Shroud: Jinn

5 - Scarlet

The black shadow was sitting on top of me.

It had no face. It had no features. It was just a black silhouette that possessed a smokeless form but it had a strong burning smell attached to it like giant remnants of burnt coal. An extreme feeling of dread washed over me and the fine hairs at the base of my neck trembled in fright, causing uncontrollable goosebumps to break out all over my body.

I tried to scream but my mouth was sewn shut. Horrified, I frantically recited prayers in my heart but the black shadow refused to budge and drew itself closer towards my face. I slammed my eyes shut in absolute fright, silently wishing that it was just another nightmare within a nightmare. I fought to move my body again but I was still tied in invisible bondage. I screamed out the prayers in my chest. All of a sudden, the apprehension that I felt earlier was gone and I could finally wriggle my toes. Relieved, I opened my eyes and the figure that had rendered me speechless earlier, faded into oblivion. A tingling sensation finally crept up from my toes to the rest of my body and I bolted upright in fright.

Was it sleep paralysis? Or was that an actual demon?

I struggled to get up from the bed; my whole body was still trembling in a state of shock.

What did the nightmare mean?

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Later that night...

Ching keching keching keching keching keching KAHCHING!

I heard it again.

Ching keching keching keching keching keching KAHCHING!

This time, I knew I was not imagining it. The sounds had broken me from my peaceful slumber.

It sounded like the mystifying jingles of payal bells that Indian dancers wore around their ankles. The sound of feet tapping followed by a chorus of unearthly jingles as though in a synchronised dance bounced off the walls. But where was the sound coming from? Our wooden attap house was the only house in the vicinity. The nearest house was about one kilometre away from here.

I reached out my hand to the other side of the bed and found it empty. A sick realisation set in and I promptly remembered that Melati and Saleha were not at home on Friday nights. Tonight, I was all alone.

CHING KECHING KECHING KECHING KECHING KECHING KAHCHING!

The jingles were not echoes from somewhere distant; it was coming from inside my room. A cluster of giggles resonated like a chilling melody within the confines of my walls. Soon after, the giggles were replaced by the same disturbing sound once again-

CHING KECHING KECHING KECHING KECHING KECHING KAHCHING!

Huffing, puffing, trying to collect my thoughts, I bolted out of bed and dashed towards the kerosene lamp. Grabbing for the matchbox beside it, I slid open the box and fumbled for a matchstick inside. I struck the matchstick on the side of the matchbox and lit the lamp. Just as soon as I did that, the sound stopped.

"What's happening?" I sat down on the floor with a thud and buried my face in my hands in a comforting grasp, "Please tell me I'm not going insane."

TING! Prrrrrrrrrrrrrrr..... toop.

I heard something fell with a sharp jingle from above, rolled for a short while and stopped itself near my feet. Peeking through the cracks in between my fingers, I saw that it was a small, round silver bell.

Chiiiing kechiiiing kechiiiing kechiiiing kechiiing kechiiing kaaaaahhhhh- CHING!

The last "ching" ended on such a loud booming note that it sounded as though it was demanding me to look up towards my ceiling. I peered up anxiously and cautiously. Different pairs of blood-soaked feet and I meant, literally just feet were moving and stomping away upside down on my ceiling. The payal bells that hung eerily around each ankle jingled their haunting melody at each stomp.

I forced myself to run towards the bedside table, grabbed my car key and rushed the hell out of there. As I past Saleha's room, I retraced back my steps and looked in. The same white figure that was praying in Saleha's room earlier today was seated in the same pose, dressed in a white prayer garb and without a prayer mat. But this time, its front was facing me. It lifted its head and stared right at me. Its face was so raggedly grotesque and burnt that I had to scream.

In a panic, I ran out as fast as I could towards my car and drove off. I had no idea where I was going but I knew I was not staying anywhere near the house.

One thing was for sure - we needed to move out.

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A/N:

I am curious. How would you have reacted in each of these terrifying situations, which was the 1) hellish nightmare, 2) black shadow figure, 3) dancing feet and 4) the white figure in white prayer garb? Let me know in the comments!

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CREDITS:

Background Music: Vivek Abhishek - Horror Theme | Dark Forest Music | Copyright Free | Vivek Abhishek

Youtube Link: https://youtu.be/bardZsyr0sM

Channel Link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCaeW48X42EwKHsp1n0U-WQQ