young adult stories

Blood Ties

The moon danced along with our sweaty bodies as we shouted the words “swala la la”. Four different bodies, different shades of black appearing as one, swaying side to side over steaming…

Pebbles

The sky had taken on an unusual color, almost as dark as Ivie’s mood. The market women looked up, fearing the imminent downpour, and tried to shuffle between getting their wares to…

I Am Not Regina!

“Stop! Don’t do this I’m begging you. Please, please! Noooooo!” I cried all to no avail, he was oblivious to my wails. Hot liquid continued to stream down from my eyes, down…

Prison Stories

The charcoaled walls and the stench of sweaty bodies from the other cells sent their greetings to me in my cell where I sat with my hands crossed on my knees, my…

The Beauty and The Beast

I saw her that day before she did me. She was dressed in rags, hair the color of dirt. I could smell the ooze from her pits even though we weren’t in…

The Best Day

Today is about to be the greatest day of my life. I can feel it in my guts. Today is the day that marks the beginning of the rest of my life.…

The Colour to My Night Sky

You, yourself, as much as anybody else in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection. ~ Buddha. I was my father’s favorite child growing up. I don’t know why he enjoyed…

The Beautiful Ones Are Now Dead

The news reached our ears in the middle of summer. Dorothy Wogu killed herself during the midterm holiday. It was only a few weeks before our final exams in high school. The…

When Life Gives You Lemons

On the day I learned about it, I knew my life was about to change forever and there was no turning back. The unforeseeable dark future that stood before me was indeed…

Face Mask

Mommy says, “When I was a girl. People didn’t say bad things about the dead. They’d go like, ‘No oh! That person don die. Abeg, make we no talk about am.’ So…