Locked Door

The day was shiny and harassing. She wiped her face and removed so many tiny drops of sweat. She realized thirst. She wandered for water. And she found a palace looked like old kingdom. In the dense forest, she had heard about cottages but not about palace.

Main gate of the palace was open and there was no guard. She kept her axe beneath tamarind tree. She entered from the main gate and saw here and there and after some walk the main gate was automatically closed. There was totally dark like dark night. She repented to herself that I should keep axe in my hand. After some moment a lantern like thing was continually coming towards her. A old man with glazing face came closer with lantern in one hand and a glass , made up of soil at other hand.

The old man said to the girl “ Julia, don’t be afraid, your axe is safe beneath tamarind tree, where you kept. Here in the palace no need of axe, please drink it. “ the old man gave a glass of water and smiled. Julia was glaring at the old man regularly. There were so many questions arose at the mind of Julia. She was surprised that how the old man knows that my name is Julia, I am thirsty and I was thinking about my axe.

She took water and realized the coldness of water. Before asking some questions, the old man laughed loudly and disappeared without lantern. She realized shivering herself and tears rolling down form the eyes of Julia.

Julia took lantern at her hand and moved silently. The shawl of darkness was rifting. After some walk with dim light of lantern, she was dumb founded that on the wall, under the wooden garlanded frame.

There was a picture of same old man, who was appeared and disappeared. Tragic moment created when the face of old man within frame did up and down his forehead as he asking “ how do you feel now ? “ Julia tried to cry but failed. Afraid Julia sited on the chair and chair started moving. Now fragrances of flowers scattered, the noise of some one shoes was growing and the day is clear. But no one was there accept Julia. She saw from the window of the palace, there were so many graves.

Now Julia was hungry. She shouted “ O old man, O uncle, please bring food for me. “ Julia again repented that why she is calling a dead person. A voice raised “ go to upstairs and open the locked door and fulfill your needs. “

Julia noticed that voice was raising from the frame and the face of the old man is glaring me regularly as he is alive.

Julia went to upstairs, there was a locked room and she has no courage to open the door. Julia was nervous and someone was knocking the closed door from the other side of the door saying “ please open the door, who is our enemy ? “ At last nervous Julia ready to open the locked door, and she unlocked.

As the door opened someone has gazed Julia with lustrous eyes.

Afraid Julia simply asked “ are you owner of this palace ? “ That man replied “ no girl, I am John and I am guest. If you want to see my palace, please come with me.”

Slowly Julia went near window with John and he asked “ are you that grave ? that is my palace.” John jumped out from the window and entered into the grave. A middle aged lady appeared with some fruits and cake and said to Julia “ please take it and satisfy your hunger. “

Hungry Julia took an apple and a piece of cake and she asked “ aunty, you must be owner of this palace because you arranged it for me. Cake is so delicious, is here any bakery shop nearby ? and it this area, apple tree is amazing, because this town is not suitable for apple plantation. “

Middle aged lady smiled and said “ no girl, I am not lady owner of this palace, but I am a guest, come with me if you want to see my palace, here is not any bakery shop and this soil is not suitable for apple plantation. Are you looking that grave ? that is my palace. My husband comes here weekly and keeps some fruits and cake on my grave, because my husband knows very well that these things I like most. “ and the lady disappeared.

Julia was totally aghast. Then within two minutes, there was crowd in the room. In the crowd there was a baby of four or five days without mother’s lap, middle and old aged men and women. Their faces were not simple but terrible face.

All terrible faces told like chorus “ hey girl, you should join our community. “

An old man said “ but to join our community, you will have to die. “

An old lady said “ you was asking that, who is the host of this palace ? we aren’t, we are guest and ghost.”

Baby of four or five days told showing her finger towards a picture, hung on the wall “ he is the owner of this palace and this palace too is a grave. “

Julia frightened to see that the picture is same, the old man given me water, there was not any cut mark on their face, but in the picture, there is three or four cut marks on the face, full of tiny drops or the blood.

The host asked to the girl “ how are you and how do you feeling now ? “ and the door locked and knife like nails was plucking Julia.

Afraid and frightened Julia loosen her sense and fallen to the floor. When she got sense, she found something identified face in front of her.

Julia asked to that woman “ I have some little remembrance, your face is like my mummy, I had heard that my mummy had washed away in the river. “

Lady replied with tears rolling down from the eyes of lady “ yes my daughter, I was your mother.”

Julia smiled and asked surprisingly “ mummy why are you using “ was “ why not “ is “ anyway please return to home with me, daddy and James will be happy to see you alive. “

Lady said “ my innocent daughter, I can’t, I too a member of this community, community of the ghost.”

Now Julia was upset and asked “ my sweet mummy, where is your grave , your lovely palace ? “

Lady replied “ I have no any grave, I am a wandering ghost.”

The group of the ghost started plucking Julia and mother of Julia told “ one who will tease or pluck my daughter, he will be my enemy. “

Now the owner of the grave / place appeared and said angrily “ listen Pamela, why are you quarreling to own community for other community, are you made ? “

Pamela replied “ no highness, I am not mad, but careful of my daughter. Please forgive her and leave her, I beg your pardon. “

Owner of the palace told “ to live life is not out culture from beginning and not done in history, your daughter will have to die. “

The group of the ghost told like chorus “ yes will have to die, must die. “

Tears rolling down from the eyes of Pamela as well Julia.

Pamela said threat mannerly “ I will do strike and strike is master key of locked door of desires. “

Owner of the palace/ greave, Ruskin told that “ I am agree with you with one condition that your daughter will not disclose the fact of our community. “

Pamela said “ promise.”

Julia too said “ promise.”

A force applied to the body of Julia, she was out from the grave and there was not any palace.

The axe was still waiting for Julia. Julia took her axe and returned to home.