The Turn Of The Night

Chapter 11

'Uggghhh man … i feel so damn weak.' heaved Darsh as Aarush helped him up on his feet. 'You have a lot of bruises dude..' Aarush said. 'What? Me? I got cut? You gotta be joking … i don't feel a thing … i mean apart from the intense exhaustion ...there's no pain.' He replied as he got back up on his feet. 'Well, evidently there's a scratch on your hand and your pants near your knee are dripping.. probably blood. But you won't be feeling a thing.. see i too have a pretty bad cut on my head … see.' Aarush replied pointing towards the back of his head.

'Oohhh gross dude, don't show ugh..' Darsh said weakly. 'Wait wait...it means ...does that mean … we won't feel pain here ? Is that even possible?' Darsh spoke amazed. ' You are right bro… not only pain though. I have been walking for hours, and still i don't feel hungry or thirsty ..' Aarush said. ' Woaaahhh ...it's what? An effect of being in the world of the dead?' Darsh said. 'Maybe ...maybe we are dead.'

'My grandpa came back didn't he ? And you maybe right about feeling no pain or anything...but this not being alive thing? I don't think that…' Darsh said, uncertainty clouding him. 'I don't know bro… maybe you right… we didn't die right? And we were also brought here …' Aarush's voice trailed off…

Both of them were draped in insecurities, the thought of not being able to see any of their parents , their friends scared them to death ...if they could die again.

'Darsh, you know what...we can feel… we have emotions …still' Aarush said. 'Umm i too have been thinking of that you know...the last few seconds… let's keep that as a sign of hope...that we are alive … we have to be.' said Darsh.

For not even a moment did the boys show their fear on their face… After all you don't know how strong you are, until being strong is the only option left..

'So what do we do now?' Darsh asked.

The sky still was dark and the trees still engulfed them. Except the place where Darsh had been. Aarush took a moment to see their surroundings. He could still smell the scents and still had a brooding feeling that they were watched over.

' I guess we walk...things start bad but you gotta go on from there.' Aarush replied. 'Okay sup, but you see there are thickets of trees down there and there's not an ounce of light anywhere and it's cold… won't we get lost if we go in?' Darsh asked.

'Yes, you are right. When I got up from the place I fell, I trudged for long hours and came upon a river or a small stream kinda thing. It was enchanting… we must reach there, I reckon , we will follow the water.' Aarush replied. 'Are you sure?' Darsh asked nervously. 'Oh come on now, isn't that what Bear Grylls does on Discovery, hah?' Aarush replied cheerfully. 'Okay then , but how are we gonna reach the river then? All I see is trees and trees, hope there's not a whomping willow like The Harry Potter books.' Darsh said. 'Reckon going back, and tracking the way I came through to get to the river?' Aarush asked. 'Umm, I don't think that's a good option bro, going backwards...lets go straight… i have a pen in my backpack, we will scratch the surface of the barks so that we don't go round in circles.' Darsh said as he haunched up his backpack over his shoulder. His Nike sports shoes were shining in its bright silver colour and his long hairs flowed as a gust of icy wind flew over them.

'Okay so we enter the forest again….woohoo' Aarush said. 'What was that hah? Sarcasm or have you gone mad?' asked Darsh as both of them tredged among the crispy leafed floor of the forest. The scent was still prevalent however the trees were a bit farther apart in this place.

'Nah bro, just think … this is an adventure of a lifetime just like we read in the books… we go and save the earth … ALL HAIL THE SAVIOURS.' Aarush yelled as energy coursed through him. Both the boys started grinning.

The crunches of leaves were the only sound. However as they walked they noticed the colour of the leaves turning to orange and a mixture of pink resembling maples of the land of living. The cold air still blew but it was not felt as intensely by the boys. Darsh had taken care to mark each successive tree so that they did not get lost on the way. Their injuries had clotted by now and though they felt no pain and hunger but the case of their body repairing itself was considered by them as another sign of being alive...still.

' By the way, wonder what happened to Canisa.. ' said Darsh as he hacked his way through the bushes. 'Dunno man… and yeah if this is the land of the dead , where are the dead then?' Aarush wondered aloud. ' You know what I believe that the souls.. they lose their identity, they just exist…' Darsh said. 'You think so? Well maybe… What if what Canisa said is the truth? Maybe the ghosts or whatever have gone to our land..' Darsh said surreptitiously. 'Maybe , but we cannot know that for sure until we meet another spirit right? Aarush said. 'Yeah …' Darsh replied as the two resumed their path among the wilderness.

The two boys drifted in the thoughts of the place where they currently were. Is it a replica of their world? Or is their world a replica of this. And is this really another world. And if this is the world of dead, where are they? And where's Canisa, the one who brought them here. And how the heck had they even come here….

'You hear that?' Aarush asked Darsh. 'Sound of water gurgling through? Absolutely.' Darsh replied. 'Well then let's follow the sound..' Aarush said as both of them walked towards the sound of water….

' Umm Aarush, is that the stream you were talking about?' Darsh asked as he emerged out of an opening and came upon the bed of the stream… the view was enchanting indeed… maybe worth the trouble.

'Yes' Aarush replied.