THERE’S A LONE CHILD lying all by itself on the grass. Tina's heart skips as she rakes a glance around the park. Which mother forgets her child in a place like this? What if it gets stolen or dies from pneumonia? She risks a step in the direction of the child and peers down at it.
The child is unmoving, lying face down with a teddy clutched to its side. She panics, hurls the child over and tries to resuscitate it. She tries CPR.
One.
Two.
Three.
The child’s eyes pop open.
Tina screams and stumbles backward. Glassy bloodshot eyes gaze back at her. They blink once, then twice. Next the child moves, its head twisted at an odd angle with droll sliding past cracked lips. With each staggering step, the eyes roll in their sockets.
Tina scrambles to her feet and breaks into a run, whipping wind singing in her ears. With bated breadth she stops behind a park guide, stuttering in a bid to get the words out.
Just then, the guide turns and the words die in her throat.
Again, bloodshot eyes, neck twisted at an odd angle, and droll sliding past cracked lips.
MEET THE AUTHOR:
DAYEABASI DAVID is a Nigerian writer, born and raised in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. She is a graduate of law from the University of Uyo, Nigeria, and a passionate lover of life and nature, from where she derives her inspiration.
She is an avid reader and loves telling stories. She writes intriguing crime fiction set in tropical Africa. Her story has featured in Spillwords Literary Magazine.
Apart from reading and writing, she enjoys singing and watching thriller TV shows.
DayeAbasi loves to hear from her readers, via her social media platforms: Facebook @DayeAbasi David, and Instagram @dayeabasi_david
