The Secret Route: A Final Year Tale of Fear and Fun

During my final year in secondary school back in 2020, everything changed suddenly because of the coronavirus. I still remember that day so clearly — like it just happened yesterday. We were all in class when a teacher came in and told us to drop everything and head straight to the assembly ground. We were confused, not knowing what was going on. When we got there, the school authorities told us we would all be going home the very next day because of the virus outbreak. It was like a movie.

At first, many of us thought it was just going to be a short break. Maybe a week or two. Nobody expected it to drag on the way it did. But then one week turned into a month, and before we knew it, we were at home for three whole months. To be honest, that break was one of the longest and most boring times of my life. I was basically just indoors every single day. No school, no friends, no fun. Just me, my phone, and the walls of my room.

Eventually, the government made an announcement that only final year students would be allowed to resume so we could prepare for our W.A.E.C. and N.E.C.O exams. That news came with mixed feelings. On one hand, I was tired of staying at home, but on the other hand, going back to school to study in an almost empty environment wasn’t exactly exciting either. When we got back to school, the whole place felt like a ghost town. It was just us, the final year students, and a few teachers. No noise, no juniors running around, nothing. It was so dry.

Most of our time was spent reading, attending revision classes, and preparing for our final exams. But you know how it is — even when you’re preparing for exams, you still want some form of fun to balance things out. So, there was this hidden route behind the school that could lead you out quietly. It was one of those back exits only a few students knew about. So I and some of my close friends decided to take that route one day to sneak out and go to my hometown, which wasn’t far from the school, just to play FIFA and chill a bit.

The first time we went, everything went smoothly. We had a good time, laughed, played FIFA, and forgot about the stress of school for a while. After that, it became kind of a routine. We would sneak out once in a while just to breathe and enjoy ourselves a bit.

But then, something happened that changed everything. One evening, we stayed out too late. It was already getting dark when we decided to head back to school. The only problem was — we had to pass that same secret route, and there was a particular spot on that route that we always dreaded. There was a mortuary located there, and passing by it at night was nothing short of terrifying. That day, as we approached the area, everywhere was actually very quiet. No human being in sight. Just darkness and the sound of our footsteps.

Fear gripped us instantly. We didn’t even need to say a word to each other — we just took off running. Our hearts were pounding like crazy. It wasn’t funny at all. That night, it felt like every horror movie we had ever watched was coming to life. When we finally got back to school safely, I was sweating like I had just finished a 100-meter race.

From that day on, I told my friends I was done, and i am never following them out through that route ever again.. My peace of mind was more important. As much as I enjoyed the thrill and fun, nothing was worth that kind of fear again.