Episode 2: The Unseen Presence
703 Words
Viren barely slept that night. The journal rested beside him, its worn pages holding secrets that refused to stay buried. The whispering voice, the glowing red eyes outside his window—none of it made sense. His grandfather’s final words echoed in his mind:
"Our blood is tainted… the curse is real."
Morning came with a heavy silence, as if the village itself held its breath. The usual sounds of children playing, vendors shouting, and cows being herded to pasture seemed distant, muffled. Viren dressed quickly, determined to find answers. He needed to understand what his ancestors had done to bring such an ominous fate upon their bloodline.
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A Village in Fear
As Viren stepped out of his house, he noticed something strange. Every villager who passed by him avoided eye contact. Some whispered under their breath, while others turned away entirely.
Near the well, he spotted Dattu Kaka, an elder who had known his grandfather well. Viren approached, but before he could speak, Dattu Kaka’s face darkened.
"You should not have opened that journal, Viren." His voice was barely above a whisper.
Viren frowned. How does he know?
"What do you mean, Kaka?"
Dattu Kaka glanced around as if fearing unseen ears. He leaned closer. "The past must remain buried. Do not seek what your grandfather spent his life hiding. Some truths are not meant to be known."
Viren’s frustration flared. "But why? What is everyone so afraid of?"
Before Dattu Kaka could answer, a loud scream echoed from the western part of the village. The sound was raw, filled with terror. Villagers rushed toward the source, and Viren followed, his pulse quickening.
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The Mark of the Curse
Near the outskirts of the village, a small hut stood in disarray. The door hung open, swaying in the breeze. Inside, a woman clutched her chest, sobbing uncontrollably. A crowd had gathered, whispering in hushed voices.
Viren pushed his way forward and froze.
On the wall, written in what looked like dried blood, was a symbol—a strange, circular marking with lines intersecting in a pattern Viren did not recognize.
A shiver ran down his spine. The mark felt… ancient, filled with an unnatural energy.
"It’s happening again," an old woman muttered. "The curse is waking."
Viren’s breath caught. Again?
"What do you mean?" he demanded, turning to her.
The old woman’s wrinkled face twisted in fear. "Ask your ancestors, boy. This village has suffered before. And it always begins with the return of the cursed bloodline."
A chill settled in Viren’s chest.
They were talking about him.
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The Forest Beckons
That night, Viren sat in his home, staring at the journal. He had spent hours trying to find someone who would tell him the truth, but no one dared speak.
His mind replayed the events of the day—the eerie symbol, the villagers’ fearful whispers, the unseen presence that seemed to grow stronger with each passing hour.
Then, at exactly midnight, a gust of cold wind swept through his room.
The journal’s pages flipped on their own, stopping at an entry dated November 1642. The ink was smudged, but the words sent ice through his veins:
"Tonight, we perform the ritual once more. The forest demands blood. Without the offering, the curse will awaken, and the shadows will reclaim what was stolen."
A distant knock echoed through the stillness.
Viren’s body tensed. It was past midnight. No one should be outside.
Slowly, he walked to the door and unlatched it. The village lay silent under the moonlight.
But on the ground, at his doorstep, was something that made his blood run cold.
A single, severed crow’s head, its lifeless eyes staring up at him.
And beneath it, carved into the wood of his doorstep, was the same symbol from the hut’s wall.
A whisper carried through the air, barely audible—
"Come to the forest… or we will come for you."
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To Be Continued…
What dark history binds Viren’s bloodline to the forest? Who left the ominous warning at his doorstep? And what horror awaits him in the depths of Kaali Van? The past is beginning to awaken… and it won’t rest until its debt is paid.
- Writer
