The Turn Of The Night

Chapter 20

'Tick Tick.. Tick Tick.. ' Aarush heard. It was as if someone was walking towards him with a walking stick. One foot padded more heavily than the other. However the sound was distant but with each passing moment seemed to come nearer and nearer.

It was not that Aarush was asleep, he could feel the sound, his surroundings, the sound and the bearer coming closer but was unable to react, unable to stir, unable to open his eyes, unable to move his hands or legs or to stand up or even to shout for Darsh. It was as if a powerful force had shut all his system down except for his internal senses which felt the thing. He felt as one feels in a dream, when you sink into an endless pit with no end and you keep falling and falling but just as you are to reach its end you wake up. The only difference was that Aarush could not wake up.

The sound he felt was coming from the right side of the porch. However there wasn't any way or path to walk upon. Aarush tensed his body and muscles waiting for the worst as the walking stick struck the cement. The sound of feet became ever more enticing. A part of Aarush wanted to jerk his body out of his reverie and jump out of the porch to escape the entity. But it had a strong aura.

He heard the sound creep towards Darsh. Then came the soft sound of Darsh smacking his lips followed by a faint 'Ugh' as he turned to the other side. Still Aarush couldn't wake himself up.

Then to his horror the sound proceeded towards him. He felt cold air gust through his face and a cackle of laughter from someplace far away.

Soft, numbed icy breaths made his body numb. He felt as if someone had bonded him to the place. Though he couldn't see, he felt a cold gaze boring his body and piercing his mind. All of Aarush's worst memories came flooding back. But as soon as it came it went away. Again came the sound of feet. It now heaved across the porch and into the room with the broken bed and seemed to divulge deeper and deeper in the rooms through the corridor. He then heard the slow but sure creaking sound of the front door. But then it closed again and the Tick Tick sound grew more and more audible as it came through the corridor to the balcony again.

Aarush felt something standing near him. Then the sound seemed to go back the way it came from, through the air. Tick Tick… .Tick.. The sound became fainter and fainter until it finally couldn't be heard anymore. A sense of being and relief flooded through Aarush.

But the coldness remained. The numbness though seemed to go away with each passing moment, crippled him. After a while he started to feel himself again. But he didn't have the courage to open his eyes. What if something was still standing in front of him. But curiosity got the better of him. Cautiously lid by lid he opened his eye and the same dark skyline came into his view. He made a fist with his fingers and then jumped up into a sitting position to force the nausea out of his body.

He felt and saw around him. The place seemed the same. No one appeared to be there nor did anyone seem to have come. Aarush scoured through the dust that had formed a layer upon the surface. Though there wasn't a single trace of feet but there was a slight white mark among the dust revealing the floor which appeared to go once inside the house and then back again but disappeared in the porch.

Aarush's eyes fell upon Darsh, he was too fast asleep. It did not seem right to wake him up. He noticed that Darsh was now sleeping on the side opposite to the position where he had laid.

Aarush got up on his own and surreptitiously crept into the room. The room in the dark was full of creepy shadows. The broken bed looked like a horde of creatures waiting for their moment to strike. As he walked down the corridor, following the tiny circular marks of the stick, it was apparent that whoever it was didn't venture to any other room. Following the marks, he came straight upon the door. As he pushed it open, a gust of wind struck his face. The old numbness was there,outside along with a faint crackle coming from below. But there seemed to be a barrier between the noises and himself.

Without Darsh, Aarush lacked the courage to venture outside. He was also wary of what might happen to his friend if left alone.

Aarush closed the door with a resounding thump. As he turned back, he took in the view of the room. The worn table was still in the place it had been,the balcony windows however were open, probably a result of the strong wind blowing outside.

Aarush turned back to go to the porch. However his gaze fell upon something which lay on the table. He could swear that it wasn't there a moment ago. As he walked towards the table, he saw a crumpled page. On which were written the words with a beautiful cursive tint.

'You have only, but 5 more days… I am but a well wisher of yours.

This branch has 5 leaves, one will fall off signalling the end of a day.

Your Well Wisher. '

Aarush stood there astounded. He picked the page in his hand and smelt it. Though old but it smelled of fresh paper. Beside it lay a branch, a normal twig with five leaves, one of which had already begun to wilt. Aarush gazed into the distance and pocketed the twig carefully and the letter.

He then went back to the porch and found Darsh still sleeping peacefully.

Aarush stood for a moment near the railings looking into the distance from where he had heard the sound of feet. Then he again rested his head on the wall wishing sleep would come to him fast enough.