Beneath The Trapdoor

It was the chilly morning of February, the 2nd, 2003, my first day as a freshman in the prestigious Notre Dame Academy, Paris. Indeed, it was a dream come true! The clock chimed at 7 A.M. sharp and I was already clad in my school uniform, a crimson red pleated skirt, white shirt, knee-length socks, and shiny black shoes. The convent schools seem to emphasize a lot of discipline and tidiness, so I had to be careful! The institute might've been infamous for its spooky tales or uncanny events, but I, being one of the few rational folks left on Earth (chuckling), didn't seem to care. After all, very few foreign scholars get this golden opportunity and I didn't want to miss it for frivolous reasons!

"Mom, I'm getting late!", I muffled with a morsel of porridge inside my mouth, gulping up the rest in one go. As I hurriedly picked up my bag and paced towards the gate, she gave me a tender smile, wishing me luck. Ah, I could bask in her smiles all day! Been in the doldrums for ages, now, finally, her untimely signs of aging seemed to vanish in the rejuvenating air of Paris.

I reached the campus in an hour, which was situated in a remote area, covering thousands of acres of land. I couldn't see clearly through the fog but a colossal cathedral adjoined the main school building. The buildings were designed in accordance with the Victorian architectural style, adorned with flying buttresses and rib vaults to distribute the enormous weight. The cathedral was surrounded by many gargoyles, which were grotesque wolves' faces carved into statues serving the dual purpose of being a water spout and for warding off evil forces. The campus gates were huge and rusty, intricately designed in vintage style with the Holy crucifix engraved on them.

I gasped in awe until my reverie was broken by a lady clad in a white saree, wearing the same crucifix as a pendant in her rosary, smiling amicably. She was slender, her hair was tied in a pompadour, and was too old, eightyish probably. Her face was pockmarked, perhaps by some skin disease. I was finally happy to spot an Indian face in that foreign land. "Good morning", she greeted. "I'm the head nun, Sister Mary Rupa, in charge of the foreign exchange students. Let me lead you to your class", she said. 

My heart skipped beats in trepidation, for I'd never talked to a nun before. On my way to the classroom, I could hear the tolling of bells along with eerie sounds like bellows and growls, which seemed like those of animals'. "We give shelter to homeless animals too", she said. I nodded, smiling. The campus was no less than a labyrinth, with endless passages and dark niches. So, we decided to talk along the way. Sister's winsome demeanor enabled me to confide in everything, be it the fact that my parents were separated, our decision to shift to Paris, and my experiences here. I could truly see my granny in her! We finally reached my class and she bade adieu. 

The classroom was huge and the students were glued to their books with rapt attention. There might've been a hundred students there, but the silence was such that one could hear the sounds of turning pages or of the scratching of pens on paper. Mr. Paul, our English professor, was reading something.

With brimming anxiety, I was about to ask "May I come in, sir?", until the professor himself came to the door with a swoosh! I was astonished by his speed, my mouth agape! He took his spectacles off his aquiline nose and scrutinized me from head to toe. He must've been about six feet, having a lean musculature, hazel eyes, ashen face, and scarlet, chapped lips. His skin appeared a bit translucent, the network of veins and arteries somewhat visible. He seemed frail and looked extremely dehydrated. With a grim expression, he just gestured to come inside. The class proceeded, as usual, followed by my brief introduction.

With the passage of days, I tried my best to make friends, but all in vain. A guy named Ethan became an acquaintance though. He too was an Afro-American foreign exchange student. The extremely stringent environment of the school started consuming me, for I felt ensnared in that colossal cage. One breach of the law could end you up in a dungeon! Sister Rupa was my sole friend and confidante! Hailing from south India, like me, she would often recite the anecdotes of her childhood in our native language Malayalam. Gradually, I started developing a special affinity towards her! Mr. Paul and other teachers, on the other hand, seemed to despise the foreign students, especially Indians. They were mostly garbed in black apparel, had abnormally long canines, and were pearl white in complexion! They could teach for hours without needing a drop of water to drink! There was indeed something surreal about 'em, and I couldn't decipher that. Frankly speaking, I'd never seen such morose and melancholy people in all of France! 

It took me almost a month to ensconce myself in Paris and the school. By now, Sister Rupa and I'd become best friends, and Ethan was part of the gang! We would ardently wait for our twenty minutes of recess time every day to catch up. Sister would take a stroll of the campus with us, and our chatters would halt only by the chiming of bells when we rushed to our classes. After that, she used to attend her daily Mass at the chapel. The campus also had an abbey, where Sister Rupa and other nuns lived. 

One day, Ethan asked with curiosity- "Sister, are the spooky tales about the campus just a myth, or is there some truth to it?" Sister chuckled, and said "Holy Jesus! You're the kids of the 21st century, didn't see this coming from you. Haha!"

That was exactly what I loved about her. Sister was truly a kid trapped in an old body, not conforming to the lame ideas of society.

We were roaming just outside the graveyard when my foot got stuck between the gnarled roots of the old willow tree. I fell, scraping my knees. A little blood oozed out, the sight of which scared Sister beyond limits, perhaps. Her skin grew pale, veins getting visible on her thin, saggy facial epidermis. "What happened, Sister?" I asked. "O child, I've got an aversion to blood, especially when it's of my loved ones!" was her reply. I was deeply touched by her sensitivity and motherly instincts. She anathematized the willow tree as a harbinger of bad omens, and we left. 

Murphy's law states that anything that can go wrong will go wrong, come what may! Prof. Paul caught me talking incessantly during his classes and an ominous silence then pervaded the air. As his eyes spewed rage, he yelled "You are detained after class today. You can leave only after cleaning the garden." His twisting lips and large, gritting canines again caught my attention, a shiver running down my spine. "Keep calm, it happens", muttered Ethan, who was seated beside me.

The class was dismissed, but I had to stay. 

To my utter dismay, I got to know that Sister Rupa was out of station for some unfinished business. Alas! I had to work for hours without her company! By the time I finished cleaning, the campus clock struck six, yet the full moon was visible amidst the translucent haze. The students and staff had already left. 

I could hear distant chants and some bellowing, which I initially ignored, assuming that a Mass must've been going in the chapel. As I decided to leave for home, I felt choked by a stench of something rotting, most probably an organism! My lungs were totally puffed up. I turned and moved towards the giant skeletal Oak tree on the campus, from where the smell originated. The chantings and howling grew louder, followed now by the sound of clanking chains. I was totally baffled and unable to process what was going on, for this couldn't be a Mass! Suddenly, my gaze fell upon a trapdoor just below the tree. It was partially concealed with grasses and soil. I frantically removed the soil and opened the trapdoor, piqued by sheer curiosity.

The trapdoor slammed shut, automatically, as if it were driven by some kind of evil force. I was led to a spiral staircase and landed on a floorboard that creaked. I felt my heart pounding profusely with the adrenaline rush and my clothes soaking the sweat. As I moved forward, I could see innumerable candles, bronze urns, and other Gothic elements obliterated by cobwebs, which I couldn't discern. I could strongly feel an inhuman presence, but unfortunately, there was no way out. I was stuck in the labyrinth. The constant shrieks and scad of chants kept reverberating around the corridor. 

I finally reached the source of the sounds and the stench. I was flabbergasted by what I saw next! All my Professors were gyrating across a huge fire, holding the limp bodies of decapitated animals, bellowing in agony! Their blood was being drained in a huge vessel, for what appeared to be a sacrificial ritual. I was perturbed by the turn of events, wondering if that's what the convent was infamous for! Animal cruelty? Holy Jesus! 

As the professors moved, I saw an old lady near the fire, clad in a white saree. O, Christ! I was aghast, for she was none other than Sister Rupa! Her eyes beamed an emerald green light, with her canines protruding out of her mouth. Her fangs were larger than anyone there! I started feeling dizzy and weak on my knees. The fact that the only person I'd ever loved in this institution was a bloodthirsty butcher, couldn't simply seep down my bones.

"Is this institute being run by vampires? Do they thrive on animal blood in the name of sheltering 'em? Were the principles of morality and righteousness that this convent instills, just a fallacy?" Such questions kept lingering inside me. Tears rolled down my cheeks. "Enough!" I thought to myself. As I was turning to leave, another turn of events shattered my heart, mind, and soul completely! Just near the fireplace, below the chandelier, I saw Ethan tied up in a chair with metallic chains. He seemed to be in a state of trance, for he sat peacefully with his eyes partially shut. Sister Rupa bent low and smelled him, reaching his ears and down towards the neck. My heart started pounding at a dangerous pace, about to rip the ribcage apart! I got the premonition of an imminent catastrophe. I wanted to save Ethan, but my limbs refused to move an inch! I was numb, sweating profusely, and partially paralyzed. 

As Sister reached Ethan's carotid artery, she muttered a few prophecies. Her black veins started protruding out of her face and neck, just like before, when I'd scraped my knees. Gosh, all that was making sense now! She looked eager for the sumptuous meal and within a split second, she injected her fangs deep into Ethan's svelte neck. He remained calm, his blood oozing out profusely, camouflaged well by his crimson red uniform. His neck muscles pulsed, yet he did not shed even a single teardrop, as if he had volunteered wholeheartedly. I led out a shriek, utterly stunned! 

Sister's horrendous gaze fell upon me. The chandelier shook violently, ricocheting off the incandescence from the dying embers, all across the room. I was shivering. Unable to bear the weight of my own body, I fell with a loud thud. "Sister, let me compel her to forget…" said Prof. Paul, stopped midway by her. Sister started walking towards me slowly, humming death rattles. "O young lady, you shouldn't have been here! I didn't want us to end like this," she said, laughing diabolically. Still lying on the floor, I started crawling away from her, mumbling inaudible prayers. All I could think of was my mom, who must've been waiting to serve me freshly cooked pancakes. Alas! I wanted to see her, for one last time, just once! 

Sister sat on the floorboard next to me, and said "You know, blood from swarthy people tastes so good! That's why I prefer Indians and Africans." I sat open-mouthed, transfixed by her words. As she was about to tear me apart, Prof. Elijah interrupted - "Killing her with vampire blood in her system may turn her into one, Sister. Remember it's a full moon night." Sister leaned forward and lowered her voice to a menacing whisper "I'd be glad to turn her into one of us, Monsieur! After all, we're so alike, aren't we?" she chuckled, looking at me.

I gazed with utter disbelief.

I had accepted my doom, and was calm now, just like Ethan. Perhaps they'd compelled him to forget everything, for he strode out of the room, acting like everything was normal, his wounds still bleeding. Following this, at the very next instant, Sister bellowed, akin to a wolf, and penetrated her razor-sharp fangs deep inside my neck. I squealed. A massive spurt of blood oozed out, soaking my clothes. My vision started getting blurred until I lost consciousness.

One year later ...

"Mom, I'm leaving for school" I mumble, drinking my last sip, hurriedly! It's the first day of my sophomore year and Anju is accompanying me to school. She's my new neighbor, also an immigrant from India. "Have a great day, kids" mom wishes us as usual. 

We reach school in an hour. It's Anju's first day at the convent so I'm her tour guide for today. As we reach the gate..."Wow! A lady in a saree? What a pleasant surprise!" Anju exhilarates, pointing her finger towards sister Rupa. "She's the head nun in charge of the foreign exchange students.", I reply, gazing intently at Sister. Anju’s joy needs no bounds finding an aboriginal lady in this foreign land. Sister Rupa says, “Her arrival would be greeted with a rousing fanfare!", with a grin too voracious.

And I smile, concealing my extra-large canines … The trapdoors creaked!

(To be continued)