An Unexceptional Trip

THE ANNOUNCEMENT 

It was the end of our academic session. Everyone was excited because we go on a batch trip at this time of the year. As soon as the bell rung the Principal entered the classroom. Everyone leaned forward in anticipation.

"We are going to visit Shantiniketan", the Principal announced. 

The moment she said this the class groaned, "Ughhh",

The excitement of going on a batch trip was now absolutely nil. Everyone thought that we would be going to someplace like Goa or maybe even Gangtok.

Announcing this the Principal left. The teacher asked us to pay attention as instructions had to be given.

"We will be going on a 4-day trip. No electronic gadgets are allowed."

The list of items to be brought are:

1. Clothes and footwear 

2. Toiletries

3. Torches along with extra batteries

4. Sleeping bag and air pillow

5. Money (not more than 2000)

6. A diary and pen/pencil

The bell rang and we got ready to go back home. We told our parents about the trip. They had to sign a consent letter which my parents did without any hesitation.

The next day at school the teacher told me that she would mail the train tickets along with all other important information. She allotted our rooms to us. Three of us would be staying together as the rooms were massive in size. We could choose our room partners and I chose my two best friends, Susan and Ashley. We were super excited about sharing a room. While we were discussing all this we had a bad feeling about the trip. It seems as if something would happen. Something that would change our lives forever and leave us scarred. 

THE TRAIN JOURNEY

The three days went by in a blur. The day before the trip was filled with excitement and anxiousness.  

We reached the train station at 10 in the night. The train was supposed to leave at 11. We all checked our tickets and settled down by 10:45. It was a two-hour journey. We had a lot of fun halfway through the journey. We played ludo, snakes and ladders, cards and other board games. Around 12 we were given food boxes. We were given cupcakes, apple, and a slice of sandwich. Suddenly we heard a scream, "Ahhhh!!!" 

We rushed towards the girl and I asked, "What happened? Why did you scream?" 

She answered, " I saw bloody fingerprints instead of food!!" Her voice was laced with fear. When we asked her to open the food box we didn't see anything besides food. The girl, whose name was Annie was so shocked and traumatized. She started crying. The teachers asked her to rest till we reached our destination. 

Everybody went to their seats and started discussing the incident. It happened so suddenly. The train stopped, the lights went off and a gust of cold wind whooshed past us. It didn't feel like normal wind passing by, but something so spooky that made chills run down our spines. The lights came back in a minute and the train started moving. Most of us didn't know if it was real or a dream.

Reaching our destination, we boarded a bus to reach our hotel. I was sitting by the window side with Ashley. Forest ran on both sides of the road. Suddenly I saw a woman with golden hair and a white gown peeping from behind a tree. I turned back to see her but she wasn't there. I thought about asking Ashley and others if they saw anything, but then thought better. I didn't want to humiliate myself. They would laugh at me so I kept quiet. 

THE CALBRISS 

We finally reached the hotel, THE CALBRISS. It seemed as if no one had come to this place for many years. It was like a haunted house. There were so many bushes and trees around the hotel. The receptionist, a man came to greet us. He was a short, stout man with a pointed nose, sharp eyebrows, and an evil smile. I thought "What a scary face!!" 

We got our room keys. We went to the 3rd floor, where our room was supposed to be. As we entered our room. We got dressed and went to sleep. 

The next day we got a wake-up call at 7:00. We brushed our teeth, had our bath, wore our shoes, and went to the cafeteria to have our breakfast. We were served cookies and hot chocolate because the weather was chilly.

After we had our breakfast our teacher gave us a cloth bag and said, " Get your diaries and pen/pencil as we are going for sightseeing." As Susan, Ashley, and I entered our room we smelled something foul. We looked around to see where the smell was coming from, but couldn't find anything. So we sprayed the room freshener and went downstairs with our stuff. 

THE CALL

We went to see Rabindranath Tagore's 3 houses, his car, Amar Kutir, Khoai Mela, Vishva Bharti University, Kala Bhavan, and the Prayer hall, Window made of Belgian glass. 

At 11:00 we came back to our hotel. Our teacher asked us to go to our rooms, freshen up and come to the cafeteria at 1:00 for lunch. Everyone freshened up and went downstairs at 1:00 to have their lunch. We were served Chapatis, pulses, and a cup of cold drinks. 

After we had our lunch our teacher told us to go to our rooms and play games or watch television. Susan, Ashley and I watch a movie on TV. At 5 we got a phone call from our teacher, she asked us to get our money and go to the reception as we were going shopping. She also said that we would go shopping tomorrow, she asked us to save some money for tomorrow.

We went shopping, I bought some souvenirs for my family. We came back to our hotel at 7. As we reached, our teacher told us to keep our items in our room and come to the cafeteria for some evening snacks. 

We went to our rooms, kept our stuff, and came to the cafeteria. We were served a packet of chips and brownies. After we ate we were playing games at the playground till 8.

After that, we went for dinner. We were given noodles and Manchurian. At 9:30 we went back to our rooms. Susan, Ashley, and I were tired, so we didn't play anything but were just lying down and talking. Suddenly at around 10:30 our phone rang. We picked up the phone thinking it was our teacher but we just heard the sounds of deep breathing. We kept the phone and thought that maybe it was not working.

Just a minute later a girl from the room beside us screamed and said, "Who is it?"

We ran to the room and Susan asked, "What happened? Why did you scream?"

The girl, Olivia said, "Our phone rang. I picked it up but no one answered. I said hello twice or thrice and then heard maniacal laughter. It was horrific laughter. And then the person hung up the phone."

Susan told Olivia and the other two girls, Sarah and Andrea about the phone call in our room. We then decided to open the doors of all the rooms on our floor. As soon as the phone rang in one of the rooms we ran there. Ashley picked up the phone and her face went white. I asked her about the call and she said, "A man said that Susan has to go to the reception as he has some work."

"I have a very bad feeling about this. Susan don't go. It must be some kind of trap or evil play", I said

Andrea said, " I think we should inform the teachers about this. They will help us."

I replied, "They would think we have gone mad and are playing some kind of prank. Also, I didn't tell you all this before because I thought you all will laugh, but I saw a woman in a white gown while we were coming to the hotel. I thought it was my imagination, but with all this going on now I am not so sure."

THE CAMP

As usual, we got a wake-up call at 7 and we all got ready and went to the cafeteria to have our breakfast. After having our breakfast, the teacher asked us to get our sleeping bags, air pillows, and 2 sets of clothes as we were going camping in the woods. Then the teacher said that we would leave at 5 PM.

We all went back to our rooms and started packing. At 12 we had our lunch. At 1 our teacher said that we would go shopping in a different place, as we reached the shopping area.

We did some shopping and went back to our hotel at 3. After we reached our hotel we went to our rooms and got fresh and played some games and soon it was 5. All of us went to the yard and waited for the bus which was supposed to take us to the entrance.

As the bus arrived we went to the woods it was a 1-hour journey, as we reached the campsite at 6 we built our tents and laid our sleeping bags and air pillows. We had to sleep with our roommates.

 It took us an hour to set up our tents and soon it was 7. Everyone gathered around the campfire which our teacher had lit when we were setting our tents. We ate roasted marshmallows and heard a horror story.

It was 10, we had our dinner which was packed in a box. After we ate we went to our tents. We all slept peacefully. 

It was around 1 when I heard a crunching noise of someone stepping on a twig. I went out of the tent without making any noise, trembling with fear. As I went outside I saw no one. I could only hear crickets chirping and the owls hooting.

I moved forward and saw a cloud of bats flying. I did not want to go, but my curiosity pulled me towards it. I saw a house on a haunted hill. As soon as I saw it I froze and a chill ran down my spine. I was very scared and ran to my tent.

I was not able to sleep so I told myself to stop thinking about it and in a minute or so I had fallen asleep. The next day we woke up and the first thing I did was telling my roommates about the incident which took place last night. I asked them not to tell anyone about it.

We went back to our hotel after everyone had woken up. After reaching our hotel, we packed our bags and went to the train station.

We boarded the train and went back to Kolkata safely.