THE CASTLE

CHAPTER FOUR - BEGINNING OF NIGHTMARE

DEVANAND

I took a sip out of the hot coffee as laughter filled the small ice rink. The snow which was falling from morning had stopped completely couple of hours ago. Radha laughed as somehow three of our companions slipped back to back on the icy floor. I drank my coffee, ignoring the excited murmurs all around me like a plague. I prayed to good that this extortion end soon enough so I can finally escape this mental torture or atleast try contacting Guru ji. Only I know how much I miss the flowing waters of Ganga and it's tranquility.

"Not interested in skating." Tarun asked as he sat beside me looking at direction where Dhruv is pelting Sandy with snowballs while she is screeching like a banshee. "I like Ghats of Ganga more. This type of crowd is not my thing." True I love the symphony of puja bells and holy mantras more than this cacophony of screams and laughter. "Why not roam the town a bit." He told with a lopside grin. I gave him a flattering smile as I packed my book in my bag and went outside to roam the old side of the town built exactly in 1600s.

My steps echoed on the cobblestones as I walked the freshly cleaned alleys. The houses are odd and gave a feeling of walking into another era. I half imagined housewives wearing corsets drying cloths on a like and feeding the chickens they kept in a inclosure or workers returning from the furnaces or mines or wherever they work in victorian era. I doubt how this place manage to preserve its charm to this extend. It felt as if I am intruding it's atmosphere. It felt oddly to walk through the remains of another century.

I found a shop in a corner with browning bricks which I don't know are brown due to colour or age. The askew board read ‘Apothecary’ wrote on dark green colour with dull yellow paint. No fancy name but some letters are faded a bit who knows from how long. I opened the door waiting for the rattling voice which must come from the door this old but instead I am greeted with a sweet chiming sound of a bell. "How can I help you ?" A old lady asked as she stood from behind the counter. "Just looking around." I said giving her a apologitic smile.

It appeared the shop not only carried herbs and fresh plants but as well as a large variety of candles and many trinkets. I was looking through few trinkets when I saw a old bookshelf in the corner. Curiously I made my way to there. One can think the books are not old but ancient. It looked a single touch from will tear them to nothing but dust but there spine did felt quite sturdy, suprisingly. "Take it it's for free." I turned towards the source of the voice. A teenage girl was dusting the upper shelves as she said without turning back.

"I am sorry." I asked in bewilderment.

"The books they are free. Who knows from how many decades they are sitting on that rusty old cupboard collecting dust. Just take it away if you want." She said without turning back. "Thanks." I said as I took three odd leader bounded books and kept few notes on the counter and went out. Strangely the old lady sitting there wasn't present. A snowflake came and sat on my nose. I smiled asked back towards my ice rink. The old books sitting in some old compartment of my bag.

The intensity of snowflakes increased as our bus reached the hotel. "Hot chocolate." The old matron said smiling as she gave us the drink to warm up while Madam droused in background about the onsets of frostbite. I tuned them out as I gazed at my dark brown drink swirling in my glass like a miniature hurricane. The people talked around me as I sat on the bean bag lost to my own world. "Ahhh." I was startled as I heard a faint cry of someone accompanied with a loud thump. All sat up straight while I and Radha ran in that direction.

Near the stairs that led to our rooms Sandy sat cradling her right ankle. Tears streaming down her cheeks as she sat there muted. "Oh God. How this happened ?" The old matron said as they all came and crowded near her. "I... I fell down." She said but I can sense a hint of hesitation in her voice. "It's just a sprain. I will go and call the residential doctor." Tarun said as he ran away to get the doctor he said about while Radha and Madam helped Sandy to her room. While all left I walked to the top of the stairs and looked down.

The stairs are carpeted with thick and rough wool. And the stairs themselves are wide enough that no one will misstep. I frowned. How on earth she slipped or even missed a stair. "Maybe she had her head in her phone." I thought to console myself as I walked down the steps myself. Suddenly a blur of greys swirled in my view.

Sandy is walking down the stairs humming a tune as a black mass pushed her down the stairs. She stumbled and somehow managed to cushion her fall and lands on her right ankle.

I open my eyes and blink aggressively taking a look at my surroundings. I was in the same place where Sandy had fallen leaning against the bannister gulping down air like my life deepened on it. I don't know how long this had happened. Sweat beads dripped down my hair in this cold environment as I pushed back my hair that had come undone. I gingerly touched my nostrils to find them coated with blood. I pinched them and sat there for time till my breathing stabilised.

I got up and walked my towards the corridor leading to our rooms while I looked back at the innocent looking staircase wrapped in brown carpets and glistening with warm yellow chandelier. Only one thought passed through my mind.

This place is a living nightmare.

"Where were you Anand ?" I heard someone ask as I stumbled my way inside the patio. Sandy forgotten, everyone took places on the huge bean bags and armchairs. "Keys" I gave a one word answer and sat on the armchair. My book still lying on the coffee table bookmarked on the last page I was reading yesterday. "Guys a bad news and a good news." Tarun announced after he got a notification on the phone.

"Tomorrow is a rest day due to a cold alert. So feel free to roam indoors. And feel free to sleep in." He said grinning widely as everyone else groaned at him while I just looked at him as if he had gone totally crazy. I will prefer not a single second spending more in this loony and most probably haunted for hundreds of year castle. Getting frost bite outside is more preferably than losing one's life inside. I calmed my heart and diverted my attention towards the book which is coming closer to climax.

The snowflakes pelted against the glass windows as the old antique clock chimed in corner. THE END. The final page read as I kept the book down. Someone poked my shoulder. I looked behind my shoulder in alarmed. Dhruv chuckled looking at my expression. I looked at Sandy who somehow materialised behind me but not before throwing Dhruv and Radha a glare.

"I need a favor." She asked in a baby voice. God kill me now. I heard someone sneaker in background as she schooled her expression. "I think.. I think i lost my necklace. Can you help me find it." I opened my mouth to deny when she added. "It's my grandmother's last memory. It's oval shape with a photo of her and me inside." I signed and nodded. Well it's just a necklace. It will be fallen somewhere near foyer.

"I think I lost it in lower corridors." She added with a guilty expression. I narrowed my eyes at her. "You promised you can't refuse." She said before running away which is more like hopping away like a frog due to the awkward position of her ankle. Now this is definitely a trap. I rubbed my forehead and went back to my room. No way on earth I will try to roam abandoned corridors at night even if someone pays me millions. It's like accepting to be haunted by ghost in this most probable haunted place.