“A good short story crosses the borders of our nations and our prejudices and our beliefs.” – Walter Mosley
I’m particularly excited about today’s short story. It pushed me to stretch my imagination in ways I hadn’t expected, and girl, it was a ride!
Today’s story was inspired by a writing prompt I got thanks to a quick Google search. The website has several prompts but I picked the prompt that asked to bring two characters from favourite franchises and write an intriguing story about them meeting in the real world.
The story I’ve written blurs the lines between fantasy and reality, pairing beloved characters from two entirely different worlds and placing them in the heart of Abuja. I brought figures from stories that I cherish (Twilight Saga & Harry Potter); characters that normally exist in realms far removed from ours, and transported them into the vibrant, bustling city streets of Nigeria’s capital city.
The premise is simple yet endlessly intriguing: two characters from different universes, meeting face-to-face, and navigating the complexities of modern life in an unfamiliar city.
What do you think would happen if the magical and the everyday collided? What happens when the fantastical enters the real? How do these characters adapt to the streets, the people, and the chaos of everyday life in Abuja?
That’s the core of today’s story. With its rich culture, lively energy, and intricate rhythms, Abuja sets the stage for an extraordinary encounter.
This story explores that collision; the characters’ disorientation, the unlikely connections they form, and the humorous, sometimes chaotic moments that unfold when fantasy enters reality. Now, to the story.
Twilight In The Capital
It was a crisp evening in Abuja, the air thick with the scent of rain-soaked earth after a brief downpour. The city, nestled in its hills and valleys, seemed to glow under the fading sunlight as the clouds parted. Hermione Granger sat at an outdoor café near Jabi Lake, sipping on a cup of rich Nigerian coffee. She had come to Abuja as part of a global magical outreach program, tasked with researching ancient African magical artefacts, a field she had grown increasingly fascinated with since her days at Hogwarts. But for now, she was taking a rare moment to relax, watching as the sun began to dip behind the hills.
She flipped through a thick, worn-out book she had brought along, completely absorbed in the history of African runes when a strange sensation tugged at her. It wasn’t magic, not the kind she was used to. But it was something else, something… otherworldly.
Hermione looked up, her eyes narrowing slightly as she scanned the sparse crowd around the café. A figure stood by the lake, half-hidden in the shadows, though the twilight hadn’t fully settled yet. He was tall and lean, and his posture radiated a quiet intensity that made him stand out in the otherwise peaceful scene. His pale skin contrasted sharply with his dark clothes, and even from a distance, Hermione could sense he wasn’t an ordinary person.
She had encountered many different beings in her time, but this was something new. Something different.
Edward Cullen was used to blending into the background, becoming invisible in the human world. But Abuja, with its heat and unfamiliar sights, had taken some getting used to. He wasn’t sure why he had chosen this place. Perhaps it was curiosity, or perhaps it was simply an attempt to escape the complexities of his world for a while. The Cullens had long grown accustomed to moving from place to place, but Edward felt a need for solitude that even his family couldn’t provide. Abuja, a city vibrant with life and culture, was a new world to him, far removed from the cold forests of Washington.
As he stood by the lake, his senses heightened. He felt her gaze before he even saw her. A young woman, sitting alone with a book, her eyes sharp and observant. There was something different about her too—her thoughts were quiet, focused, not like the cacophony of voices he typically heard in the minds of humans. That was the first thing that caught his attention. The second was the faint flicker of power he could sense around her, like a current of electricity.
Curious, he approached, his steps silent. Hermione watched him as he moved toward her, feeling the intensity in the air rise with each step. She wasn’t one to be easily rattled, but there was an aura around this stranger that made her grip her wand, hidden under the table, just a little tighter.
“Mind if I sit?” Edward’s voice was soft, his golden eyes meeting hers. There was something almost too calm about him, like he had seen and lived through far more than his youthful appearance suggested.
Hermione gestured to the empty seat across from her, cautious but intrigued. “Go ahead.”
They sat in silence for a moment, the sounds of the city humming around them—the distant honk of cars, the chatter of people, the soft lapping of the lake’s water against the shore.
Edward tilted his head, studying her with those penetrating eyes. “You’re not from around here,” he said, though it wasn’t a question.
Hermione raised an eyebrow, leaning back in her chair. “Neither are you.”
Edward chuckled softly. “Touché.” He paused, choosing his words carefully. “You’re different. I can’t read your thoughts.”
Hermione stiffened slightly, her fingers brushing against the handle of her wand under the table. “Is that something you normally do?”
“I don’t mean to,” Edward said, his voice gentle. “It’s just… a part of what I am.”
Hermione’s mind raced, piecing together the fragments of information she had picked up in the short conversation. She had encountered many magical beings, but none like him. His stillness, his unearthly beauty, the way he spoke—it all pointed to something supernatural, but not magical in the way she understood it.
“You’re not a wizard,” she stated, watching his reaction closely.
“No,” Edward said, his gaze steady. “I’m not.”
“And yet, you’re… not human.”
Edward smiled faintly. “Not exactly.”
Hermione leaned forward slightly, her curiosity getting the better of her. “What are you?”
Edward hesitated for a moment, then spoke, his voice low. “I’m a vampire.”
Hermione’s eyes widened slightly, though she wasn’t completely surprised. She had read about vampires, but they were rare in the magical world, often isolated in their own hidden communities. Still, she had never encountered one in person.
“I see,” she said slowly, her mind whirring with questions. “And you’re here, in Abuja, because…?”
“Because sometimes, I need a break from the world I come from,” Edward replied, his voice thoughtful. “It’s not always easy being what I am.”
Hermione nodded, understanding more than he might have realized. “I suppose I can relate. Being different has its challenges.”
Edward’s gaze softened. “You don’t seem like someone who’s easily fazed.”
“I’ve seen a lot,” Hermione admitted, a smile tugging at her lips. “But I’ll admit, meeting a vampire in Abuja wasn’t on my list of things to do.”
Edward chuckled, the sound warm and unexpected. “I didn’t expect to meet someone like you either.”
Hermione glanced at her watch, noticing the time. The evening was creeping into night, and the café was beginning to close. “I should probably get going,” she said, standing up. “But it was… interesting, meeting you, Edward.”
Edward stood as well, offering her a small, almost reluctant smile. “Likewise, Hermione.”
As she turned to leave, Hermione hesitated, then glanced back at him. “Be careful out here. Abuja may seem peaceful, but there are dangers lurking, even for someone like you.”
Edward smiled faintly, nodding. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
With a final nod, Hermione walked away, her mind buzzing with the encounter. She had come to Abuja to study magic, but tonight she had stumbled upon something else entirely—a glimpse into a world she had never known existed.
Edward watched her go, the faint trace of her scent lingering in the air. For the first time in a while, he felt something close to intrigue, a spark of curiosity about the world beyond his own. Maybe this trip to Nigeria would be more interesting than he had anticipated after all.
Writing this story has been a fun and imaginative journey. Bringing characters from entirely different worlds into the real-life setting of Abuja allowed me to play with both fantasy and reality in a way that felt fresh. It’s a reminder of how the stories we love can feel so alive and, at times, closer to our own world than we think.
P/s: If you have any questions about creating content, writing, or the story above, please leave a comment below or DM me on Instagram!
