The Turn Of The Night

Chapter 14

Terrible screams filled the forest and screeched through the ears. The crystal water of the stream began rippling while icy winds shook the trees. The trees knacked close to each other, it seemed as if the tangled hands of a giant monster waiting for it's opportune moment to thaw upon it's unlucky victim.

'What the heck in the world is it? ' Aarush heaved pantingly as he raced along the bed of the stream along with Darsh. 'I don't know anything bro, just run… they might be the demons. ' said Darsh through gritted teeth. 'Ghost! Why did we come here? ' said Aarush. 's**t man' Darsh said.

The two boys raced down the curving shallow stream and finally collapsed upon thick roots in the undergrowth. Enough was enough. 'I can't run anymore… I can't even breath' Aarush said in between distressed breaths. 'Same here.. If they are ghosts we will face them ...heck it's better than running for miles. ' gasped Darsh. They set their backpacks aside and lay their heads on the bark of the tree. The screeches and shouts were still audible.

'Do you hear? ' asked Aarush his ears perked up. 'Yeah, the noise is moving away… it's so freaking mysterious. ' Darsh replied. 'At least no harm done… we can rest and lay down here for quite a while now… peacefully.' Aarush said drizzly. 'Yeah hope so. 'Darsh said.

'Wonder how's it back home..' Aarush pondered. 'God knows bro.. Maybe the ghost invasion was true, maybe our realm has been taken over by those spirits… God knows..' Darsh said. 'Wish the girls were with us.. I really do' longed Aarush. 'Same here bud' joined Darsh as both of them lost themselves in thoughts of their home and living life. But here they only had each other.

'There's no sun here.. Isn't it? ' Aarush asked. 'Well at least from the moment we woke up we have only seen blackness and darkness, no light except for that orb of light that united us..' he continued. 'Yup no light probably, maybe it's like the poles of our realm you know… sun for six months and darkness for another six…' Darsh chuckled.

But Aarush didn't reply, his dream suddenly came back to him, Canisa, her words, the truth...everything. It awed him.

'Hey Aarush Heeeyy.. ' heaved Darsh. 'What's the matter mate, you feeling sleepy again hah?' he asked. Aarush's eyes focused again, 'Nah bro, it's just that, I saw Canisa when we were sleeping and didn't get a chance to say anything to you about that after we woke up..'

'Canisa? What about her? And why in the freaking hell isn't she here to guide us? It's her realm after all.' scorned Darsh. Aarush sighed and recounted his dream.

The gusts of wind by now had stopped blowing and the water of the stream was normal again. The mysterious sounds could no longer be heard.

' So it's true then? And we have only seven days.. A week to make everything alright. But if it's night here all the time then how are we gonna know whether a day has passed. ' said Darsh after listening intently to Aarush. 'I don't know.. ' Aarush replied. 'What a mess we are in' Darsh grimaced, letting out a long sigh. ' If that's the matter then we gotta keep moving and find that thing we are meant to find whatever that is.. ' he said as he stood up and slung his backpack across his shoulder. Aarush sipped water from his bottle and set along the long arduous and unknown path.

'What do you think those sounds were? ' wandered Aarush. Both of them were still following the course of the stream but however were walking at a slow pace. The stream became wider by the moment. 'Dunno, I can only guess. 'Darsh replied, taking a glance at Aarush. 'Go on' he nodded.

' Well Canisa said to you in your dream that her powers were wearing off and the same applied to every other spirit. Except those whose powers were stronger. So maybe it was a powerful entity trying to scare us away..or maybe.. ' he stopped. 'Maybe what?' Aarush encouraged him to go on. 'Or maybe something must have happened which may have agitated them, the spirits because of which they were awakened… ' shuddered Darsh.

' You are giving me creeps, Darsh' Aarush said gloomily. ' But what could have agitated them?' he wondered. 'We don't know bro..' Darsh replied. 'Yeah let's leave this scrutinizing, if Canisa was right then we have one job.. Let's think about that.' Aarush said.

The old and fallen leaves of the undergrowth crunched beneath their feet as the moss here were only present in patches. Both sides of the stream were still covered in forest but the trees, however, were starting to thin out. A lot of time had passed since Aarush had woken up with his head a bloodied mess...but still there was no sign of light or sun. Their eyes had adjusted themselves to the dark environment. However Aarush did not feel anyone looking at his back from the moment he had woken up to the sound of spirits. The sky was painted a violet hue along with dark outline and pleasant smells of wild flowers growing in the mosses sweetened the smell of the air which was accompanied by the drifting smell of wet earth. Everything seemed so much alike their own realm but it was not. Sometimes both of them wondered if this was just another bad nightmare…

' Hey bud, we have been walking for ages… when are the trees gonna end? ' asked Darsh tiredly. 'Well see the forests are thinning out a bit ' Aarush replied. 'Seems the same to me' Darsh replied. 'Umm no problem there bud I have hawk eyes' Aarush smirked . 'You know what? This no hunger thing's a boon.. At least we don't feel the urge to devour one another given the time we have been without food. ' Aarush continued and both of them started grinning. But their smiles froze in their faces.