House No- 258 By Minarva Priyadarshini

In the quiet outskirts of town, at the end of a long, winding road, stood House number 258. The house had an eerie presence, its windows dark and its walls covered in ivy that seemed to strangle the life out of the building. It was a house that no one dared to enter, a place whispered about in the dead of night. Yet, despite its ominous reputation, it had a regular visitor – a young pizza delivery boy named Ravi.

Ravi worked for a small pizza joint nearby and had been delivering pizzas to House no 258 for weeks.The orders were always the same: a large margherita pizza with extra cheese, to be delivered every morning at 7 PM. Each time Ravi arrived at the house, he was greeted by the same person- a beautiful girl with dark, flowing hair and hauntingly pale skin. She was stunning with a delicate face and eyes that seemed to hold secrets of their own.

Despite the house’s reputation, Ravi found himself drawn to the girl. She was always alone, her voice soft and melodic as she thanked him for the pizza. She never invited him in, but she always lingered at the doorway. Her presence both enchanting and mysterious.

Day after day, Ravi delivered pizza to the girl, and with each visit, he became more captivated by her beauty. At first, it was innocent admiration. But as time went on, his thoughts grew darker, consumed by an overwhelming desire to possess her.

One evening, as he handed over the pizza, Ravi couldn’t hold back any longer. The sight of her standing there, so close yet so attainable, drove him mad with lust. He reached out, trying to pull her into his arms, to feel her warmth against him. But, the girl recoiled her wide with fear. She pushed him away, her voice trembling as she told him to leave.

Ravi refused to listen. He was beyond reason, consumed by his own desires. He lunged at her again, and in panic, the girl fled to the kitchen. Desperation clawed at her as she grabbed a knife from the kitchen, holding it out in front of him as a warning. But Ravi was undeterred. He advanced on her, his hands reaching out to take the knife from her. A struggle ensued, the kitchen filled with the sound of clashing metal and frantic breaths. In the chaos, Ravi’s hand slipped, and the knife plunged into the girl’s stomach. She gasped, her eyes widening in shock as she collapsed to the floor.

Blood pooled around her as Ravi stared in horror at what he had done. The realization of his actions hit him like a ton of bricks. He had killed her- the beautiful girl he had once admired from a far. Panic seized him, and he fled the house, leaving the girl’s lifeless body behind.

For days, Ravi lived in a state of constant fear. He avoided the news, terrified that the murder would be discovered and he would be arrested. But, as the days passed, there was no mention of a crime at House number 258. No police sirens, no headlines in the newspaper. It was as if the girl had never existed.

The uncertainty gnawed at him, and after a week, Ravi could take it no longer. He had to know what had happened. He had to see for himself. 

So, one evening, he gathered his courage and returned to House no 258.The house was eerily silent as he approached. The front door was locked, but Ravi knew the house well by now. He made his way to the back, finding a window that had been left slightly ajar.

 He slipped inside, the musty air thick with tension. He moved through the house, his footsteps echoing in the empty halls. The rooms were vacant, devoid of any sign of life. Finally, he reached the kitchen, the place where it had all happened. He braced himself for the sight of the girl’s body, but when he stepped inside, the floor was clean. There was no blood, no sign of a struggle. It was as if nothing had ever happened.

Confusion and fear gripped Ravi as he stood in the empty kitchen. Where has the body gone? Had someone cleaned up the mess? Or had he imagined it all? Desperate for answers, Ravi wandered through the neighborhood, hoping to find someone who could explain the mystery.

He eventually came across an elderly man sitting on his porch. Ravi approached him, his voice trembling as he asked about house no 258. The old man looked up; his eyes clouded with memories.“That house?” the man said, his voice raspy with age. “No one’s lived there for over a year since the tragedy. 

”Ravi’s heart raced. “What tragedy?” he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

The old man sighed, a sorrowful look in his eyes. “A young girl was murdered in that house. She was raped and killed by a delivery boy while her parents were away. They never found the boy who did it, but the girl’s sprit…they say it still haunts the place. Her parents moved away after that, unable to bear the pain.”

Ravi felt the sweat drain from his face. His legs trembled as he stumbled back, his mind reeling. Could it be true? Had he been delivering pizza to a ghost? Had he been fallen in love with a spirit, only to kill her all over again? The thought was too much to bear. Ravi turned and fled, running as fast as he could, his heart pounding in his chest. As he ran, the house seemed to loom over him, its dark windows like eyes watching his every move.

In the days that followed, Ravi became a shell of his former self. He was haunted by the memory of the girl, her pale face and sorrowful eyes. He could still feel her presence, like a shadow that clung to him whenever he went. And in the dark corner of his mind, Ravi knew the truth. He had killed the girl- not once, but twice. And now, he was the one who would be haunted, forever trapped in a nightmare of his own making. 

House no 258 stood silent and still, its walls holding the secrets of the past. And in its empty halls, the ghost of a beautiful girl lingered, waiting for the next unsuspecting soul to cross her path.