Wonky Witch

The witch believed that she was being very generous. She had suggested that she could turn all villagers into rats instead of vermin.

“Aren’t rats vermin?” asked a little kid.

“No, they are not,” shouted the witch. She was very angry with the villagers. They had not come out to give her a befitting reception when she arrived there. She had come to that village to meet an old friend.

“Don’t do anything silly, you will regret it,” her friend tried to reason with the witch, “You don’t know but I have……”

“Stop advising me……. you are just a friend……not my wicked mother,” the witch shouted at her friend. “Remember, I never forget an insult and I always punish the person who insults me.”

“You are a wonky witch! Shame on you,” said the little kid.

“Kid, you shouldn’t have said that. Now I won’t be generous……...each one of you will become filthy vermin,” and she started spewing a stream of unintelligible words.

Then she smiled a witchy smile and looked at assembled people.

She was shocked; they were laughing at her. They had turned into vermin.

“I warned you but you didn’t listen to me, now even I can’t help you,” her friend said ruefully.   

The friend picked up a small rat who was looking at her and squeaking frantically.

Her witchcraft had turned the wonky witch into a rat.

******

A post for A to Z April Challenge

Today’s letter W

 

 

 

 

Trapped in a Tree

 

 

‘Why did you talk about it to mama? Idiot! Will you never grow up?’ Pinti shouted at Rinku who was just four years old. Pinti was six years older but he was already acting like a teenager.

Rinku was a docile kid but today he was by appalled by Pinti’s outburst.

‘I will tell mama, every time.’ Rinku refused to be cowed down.

Pinti pushed him towards the old tree in the backyard.

‘Do you see that owl?  I trapped him in the tree trunk. If you do not obey me, I will trap you there with the owl.’

 

*********

Word count 100

A post for Friday Fictioneers on a picture post.

 

 

 

 

Vendetta

“Papa, please, can’t we go a bit faster. Otto is playing his last match; I’ve to watch it live.”

They reached their home and Pinti ran up the stairs, he unlocked the door. As he stepped in, he heard the sound of music.

TV was on.

“Did you leave the TV on, mama?”

“No, but I think you were watching the TV. Didn’t you….?"

“Yes……...yes, you’re right. But I am sure I switched it off.”

*

It was 1 a.m. Pinti was reading a book and everyone else was asleep. Pinti suddenly heard sounds coming from TV room. Someone had switched on the TV.

Pinti jumped and rushed to the TV room. TV was on but there was no one in the room. He was mystified. He switched off the TV and unplugged its wires.

Next morning, he told his parents about this incident, “Something funny is happening here.”

“Perhaps there is ghost in our home. He likes watching TV,” his father said and laughed.

“It’s possible,” Pinti said. “But it is foolish of this ghost to come to our home. I think I can teach him a lesson.”

“And how would you do that?”

“I will make him watch ghost movies,” said Pinti. “Only last week I downloaded a horrifying movie, ‘Vendetta’ Even a ghost will be terrified, if he watches it.”

*

At 12 a.m.  Pinti switched on the TV and attached his USB drive to play the horror movie.

Suddenly he felt that he was not alone in the room. He looked around but there was no one there.

“What does it mean? Vendetta?” Pinti heard a husky voice.

Pinti lost his nerve. He tried to run back to his bedroom but he could not move; he felt that an invisible but powerful hand had grabbed his right arm.

 

***********

A post for A to Z April Challenge

Today’s letter V

 

 

 

 

Ugly

She was not ugly. It was true that she was a not a normal witch.  But that was no reason for them to call her ugly. Rather, she believed, that every witch who called her ugly was herself ugly.

She had tried her best to befriend everyone but eventually she lost hope. She chose to migrate to some far-off land.

She selected a dilapidated structure not far from a beautiful park.

She loved the park. And for her the most enjoyable part of the day was when little children came to the park to play their little games. The park resonated with their shouts of joy and cries of anger.  She often joined them in their games.

Children were too innocent to suspect her. But she too had decided to bid her time and not to do anything in a hurry.

One day a naughty boy threw a stone at a bird. The stone was big and had a sharp edge. It missed the bird and hit her on the face.

Boy looked at her and screamed in terror.

“I must be looking fearsome and……...and ugly. At least I can go back, now I won’t be an outcast …….”

***********

A post for A to Z April Challenge

Today’s letter U

 

 

The Train

I was stuck in heavy traffic and I was worried that I would miss the train. When I finally reached the station, the train was already moving. Luckily, I was travelling light. I ran and managed to board the train before it left the platform.

I was alone in the cabin.

I had not slept for more than thirty hours. The moment I settled in my berth I fell asleep.

I felt a sever jolt and woke up. For a couple seconds I could not comprehend where I was. Soon I realized that I was in a train, going back home. I tried to look through the glass-window.  It was completely dark outside.

I felt that I was not alone in the cabin. Someone was sleeping on the opposite berth. The person turned around. She was a young girl. She was very beautiful.

Suddenly, I again felt a severe jolt and the train started moving. But surprisingly, the jolt did not disturb the girl, she remained asleep.

When the alarm woke me up, train was about to reach my destination. I turned towards the opposite berth. It was vacant.  I came out of the cabin and looked around but the girl was not in the coach. Perhaps she had deboarded the train at the previous station.

I saw the ticket checker and, just out of curiosity, I asked him about the girl.

“Which girl? You must be mistaken. You were the only passenger in that cabin.”

“How can that be? I saw her sleeping on the opposite berth. Around 1 a.m. when the train had stopped ……...”

Ticket Checker looked at me suspiciously, “The train had stopped? Around 1 a.m.? Are you serious?”

His reaction left me confused, ‘Did I dream about her?’

As I came out of the station, I saw that girl rushing towards a taxi.

 ***********

A post for A to Z April Challenge

Today’s letter T

 

 

 

 

 

Snoring

He unlocked the door and stepped into his room. The room was unusually dark.

‘What’s the matter,’ he thought, ‘it’s still quite bright outside…. why it’s so dark in here.’

He switched on the light but surprisingly the room remained dark. He felt there was someone in the room. He heard a loud snore.

By now his eyes had adjusted to the dim light in the room. To his horror he saw a seedy looking old man lying in his bed.

He almost screamed in terror.

“Don’t scream, it doesn’t behove a young man who wants to become a soldier. Did you do well in the entrance examination?” old man asked.

He was too stupefied to respond.

“Who are you? How did you enter my room? How do you know about me?”  

“You won’t believe me……. but I am a ghost,” old man almost whispered, sheepishly. And then he moaned as if in pain, “This pain will kill me. Oh! My right knee.”

He was totally confused, ‘If he is a ghost, then how can he be in pain?’

“Do you know any home remedy? No doctor would be willing to treat me,” old man asked.

“You can try fomentation with hot water.”

“Will that work?”

“It may. My grandfather used to try it.”

“Your grandfather? I think I knew him……. we were together in the war. Yes…. yes, he helped me when I was shot…. He tried hard but couldn’t save me.”

He was feeling terrified.

“Will you please help me?”

He immediately rushed out.

He came back after a few minutes with bowl of hot water.

The old man was sleeping……and he was snoring loudly.

*********

A post for A to Z April Challenge

Today’s letter S,

 

 

 

 

 

Rodents

No one had ever been able to fool him. He had always been extremely cautious.  Therefore, he felt humiliated when the girl stepped into the quadrangle.

He realized that he had been fooled and he had committed a blunder. She was not an ordinary girl. She was a dangerous witch who had been trying to rescue the witches he had ensnared. The witches were in an invisible cage in the quadrangle.

The dangerous witch had been trying to help her friends for many months but she was unable to locate the place where they had been imprisoned. She suspected that they could be in some invisible cage or in a hidden dungeon. She knew that if she succeeded in finding them, she would manage to liberate them. She had acquired some mysterious powers which no one counter.

She made the cage visible. Magician tried to stop her but his magic failed.

But when she was trying to open the cage, hundreds of rodents magically appeared in the quadrangle.  The witch was mortally scared of rodents. She started screaming hysterically. The witches in the cage were equally terrified and they too screamed.

Their screaming touched the magician’s heart, for he was not an unkind person. He thought he would spare their lives. He thought he could put them to some use.

He smiled and turned the witches into little rodents.

*********

A post for A to Z April Challenge

Today’s letter R

You can read earlier post here.

 

  

 

Quadrangle

“You are free to go anywhere except this quadrangle.”

“Why?”

“It’s for your own good…… you are safe everywhere except this quadrangle because……. I am not sure…... it would be better if you avoid coming here. Rather, I forbid you.”

The girl was not convinced. She felt that the magician was trying to hide something from her.  It had taken her months to convince him that she was serious in her intent; she too wanted to become a great magician like him. He had eventually accepted her as his first apprentice. But, then, he too had an ulterior motive.

She looked intently but she could find nothing odd in that quadrangle. It was completely empty.

“You think there’s nothing here……you are mistaken,” magician smiled maliciously. “There is huge cage right in middle of quadrangle……. but you can’t see it. Five vicious witches that I have trapped are in that cage. They are desperate to escape from their captivity, but they can’t.”

“That’s exactly what I wanted to know……” the girl said.

She looked at the magician wickedly.

She stepped into the quadrangle fearlessly.

*********

A post for A to Z April Challenge

Today’s letter Q

You can read my earlier post here

P

  

 

 

The Cap

“Yes, that’s the cap my grandson was wearing,”. Old woman was pointing to a man in the crowd.

 “It’s his cap. Arrest this man, right now, He…. he must have…….” She was in tears.

The police officer felt sorry for her. He knew that there was nothing unique about that cap. Hundreds of such caps were available in the market. 

“You think I’m not in my senses. Just look inside that cap…. you will see my signatures…. the poor boy insisted…….”

The man panicked and tried to get away.

*********

Word count 89

A post for Friday Fictioneers on a picture post.

 

 

Poisoned Arrow

I could not believe that a lodge could have such a name. Poisoned arrow. It was not a funny name. Rather, there was something eerie about it.

“Actually no one really knows why that place is called Poisoned Arrow,” said Rishad. “The family that owns it shifted to their palatial house in the city long back. Now it is used as a lodge. But it’s beautifully located, right in front of the lake. The kids will love it.”

It really was a beautiful lodge and the view from portico was enchanting. The boys were overjoyed. They had never been to such a place.

The manager was an old man. Out of curiosity I asked him, “Why is it called Poisoned Arrow?”

“I don’t know but I heard some rumours when I first came here…… about thirty years ago, one evening the person who owned this lodge was standing in the portico somewhere over there,” he stopped for a moment and pointed to one end of the portico. “Out of nowhere an arrow came and hit him in the chest. He wasn’t wounded but……. he died after a few days. They said that the doctor who examined him suspected that he had been hit by a poisoned……...”

The manager suddenly let out a terrifying scream. He stumbled and fell down like broken tree.

He had been hit in the chest by an arrow.

*********

A post for A to Z April Challenge

Today’s letter P

You can read my previous story here.

O

 

Obituary

He woke up. He thought that someone had touched him on his forehead. He looked around but there was no one in the room. Where was his wife? She was not in the bed. That was unusual because it was still very dark.

He stretched his arm towards the side-table. But his wristwatch was not there.

He got up and switched on the light. He looked at the wall-clock. It was 3.30 AM.

Where had she gone? He came out of the bedroom and searched everywhere. She was nowhere to be seen.

He knocked at the door of Tinu’s bedroom.  The door was open. The room was empty. He was flabbergasted. 

“Where is everyone?”  

He checked the main door; it was not open. It was securely bolted. In fact, every night, before going to sleep, he invariably checked the main door to ensure that it was properly closed.

He opened the door. He was surprised to find the newspaper lying in front of the door.

“What’s happening? The boy never comes paper before 6.30?”

He picked up the paper and, as a matter of habit, turned to the last page.

His eyes fell on his own picture in the newspaper. It was an obituary.

Totally befuddled, he hastily read the obituary. Surely, it was about him.

He was dead and a prayer meeting was to be held in the afternoon in the Town Hall.

“It must be a prank……. yes, it is a prank…...a silly prank.” He tried to laugh but only a squeaking sound came from his mouth.

*********

 A post for A to Z April Challenge

Today’s letter O

 

 If you wish to read my last post please click here

 

Natural Death

“I think prima facie it is a case of natural death. Of course, a post mortem will be carried out…... but I tell you…... I have investigated many cases…. natural death, no doubt about it”

Dead man’s father could not believe what he was hearing. He knew his son had been brutally beaten to death.

“How can you say that? Unless….”

“You think I am trying to protect someone?” the police officer glared at the father.

“You should be looking for clues? Every criminal makes a mistake and leaves some……...”

“Every clue will prove that he died a natural death. But you don’t need tell me what I should do.”

Father felt helpless.

“Ok, if you suspect he was beaten to death, who in your opinion could have done it? Do you suspect any one? Did he have a girlfriend?”

“I have no idea,” father said, meekly.

“Or perhaps…... a boyfriend?  Was he queer?” the officer sniggered.

Father felt he was being deliberately humiliated.

Inspector examined the body again but the father could feel that he was just enacting a charade.

Suddenly dead man’s right hand moved and grabbed the inspector’s throat.  

*********

A post for A to Z April Challenge

Today’s letter N

 

 Here are links to my earlier stories

K L M

 

Monkey-fort

The fort was in a pathetic condition. Some of the walls and buildings were slowly crumbling into dust. Structures that had withstood vagaries of time and weather were covered by creepers and moss, lizards and insects.

But the temple situated almost in the middle of the fort was in a good condition. It was believed that descendants of a royal priest, who lived about five centuries ago, were still looking after the temple and were religiously performing the daily rituals.

Few people visited the temple. One had to walk all the way up the hill to reach the fort. But that was not the only thing that deterred the visitors.

There were hundreds of monkeys inside the fort. The fort was, in fact, nick-named as monkey-fort. Of course, the monkeys generally did not bother the visitors. But they often fought viciously among themselves.

One day three of us decided to go to the temple. When we entered the fort, it was perfectly peaceful. As we neared the temple, we suddenly heard loud shrieking sounds.

What we saw scared us. An old man was slowly walking towards northern wall of the fort. He was holding something in a small basket.

A large group of monkeys was shrieking at him. Within seconds hundreds of monkeys surrounded him. We could feel that they were about to attack him.

A huge terrifying male monkey sprinted towards the old man. But even before it could reach him, it let out a loud, piteous cry, as if it had been struck brutally. Soon all monkeys were running helter-skelter in all directions. Each one was crying as if it had been hit by something.

The old man hadn’t stopped even for a moment. He kept walking towards the northern wall, unconcernedly.

We were terrified and ran down the hill, as quickly as we could.

*********

A post for A to Z April Challenge

Today’s letter M

 

 You can read my earlier post here

L

 

     

 

Lazy

Lazy!

He was not at all lazy. It was his name. And it was a strange name for a ghost, a ghost who was very energetic and fun-loving. He hated his name.

He loved to enter computer games. Wherever and whenever he found a lonely child playing a computer game, he would quietly enter the game and play havoc with it. The child would go crazy and Lazy would enjoy the fun.  He particularly liked car racing games because he loved the mayhem he could create.  

But one day Lazy committed a blunder.

He entered a ghost game. He was not aware that virtual ghosts in that computer game were extremely nasty and totally heartless. When the virtual ghosts saw the real ghost, they promptly ganged up against him.

“You lazy, lethargic, listless loafer……we know all about you…. you like wrecking computer games……. now that you are here, we will teach you a lesson,” they screamed in their virtual ghostly voices.

Lazy laughed because he believed that he was too smart for them; after all he was a real ghost and they were just virtual ghosts.

But for once Lazy was mistaken; virtual ghosts were smarter than him. He got trapped in that computer game.

*******

A post for A to Z April Challenge

Today’s letter L

 you can read my earlier posts here

I J K

 

The Cluttered Table

Whenever I happened to look at the window, I felt that the girl in that room had moved away in a flash and had hidden herself behind the cluttered table.

This feeling, somehow, did not bother me. But one day, as she tried to move away, she let out a loud, painful scream.

I waited for some time, hoping that someone would come to her help.

Her screams were unending and were becoming feeble.

‘I should call an ambulance.......but she needs immediate help…... why can’t I help her?’

I was shocked when I entered her room. It was empty.

*********

Word count 100

A post for Friday Fictioneers on a picture post.

 

 

Kill the King.

Everyone hated him. And many of them wanted him dead. They believed that he wielded some unholy power over the king.

But the poor man was just a dwarf and a petty clown.

Of course, he was the only person in the kingdom who enjoyed free access to every nook and corner of the palace including the king’s bed-chamber.

The wretched dwarf had no influence on the king whatsoever. On the contrary he was always scared that if the king ever got displeased, he would be beheaded. This fear made him miserable.

One day he mustered courage and requested the king to have mercy on him and release him from his bondage.

“Why? You still have many years to serve us,” the king asked.

“My Lord, I would like to spend my remaining days with….”

“If you utter one word more, I will have you beheaded right here,” the king said in a very casual tone.

On his way back he met a man who whispered in his ear, “Kill the king.”

Dwarf looked at the man. He recognised him and was petrified.

He had hardly entered his room when he was again summoned by the king.  

“Who was that man? What did he whisper in your ear?”

Dwarf was stunned. He knew his end was imminent because he could not tell the truth.

He could not tell the king that that man was king’s elder brother; the brother he had killed to grab the throne.

*********

A post for A to Z April Challenge

Today’s letter K

You can read my earlier posts here

H I J

 

 

Joker

Shree could never understand his father’s fondness for the circus. In fact, father was passionately in love with his circus. And year after year, he had ensured that every show was performed on a grand scale. And to Shree’s anguish, he kept on diverting profits from his other businesses into his loss-making circus.

On his father’s untimely demise, Shree inherited everything including the circus.

And he decided to get rid of it forthwith.

Everyone in the circus was unhappy; they knew they had no life outside the circus.

Joker was the unhappiest of them all. He quietly approached Shree when he was alone in his father’s cabin

“You are not just killing the circus; you are killing all of us.”
“Who are you? And what do you do here?” Shree was annoyed with joker’s tone and tenor.

“I am the joker and…” 

Shree quickly interrupted him, “Joker? I can’t believe it. How old are you? sixty? sixty-five?”

“You are insulting me, sir. I am the best …...” he stopped for few moments and then said, “I think it's......it's beneath my dignity to even talk to a person who has no respect for a great performer.”

Joker walked out, angrily.

Shree felt infuriated.  He promptly summoned the Manager.

“We have a joker in the circus? How old is he? Can he really perform?”

“Of course, we have a joker and he is a brilliant performer.”

At this moment Shree noticed a picture on the wall. He pointed to it, “That person?”

Manager looked at the picture and sighed, “He was our joker but a long time ago. Ten years back he went to his home-town to get his sister married and never came back. No one knows what happened to him. We heard some rumours about him, but ……...”

Shree looked at the picture on the wall; no, he would not change his decision, he decided.

***********

A post for A to Z April Challenge

Today’s letter J

 

 

Imposter

Everyone called him Frij. And he liked his nick name, even though it meant nothing. His mother had given it to him. Of course, in the college records he was Surya Veer Pratap Singh Jamwal. But even his close friends did not know that name.

One day Frij entered the college library and went straight to the Librarian.

“Sir, I want to make a confession,” Frij almost whispered. The Librarian looked at him quizzically but said nothing.

“Sir, last year I had pilfered this book from the library.”

His eyes downcast, he slipped a copy of ‘Log Tables’ by ‘Frank Castle’ across the table.

The Librarian looked at the book and then at Frij, and said in an extremely harsh tone, “And what of the remaining six copies?”

“Sir?”

“Yes, there are only 18 copies of this book in the library instead of 25. This is one of the seven missing copies. Where are remaining six?”

Frij turned abruptly and left the library. The Librarian felt humiliated. He decided that he will report this matter to the principal.

Soon two boys approached the Librarian. They were Frij’s class mates.

“Sir, who was that boy?”

The Librarian looked at them suspiciously, “Why?”

“Was that Frij? But that’s not possible. He must be an imposter.”

“Are you trying to make a fool of me?” the Librarian was angry. “You friend comes and humiliates me and now you come and play tricks with me? How dare you?”

“Sir, we aren’t playing any tricks. We are just trying tell you that that boy could not have been Frij.”

“Why?”

“Sir, Frij met with a fatal accident last week. He didn’t……”

The Librarian looked at the table. Copy of ‘Log Tables’ by Frank Castle was not there.

***********

A post for A to Z April Challenge

Today’s letter L

 

 

 

 

 

Hologram, Harness and Hell

“If I want, I can turn any being into a hologram,” he boasted. He believed that in previous life he had a scientific bend of mind, whatever that meant.

His friend was amused.

“And what’s a hologram?” he asked.

“It is a……it’s a device…… a technique to harness light.” He liked that word.

“Harness? You mean like harnessing a horse?”

“Yes.” He said it confidently, even though he was not sure if that was the right answer.

“But that is not allowed, I suspect.”

“Why? If we can eat ….”

“Don’t say it. We both know……. it’s totally forbidden. They will banish us if they get even an inkling of what we have been doing.”

But both of them were unaware that they were already under surveillance.

They were banished.

“What does it mean?”

“It means we go to the worst place in this blasted universe of ours.”

 “Earth? No! they can’t do this to us. It’s worse than hell!”

It was the end of their ghostly life.

***********

A post for A to Z April Challenge

Today’s letter H

 

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.

***********

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.

*******

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.     

********

A post for A to Z April Challenge

Today’s letter E

You can read my earlier posts here

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.

**********

A post for A to Z April Challenge

Today’s letter D

You can read my earlier posts here

A B  C