Ghost Runnings

“What should we call this thing?”

“We should call it ‘Ghost Runnings’. Isn’t it a great name?” A ghostly smile appeared on his snow-white lips.

“Ah! I recall that movie, Cool Runnings. Nice! But will they let us participate in Paris? I think everything has already been decided. We are wasting our time, it’s too late now.”

“I will meet the selection committee and try to reason with them.” His voice was as cold as his stare.

“Reason? No, I don’t think reason will work.”

“Then I will make them an offer………...”

“No, don’t do that. I forbid.”

“If they leave me no option, I will. Yes, I will make an offer they can’t refuse.” It was said in a terrifying tone.

“But can we still claim that we are Eelandians?”

“Of course, we can. We were two decorated sailors. They can check the records.”

“Yes, decorated sailors! Decorated posthumously!” he shook his head in dismay.

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A post for A to Z April Challenge

Today’s letter G

 

Four

“It’s a number.”

“No, it’s a place.”

Both of them had been arguing for quite some time. That deeply annoyed him. They were not supposed to know everything? There was no need to know everything. In any case, they were just three petty, small-time ghosts. And he firmly believed that most of the knowledge was useless. In fact, he was fond of saying that what one calls knowledge is just meaningless information.

He shouted at them, “It’s neither a number nor a place. Now, stop arguing and let’s decide quickly…. where should we go hunt tonight.”

“That is what I was trying to say. As per the latest order, we cannot go out unless it is four,” said one who had started the argument.

“And we just don’t know what it means. It makes no sense to us” said other one.

“Why can’t they write in plain language? Why do we need an expert to make sense of their ambiguous, unintelligible orders. Blast these pompous mandarins!” said he, the one who was deeply annoyed.

Other two looked at him, blankly. Obviously, they had not understood what he had said. They knew that he too had been a mandarin.

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A post for A to Z April Challenge

Today’s letter F

 

 

Eerie Howl

“Did you hear that howl; it was so eerie….”

“You must be joking. I didn’t hear anything,” Tipi looked at Joy, suspiciously. Of course, they were now good friends; but Tipi felt that he couldn’t fully trust Joy. He sometimes felt that Joy would not miss any opportunity to humiliate him.

“There, again, did you hear it this time.”

Tipi saw that Joy looked scared. But he had not heard any howl.

They reached the corner where they were to part company and go on their separate ways. Tipi’s home was almost at the end of a narrow lane that was poorly lit. But the darkness had never bothered him.  Even when it was pitch dark, he could reach his home without stumbling or banging into the walls that rose high on both sides of the lane.

Whistling a tune that he loved, he was walking unhurriedly. He had quickly forgotten what Joy had said to him.

The lane had four blind turns. As he turned at third corner, he collided into someone coming from other side. That person was unusually tall.

Tipi was about to say something but no words came out of his mouth; the tall person had let out a piercing eerie howl.     

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A post for A to Z April Challenge

Today’s letter E

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A B  C D

 

Dancing Dracula

“I’m going to teach Tipi a lesson that he will never forget,” Joy told Veer. Joy was very angry.

Tipi was the youngest boy in the class but he was a big bully. Everyone was scared of him. Joy was a strong boy, but even he was afraid of Tipi.

“What? You will fight with him? Not a good idea?” replied Veer. He was Joy’s best friend.

“No, I won’t fight. I’m thinking of something else…my uncle once told me an interesting story of his school days. He had said that he had danced like a Dracula to scare away a neighbourhood rowdy.”

“You never told me that story.”

“Let it remain a mystery.”

 Tipi’s home was situated in narrow lane that had five blind turns and, in the night, it was normally poorly lit. Joy knew that Tipi often went to buy cigarettes for his father between 8 and 8.30.  He would put on his uncle’s large black coat and cover his face with a black piece of cloth. Like his uncle he would hold a smoldering twig in his mouth and suddenly jump before Tipi when he would be walking through the lane. 

Everything happened as per his plan. But it was Joy who ran back to his home breathlessly, scared to the bone.

Many days later he reluctantly told Veer that that night he had a terrifying encounter with an unusually tall apparition dancing like a Dracula.

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A post for A to Z April Challenge

Today’s letter D

You can read my earlier posts here

A B  C

 

Never Cross That Bridge

“Look over there, you see that bridge, never cross that bridge, even if it’s matter of life and death,” said the tigress to her little cub.

“Why? Why shouldn’t I go to other side of river and see what the world is like over there?”  cub was unusually inquisitive.

“Animals that live on that side of river are extremely dangerous. They kill anything that comes their way. And what’s strange they like to kill each other. Never ever think of crossing the bridge.”

At that moment the cub looked into the water and saw a dead body floating in water.  

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Word count 100

A post for Friday Fictioneers on a picture post.

 

 

Champion

They had been walking through the forest for more than an hour but still they had not reached their destination. They had been told that, if they walked for about three miles towards north-east, they would reach the fort in an hour or so.

They had read about the fort that was built in eleventh century and were keen to explore it. This would be the tenth historical fort that they would be exploring.

They had met no one on the way.

“I hope we have not lost our way?” asked one who was a little bald.

“I’m not sure…but we didn’t meet anyone on the way…isn’t that surprising,” replied his companion.

Suddenly a man appeared before them and asked, “Looking for the Fort? You are almost there. Come on, I will show you the way.”

They felt something unusual about him and hesitated.

“What? You think I am a ghost……some unholy spirit?” he asked and laughed.

They stood tongue-tied.

“Everyone here calls me Champion,” the man said and, without waiting for their response, he started walking.

They followed him. He was walking briskly and humming a song. The boys liked the tune. Their nervousness faded away.

“Why do they call you Champion?” asked the bald fellow.

“Because I won an Olympic medal.” They had reached the fort. The massive wooden door was closed.

“Which game…. which year?” the bald person felt that he was an interesting person.

“Chariot race…. and the year…. I think it was 400BC.”

The man stared at the wooden door and it opened with a loud screeching sound.

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A post for A to Z April Challenge

Today’s letter C

You can read my earlier posts here

A B 

 

Brave man

I signed the rent agreement and handed over a cheque to the Real Estate Agent. He smiled, “I must say, you are lucky man …. you got a great deal.”

I just smiled and said nothing.

“And, by the way, don’t pay attention to your neighbour.… he is sort of a…. a loony character…. keeps telling strange stories.”

I looked at him quizzically.

The Agent left, abruptly.  

The day I moved in, I bumped into my neighbour.

“You shouldn’t have rented this house….it is haunted…. but perhaps you aren’t scared…...brave man,” he said, almost in a mocking tone.

I tried to ignore him but a slight wave of suspicion did disturb me.

Three months passed peacefully.

One night I awoke suddenly. I thought I had heard a laughter.

‘I must have been dreaming,’ I thought and tried to go back to sleep.

“No, no, you weren’t dreaming. I did laugh, rather loudly. I am sorry, my laughter woke you up. But I must say, what a funny story you have written!”

Someone was standing near my desk holding a sheaf of papers. It was the story I had just finished before going to bed.

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A post for A to Z April Challenge

Today’s letter B

You may like to read my earlier posts. Please click

A