Doorbell And The Owl

It was a cloudy afternoon and Emerald stood in her balcony. She was not feeling great and something was troubling her from inside. It was her birthday that day but the house was empty.

"Emptiness and loneliness are like slow poison. Unwanted thoughts cloud one's mind and it becomes depression. One desires to live but life becomes an irony. One even fears to die. At times the mind muses with silly thoughts." This was the state of the gem named Girl- Emerald Louis Hudson.

She was not in a mood to celebrate her birthday. She was in her lates '30's but she felt she was in her 60's. Writing stories and her work as a secretary kept her busy till last weekend but the sudden death of her Boss like Witchcraft, took away her job and happiness.

"She was religious but destiny snatching her happiness made her neutral though not an atheist."

She had spent the current week alone in her matchstick home. At times she slept the whole day like a Predator. She had even forgotten to eat her meals or brush her teeth. Some nights were even sleepless but some were a nightmare. She struggled between the strings of insomnia and at times deep slumber. Not everyone could remember their dreams but for Emerald her dreams were crystal clear and etched in her mind.

Emerald wrote her dreams in her diary and later converted it into story mirror stories. The appreciation coming from strangers in the virtual world kept her happy. She liked to write on that portal often.

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"It was just a normal day with nothing to do on a day you were born. She decided to blow some bubbles and gaze at the road facing her apartment. She was blowing the bubbles and she was playing her favourite song on her mobile."

Her phone beeped and she knew it was a birthday song from Sam. She was playing the song and Sam sang in his husky voice.

"Happy Birthday to you... Happy birthday, sweetheart. "

Emerald closed her eyes and tears wet her cheeks. Sam was no more in her life. He was dead and gone.

"She never -ever wanted Sam to die and she daily prayed for his long life. He had fallen from a running train. She cursed that moment why did she ask him to travel on a train when he was not used to it? More than a boss, he was her love. They were planning to get married after this birthday but all dreams were broken into pieces like a mirror. Emerald was wiping away her pains slowly and about this message, she had sent it from his mobile to her. It was an eccentric act but Emerald knew that living in that false hope of he with her was best."

She replayed the song that he had sent on her last birthday and went into a trance remembering the best moments with Sam. Suddenly she heard some whispers in her surroundings.

"Who is there on the other side of the room?" Emerald screamed in terror.

There was no response and she ran Helter and Skelter to see shadows in her room. Sam's song replayed again and again, automatically without she keeping it on the repeat mode. She hallucinated his ghost around her. She had heard the soul reaches heaven in 41 days. May be Sam was around her gave her a shivering feel but she was happy that he was with her, at least mentally. She decided to take a nap and she lit a candle even in the afternoon hours. She slept for a while and the doorbell rang. She saw her group of friends have come with a Chocolate Cake. She was not expecting them. It was her train friends Juhi, Smile, Nectar and Mrs. Smith. Emerald looked drained and she was wearing a ragged kind of a dress.

"Where are your mom and dad?" Smith aunty asked Emerald.

" Hey, they have gone to the market." She lied.

There was dust around the house and Juhu coughed.

"Sorry, the maid had not come today." Emerald lied to her friends.

They dusted her room and asked her to get ready for the cake cutting ceremony. She searched for a best attire in her wardrobe and took out her crumbled red dress but a box fell from her cupboard. It was the new Sea Green dress gifted by Sam, a day before he left the world. Emerald adored that dress on her slim body and danced until she heard a knock on the bedroom door. It was Juhi asking her to come out. They knew that she was sad after Sam biding Goodbye but they just wanted to cheer her up.

"Her train friends were the best, unlike her college friends. She did not have any friends at the office as her colleagues secretly called her a slut. After the cake cutting, all her friends left. She again sat by her window, looking at the pigeons and listening to some romantic songs and blowing the bubbles."

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Suddenly the song changed into a horror song. The rainbow-colored bubbles now turned into a bee and started attacking her. She closed the window and applied some cooling gel on her wounds. She again heard the doorbell and opened it. She saw Rose, her elder sister standing in front of her. She was wearing Sea green dress and Emerald welcomed Rose with a smile. Rose requested Emerald to allow her to stay with her for the next two days. Emerald was super excited with her sister around from the another world.

They laughed and giggled, shared bedtime stories. The stories turned into an argument and Rose slapped her tight. Rose's dress colour changed into a white and she pushed Emerald on a couch. She started sucking her blood like a vampire. Emerald had almost fainted and regained consciousness the next day. Rose was sitting on a rolling chair with her eyes wide open and Pupils invisible. Emerald ignored her when again another doorbell rang. Susan her friend had come to wish her belated birthday. Susan was flabbergasted looking at Rose.

"Why did you allow her in?" Susan asked Emerald with a terror in her eyes.

"I know Rose is a Ghost but she is my sister. I am lonely after my parent's death, Susan. I am telling lies to people that I stay with my parents. You are the only person who knows the truth, Susan." Emerald was giving her justifications looking out of her window. She heard a hoot of the owl and she howled.

"Susan had turned in to an Owl and had a human voice."

"I was murdered last hour. I am a Ghost. I am here to take you with me." Owl-faced Susan uttered these words.

Emerald was scared and terrified . She wanted to live and she ran fast but she, at last, jumped out of the window.

The Cuckoo bird sound was heard in the surrounding. Emerald woke up with the alarm sound

She had a migraine again. It was the effect of her alcohol she had last night with Sam. She called up Sam to make sure he was alive. Rose, her dead sister haunted her often in her dreams. Sometimes those dreams were pleasent but whenever she had thought ill of her sister, the dreams turned horrendous. Her parents and some of her dead friends lingered in her mind as a unforgettable memory. The dead souls visted her again and again in her lonely apartment. She always had a fear to lose Sam, the love of her life.

The door bell and the Owl became an unforgettable dream for her. She wrote that dream in her Diary and Sam published it secretly. Emerald loved Sam more, everytime he tried to make her all dreams come true.

After two years on their second wedding anniversary Sam announced the news that the book - " The Door Bell and the Owl," has won International Best Horror Novel award.

Emerald could not express her happiness but Sam wanted her to go with her friend to the award ceremony at Los Angeles... She denied as she wanted him by her side on her happiest day. He wanted her to enjoy her own space.

The Award ceremony day

" I owe this award to my darling Sam. He had always been with me in my thick and thin. I owe this award to my friend Susan. She played the owl in my story. It is always my fear to lose my loved friends. I pray, I don't ever see Susan going away from me. Susan I love you." Emerald exclaimed her joys for bagging the award and also her fears.

Susan her best friend wiped her tears and held Emerald's hands.

" I will be always with you no matter where I am? I am not going to leave your side soon, bitch." Susan winked.

Both friends walked hand in hand towards their Hotel room and planned to dine at their favourite restuarant that they explored last night.

Author's note: Thank you for reading and this story is dedicated to my late sister Marcilin. This story is fictional but with her best memories I try to write haunting stories. Hope you enjoyed this story that sounds surrealistic.