By Priyanshu Misra
"Yes Dad, I am right on my way and will be there in half an hour " Tom said to his father on the other side of the receiver who sounded a little miffed at his son's tardiness.
" Well, I better hope that you will be here at the promised time. The first name your grandmother uttered after coming out of the I.C.U was yours and you are so irresponsible to not be here at this particular moment " his father reprimanded him again, much to Tom's dismay. He wanted to tell his father that he wasn't there because he got late at work, that there was a new case at the clinic, but then decided against it. " Don't worry, Dad. I would not be late this time " he simply stated to his father and the conversation ended on that note.
He waited for a taxi for five minutes after that but none came. That left him with no other option but to walk the whole way. The hospital was not that far and he deduced he would get there in plenty of time. The darkness of the evening had by now graced the mortal world and a light breeze was blowing in a very mellow fashion.
Tom traversed along fifth Rd and after sometime he reached an intersection. Now, before him lay two streets namely Kesser street to his left and Bonnie street to his right. He knew Bonnie street was a shortcut and he would reach the hospital quicker. But, his gait hindered a little when the prevalent reputation of Bonnie street entered his mind.
Bonnie street has always been engulfed by the rumor of being haunted. Few people have disappeared after entering this particular street and the few lucky ones who had made it out alive were left with such a madness that death seemed an easier option.
But, Tom had never been a religious fellow so believing in the supernatural and the afterlife was a far-fetched idea for him. So, without wasting any time he made his way through Bonnie Street.
Bonnie street was a little secluded compared to the other parts in that area. A few scattered houses lying at a little distance from each other was the staple look of this street. The prevailing feeling around him was quite glum but without giving it a thought Tom walked swiftly. Suddenly, he heard a pain-filled scream and, at once, ran ahead with a little more speed than before.
After moving a few meters, he saw a little girl of five or six years of age perched on the ground with an old woman lying beside her. The girl cried wildly while repeatedly beating the old woman's chest.
Tom ran forward and crouched himself down beside her. " What happened to her, little one? " He asked in a hasty voice to the child.
" I don't know. My grandma was just playing with me when she suddenly collapsed, " the little girl answered in between sobs.
Tom checked the pulse of that woman and found that she was perfectly alright. She just got unconscious from exertion most probably.
" Run inside and bring me some water and see how I make your grandma absolutely fine," he said to the little girl a tad amusingly, and she instantly ran inside.
When she returned, she immediately offered the glass of water to Tom who took a few drops from it and sprinkled it on the old woman's face. In no time, she regained consciousness and her little granddaughter's happy screams echoed throughout the street.
" Alright...alright, I am fine, Caroline. Just calm down " her grandmother said lovingly while the little girl almost smothered her with a long hug.
The old woman then averted her eyes towards Tom and thanked him in an overtly grateful manner.
" No, it's alright. I just sprinkled some water on your face; nothing much to be counted," he said while flashing a bashful smile.
" No, don't downplay what you did, young man. You saved my life. So, I insist that you at least come inside our house and let me thank you properly by fixing you something to eat, " she said caringly. When Tom mentioned that he was in a hurry to get somewhere, the old lady still insisted that at least he come inside and have a glass of water. " I would feel extremely guilty if I let you go from my doorstep in such an abrupt manner, '' she added tenderly. Maybe it was the tone of her voice or her kind eyes but he simply was unable to deny that invitation.
The house looked like a magnificent piece of art from the outside. Tom had never seen a place so wonderfully decorated; most of the outside walls were painted in a light maroon color, and even though it was twilight time, the house still glowed marvelously. The trio made their way to a tiny porch, and on entering the house, Tom was pleasantly greeted by an extremely comfortable-looking living quarters.
Everything inside, right from the sofa to the flower vase, was wonderfully organized, giving the onlooker a sudden peace of mind.
" You have a gorgeous house, " Tom said, completely transfixed.
" Oh! Thank you, my dear. I am glad you liked it, " the old woman said with a bit of pride in her voice. " Just make yourself comfortable while I bring you that glass of water I promised," she said and hastily made her way toward the kitchen. Her granddaughter stayed behind, though, and she kept peculiarly peeking at Tom.
" You are not a robber, are you? " She suddenly asked him this odd question in a grave voice, far graver than her age would suggest. " What, no. Why would you think that? " Tom immediately replied while laughing awkwardly.
" So, what do you do then? " The girl asked next, eyeing him with utmost curiosity. " Well, I am a Vet. I tend to sick animals and help them recover from their problems " Tom replied politely.
A moment later, her grandmother returned with that glass of water and offered it to Tom.
" Granny, he helps sick animals. He is a nice guy, granny," the girl shouted excitedly as soon as her grandmother came into view, sounding especially ecstatic when she uttered the last bit.
" Well, that's very good. Nice to hear that there are still people in this world who care for others' wellbeing. Sometimes, I think this world is just filled with robbers and murderers," her grandmother replied dolefully while sitting beside her granddaughter. The sudden shift in her voice didn't go unnoticed and Tom got a sharp urge to ask her about that but quickly decided against it. He was a stranger and didn't consider it his right to be nosy about their personal life.
But, the next moment, the old woman herself decided to elaborate on the matter. " Trusting someone is very hard nowadays. Just a few years ago, a family who lived a little distance from us was brutally murdered by a homeless man whom they had given shelter to. That family, too, consisted of an old woman like me and her little granddaughter, just like my little Caroline," she said while affectionately caressing her granddaughter's cheeks.
Tom became curious when he heard about that family's misfortune and although he was in a hurry he still bothered to ask for the exact details.
" The child's parents had already died in an airplane accident. A gruesome tragedy indeed. And, the grandmother and her little grandchild were naive and they paid the price " the old woman replied, the timbre of her voice a little shaky and quivering. " In the end, that sick bastard burned the whole house down after killing both the residents so that no law authorities could properly ascertain anything that could link him to the crime," she added a second later.
Maybe this discussion about the tragedy got to him, but Tom started feeling a little uncomfortable. So, he quickly drank the glass of water offered to him, out of courtesy mostly, and then got up to take his leave. "It was nice meeting you both, but I must leave now," he said to that old woman with the utmost respect.
She looked at him subtly before flashing a big grin. " It was nice meeting a young man like you who has a good heart. You have my blessings, son," she replied back to him in a courtly manner before opening the door for him.
" Goodbye, Caroline. Be nice to your grandma and always listen to her, alright," Tom said to the little girl, to which she replied with a bashful nod.
Then, waving a last goodbye, Tom exited the house and resumed his journey toward the hospital again. The time was eight now, and the already secluded street now felt like it was in the lap of a morbid silence, one that usually prevailed in a graveyard. Tom started walking swiftly and as he came a few meters away from the house, he saw a man walking towards him from the opposite direction.
It was the look on the man's face that drew his attention. The man's eyes wildly stared at Tom and it felt like they were ready to fall out of their sockets any second now.
" Hello, uh...can I help you with something? " Tom asked hesitantly as the man's continuous staring was unnerving him.
" What...were you doing inside that house? " The man inquired, completely petrified.
" Oh! I was just chatting with the owner of that house. Amazing people they were," Tom amicably replied.
" What do you mean you were chatting with them? That house has been uninhabited for at least five years now, " the man muttered, his panic-stricken eyes continuously glancing at the house behind. As the man's words registered in his mind, Tom's head instantly jerked up to look behind and a hollow gasp escaped from his body as he got the biggest shock of his life.
The house, which looked like the epitome of beauty a second ago, now looked entirely in ruins. The maroon color of the house, which he had so admired at first glance, has now been replaced by a charred look. Every nook and corner of the house had been horribly burnt to the cinder.
" Sad what happened to that family. Especially what that old woman had to witness at her age. First, her son and daughter-in-law, and after that, as if life already wasn't cruel to them, they had to lose their life too just because they were kind to a stranger," the man said dispiritedly.
Tom's eyes still remained glued to the horrid looking house while he nervously threw his own query at the stranger.
" How did the old woman's son and daughter-in-law die? " His lips quivered while asking that.
" Aircraft accident. A nasty affair by all accounts, " the man promptly replied. Suddenly, Tom's legs shook horribly and he felt like falling to the ground.
At that very moment, he saw the old lady and her granddaughter looking at him through one of the decrepit windows, an impish smile spread on both of their faces. The old lady whispered something, and even though it was impossible to hear her from that distance still, her voice came loud and clear to Tom's ears.
" You are lucky that you were a nice person and that my Caroline genuinely liked you " Her voice had a tinge of morbid seriousness, and Tom could already sense the alternate scenario where he would have never walked out of that door, if he had not shown them respect.
Suddenly, a frenetic energy arrested his senses and his whole body got covered with massive goosebumps. Before he could even grasp what was happening to him, darkness started to cover his eyes and he began to lose consciousness. The last thing he remembered was the frenzied cries of that man before his mind sailed towards a different abyss, the screams dying down before everything went ghastly quiet.
By Priyanshu Misra
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