The Forest Cottage

3

After her father was done with the call. He came and told them " the carpenter is coming today to put up the fences okay. " " Okay we are getting late for the college " Mrs, Nancy said. " I will drive Clara, to her college  " she said. At the college the day went by in a, blur. In late evening Claras parents were getting dressed. " Are you going somewhere out " she asked them. " Yes your fathers colleague has called us to his house for dinner, so get ready fast " her mother said. " I cant come too much of assignments i have to catch up on. Maybe some other day " Clara, said. " You sure because as you said you don't want to be alone here " her mother asked worriedly. " I wanted to come but if i dont complete the work our professor will assign me double homework so i cant. You people go and have a nice time. And what about Tony you are taking him or he's up sleeping .. " Clara asked. " Hes upstairs sleeping already he played too much today so slept. So if you was coming we would have woken him up too but as you are not coming. So just check up once there. We will be back home in one hour " her mother said. As both her parents started to leave her mother said " and check all doors are, locked. Backdoor too. I will call you from there " her father said and they left. As their car left Clara suddenly felt a, feeling of all alone. 

" I would rather start on my homework assignments and then i will check up on Tony. I will sit in the hall only " she said. And went to close the windows and backdoor. As she was closing the backdoor. Outside she saw that it was a cloudy windy night. And rain had started to fall in tiny droplets. The trees were swaying in the wind and she caught a, silhouette of someone or something move very swiftly among the bushes. " Must be some cat " she thought. She closed the door and came back in the hall. 

" Later i will call Joy and Greta " she reminded herself and started with her work. After into fifteen minutes of doing it she looked at the clock it was showing 10 30 in the night. " Why they had to pick today only for going out. Its, going to rain very heavily " as Clara was saying the lights flickered. " Oh no the lights are going out i should quickly get the candles in case if they go out completely " Clara, said and as she was just about to go in the kitchen,  the lights had gone. And, outside it started to rain very heavily. " The electricities not going to come any sooner now .. " Clara, thought. The house looked all dark and quiet against the storm outside. She slowly made her way to the kitchen and got the candles and lighted them. And sat down again with her work. From upstairs Tony came downstairs sleepily. He had gotten up because of the lights out. " Sleep on the couch here ok " she said to him as he trudged and slept there. " I am feeling afraid up " Tony said.  " Here sleep here on the couch, i will go get ur blanket " Clara said. " No need dont go up " Tony replied.

Clara started to go up to get his blanket. " No don't go up and leave me alone here.  I am feeling afraid. Someone is in the house. Outside the window someone was knocking " Tony said. " And the windows were rattling " Tony added. Clara, suddenly felt chill on hearing this. " You did not open the window " she asked with panic. " No i came downstairs. And before sleeping i was, reading this scary childrens book " Tony said. " You shouldnt be reading such things before sleeping. Now you sit here and i will get the blanket. And then i will call our parents, they should be returning any time now " Clara said abd hurried upstairs. " Be quick " Tony said. As she went in the room the window was open and all the rain was coming inside. Quickly she closed it snatched the blanket and hurried downstairs. She gave him the blanket and started to call her parents from the landline. But it was showing no network so she called from her cell phone. Her mother picked up. " Listen Clara it will take us, some time to come because its raining very heavily so both of you go to sleep ok we have the keys " mrs Nancy said. Clara put the phone down. " I will sit here and wait for them to come and still some of my assignment is remaining to do. I will call up Joy " she said and dialled his number. " Hi what you doing up " Joy asked.  Clara, told him that she was, alone and the window above she found it open. " Dont go upstairs wait for your parents to come. Shall i come there " he asked. " No its okay dont " Clara, replied. From upstairs she heard something fall and some sounds, on the wood floor.  " I think you better come some noises are coming fr upstairs " Clara, said with a bit of panic. " You sure its not some stray who entered inside " Joy asked.  " No i dont think so. " " I will be there till then dont open the door for anyone and do one thing lock the door from outside of Tonys " Joy added. 

The candle light was too dim. To do her homework so she kept it aside as she had already done most of it. " This will have to do then. " She just sat watching the rain outside and only the ticking of the clock could be heard. Half an hour went by her parents still had not come. " I think i will go to sleep here too " she was wondering when there was a loud knocking on the door. " It must be Joy " she got up instantly to open the door and was just about to open it when she remembered he had told her not to open the door. She asked " whose it " but there was no reply. Again there was a loud knock. Clara took a step back away from the door and went and sat on the couch. She called Joy. " Someone is knocking on the door but wont answer who is it " she said.  " Stay where you are i am reaching " Joy said. Clara saw, some shadow of a man outside the hall window it darted towards the right side. Towards their backdoor. Clara jumped up. Its going towards the back door. " But i checked it the backdoor is locked. " Then too she got up and went to see whether its locked or not. A, lump came to her throat when she saw that the backdoor was open! 

She ran and closed it. " Now i surely remember i had closed it then how did it open. I should again call Joy and see where he is " Clara said and went back in the hall. Tony was sound asleep. " Its good hes not awake. " Again there was banging on the door. Joy called saying its him. She saw from the peephole it was him only. She opened the door. He entered inside saying " its raining like a, storm there and the lights have gone out too. So you sitting in the hall good. " " There was someone knocking on the door and the backdoor was open too. I am sure i had locked it " Clara said.  " You mean to say there someonein the house" Joy asked.  " I dont know " Clara said. " But nice you came it was, getting really spooky here " Clara, said. " We will wait for your parents to come they will arrive anytime now " Joy said and, sat on a, chair. 

Joys hair was dripping with water. " You came in car and are still wet " Clara, asked.  " Yes gusty winds are blowing outside. " " Your parents taking quite a, long time to come " Joy said. When suddenly from upstairs a loud thud came. Clara was startled " I think its someone inside the house for sure lets get out of ere we will wait outside for our parents to come. " No its not safe to go outside you call 911 i will go uo and check " Joy said. " Are you crazy dont go up sit here only " Clara, said. Tony got up hearing all this noise. Joy did not listen and ran upstairs inspite of Clara, telling him not to.  " Its okay in a, huff i will be back after just checking what was that " Joy said. Clara pulled him by the arm and told him that it was better he stay here only. " Its okay im not going anywhere stay calm " Joy told her. While Clara, was calling and telling them that someone was upstairs in their house maybe a burglar she saw that Joy was telling Tony not to be scared. From up more noises came.

The lights flickered. And then went out again. Clara, screamed when she saw a black hooded man come out of Tonys room. He just stood there like a, statue with a baseball in his hand. " Lets go outside fast " Tony said. The hooded man bolted with speed downstairs. " Open the door what are you doing " Clara, said to Joy.  " Its not opening,  its locked from outside " Joy said with panic. " The backdoor hurry " Clara, said and they ran towards the kitchen with Tony in Joys arms. She closed the kitchen door as the man almost reached it. " Open the backyard door fast " Clara said. The door opened. And they rushed outside. And locked it from outside. " Lets go towards the main road or do we hide in the bushes. He will follow us " Clara said breathlessly. They ran in the bushes. From behind Clara, saw the hooded man climning out of her bedroom window. " Who is he why is he prowling here. I don't think hes a burglar " Joy said. " Here this way there is, thick overgrowth of trees here " Joy said pointing towards the right. The rain started falling again. " Now we will get all drenched too. Whose that man why is, he following us " Tony asked. " We dont know but you dont make a, sound when we hide here. They rushed towards some trees and hid in it. After a, few moments the hooded man reached their spot. And stood there looking here and there. After a minute he went away ahead from there searching. Clara, heaved a, sigh of relief. " Lets go back inside the house and lock it. Here outside its raining too heavily " she said as, a lightening struck up in the sky. " You are right " Joy said. But as they were just about to get up the man returned. Clara kept her hand, over Tonys mouth so he wouldn't make any sound. 

The man started running straight towards them. " Run " Joy said and they started running. With him behind them. Tony was unable to run because of the muddy grass. So Joy took hold of him. Claras foot got caught in a branch and she fell down. Joy tried to help her get up but as she was slowly getting up the msn came and threw his hands around her neck. With a tope in his hand. " Dont move " he said. With a herk Joy threw a, stone on his head and he fell down and again they started running with a, slightly limping Clara towards the house as the man for a moment as he grabbed his head because of the thrown rock. But again got up and ran faster after them. They reached the house went inside and locked all doors and windows. 

After closing the windows. Joy and Clara sat down breathlessly. " Now when will our parents come and the cops are still not yet have come too. Lets just wait for them to come. We will sit here on the couch only " Clara, said. They just waited. The front door afain started to shake because the man was banging on it with something heavy. From window Clara, saw some cars headlights coming. " I think its the cops " she said. There was silence. The man had ran away. " Wait dont open the door yet " Joy said. 

So they waited for some time. Then a cop knocked on the door. " Open up its the cops " he said. Joy got up and opened the door. Two officers entered inside. Ourside Joy saw the man was in handcuffs. One of the officers with a moustache said " we have apprehended him. This man was seen prowling here and he ince broke into the house too of the people who were staying here before. You people acted  bravely. " " Clara here was seeing him from the day they were new here but her parents thought it was some miscreant " Joy said.  Clara was startled beside Tony observing. A car came. Claras parents had returned. " So they left you alone for some dinner party " one of the officers asked to Clara. " Not their fault at all " Clara said. " But i am very happy with the good job you guys done " Clara said. Her parents came rushing " what happened dear the cops outside told me everything. It was so nice of you Joy to come here. Are you and Tony fine " Mrs Nancy said without taking a, breath. " We were so worried when you said that there was someone upstairs " Claras father told them. Later after Claras parents thanked the cops and they were gone Mrs Nancy said " now Joy you sleep tonight here only. You must be tired and you too Clara go to bed. And you Tony my boy sleep with me tonight " Mrs Nancy said. And Clara went up to her room and opened the window. 

The next day Joy had breakfast with them. " So Clara is taking part in the swimming contest " Mrs Nancy asked. " I want to learn swimming too. Teach me " Tony said to Joy. " Sure i will and Greta is waiting for us at the coffee shop " Joy told Clara. " After having tea you will have coffee too " Claras father asked Joy. " Yes you make very nice teas " Joy replied. So Mrs Nancy gave him one more cup. 

After that they went to college. In canteen break Claeas mother called her to tell that it was, on the local news channel yesterdays incident. Greta and Clara were having soda and were waiting for Joy to join them. He arrived with a, tray of sodas saying " guys i have brought mint soda for you people. " They drank the sodas. "  Mother is telling that om television hooded mans news came " Clara, said. " Yes i know in morning " Joy said handing Greta a cup of soda. 

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