When Onoja, in the middle of a video game with his friends, slumps mysteriously and loses consciousness, his family and friends are plunged into a nightmare.
While his folks pull all the stops in a grim race against time to save his life, the love of his parents and the loyalty of his friends are tested. But none of them seems prepared for the dark secrets about to be uncovered by the gust of rising tension. Neither are they aware that a vengeful god is hungrily screaming for justice.
Employing intrigue and humour, ‘Fractured Constellations’ is a gripping story that paints the devastating horror of betrayal and how our ugly secrets, even if buried in the darkest corners of our hearts, can come back to ensnare us and those we love in their web.
Having my story featured in the maiden edition of Naira Stories gives me the sublime thrill of being a pioneer in something beautiful. Beginnings are undoubtedly an important aspect of any project, and I’m grateful to the editors for finding my piece worthy of gracing this inaugural edition. I’m satisfied to know that my work has such a gorgeous home.
John Ebute (Swan XIII) is a medical student at Bayero University, Kano. His works have appeared in Spillwords Press, Brittle Paper, Eunoia Review, Empyrean Magazine, Kalahari Review, African Writer, Farafina Blog, Ta Adesa, Afrocritik, World Voices, and elsewhere. He was the winner of TWEIN Recreate Contest 2024 (Prose category), RIEC essay contest, NIMSA-FAITH Suicide Prevention Campaign (Prose category), and the first runner-up in the Paradise Gate House Poetry Contest.
