Something Strange

by Alicin
(India. Mumbai)

Well it was one of the terrifying days of childhood that I remember really well. It was summer vacation so as usual all of us used to play all day.

The unusual part of the apartment was a tree that looked normal, but it never really had leaves on it. There were two trees of the same kind, one at the front and one behind at the parking lot. They both were really strange. All we were asked to just stay away from those trees.

Behind the parking lot there was a ground. One day late in the evening we were gathering tiles from the ground to play, 9 tiles from all of us, Anna and Navjyoth were fooling around and playing while we were searching in the dark.

As we saw Anna and Navjyoth trying to catch each other near the tree... Anna crossed the tree from the middle where the bark had a slit, Navjyoth did the same. We shouted at both of them and moved on.

After a little while I saw Anna sitting on the tank with all her little hair on her face that was supported by both of her hands. I thought she was crying because we acted too rude to her. So I went up to her and said "Anna whats wrong?" She didn't reply so with my hands I put all her behind and lifted up her face...

As I looked into her eyes I was terrified. It was a deadly look... I have never ever seen her like that before. I was just so struck and she whispered "You know my name?"

I asked her "Anna whats wrong with you?"

She ignored my voice and asked "You know where I stay?"

Both the times that she spoke the voice was not hers - I could guarantee that. I called out my bro till then she started running away. We got her at the staircase where she choked my brother's neck and just wanted to run upwards. We asked her where she would want to go but all she said in a creepy voice was "Terrace".

We all caught her, putting in all our strength, and dragged her to her house. Her mom opened the door and at a look realized that something was wrong with her daughter.

Her mom splashed some holy water on her face and just told us to get home safely... all she did was whispering something in some language we didn't know.