Daniel stared.
"…This glass better be strong oh."
---
BANG!!
---
"…It is NOT strong."
---
He locked the door again.
Checked it twice.
Three times.
---
"…Okay… safe…"
---
BANG!!
---
"…NOT SAFE!!"
---
The zombie kept hitting.
Like say rent due.
---
Daniel started sweating.
"…Think Daniel… think…"
---
He looked front.
Blocked.
Back.
Blocked.
Side.
Chaos.
Other side.
More chaos.
---
"…So basically…"
Pause.
---
"…we are finished."
---
Another zombie appeared.
Then another.
---
"…Ah. Full party."
---
He grabbed his bag.
Took deep breath.
---
"…Alright."
---
He opened the door.
---
"God abeg… no disgrace me today."
---
He ran.
---
🏃 Between cars.
Jumping.
Dodging.
Sliding.
---
"WHY EVERYBODY DEY RUN DIFFERENT SIDE?! UNA NO FIT AGREE?!"
---
One man pushed him.
"MOVE!!"
"I DEY MOVE NA!! YOU WANT MAKE I FLY?!"
---
Someone fell.
Got dragged.
Daniel looked.
Then looked away.
---
"…I no fit help. My life first."
---
Then—
He tripped.
---
"AHHH!"
---
He fell hard.
Rolled.
Pain everywhere.
---
"…Omo… see disgrace."
---
He looked up.
---
🧟 Zombie.
Close.
TOO close.
---
"…Ah."
---
Pause.
---
"…Goodbye world."
---
The zombie lunged.
---
"NOPE!"
---
He rolled.
Barely escaped.
---
"WHY YOU DEY FAST LIKE THIS?! YOU SUPPOSE DEY WALK SLOW!"
---
The zombie attacked again.
---
Daniel crawled backward.
---
"WAIT! LET US DISCUSS THIS LIKE HUMAN BEINGS—"
---
The zombie did not agree.
---
He grabbed something.
Metal.
Heavy.
Tire iron.
---
"…Okay."
---
He stood.
Shaking.
---
"…You and me."
---
Zombie rushed.
---
Daniel shouted:
"COME!! I GO FORMAT YOUR HEAD!!"
---
CLANG!!
---
Hit.
---
Zombie staggered.
Didn't fall.
---
"…Ah ah! Wetin be this durability??"
---
He swung again.
Harder.
---
CRACK!!!
---
Zombie dropped.
---
Silence.
---
Daniel stood there.
Breathing like generator.
---
"…I…"
"…I kill am?"
---
Pause.
---
"…I KILL AM???"
---
He looked around.
Chaos still everywhere.
---
"…Omo…"
---
He looked at his hand.
Then the weapon.
---
"…So this na real life now."
---
Pause.
---
"…No tutorial? No warning?"
---
Then—
Everything froze.
---
Sound gone.
Movement slow.
---
Daniel blinked.
"…Ah."
---
"…Now wetin again?"
---
> [CONDITION MET]
---
"…Who talk??"
---
> [FIRST KILL DETECTED]
---
"…Excuse me???"
---
Blue light appeared.
Floating.
Clean.
Futuristic.
---
Daniel stared.
---
"…Oho."
---
> [INITIALIZING SYSTEM…]
---
"…OMO."
---
> [WELCOME… COMMANDER]
---
Silence.
---
Daniel looked left.
Zombies.
Fire.
Chaos.
---
Looked right.
More chaos.
---
Looked back at the screen.
---
"…Commander?"
---
Pause.
---
Slow smile.
---
"…So na me be boss now?"
---
He picked up the weapon again.
---
"…Zombies dey…"
"…People dey mad…"
"…Road scatter…"
---
He cracked his neck.
---
"…and now I get system?"
---
Pause.
---
Wide grin.
---
"…Hehehe…"
---
"…Una don enter trouble."