W
e reached the bridge but Mike hit the brakes so hard that Stan almost fell out of the side car.
''What are you doing man? I hurt my knee.'' Shouted Stan.
''I can't go there now please don't make me .'' Said Mike.
''I told you to stay...'' Stan was saying but Mike interrupted.
''You just shut up or I'll kick you in the face.'' Yelled Mike very angry.
''If you aren't feeling well about it Mike go back I'll call you when we're done here.'' I said and mike started up the bike and went back without another word.
Stan and I took a deep breath and started to walk towards the bridge. We didn't have to cross it this time coz we were already on the side where that man's hut was.
''When did you meet him Zach? I mean for how long have you been friends with Mike.?''
''I don't remember we're almost childhood friends but why are you asking this?'' I said.
''No I just thought if he left you alone in a situation like this how can you be this much good friends.''
I glared at him and said.
''I understand what you want to say but dear boy" there was a smile on my face while I said this "friendship is not to expect your friend to be with you whenever you need him but you also ought to understand the obligations he can have not to come and I do understand it, Mike is really very scared right now.''
''That's not enough for a reason Zach we're also scared.''
''Look Stan you can't ever brain wash me against Mike so leave it.''
''No no I don't wanna do that man! I'm just saying.'' Said Stan
''Let me tell you one thing Stan and I hope you understand it,
Mike is the only man in his family, he's got two sisters and mom his father left them when he was very young and I'm sure he's scared because of them he's worried about what his family will do if anything happens to him.''
Stan remained silent for several seconds and said.
''I didn't know that.'' Sadly.
''I'm less scared because I have a big brother and totally fit parents with jobs and yet they're away and I think you should be scared too may be more than Mike.'' I said.
''Yeah I know coz I have a sister all alone in the apartment.'' ''Holy Jesus!'' He screamed. ''I wanna go back to Christy I'm not coming. Shit!''
He stopped, turned and began to run but stopped again and said.
''Call Mike I'll go away with him he's right. This is your problem and this is all because of you so you suffer it we won't.''
''As expected.'' I muttered pretty loud.
''What did you say.?''
''I said we're almost there look there's the hut may be just a hundred meters away come on we have to talk to him.''
''No I'm not coming you go......alone.'' he gave a pause in his sentence coz he heard the revving sound of his motorcycle.
''You crazy go and die I'm outta here.'' Said Stan and broke into a run towards his bike and disappeared behind bushes and trees on the way back to the road. Sudden silence sent a chill to my spine. Sun was gone beyond the horizon and it was getting dark very fast. On my right side was the river which was flowing silently and on the left side was trees and bushes very dense that I couldn't even see through them. Whistling winds and rattling leaves were making a perfect scene not to be in and I was standing with my back facing that hut and the grave of the innocent.
I didn't wanted to think but I couldn't control my imagination which made me think that someone was standing right behind me I could hear the cracking of leaves on the ground and I got a shiver when I thought that someone is standing behind me I turned summoning all my strength but I was alone there was not even a squirrel or a mouse or a dog or anything just me and the leaves everywhere flowing here and there with the winds and that wrecked hut far away and may be a candle inside it because I could see yellow light through a window like hole in that hut.
I heard some distant shouting and yelling and I was sure that it was Mike and Stan fighting over something. Mike came into my sight away near the road he was running towards me and was chased by Stan, Mike came to me and said.
''I couldn't leave you alone man! And this fool can not be braver than me.''
''Mike give me the keys you can't do that I wanna go.'' Said Stan all out of breath.
''Mike you shouldn't have come back...'' but Mike interrupted before I could finish and said picking something up from the ground.
''Yeah yeah okay are we done with this emotional drama? Let's go before it gets darker.''
''Mike give me my keys back.'' Stan shouted.
''You bloody coward go get your keys back when you find them.'' Said Mike throwing the key towards the hut and we heard the thud of it dropping somewhere right in front of the hut's door.
''No you didn't... man! This isn't fair.'' Sobbed Stan.
''Let's go find your keys.'' Said Mike and we started to walk towards the hut. Stan ran forward leaving us behind and slowed down few meters away.
''Come on you turtles walk faster.'' He said
''That was not good Mike, that was rude.''
''Don't worry keys are in my pocket I threw a stone.''
Stan started to look for his keys in the grass and we left him behind.
''Yeah I'm not a good person I don't deserve your help walk away don't help me.''Stan shouted at us.
''Stan it's getting dark you shouldn't be there alone come with us.'' I said.
Stan spinning his head all around ran toward us. Still few meters were there for us to walk. Silence, darkness and cold was very scary we were not able now to see clearly because of the dark and none of us had flashlights in our cell phones we followed the dim candle light in the hut. We heard some unnatural rattling of grass around us everywhere we sped up and then the same giggle I heard on the first night touched our eardrums together and we broke into a run and stopped on the door. I was amazed that this hut had a door because right beside it was that big window like hole it was enough for me and Stan to go through it together.
''This is crazy this is crazy this is crazy.'' Stan was repeating looking too much worried and moving eyes into dark nothingness.
''Why did YOU run.?'' We asked to each other.
''You heard that too?''
''She's here! And this is not good. Knock the door Zach I got your back.'' Said Mike.
I knocked the door with my fist and door swung open in once. There stood the man we were risking our lives to meet. He looked tidier this time but stank as bad as before.
''I expected you earlier I hope you're not late.'' Said the bearded man.
''Alright! ........ Can we come in?'' I asked him.
''You don't wanna stay out there in the dark do you?'' He said. We entered the stinky hut and looked around, from the inside it wasn't the way we expected it. It was furnished with stools made with crafted thick tree stumps and a sofa of wooden logs , we sat and started to explore the hut more. A lot of weird stuff was stored there like snake skins, pumpkins, ugly flowers and number of something white and round in a fish bowl.
"What's that in the fish bowl.?'' I asked him.
''Rat skulls.'' He replied in a heavy and rough voice.
''Rat skulls? What are you gonna do with them?'' Stan bursted out.
"How do you think I survive here? With these supernatural things going on around me.?''
''Dark arts? You do dark magic?'' I asked him automatically.
''Yes I've learned some basics.''
''And those pumpkins?'' Asked Stan.
''Mmm that's dinner.'' Said the man.
''Why don't you just run away?'' Asked Mike.
"Run away? Then who's gonna take care of fools like you.'' He said giggling.
"What do you mean?'' Said Stan.
''Didn't anyone tell you I'm a maniac who keep saying 'I warned them' always.?''
''Yes the night guard told me.'' I said and both Stan and Mike looked at me and Stan whispered ''You knew he was mental.?''
''Well I'm not! I do that to keep people in fear of the grave innocent and that cross you know on the other side of the river I keep it there for the same reason.'' Said the bearded man doing something on a wood fired stove.
''What do you mean you keep it there.?'' Asked Stan.
"Oh boy use your educated brains the river floods in every monsoon it almost destroys my hut every year how do you think that cross stays.?'' Said the man.
''You repair it every year after the flood is gone.'' Said Mike
''No I always make a new one I like Carpentry look I'm Working on one right now.'' He said pointing at a carved cross in a corner of the hut.
''Why do you do all this?'' I asked him.
''To keep people away from here it's not safe.''
''And what about you.? Why do you take this risk.?'' I said.
''She'll never do anything to me she never had, I met her here a long time ago and back then she was very nice and polite I was never scared of her but I don't know why around ten years ago she turned very aggressive and caused people to die.'' Said the man.
''Sorry. But I just didn't get a single word you said right now.'' Said Mike.
''She's been here with me for a long time for thirty years.''
''Well Mr. .........ummm.''
"Ronald'' The old man completed Mike's sentence.
''So Mr. Ronald how old are you?''
''I was your age when I met her.''.
''We're twenty so you're 50?." Asked Mike.
''Can you interview him later I wanna go home.'' Said Stan.
''Yes yes what have you all experienced till now.?'' Said Mr. Ronald. ''Well Stan and I almost died and Zach here is still untouched he got some strange visions on first and the second night after he was at the bridge.'' Said Mike.
''He was at the bridge I saw him and told Philip to take him away from there, I remember but when did you two go there?'' Said Mr. Ronald.
''We didn't, we've never been here after dark before.'' Bursted out Stan.
''Yes that's what we want to know. Why I am still safe and they suffered.?'' I said.
''That's strange, never happened before as far as I know she kills the man she's marked without delay.'' Said Ronald.
''Well how are you so sure she'll never harm you.?'' Asked Mike and Mr. Ronald turned to us putting a tea pot and four plastic cups on the table he put his hands on the table closed his eyes took a deep breath and said.
''She is my sister, I mean she was is was..'' he was confused and irritated that he was not able to explain but we didn't need any further interpretation. And we said almost together.
''What!''
''Yes her name was is..(aaaagghhh)."
''Let's just say 'IS' .'' Mike suggested.
''Her name is Marian, she was six years old when she died.''
''How did she die?'' I asked him even though I had a feeling that I knew.
''Our father, he was a drunkard when our mother died and all the burden of our responsibilities came on his shoulders he started to drink and he was totally drowned in wine. He spent all the money he earned on his drinks and brought us bread every night for dinner and we had to save a bit from it for the next day.'' Said Mr. Ronald looking desperate.
''She died of hunger.? Malnutrition?'' Said Stan and Mr. Ronald glared at him then said.
''I used to give her my piece of bread I loved her so much I never let her stay hungry.''
''Still...'' muttered Stan but Mr. Ronald continued.
''I was playing with a puppy I brought home one day Marian was sitting outside on the porch because she was scared of it.
Father came home early totally out of his all senses but he was happy he was singing I heard before he entered the room.
He met Marian before he entered the room and it gave me enough time to hide the pup under the bed.
I was young I didn't think that the pup was able to walk out of there," Said Mr. Ronald. Mike said "oh" and Mr. Ronald let out a sigh.
"he came in and saw me and said 'what are you doing here?' because I was supposed to collect eggs from the barn and lock our hens and cocks in their cages." said Mr. Ronald.
"and you forgot to do that?" I asked him.
"yes! and when our hens and roosters are out at that time of the day. then the small chickens were dead for sure. dogs, jackals, foxes ate them."
"oh" mike said again.
Mr. Ronald continued.
"father got so angry at this and he said 'stand up' he twisted my arm when I stood up and said 'I'll make sure that you don't forget anything again.' slap! slap! slap! punch in the ribs! slap! I was crying, shouting out loud, but no one could come to help me. Marian always stayed away from father she hated him so much I don't know why! And still she couldn't do anything about me being killed. And our house or hut was in the middle of nowhere."
"and what about that pup.?" Asked Stan.
"he came out from under the bed and started to bark very loud at my father. and that made my dad go nuts. 'what the fu*k' he said ' I'm not bloody able to feed you two and you brought this? what are you gonna feed it? my chickens?' and he kicked the puppy very hard that he flew across the room and hit the wall three feet high and may be died."
"that was cruel" I said annoyed.
"yeah ! why because of me he killed an innocent little dog. and then in rage I started to fight him back and he kicked me too, I was so angry that I ran out of the house and decided never to come back. "
"you ran away?" asked Mike with a tone of enthusiasm.
"hmm! I saw Marian standing up terrified when I ran out of the house father was yelling behind me 'you wanna go? go! never show me your motherfuc*ing face again, you hear me? get the bloody hell out of here.'
he picked up Marian in his arms she looked at me in a way I can never forget she was holding her tears and trying her best not to cry. poor little girl."
Mike put his hands on Mr. Ronald's shoulder who was now crying. He sobbed and continued.
"my temper was now beyond any limits that I said...."
"....I'll come back and you'll regret it."
I completed Ronald's sentence before he could.
and all pair of eyes were now staring at my face.
"Did you see this in a vision.?" Mr. Roland asked me curiously and I replied with a yes!