Everyone just assumes that a haunting one can experience can only in darkness, at night. This is a myth. Few months ago, I have experienced paranormal activity...or whatever you call it.
I live alone. Orphan. Being 23 years old, I have 40,000 Rs job. I had recently moved into the flat that I had saved my money for. Moving the goods is such a hefty task. After setting everything up, I took my laptop and complete the work given to me. It is related to the advertisement our company had given online. The only sound i can hear is the slight whistling of cooker boiling the potatoes and typing on my laptop. Living alone has made me multitasking.
Completing my work, I saw the time, the dusk was about to end. The sky was red, orange and indigo. It was beautiful. I enjoyed some moments, looking out of my window, busy city got lightened up. My house was at 2nd floor of the building that I lived in. Room number 13. Yeah! I too thought, Dang! This is a bad luck number. But as I didn't believe in such thing, it was just a fleeting thought. The room was cheap, so I had slight suspicion. I hadn't found any other buyers of this house, but the government is selling it at a cheap price so why not? Anything is better than that hut that I lived in. Or so I thought.
After eating dinner, It was only 8:30 in the evening, so I thought about watching movie. As all work has finished, I finally thought that I could relax! Picking out a horror comedy movie, I settled on the bed, popping the popcorn into my mouth, I looked onto the tv screen. I found a black face staring onto me, into it. While I found no one beside me. I thought it was just the horror movie. Completing the movie, Turning off the tv, I went to bed. Then again at 1 am, I was woken up by a nightmare. Again the same black face was glaring to me in my dream. I again blamed it on the horror movie that I had seen. After drinking water, I lied down on the bed and slept again. Rest of my night went smoothly. I was woken up rudely by my alarm, placed on the bedside. Being alone in the house had its advantages. Working from home had its advantages. I had already completed all the work yesterday. So I had a free day.
The first thing that I did, was drinking milk and having breakfast. Then I went to buy some groceries. The strange thing that I experienced is that the black face was following me everywhere. On every reflecting surface I kept seeing it. Coming home, I set out to make lunch. Then I went back to my room and saw, there was something written on my mirror. It said, " Hello! My name is Blackie. What's yours?" Then I realized, it was the same black face that kept chasing me this whole day. I didn't answer the question...ignored it. But the same face was glaring me in my dreams...saying it was just being nice and asking for name. It just wanted to be a friend. I woke up with a gasp.
It went like this for few days. Me being me...I started answering the questions. Starting with my name. I never had any permanent friends. Being an orphan always separated me from others. Some kept bullying me due to this fact. Looking at someone, who deliberately wants to be my friend made that 8 year old child inside me happy. I started growing attached to "him". Yes, "him". He told me to call him by this pronoun. Haha, you might be thinking I am nuts, right? But it is true. Frankly, one time I asked him, why didn't he visit me at night? He said, "You need sleep too, and moreover I am dormant at that time." I just couldn't believe it. I said, "Whether or not is he a ghost?" He replied, "Ofcourse I am, just the good one." I was stumped. Was there a thing called good ghost? But I didn't think much of it anyway. I should have. I was very late to realize this, that's why I am writing this letter for everyone who comes to buy this house. Don't fall for his sweet words. I fell into his trap, the least I could do is stop others falling into this.
It started, after two months. We regularly talked. Sometimes about my problems. Sometimes about how everyone ran away from him. I sympathised with him. After all I was too isolated. I wished, if he could stay in my life like this forever, for with him I don't feel lonely. He became am important part of my life. It started with severe fatigue. I was always feeling tired. Ofcourse, He always told me to sleep more. So I slept more. He started isolating me from my friends. He kept me busy. And I needed more sleep too. I started clinging more and more to him. He became very important. In my life, I who had not more than a handful people as friends, it was easy isolating me. After the third month, i had dark circles even though i slept for more than ten hours. It made me anxious like something was wrong. After the fourth month, I was looking like dead. He made me slowly, gradually, look like him. After fourth month, his facade finally cracked. His sly smirks and insane cackle made me worry. I asked if he was okay, he always replied, more than okay. One day while I was trying to sleep, he came into my room, stroking my hair almost lovingly. And said, " Oh! Darling! So beautiful for me, alone for a long time, haven't you? Now all mine, you are. How does it feel? Never alone, right? Lonely people like you sell their soul to me. 'Mr. Blackie' that's what you call right? Hehehe My real name is Tenebris, the lord of Darkness. In darkness, you shall live, while powering me into the light, to capture lonely soul like you, soon joining my empire, overthrowing your lord and accepting me as your King." Then he left. I don't know if it was intentional or not but I heard him. That day I slipped into darkness and it felt like home. I was scared next morning, but still I can't stop from seeking comfort from My Lord. Yes, My Lord. It just seemed right. And he rewarded me by cuddles and kisses onto my forehead.
I knew it was too late for me 'coz I can't stop myself seeking comfort and warmth from him even though he was always cold. That's why I am writing this letter to you, to everyone who in future comes to live in this home. If you ever find an apartment no. 13 on 2nd floor, don't buy it and run as far away from it. It is cursed. Lord of Darkness lives here, and you will only add into his reign. This is my warning.
Be careful what you wish for.
-Matilda Travers.
After reading this letter, I was shocked into muteness 'coz the same things have been happening to me. I saw a whole fucking room full of such letters. I was definitely scared. After that I tried to leave from th apartment. But i wasn't able to. I couldn't bear the thought of being lonely again. Guess it was too late for me too. Taking the letter in my hand, I read the contents again...making sure I hadn't read wrong, as I completed the letter, I looked up amd saw Black...no Tenebris' face that had a huge smile carved onto that face, bloodthirsty, full of killing intent. He took it gently, folded and kept as though for the next read. "This is a beautiful piece of literature, isn't it? Huh, Darling?" My hands were shaking, my legs no longer straight. "Oh! You poor dear!" While grabbing my arms and pulling myself towards him, he said, "My Love, you too feel lonely right, I know I was too. But with you guys now with me, all those lonely souls, with me, I don't feel alone anymore. You are mine just like the rest of them, come to darkness, and you shall not be alone anymore. You shall belong to me!" And with that, He guided my hand with knife, looked into my eyes, his lips stretched into a wicked smile, and my lips mirrored it, I cut my wrist. Fallen into the same trap, here I lie into the darkness, no longer lonely, no longer in pain, away from agony, into the arms of Tenebris, with my soul belonging to him, bound by chains stronger than any metal.
-Kusum
