A Vampire
A Vampire
While I was asleep one day I notices how much I love nights, especially when it’s stopped pouring, it gives us the possibility for our dream, the dream to become anything the next day
However, as we wake up the same zest vanishes maybe the night comes barring the practical life
I woke up with a thirst which I have never experienced before, it seemed unquenchable – I tiptoe to the kitchen and fetched water, the desire for more water was unending
My phone beeped and ma called from the baranda
My friend Rajiv called, he is in the lecture and our exams are next month,
I ignored his talks and paid attention to what ma has to say,
She told me there is no sugar and I have to get from the shop down the lane,
With a disgruntled look, I wore the slippers and sauntered
I stay in the outskirts of Kolkatta, we don’t have a mall or pizza hut here
For recreational we only have a lake, where all youngsters come and sit and if possible drink as well
I and Rajiv even started visiting there
while approaching the Kirana, I saw a group of people hovering a dead body which was covered in plain white cloth
No one said anything, but one of my friend's uncles mentioned this was lying here from last night,
The body looks like someone drained the entire blood from her, a young girl returning home from tuition around 9ish
I became completely awake, which animal could do this, I ran home
While I was watching the television, few locals knocked on the door, as baba was out of town,
They mentioned not to open the door after 8 pm every day as there is an animal or men they are not sure which creature is that exactly running lose and sucks blood
As per the few farmers, they even saw cows died to excessive blood loss
It became a heated situation in the village,
I was told to remain indoors
The girls' parents remain in shock as she was only 12 years of age to go through this excruciating pain
It’s been a week I did not go out, and news of the bloodsucker kind of losing the momentum, Rajiv called me to come to the lake, it was a Saturday evening and all youngsters from the college gathered around to play music or booze,
The idea tempted me so much; I deflected and ran from the backdoor
While I was progressing with my bicycle I heard strange voices from the bushes nearby,
I paddled faster, and other animals started making eerie noise
I felt a sense of relief when I saw rajiv, I drank Pepsi, and we saw all the guys and girls from secondary class,
Dancing and playing loud music all the scary stories dissipated from that environment,
I heard a bunch of guys veering towards the exit,
Someone bawled, polish- and in a moment the lake was empty except for the useless security guard,
We hid behind a rock, and they couldn’t see us and go away, it was so quiet for a moment I felt a strange shivering sensation going down my spine,
Rajiv mocked me, we reached home I don’t remember anything after that day
In few days they got a newly dead body which was hidden near the lake, it was decayed
And the blood has completely been sucked out
Due to the serious murder taking place, it’s a serial killer situation just like the movie, Rajiv grunted
All the locals have been questioned and every action people took around the vicinity has been under radar
They have 3 suspects, one of them is Sachdev who is an urchin and mostly he steals things to make a living for some reason he was found near the dead body,
We do not have a CCTV so they Can capture, as things are going out of hands
They installed CCTV in major spots
Rumors were someone stole it, now there is only 1 camera
Mom got worried and kept gasping all day what if the killer kills me, because mom is diabetic
In the current situation, evening looks like a cemetery, only the patrolling alarm hovers around the village,
It’s been 15 days no trace of the killer and no one was dead
Even the cops got tired, and has they been pressurized due to the local press, they kept few suspects still locked up, but we all know they were just hungry and innocent
But all the villagers were afraid of voicing out who knows they might incarcerate them too.
It’s been 2 months, the frenzy of all these wore out, things coming to a normal routine, schools re-opened
Cops were vigilant except for a few who were least bothered; mostly they drank and played rummy on the road
It’s been 6 months, cops called out and no one remembers the dead except the family
Mom was sick apparently, her heart rate was slow and her eyes looked pale
Father was not receiving the call, we took her to the hospital to figure out what made her sick, she kept mumbling few words and couldn’t fathom what she meant,
Rajiv became distant too, my whole family collapsed and I was the only one who was healthy
I keep visiting mom but Rajiv seems distant and got busy with his life,
Amidst all these, we heard the same killing taken place in Delhi and the sources are unknown what made that happen, is the same killer traveled
Mom health kept deteriorating, the doctor kept her on antibiotics, but unable to understand what’s making her sick
It was beyond their medical purview, the doctor divulged
It was raining heavily, I took a rick to the hospital otherwise I cycle towards it, upon reaching, I did not feel right the hospital lights were on and off
I sauntered to the female ward, the lights kept flickering, the heavy pouring of the rain made me completely deaf, I heard a loud noise, a screech of prolonging pain.
As I came close, I saw mom eating the neck of the nurse, her hands sprawled and eyeballs rolled,
There was blood on the floor- she looked at me in a way I am her next prey,
She shrank and flew off from the window
In a shock, my heart beat faster I ran home and forgot my slippers in the hospital, as I reached
I saw Rajiv ma and father waiting for me
They all looked well-fed