By Anuradha S. Bannore

Nima lay awake in her bed. The harder she tried to sleep the more difficult it became for her.  Surrounded by pin drop silence she could hear her own breathing which frightened her all the more. Suddenly she sat up, her heart was racing, knowing not what to expect she clutched her pillow and held a torch on hearing a thunderous noise downstairs.

That’s how it sounded in the dead of the night tearing through its silence. It chilled her blood. Frozen and muted with fear her brain refused to work. Then there was silence again. She let out a sigh of relief and decided to lie down. She waited for a moment or two to be sure when the reverberating shrill sent her ducking under the blanket shaking like a leaf and feeling absolutely asphyxiated with fear. She believed that either an alien or some ferocious animal had raided her serene life. She wanted to yell out for help but her voice ditched her. Mustering courage she peeked out of the blanket and screamed the loudest scream seeing two big fat shiny eyes glaring right into her face while two clawy hands stretched towards her as if to pull her eyes out of their sockets. She stifled a cry as she felt constricted and throttled.

She struggled to rise but weakness overpowered her. An extremely long night stretching into endless hours of darkness it appeared to be.  She lay motionless absolutely petrified. She was too horrified and all muddled up to think of anything else other than pray for the first crack of dawn. After what seemed to be hours and she heard no more sounds she once again ventured to peer out of her blanket. Finding no one around she decided to tiptoe downstairs very cautiously with a baton for self defense and of course the torch. What met her eyes made her jump out of her skin so to say. It was a total disaster, a disgusting mess. She wondered what/who it was that could have been so ruthless to do that to her well organized house.

She speechlessly gaped at it knowing not what to do. A sudden thought of it/him returning sent her sprinting to her room wondering what it/who it was that had not only impudently raided her house but had the audacity to enter her room too with intentions of killing her yet spared her. She shrieked and swooned with the thought of its/his return.  Suddenly she heard a commotion in her room that frightened her to the core! With shaking hands she lowered her blanket only to find umpteen eyes focused on her.

She quickly ducked once again under her blanket while hands stretched out to calm and comfort her but she started struggling and yelling out to spare her and take whatever they wanted from her house which not only shocked everyone but they were very anxious to know what had happened to her. They wondered if someone had cast a spell on her. Tears rolled down her mother’s cheeks for Nima was screaming uncontrollably. The whole neighbourhood had gathered at their place banging the door to be opened which worsened the matter, for Nima contemplated that a gang of robbers/ aliens/ fierce wild animals had invaded the house. She became awfully aggressive screaming and struggling to be left alone. After what seemed to be ages she finally calmed down completely drained of all energy. Her mother gently and warily approached her and very affectionately stroking her hair spoke lovingly that all was well and she was surrounded with all her loved ones who would never ever dream of harming her.

Nima was still trembling with fear. Her mother cuddled her speaking soft gentle loving words. At last Nima feebly and still dreading to see some horrid creature gradually opened her eyes and seeing her mother she hugged and kissed her saying she loved her the most and would never ever leave her and made her mother promise the same. When she narrated what had happened the previous night they convinced her that it was just a nightmare. Her mother told her no more reading and watching horror movies till late night.

Nima sheepishly nodded though she wasn’t convinced that it was just a nightmare for it was so very realistic. Till today she wonders whether it was just a dream or a premonition. She yearns to get it out of her system but the horrendous experience is glued in her heart and mind.

About the Author: Anuradha S. Bannore is a prolific writer and an alumni of Jabalpur University with M.A in English. She retired as a teacher and currently lives in Vadodara India.