THE LAST JOURNEY OF THE DARK NIGHT

3) THE LAST JOURNEY OF THE DARK NIGHT

             BY SANJAY YADAV 

Many years ago, there was a very old house near a forest. During the dark nights, the place became very scary. Many people did not go near the old house at night. It was said that the house had killed many people and caused the loss of many children and women during the dark nights.

The people of the village understood the real situation of the old house near the forest. They decided to hide the story of the house from others. After hiding the truth, all the villagers left the village for many years. No one came near the old house because of the frightening sounds from inside.

After two years, a group of friends came from a distant city. The group of friends were Ram, Krishna, and Preeti. They came to stay at the place for some time. The old house was very different from the other houses.

One of the friends said, “This old house is very different from the other houses.”

Krishna replied, “Yes, you are right, my friend.”

But the friends did not know about the history of the old house.

During the night, the friends tried to arrange their items in different places in the house. After they finished settling their items, they became very tired.

Preeti said, “Guys, don’t worry. I will prepare dinner for all of you.”

Ram replied, “Leave it, Preeti. Let’s eat the food we brought from home.”

Krishna said, “Yes, Ram is right, Preeti.”

Preeti said, “Okay, let’s take food from our bags. I am very hungry.”

Then all the friends ate their food and went to sleep on the floor because all their items were not properly arranged. So they slept together on the floor.

At midnight, Preeti was very thirsty.

She went outside the room to drink water. When she was drinking water at the table, suddenly she felt someone move near her. But Preeti did not understand anything. Then she decided to check outside the room.

When she opened the main door of the old house, it was very dark. Suddenly, she saw a white woman standing there, holding something in her hand.

Preeti slowly moved forward towards the white woman. When she reached near her, Preeti saw the face of the white woman.

But her face was full of darkness, and only her voice could be heard. Preeti became very scared after seeing the white woman’s face and ran away from that place.

But suddenly, a small boy appeared near Preeti. She became even more frightened on seeing the small boy in a white dress. Preeti could not understand anything, and suddenly she fell on the ground.

The next morning, the other friends woke up. But they saw that Preeti was not there in her place.

The friends tried to find Preeti in many rooms and all over inside the house, but they could not find her anywhere.

Krishna said, “Preeti is not inside the house.”

Ram said, “Let’s check outside.”

Krishna replied, “Good idea, let’s check it.”

Then Ram and Krishna went outside the house to find their friend Preeti. Both of them tried to find her everywhere, but they did not find her outside. They decided to search one more time in the forest.

Suddenly, Krishna saw Preeti lying on the ground in the forest.

Krishna called out, “Ram, Preeti is here!”

Ram asked, “Where?”

Ram and Krishna went to the place where Preeti had fallen. They decided to take Preeti to the house first. Then they would ask her what had happened. Both of them tried to wake Preeti, but she did not wake up.

Ram said, “Krishna, bring water.”

Krishna replied, “Yes, Ram.”

Ram said, “Let’s put water on her face.”

When they put water on her face, suddenly Preeti woke up. But her face had become very scary. Both of them did not understand what had happened to Preeti. When they asked her, she did not reply.

Ram said, “What happened, Preeti? Please reply.”

Krishna said, “I think we should leave her alone for rest in her room.”

Ram replied, “Yes, you are right, Krishna. We should not disturb her now.”

Then both of them took Preeti to her room for rest. Now it was time for the next night. All the friends had dinner and went to sleep near Preeti.

During midnight, suddenly Preeti woke up and sat in her place. Ram saw that Preeti was sitting silently.

Ram asked, “What happened, Preeti?”

Preeti replied, “Nothing. Please go to sleep. Leave me alone.”

Ram said, “Krishna, wake up.”

Krishna asked, “What happened, Ram?”

Ram said, “See, Preeti is sitting silently in her place.”

Krishna said, “What?”

Both of them tried to ask Preeti, but she did not reply anything and suddenly lay down and slept in her place. But Ram and Krishna did not understand anything about Preeti’s behaviour. Then both of them also slept near Preeti.

The next morning, Ram and Krishna were doing some work. Suddenly, Ram saw that Preeti was sitting on the chair silently. Then Ram went near Preeti and asked,

Ram said, “What happened, Preeti?”

Preeti replied, “Nothing, Ram.”

Ram said, “I don’t understand your behaviour, Preeti.”

Preeti said, “I know you are talking about last night, why I was sitting in my place.”

Ram said, “Yes.”

Preeti replied, “I did not sleep properly, that’s why I was sitting in my place.”

Preeti wanted to tell everything to Ram and Krishna, but she knew that both of them were not ready to believe her. Then she decided that she would tell all the truth in front of them about what she saw that night.

After sunset, it was night time. All the friends sat for dinner.

Preeti said, “Guys, I want to talk to you about something.”

Ram said, “Yes, Preeti, tell us.”

Krishna said, “Don’t worry, Preeti. Tell everything without any hesitation.”

Then Preeti told the whole truth about what she saw that night.

Ram said, “What?”

Krishna said, “Are you mad, Preeti?”

But both of them were not ready to listen to Preeti’s story. Ram and Krishna went to their room to sleep, but Preeti sat on the chair all night.

Now it was 12 o’clock midnight. Ram and Krishna were sleeping in their room. On the other hand, Preeti was sitting on the chair and thinking about that night.

Then Preeti decided that she would go to that place where she had seen the white woman and the small boy.

But when she tried to open the door, suddenly Ram caught Preeti’s hand.

Ram asked, “Preeti, where are you going at this time?”

Preeti replied, “I am going to that place where I saw the white woman and the small boy.”

After listening to Preeti, Ram also decided to go with her. Then Ram called Krishna to join them. Now all three of them—Ram, Krishna, and Preeti—were ready to go to that place.

Suddenly, Ram and Krishna saw the same white woman standing in the middle of the forest. All three of them went near her to talk.

Ram asked, “Who are you?”

The white woman replied, “My name is Lakshmi.”

Preeti asked, “Why are you standing in this forest at midnight?”

The white woman said, “The old house where you are staying is my house where I lived for many years.”

Krishna said, “You mean that is your house?”

The white woman replied, “Yes.”

Preeti said, “When I saw you the first time, I ran away from that place, and then I saw a small boy.”

The white woman said, “That is my son.”

When they talked with the white woman, they understood that there was some problem with her. They wanted to listen to her whole story, so they requested her to tell everything. But the white woman did not tell anything. She told all three of them to leave the old house forever.

The three of them could not do anything, and they decided to leave the old house forever. When they were packing their items to leave, suddenly a small boy stood in front of them. The small boy started trying to kill all three of them in the old house.

The small boy took a big hammer in his hand and hit directly on Preeti’s head. Preeti died at the same time. When Ram and Krishna asked the reason for killing, the small boy did not reply anything and tried to kill them one by one.

Then both of them tried to escape from the house because they did not have anything to fight the small boy..

There was no option left for them. Then they went to the white woman for help. Suddenly, the white woman came in front of them and told the truth about how to kill the small boy, who was her son.

The white woman said, “Both of you must dig up the dead body of the small boy from the graveyard.”

Krishna said, “You mean we have to take the dead body from the graveyard during night time?”

The white woman replied, “Yes. Then both of you will be safe.”

After listening to the white woman, Ram and Krishna went to the graveyard during the night to find the dead body of the small boy. Suddenly, Krishna saw the tomb of the small boy near him. They dug the tomb and took the dead body of the small boy out from the graveyard.

Suddenly, the small boy appeared in front of them in the graveyard. The small boy tried to save his dead body. Ram and Krishna started to fight with him, but both of them became very injured.

After that, they burned the dead body of the small boy. Then both of them became safe and went to their homes after many years. But they missed their friend Preeti because of the old house journey.

Then both of them started their new life journey.