My hands are trembling as I clutch the bathroom door. The knocking grows louder. “Mummy… Mummy…” Junior’s voice is still there, but layered underneath is a hollow resonance that makes my stomach twist. I know, deep down, that the boy outside is no longer entirely mine.
Memories flood me—every first Friday, every lost baby, every tear that never had justice. And now, here he is, the one I failed to protect. My mind races. I need a plan. I can’t call anyone. The woman in white controls everything—Dr. Balogun, the money, the babies… even my son.
“Junior,” I whisper, trying to keep my voice steady. “Where are you?”
“Just come out, Mummy. The contract… it’s almost over.” His small hand slides under the door. Cold. So cold it burns through the fabric of my nerves.
Then I remember something my grandmother once told me: “Nothing bound by fear can withstand a mother’s will.” My heart tightens. I may not have magic, but I have my love—and that might be stronger than any contract.
I step back, grab the only thing I have—a small silver locket that belonged to my mother—and press it tightly to my chest. I whisper his name. The way a mother whispers life itself. “Junior… my son, come back to me.”
Outside, the knocking stops. For a moment, there is silence. Then… a small voice, almost the real him, whispers, “Mummy…”
I throw open the door. My son is there, shaking, but his eyes—my son’s eyes—are fighting to emerge from the black void. I scoop him up, holding him against my heart, feeling the warmth return. The black-eyed shell of the impostor collapses like a shadow when sunlight strikes.
I know it’s not over. The woman in white will come again, and Dr. Balogun’s greed is not easily stopped. But for now, I have my son, and that is proof: love can outmatch even the most unholy contracts.
I decide then. I will expose them. Every first Friday, every lost child—I will record, document, and one day, bring it all into the light. Justice may be slow, but a mother’s courage is eternal.
As we leave the bathroom, Junior clings to me. His small hand curls around mine. He looks up and says in a voice that is finally his own, “Mummy… never let go.”
I promise him I never will.
Because sometimes, the darkest secrets are only defeated by the brightest light a human heart can offer: love, courage, and truth.