I tried my best to calm myself and fall asleep, but my mind was still reeling from the bizarre events that had unfolded. Suddenly, I was startled by two knocks on the door. Instantly, I turned on the light and cautiously made my way towards the door. Peering through the keyhole, I strained to see in the darkness, but there was nothing visible.
"Who is it?" I called out, hoping for a response. Silence greeted me, and a sense of unease washed over me. I chose not to open the door and began to retreat back to my room. But then, the knocks resounded again, this time louder and more insistent. My heart raced as I turned around, only to come face-to-face with a woman. Her long black hair was braided, and blood dripped from a deep wound on her head. She wore a blood-stained green saree. I stood frozen, forgetting to breathe, as terror engulfed me. The woman opened her mouth as if to speak, but all I heard was her piercing scream.
Suddenly, I woke up, my body drenched in sweat and my breaths coming in rapid gasps. It was just a dream, I realized with relief. Glancing at my phone, I saw that it was 4 a.m. I still had a couple of hours left to sleep. Clutching my pillows tightly, seeking comfort and solace, I closed my eyes and attempted to drift back into a peaceful slumber.
Startled by the sound of the alarm, I woke up earlier than usual. Checking my phone for any messages or missed calls, I found that there were none. That was a relief. Deciding to prepare some toasted bread and scrambled eggs for breakfast, I turned on the TV to have something to watch while I ate. Since my father always tuned in to the news channel, it automatically played upon switching on. Taking a bite of my crispy toast, I listened absentmindedly to the news anchor's voice. "A middle-aged woman was tragically killed in an early morning accident on the ECR," the news lady announced. My heart skipped a beat as I saw the image of the woman on the screen. It was the same woman from my dream—the one wearing the blood-soaked green saree, with her long hair braided and a severe wound on her head. Feeling a growing sense of unease and a need to escape the solitude of my home, I quickly finished my breakfast, albeit reluctantly. Determined to clear my mind and shake off the lingering effects of the unsettling dream, I left my house, craving the company of others and hoping for a distraction from the strange occurrences that seemed to be intertwining with my reality.
I hopped onto my lady scooter and made my way to the beach. The tranquil atmosphere here was a stark contrast to the unsettling events of the previous night. It almost felt as if I had stepped into a different world, away from the horrors that had invaded my dreams.
I've always been the type of person who enjoys watching extreme horror movies, never flinching or averting my gaze. Ghostly tales and supernatural phenomena never managed to sway my belief system. After all, I had never encountered anything of the sort in my own life. But now, with the vivid dream, the enigmatic guy, and the truck incident, it was becoming increasingly difficult for me to maintain my skepticism. These occurrences challenged my usual reliance on what I could see and comprehend. They seemed impossible, beyond the realm of reason.
As I stood by the shoreline, observing the powerful waves crashing against the rocks, I found myself lost in deep contemplation. The rhythmic motion of the waves always had a way of triggering profound thoughts within me. I mulled over the events of the past day, desperately seeking clarity and trying to make sense of the inexplicable. The beach provided solace, a place where I could gather my thoughts and perhaps find some answers amidst the vastness of the ocean. As I immersed myself in deep contemplation, a sudden sound broke the silence of the beach. It was a child's laughter, light and carefree. I turned my gaze towards the source of the sound and spotted a child playing joyfully with the doves that had gathered nearby. What struck me as peculiar was the lack of fear or flight from the doves. Normally, they would scatter and take to the skies at the sight of humans, but these doves seemed unperturbed, leisurely pecking at the sand for food. The sight further accentuated the strangeness of the events that had unfolded the previous night. If I were to confide in Rani about what I had experienced, I knew she would dismiss it as the product of an overactive imagination or perhaps even suggest seeking professional help. I felt a sense of isolation, as I had no one to share my concerns with or seek solace from. It seemed that the mysteries that had befallen me were mine alone to grapple with, a burden I had to carry in silence. I emptied all the eggs; I should buy them when I return. I walked for some time and went to a grocery shop.
"Bro, give me 5 eggs," I asked the shopkeeper and looked at the newspaper hangings. The wall beside the shop was full of old posters and news articles sticking on top of the old ones. I saw one poster; it was a memorial poster saying "Rest in Peace." How unfortunate, it was a child who died so early without experiencing life. This was also a reason why I don't believe in God. I looked at the child's picture. It looked somewhat familiar. I must have seen this child somewhere.
"Bro, who is this child?"
"He was from this neighborhood. It's sad that he died while playing on the beach. He used to come here to buy snacks. But the waves took him," he said as he handed me the packed eggs.
"Hmm," I paid him and took my scooter. The beach. Yes, I saw him at the beach, the one who played with the doves. That's why the doves weren't scared of him because they couldn't see him. But how could I see him? What was happening? Could it be that everything I have seen was true? Was what that guy said true? He mentioned that I was dead and he brought me back to life. Does that mean there is life after death and ghosts are real? Was he a ghost or maybe even Satan? Who was he and what was he? I couldn't bear it any longer. I arrived at my home and climbed up the stairs to the second floor. As I took out the key to unlock the door, I heard murmuring coming from inside my home. I leaned against the door and strained my ears to listen, but it was silent. I knocked on the door, hoping that my parents had returned early.
"Mom, are you there?" I debated whether to enter my home and find out what was happening. However, I wasn't mentally prepared for what I might encounter. What if it was something horrifying? What if I saw more terrifying things? Suddenly, someone knocked on the door twice from the other side, causing me to gasp in fear. I felt on the verge of tears. Why were all these strange and unsettling things happening to me? Why was I the one experiencing them? Okay, I decided, I would believe.
"I believe you," I said, "you told me to think about you when I wanted to meet you. You said you would help me once I believed in you, right? Now explain." I looked around, but there was no response. Was I going crazy? Or were the things around me driving me crazy? Now I was talking to myself. It was becoming increasingly difficult to breathe. Anger coursed through me, and I had reached my breaking point. With frustration consuming me, I unlocked the door and slammed it shut, causing it to hit the wall with a loud thud. There was nothing there, neither in the room nor behind the doors. I let out a heavy sigh. I didn't like to cry, but in that moment, I felt the overwhelming urge to do so. I decided to skip lunch as I had no appetite. My parents would be returning in an hour, and I knew they must be tired. I thought of buying dinner for them. They loved the idlis from Karthik Dine Hotel, which was located near the beach. I headed to the hotel and placed an order for 8 idlis and 1 vegetable noodles as a takeout. While waiting for my order, I sat on a chair and noticed a TV playing the news channel in the background. A man was sitting on the chair next to me on my right.
He said, "It is so sad that kids have gone missing." I looked at the TV, where they were reporting about the missing children. According to the news, four kids had gone missing, but only three bodies had been found.
"They found only 3 kids' bodies," I said. To my surprise, there was a child sitting beside me on my left. I hadn't noticed her until now.
She spoke softly, "I am stuck inside the well." Startled, I turned towards her to see her face clearly.
"What did you say?" I asked, my voice filled with concern. She smiled, but her eyes betrayed her sadness.
The man sitting beside me interjected, "I said nothing."
"No, I asked her," I clarified to the man sitting beside me.
Confused, he asked, "Her? Who?"
Realizing that he couldn't see the child, I understood that she must have been some kind of apparition. The realization sent shivers down my spine. The kid had vanished right before my eyes. Thankfully, my food parcel arrived at that moment. I swiftly took it and left the place, eager to distance myself from the unsettling encounter as quickly as possible. I left my scooter at the second right turn since there was no parking available near the hotel. As I walked and took the second right turn, a strange occurrence took place. The street lights flickered and then went off, enveloping the surroundings in darkness. Feeling a sense of unease, I quickly retrieved my phone and turned on the torchlight. Using the light, I scanned the area, searching for my scooter amidst the numerous parked bikes and scooters. However, as I scanned the area, I noticed a figure standing in the middle of the street, just a few feet away from me. It was not a person, but something else entirely.
"Hello?" I called out, but there was no response from the figure. Suddenly, I felt a touch on my shoulder, causing me to swiftly turn around. To my surprise, there was nothing there. I quickly shifted my gaze back to where the figure had been standing, only to find it had vanished as well. A feeling of dread washed over me. Before I could fully process what was happening, something grabbed hold of my leg, sending a jolt of fear through my body. I let out a piercing scream and vigorously shook my leg, desperately trying to free myself from whatever unseen force had a grip on me. As I frantically looked around, I noticed four figures, roughly the size of children, standing ominously around me. Fear coursed through my veins, causing me to take a few steps backward in an attempt to create some distance. The children began to advance towards me, their movements slow and deliberate. Panic consumed me, and without thinking, I turned and sprinted away, my heart pounding in my chest. In my haste to escape, I found myself trapped in a dead-end. Desperation filled my every breath as I turned back, expecting to see the children closing in on me. But to my astonishment, there was nothing there. A momentary relief washed over me, causing me to pause and try to catch my breath. However, the relief was short-lived as I suddenly felt hands gripping my left hand tightly. I looked down in horror, only to be met with the sight of the four children laughing maliciously at me. With a gasp, I instinctively took a step backward, lost my footing, and slipped. Thankfully, the door behind me was ajar, offering a glimmer of hope in my desperate escape. As I opened the door, I found myself facing a staircase.
I began ascending, the flickering lights around me adding to my unease. With each step, I felt a growing sense of exhaustion, making it increasingly difficult to catch my breath. After what seemed like an endless climb, I finally reached the top, only to discover that I had arrived on the rooftop. Stepping away from the staircase, I surveyed my surroundings, desperately searching for any sign of escape. It was then that the children appeared, drawing nearer to me. A feeling of dread washed over me as I realized they were not ordinary children—they were apparitions, trapped between the realms of the living and the dead. Their spectral presence made it clear that they were following me, though I couldn't fathom why. In an attempt to create some distance between us, I took a cautious step backward, my heart pounding in my chest. However, my foot slipped, and I stumbled, finding myself dangerously close to the parapet wall. Glancing down, the immense height sent waves of panic through me, as I realized the grave consequences that awaited me if I were to fall. Survival became my sole focus in that terrifying moment.
I cried out, my voice trembling with fear and desperation, "No, please, get away from me! What have I done to deserve this?" But the children showed no signs of stopping. The relentless pursuit left me feeling trapped and helpless, unable to bear the torment any longer. The thought of living like this, haunted by these spectral beings, became unbearable. However, the idea of dying in such a manner was equally terrifying.
My mind raced, conflicted between the love I had for my parents and the unbearable anguish I was experiencing. The weight of the situation pressed upon me, suffocating any glimmers of hope that remained. I made a desperate decision. With trembling limbs, I climbed onto the wall, facing the children. I could feel my body losing its balance as I prepared myself for what seemed like the only way to escape their relentless pursuit. Closing my eyes tightly and covering them with my palms, I let go, surrendering to the void that awaited me. The decision, born out of desperation and despair, felt like the only way to find peace from the torment that had consumed me.