‘You will pay for what you have done.’ The ghost declared then pulled the lever.
The surface beneath my feet slid open, and I was falling in an endless pit.
Nooo...
I woke up and was all sweaty. ‘Whew... Only a dream’ It was morning but not a
morning you may have seen. The clouds covered the sun casting a ghastly shadow
on the front wall of my room.
My room was dark as if it was still night. I slipped out of my bed and stared at
the wall clock. It was 9 a.m. Usually, I get up early but I did not know why, I wanted
to sleep some more.
I ignored the constant pleas to sleep and got ready. I was late for school. I
dashed down, calling my mom, but there was no response. Everything was silent
like a painting. This gave me a shudder. Well, I don’t get scared easily but trust me,
it was strange. I can’t even hear local traffic and usual cacophony of the people
outside.
I searched everywhere in the house but I couldn’t find my mom and dad. They
were gone. ” It is okay, no need to panic. Maybe they had some urgent call or
something, ” I assured myself. No time to waste, I was already late for school.
I got dressed, stepped outside the house, and carefully locked it. And was greeted
by a gush of cold winds, leaving a chilling sensation on my face. I raised the neck of
my blazer and moved on.
The school was only ten blocks away so a few minutes of brisk walking would get
me there. While I was walking, I happened to come across “no one“. The whole
street was deserted. No people, no cars, nothing, even the shops were closed.
This scenario was enough for anyone to be scared and besides, I’m just a 13-year-
old kid. Wait, the scary part was not even started until someone grabbed my
shoulders from behind.
I screamed and tried to run but the grip was so firm that all my efforts were of no
use. I slowly turned around and saw a man bearing a grim face. He looked deep in
his thoughts and did not notice my screaming but still, he was holding my shoulder
firmly.
‘Ahem...’ I made some sound to grab his attention. He looked at me. He had big
black eyes with an unusual sadness deep within it. Noticing his hand, he loosens his
grip on me.
‘I am Murlock and you have to come with me’ the man answered.
‘Why, what do you want?’ I shot back startling the man with my newfound
courage.
‘I’m not going to hurt you kid.’ He assured me but the look in his eyes tells me that
he will hurt me if I didn’t do what he says, besides there was nobody to whom I can
call for help. So I decided to follow him.
‘Okay, I’m coming with you’ I replied.
He took me to his car and told me to sit in the backseat. He then put his briefcase
beside his driving seat and drove me to a big house. The house looked very old like
it would collapse any second.
‘Why did you bring me here?’ I asked Murlock. But he didn’t answer instead he
walked towards the house’s front door. I followed him reluctantly.
I was surprised by the interiors of the house. The furniture was well polished,
reflecting the glow of the burning fireplace. The walls were decorated with
paintings and a brown carpet was laid out. I felt warm instantly.
I then glanced back at Murlock who was looking in the fridge taking out an
unfinished pizza. He tossed himself onto the couch and started eating it.
‘Tim is it, isn’t, your name?’ he asked me, gulping down the last piece.
‘How did you know?’ I asked back.