DARK MYSTERIES

Daniel listened intently to the deep voice of the dean of his faculty booming over the mic. It had been almost three hours since he started his introductory speech and it didn't seem like he was going to stop anytime soon. So far, it was talks of welcome, rules, how to excel in the university and of course, the old days speech of how he suffered in his youth and was able to breakthrough with determination.

Daniel sighed for the thousandth time in annoyance, wishing the old man could just get it over with. Another thing he regretted was not eating before entering the big hall as the results began to manifest in form of a growling stomach.

He glanced at his watch: it read 2:30pm.

Throwing his head backwards, he let out a frustrated groan which caught the attention of his friend sitting beside him.

"Dude, just try and endure, okay?"

Daniel turned to him. " Easy for you to say, Jake. My stomach is killing me. You know I didn't eat before leaving the hostel."

Jake chuckled. " And who's fault is that?"

Seeing the glare Daniel gave him, he became serious. "Oh come on, we were already running late."

"You mean late for a speech that started two hours ahead of time?" Daniel rolled his eyes.

"Well pardon me for not realizing African time exists in universities." Jake said.

"It exists everywhere, man." Daniel replied.

"Tell that to your boss when you go late for work in future." Jake laughed.

Daniel leaned back in his seat and was just about to doze off when a sudden feeling overwhelmed him. That familiar feeling that he had felt for almost a decade now. The feeling that he was being watched. But who?

He sat upright and glanced around the auditorium, his eyes narrowing in suspicion. The auditorium was crowded alright, but his instincts never failed him in the past and it wasn't going to fail him now.

He glanced to his right and his suspicions were confirmed. He saw her.

Sitting a few seats from him was a girl of his age with a no-nonsense look and sharp eyes.

She was wearing a black T-shirt and dark blue tight jeans. She was dark in complexion, with pointed nose and red lips. Red? He kind of found that weird. Her long unbraided hair was tied back in a ponytail and it glistened under the lights of the auditorium. What fascinated him was her eyes. A light brown in contrast to the dark black of the average Nigerian.

As soon as she saw him staring, she narrowed her eyes at him and he quickly glanced away.

"The hell is her problem? She stared first." He grumbled silengtly.

"What was that?" Jake turned to him.

" Oh nothing, bro. Don't mind me." he replied leaning back to his seat once more and closing his eyes.

Jake looked at him for a while and shrugged. Daniel was always one to keep things to himself. More of a reserved dude.

He had known him like that from primary school to secondary school to well…now. He had stopped bothering on that a long time ago.

" And finally." The dean announced. "Remember there is a difference betweenpassing through school and letting the school pass through you. Have a wonderful semester and I wish you the best. Thank you."

He dropped the mic to a reception of applause and relieved sighs. Daniel laughed at this. Apparently, he wasn't the only one tired of the 3 hour speech.

One by one, the students filed out of the auditorium to begin their normal activities.

"Hey, Dan." Jake said as they trotted to their hostel.

" Yeah?" Daniel replied.

"There's a welcome departmental party for freshers this evening at the park. You coming?"

"Well…" Daniel hesitantly replied.

"Before you come up with your lame speech on how 'Terrible things' happen in parties.." Jake interrupted using his fingers in quote.

"..Alcohol is banned from the party. Plus it would give you the chance to mingle with people and socialize. I don't want you graduating from this school a miserable old man."

" Screw you too." Daniel grumbled and they both laughed.

"So what do you say?" Jake pressed on.

Before Daniel could reply, his phone rang and he fished it out of his pocket. Looking at the screen, he sighed.