Shalom

Chapter Four

The room was lit. The flashlights were flicked on that looked like a nightclub. In its middle, there was a dancing floor that gave the space for dancing. In the corner of the room was a presence of a bar where alcoholic drinks were settled on the shelf and a presence of a bartender who got alcoholic drinks for the partiers. There was also a presence of lounge seating. The room was designed in such a way as to give the interior decoration of a nightclub tapestry.

The music was on and the partiers could hear it so loudly as it blew the speakers. Some were dancing with their partners, while some sat with their alcoholic drinks, shaking their heads to the rhythm of the loud music. Others just sat with their friends eating pepper soup and grilled meat, gisting, and laughing.

This was where Shalom and her three friends - Faith, Samantha, and Sidney found themselves. They were all clad in mini dresses. They sat on the lounge, chatting, and laughing. No one around them could hear their incoherent chatter but it got to a time that their laughter was audible.

After a while, a guy in his late twenties walked up to them in an approach.

"Good evening, ladies!" The guy said loudly enough for him to be heard.

The ladies stopped talking abruptly and focused their attention on him.

"Good evening" Faith was the first person to reply.

"How are you guys doing?" The guy whose name was Alex, beamed.

"We are doing fine." Shalom, a lady in her early twenties replied and returned the smile.

Somehow, Alex was glued to Shalom's facial appearance. Even when the mixture of lights was on, he was able to see her very clearly.

"Excuse me?" She said after a moment of awkward staring.

"Oh! Erm, I'm sorry..." He stuttered, trying to gain his balance in front of the ladies.

"But..." He paused.

"Can I see you for just a moment?" Alex asked.

"Okay!" She agreed without mincing words. "Babes, give me a few minutes, he wants to see me." She told her friends and left their presence with Alex.

***

Two hours later, the party came to an end. Shalom's friends were expecting her to return but they hadn't seen her green light.

"Where could this girl be?" Samantha wondered.

This time, the partiers were leaving the nightclub. Some were going home drunk while others who didn't drink themselves into a stupor were leaving the wild party house in their normal state of mind. 

They encouraged themselves that Shalom would return to them very soon so they decided to wait at the party while others were leaving or had left.

One hour later, Shalom had not returned. Her friends began to panic. Faith tried her phone number, but it wasn't reachable.

"Wait! What's the meaning of this rubbish?" Sidney burst out in anger. The other friends looked at her but she didn't stop talking.

"Didn't her brain tell her to stop whatever she was doing with that guy and come here to meet us so that we can head home?" She said in fury.

"Sidney, can you please calm down?" Samantha said.

Sidney gave a long hiss instead.

"We know you are vexed but please try and calm down." Faith chipped in.

They tried her number two more times but it was saying the same thing. They had no choice but to leave the nightclub with their minds unsettled.

***

Darkness kissed their faces when they got to their room on campus. The four of them had been living together since their 100-level days.

"Gosh! Why is this place so dark? I can't see a thing." Sidney screamed.

With trembling hands, Samantha flicked the switch on and what their eyes saw met them in shock.

To be continued.