Grimoire - Vol 1. Revelation of Rakshas

3 - Strangers In The Park

So, where was I?

Ah yes, the encounter.

We're getting really close to the present time, by the way, so hopefully, you're still into this.

So like I said, I saw three people surrounding a kid—two guys and one girl. They didn't seem that old, most probably my age. Then again, at my angle and distance, I couldn't see their faces too well.

They all wore black kurta, a bit stylized. Completely black too—except for the tallest guy in that group who had a red cloth tied on his arms. Then again, he was also the only one with a blindfold made of black cloth over his eyes so I just chalked it up to some sort of stylistic choice.

People have worn things stranger than that.

The short guy and the girl looked Asian. I couldn't really tell which Asian though. I mean, for all I knew, they could be East Indians. And yes, I know that Indians are technically Asians too but let's be honest, how often does an Indian face come up when someone says Asian?

Heck, an Indian doesn't think of an Indian face when someone says Asian.

It's really weird if you think about it.

As for the blindfold guy...I really couldn't tell.

Guess, I'm bad at guessing cultures and nationalities. Not that I required a skill like that before. I honestly can't remember if I've ever seen a foreigner in our town before.

What I do know is that everyone in the trio looked like they were going to some festival that required traditional Indian clothes. A bit more on the fashionable side, sure, but still.

I wondered if there was something today. Holi was already over, Independence Day was a month ago, and Diwali wasn't for another two or three months...

After a minute or two, I just assumed they were going to some pooja or engagement party and decided to colour coordinate their clothes 'cause best friends for life?

All I knew was that there were three foreigners ganging up on a little kid—a boy from the looks of it...not that it matters.

And as strange and disturbing that sight was—I mean come on, despite what I said earlier, that sight would seem wrong to anyone from any angle—what actually got my attention were the things beside them. Three books, each of varying size and thickness and colour, were floating in front of them.

Perhaps the wrong thing to focus on but I couldn't help it. How often do you see books floating? Not that teenagers surrounding a child are a common sight, ofcourse...God, I hope it's not.

I saw the girl within the group moving her lips and raising her hand to reveal some extremely sharp nails. Hell, it looked more like claws or talons.

The little kid spoke something, very calmly too. As if what was happening was a normal occurrence for him. Again, god I hope it's not.

But in hindsight, that should have been my first hint that I wasn't needed, you know? That I was just butting my head into something that was way beyond my capabilities.

To be fair, I did hesitate. Not because of the suspicion that something beyond my understanding was going on but more out of...fear? As righteous and noble as I seemed in my head, I was doubly the coward on the outside.

Unlike Idris, I was no athlete. I wasn't the state kickboxing champion. I did try out martial arts about six years ago but realising I sucked at it, I just quit. I was as average in strength as some guy that had been hungry for a week. Sure, not weak but also not strong enough to take on two guys and Mrs Wolverine there all by myself.

Even if we added the kid in my team as support—because why not, I'm sure he can atleast bite—the chances of me winning were still in the high lows.

Ironically, the one thing I was better at than Idris was at the track.

I'm literally best suited for running away.

Can't get any more pathetic than that.

But then I remembered Ritu.

And despite the fun I have talking to her, there was a part of me that felt sad for her death. She was so little, so young. She hadn't even lived through her teenage years.

Heck, she hadn't even reached her teenage years.

All I thought at that moment was how that little kid could be the next bloodied dead soul I see. And, honestly, I was getting pretty sick of seeing dead souls.

Hypothetically speaking, the strange group could have been thinking of kidnapping the boy. Ask his parents for ransom. Maybe some accident happens and well, he would be on my list of people to give chocolates to every morning.

Sure, that was a bit too reaching but it wasn't completely out of the realm of possibility.

And I didn't want that to happen.

I did what I thought was the right thing to do. What I knew for sure was what my best friend would do. What I...wished to do but knew I couldn't.

I guess...I just wanted to prove myself wrong.