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Chapter Five — The Second Price
Amara ran.
She didn’t know why.
Behind her, hundreds of people began screaming.
“STOP HER!”
“She hasn’t paid!”
“I WANT MY PRICE!”
Amara looked at the necklace.
It was glowing red.
She threw it onto the ground.
The screaming stopped.
Silence.
Then someone whispered behind her:
“You paid with money.”
Amara turned.
The old woman was standing there.
“You haven’t paid the second price.”
“What second price?”
The woman pointed at Amara’s feet.
Amara looked down.
Her shadow was gone.
Chapter Six — The Market Keeper
The old woman began laughing.
A deep, terrible laugh.
“You thought the necklace cost three hundred naira?”
Amara stepped backward.
“What do you want?”
“Your shadow.”
“No!”
The woman raised her hand.
Suddenly, every lantern in the market went out.
Darkness swallowed everything.
Then something touched Amara’s shoulder.
A voice whispered:
“Give it to us.”
Amara screamed and ran.
She ran until she saw a small wooden door.
She pushed it open.
Behind it was a narrow path leading toward the village.
She ran.
She didn’t stop until she reached her house.
Chapter Seven — Sunrise
Amara reached home just before sunrise.
Her mother was sleeping.
Amara placed the necklace on the table.
She was exhausted.
Then she looked at the floor.
Her shadow was still missing.
She began crying.
Her mother woke up.
“Amara?”
“I’m here, Mama.”
Her mother stared at her.
Then she screamed.
“WHO ARE YOU?”
Amara froze.
“Mama, it’s me!”
Her mother backed away.
“My daughter has a shadow.”
Amara looked down.
Nothing.
Her mother picked up a mirror.
“Look.”
Amara stared into it.
Her reflection was smiling.
But Amara wasn’t.
The reflection raised its hand.
Amara didn’t.
Then the reflection whispered:
“I paid for the necklace.”
Chapter Eight — The Necklace
Amara dropped the mirror.
Her mother grabbed her.
“What did you bring home?”
Amara told her everything.
Her mother began crying.
“You went to the Night Market.”
“How do we fix it?”
Her mother shook her head.
“We must find your grandmother.”
They ran to Grandmother Nneka’s house.
The old woman saw the necklace.
Her face became pale.
“Where did you get this?”
“The Night Market.”
Grandmother Nneka closed her eyes.
“My child…”
“What?”
“That necklace belonged to your great-grandmother.”
Amara stared at her.
“She went to the market forty years ago.”
“What happened to her?”
Grandmother Nneka whispered:
“She never came back.”
Chapter Nine — The Truth
Grandmother Nneka finally revealed the secret.
The Night Market appeared every generation.
It was a market for spirits.
But the spirits couldn’t enter the world of the living without an invitation.
So they made bargains.
Food for memories.
Gold for years of life.
Clothes for names.
And jewelry…
for shadows.
Amara’s great-grandmother had bought the same red necklace.
She had given the market her shadow.
But the market wanted more.
It followed her family for generations.
Grandmother Nneka looked at Amara.
“Your great-grandmother didn’t escape.”
“What happened to her?”
“She became one of the sellers.”
Amara’s blood went cold.
“The old woman who sold me the necklace…”
Grandmother Nneka nodded.
“That was her.”
Chapter Ten — The Last Bargain
That night, the bell rang again.
DONG.
Grandmother Nneka grabbed Amara.
“Don’t listen.”
DONG.
The house began shaking.
Then someone knocked on the door.
Three times.
Knock.
Knock.
Knock.
A woman’s voice came from outside.
“Amara…”
It was the voice of her great-grandmother.
“Bring back what you took.”
Amara began crying.
The necklace on the table started moving.
Slowly.
It rolled toward the door.
Her mother screamed.
Then the door opened by itself.
Beyond it was not the village.
It was the Night Market.
Hundreds of lanterns.
Hundreds of shadowless people.
And at the entrance stood the old woman.
She smiled.
“Come, my child.”
Amara held her mother’s hand.
“I won’t go.”
The old woman laughed.
“You already did.”
Amara looked down.
Her shadow was standing beside the old woman.
It waved at her.
Chapter Eleven — The Rule
Grandmother Nneka suddenly remembered something.
“The necklace!”
She grabbed it.
“The first price can be returned.”
“What does that mean?”
“We must return it before the final bell.”
They ran into the forest.
The Night Market was waiting.
Grandmother Nneka threw the necklace onto the ground.
“Take it back!”
The market became silent.
The old woman stepped forward.
“Then pay the second price.”
Grandmother Nneka stood in front of Amara.
“I will.”
“No!” Amara screamed.
The old woman smiled.
“What will you give?”
Grandmother Nneka looked at Amara.
“My shadow.”
She stepped into the lantern light.
Her shadow separated from her feet.
The old woman grabbed it.
Grandmother Nneka collapsed.
The market bell rang.
DONG.
Then everything disappeared.
Chapter Twelve — The Final Warning
Amara woke up beside the village road.
The sun was rising.
Her grandmother was beside her.
Alive.
But something was different.
Grandmother Nneka had no shadow.
Amara began crying.
“I’m sorry.”
Her grandmother smiled.
“Go home.”
“What about you?”
“I have already lived my years.”
She touched Amara’s face.
“Just remember one thing.”
“What?”
“If you ever hear a market bell after midnight…”
Amara nodded.
“Don’t follow it.”
Grandmother Nneka smiled.
“Especially if someone calls your name.”
Amara returned home.
The red necklace was gone.
For many years, nothing happened.
Until Amara became an old woman herself.
One night, her granddaughter came running into her room.
“Grandma!”
Amara woke up.
“What is it?”
The girl pointed toward the window.
“I hear people selling things outside.”
Amara’s heart stopped.
She listened.
From deep within the forest came a familiar sound.
DONG.
Then another.
DONG.
Her granddaughter whispered:
“Grandma…”
Amara grabbed her hand.
“Don’t look outside.”
“But I heard someone calling me.”
Amara’s face went pale.
“Who?”
The little girl smiled.
“An old woman.”
Then she whispered:
“She said she’s your grandmother.”
Amara looked toward the window.
Outside, hundreds of lanterns had appeared.
And among them stood a shadowless woman wearing a red necklace.
She was smiling.
THE END.
