A Spooky Tale

It was an eerie night. The wind wailed like a heartbroken banshee. She sat smiling peevishly to herself, oblivious to the sinister night and thought of the ways she could disturb the peace of the sleeping household. She was no longer scared of the darkness or the invisible for she thought, ‘I am born out of the darkness and am the invisible’s nightmare.’ She lives in a world of fantasy. Sometimes she's Jean Grey and sometimes she's The Phoenix. She moved around the house, swaying to a bizarre melody in her head that had once scared her when she was a child. Something is not right here. What do you call a child who never stops being a child? Let’s rephrase it. It was the haunting melody that had scared her a decade back. The music that played when The Undertaker entered the ring. How she loved the wrestler! So, while it played in her head, she walked towards the master bedroom where her parents slept. It was dark as she entered. Just then she heard the bathroom door close. She glanced over the bed and realized it was her mother in the bathroom. Her grin widened as the stage was perfectly set for the idea in her head. She let her tresses fall over her face and stood waiting patiently, to pounce upon her prey.

Her eyes drowsy and half closed, the Mother stepped out. The poor unsuspecting victim. The Girl suddenly jumped in front of her. The Mother was petrified and her eyes widened in pure terror. All  the remnants of sleep dissipated. A weirdly muffled scream somehow escaped her throat. The Father woke up with a start. Before they could realize what happened, the Girl ran into the bathroom and bolted it shut. When she thought, everything was calm outside; she stepped out trying hard to suppress her laughter as her mother’s shocked face kept flashing in her mind. While she stealthily walked out of the master bedroom, she heard her mother say, ‘You wait till I get my hands on you. I might have had a cardiac arrest, you spoilt brat.’ A soft giggle floated in the air and the Girl ran out of the room.

She lingered around the dining hall feeling victorious and complacent. All the excitement got her parched. So she poured herself a glass of water and had taken the first sip when she heard the clang of bangles in the silence of the intense darkness. There was somebody at the other side of the table. As the sound of the anklets approached her, the water in her mouth refused to move past her throat. She spilled it out, placed the glass on the table and ran as fast as her feet could carry her into the master bedroom. She slid into the covers beside her mother and hugged her tight.

The Girl –‘Mommy. Please let me sleep here. I am scared.

The Mother – ‘Go, get your blanket’

The Girl – Please Mommy, let me stay here. I can’t go out. You have to understand.'

The Mother – ‘Serves you right and please grow up.’

Who was the ghost in the dining hall? It was the Grandmother. After she had her drink, she went mumbling into her room, ‘What’s wrong with this girl? She wanders around the house at 2.30 am and spits out water here and there.’