The Forest Cottage

18

One Christmas 

It was snowing.  A very cold winter christmas it was.  All the towns trees and quaint shops were decorated with christmas lightenings which were glittering.  Above the moon a pale yellow hung up in the sky.  

Joyce a fourteen year old girl and her brother a ten year old were going to visit their grandparents. The car halted in front of their grannys courtyard and they got out. 

" Im shivering cant wait for the hot chocolate and pancakes made by granny " Joyce said.  " Me too " Dancy said as he lifted his duffel bag. 

Their grandparents were thrilled to see them.  " Hurry up inside you are bringing all the snow in " their grandfather said cheerfully.

And after having the preparation made by their granny and chatting for a, while. Granny Meg said " both of ur rooms are up go up and have a, good nights sleep " the two of you.  " Tomorrow we will show you the townside here.  "

" Okay im feeling sleepy " Joyce said and went with her brother up.  " And yes no opening the window no matter what in the night " their granny said with a, frightened expression on her face. " A chill ran down Joyce on hearing this.  Dancy was already in his room. " That was odd,  why  she telling me not to open the windows at night " Joyce said. 

In night Joyce got up.  There was some noise outside the window. Like as if someone was tapping it.  But she was on the first floor.  And was it a tree branch or something. 

Joyce got up to check the window but stopped as she rememberd her grannys words.  No matter what you dont open the window.  " Is, it haunted here in the woods " Joyce asked herself as a chilling doubt came over her.  

Slowly she went near the window.  A pale moonlight was flowing in the room. She opened the window slowly. 

A gust of cold wind came inside the room freezing her.  And the next moment she shrieked. As a dark shadowy mans face was outside the window. And she screamed. 

Her grandmother came rushing into the room. " What happened why did you scream " she asked. " Someone was outside the window " Joyce stammered. " I had told you not to open the window.. " her granny said.  " The  woods are said to be haunted.  Her grandfather came and said " are you scaring the kids again with that rumour. " " Its not a silly tale, everyone has seen him " her granny told him.  Dancy also came scrambling inside the bedroom. 

He was half sleepy.  " Whats going on here " he asked.  " I saw some one ourside the window " Joyce told him.  " On a, first floor bedroom!  Theres not even a tree in front on which anyone climb." " It was a shadow black in color and had a leer on its face. So scary he was. It was a ghost i think " Joyce was bit shivering. 

" Its okay im closing the window now.  Next time ignore it.  I had told you so " their grandmother said. " Dont start it again Meg " their grandfather said. " Im not.  Even Scarlet the neighbor had seen it.  We are not lying. Its supposed to be haunted. " grandmother Meg said and they all went out of the room closing the light and keeping the door a little open. 

Joyce tried to sleep again. The moonlight was still falling silvery in the room. 

The next day.  Joyce got up and the sun was shining in her room.  She got up and opened the window.  Outside some minutes back maybe rain had fallen because all the few flowers in the backyard were wet with tiny drops of rain. 

Then yesterdays tapping incident she was musing about. Was it  just her imagination. Maybe because their grandparents cotrage was surrounded by woods and the next house was a bit far away.  

She went downstairs. Dancy and her grandparents were already at the table.  " Hope you had a, goodnights sleep " her granny asked. " What have you made ok toasted bread " Joyce asked and sat down. 

" Today we are going hiking in the woods with the neighbors two kids " Dancy said.  " Who arranged that " asked Joyce.  " Granny did. She told the forest greenary and air would do you good " Dancy told. 

" Okay those two kids will come any moment now so get ready and try to reach the house before evening. It looks like its goinf to rain too " their grandfather said. 

" Are their wild animals in the forest " Joyce asked.  " Maybe im not sure.  A wolf but they come out at night so dont worry " their granny said.  " And its not haunted no that forest " asked Dancy.  There was silence around te table. 

The next day.  Joyce got up and the sun was shining in her room.  She got up and opened the window.  Outside some minutes back maybe rain had fallen because all the few flowers in the backyard were wet with tiny drops of rain. 

Then yesterdays tapping incident she was musing about. Was it  just her imagination. Maybe because their grandparents cotrage was surrounded by woods and the next house was a bit far away.  

She went downstairs. Dancy and her grandparents were already at the table.  " Hope you had a, goodnights sleep " her granny asked. " What have you made ok toasted bread " Joyce asked and sat down. 

" Today we are going hiking in the woods with the neighbors two kids " Dancy said.  " Who arranged that " asked Joyce.  " Granny did. She told the forest greenary and air would do you good " Dancy told. 

" Okay those two kids will come any moment now so get ready and try to reach the house before evening. It looks like its goinf to rain too " their grandfather said. 

" Are their wild animals in the forest " Joyce asked.  " Maybe im not sure.  A wolf but they come out at night so dont worry " their granny said.  " And its not haunted no that forest " asked Dancy.  There was silence around te table. 

It was becoming late.  " Hurry let's return back.  In the night all wild animals come out here.  And some say the woods are haunted too!  Betsie said.  

As they were making their way back.  A huge tree came up in front.  " Had not seen this while we were coming hadnt we " Dancy was getting a bit nervous now too.   " Have we come on the right track. Or if we get lost.  Full night will have to stay here. Where will we take shelter but " Joyce said. 

" Even mobiles are showing no network how will we ever call home " Joyce was panicking.  " Ofcourse we are in the forests " Dancy told. 

" You shouldnt have had walked that far.  And granny had told us to stay just on the outskirts. And it looks now its going to rain too.  A bad idea it was to come on this trip " Joyce was murmuring. 

It grew darker.  The sky was filling with thundering clouds and it started to rain. Drops of chill water were falling on their faces. " Hurry up we have to go from here " Betsie said. 

" But where i have lost direction and i am not sure where we came from " Joyce said.  " Are you saying we are lost " Dancy was panicking. " I am really afraid now what if some wolf came out " Derek said. 

From far a, howl of some wild animal could be heard. They started walking fast.  But the rain turned into a thunderstorm.

" Look theres a cottage there lets go there maybe some one stays there " Joyce was saying with some relief.  " Can we trust a, stranger but " Derek asked. " We have no choice hurry or we will turn into wet socks here " Joyce told. 

They went near it and knocked on the door.  A old man opened the door. He had a cigarette in his hand.  " What you four kids doing out there in this weather come on in fast. You shouldnt hike in such weather. "

They entered inside thanking him.  It was a bare kind of room with a fireplace in the corner and some book stand in the left.  " You people would like some hot tea i made.  You shouldn't be out there.  In night all coyotes roam " he said as he went to heat the kettle. 

The wind was blowing fiercely.  Tree branches were tapping on the windows. Joyce and her group were huddled in a corner. " So by night we should return or we wait for this storm to pass away " asked Joyce to the old man.  He said " you cant go out now.  You will get drenched.  Tomorrow morning you return.  By that time the storm would have lessened.  And i will help show you the way. "

" Its so nice of you. Or we would have had to search for some cave maybe " Dancy said. Later that night they slept. In two rooms.  At midnight Dancy got up.  She couldnt sleep of the cold and outside a wolf was howling. She got up to see outside the window it was raining more heavily.  

She saw a shadow.  Through the trees.  " What was that.  Is it someone outside or is that ghost granny was talking about " Joyce thought.  She closed the windows shut and slept with covering her head with the blanket. 

Morning came.  It was, still raining but not very heavily. " We can return today " she said. She got up and saw that the old man was, making some breakfast for them in the corner kitchen. 

" U got up. Your friends are out on the porch.  After breakfast we can go return you home " he said. 

Dancy and the other two came inside.  They were a bit wet.  " Last night i saw someone outside " Joyce told the old man.  " I know " he said.  

Joyce turned back.  " Its known to everyone that a shadow roams in the woods here. "

It was noon. They all got ready and started on their return journey. The old man was showing them their way back. It was still bit drizzling. But they were walking fast. The grass was all wet. 

As they all were in a hurry to return to their house. On the way as they were walking some sound of twigs breaking could be heard from behind them. Then a howl of a, wolf. 

All of them started running. And soon they saw their grannys cottage. Joyce rang the bell. Her grandfather opened the door. 

" Where were you " he asked. " Will tell you. We stayed at his house for the night as we were lost and it was a storm out there " Joyce told as they all entered inside including the old man.

Their granny came and served them all hot soup. " Im so happy to see you kids back. And it was very nice of you to have had helped them " she said to the old man. 

Betsie and Derek left for their houses after some time and the old man got up too saying " i should also be going. Have to reach back before night " and went.

Soon night came and they all sat around the fire place. " So granny what was that shadow which you was talking about " Dancy asked. " Its okay he roams about in the woods so just dont go out at midnight. "

Later Joyce and all of them went to sleep.