The White Light

It’s a cold night in December. Everyone in the house has gone to sleep, while Shreya is struggling, twisting and turning herself on her squishy pillow. Some insect’s noise is keeping her up. She gets up to drink water and notices that her jug is empty. Shivering with cold, she puts on a coat and steps out with the jug. There is a shaft of light entering the kitchen through the window. She walks towards the light and tries to see where is it coming from.

Like many kids her age, Shreya has always been a curious one. Exploring places and anomalies comes naturally to her. Grabbing hold of a torch, she keeps on following the white light that almost looks heavenly. Leaving her house behind, almost 2 km. Into the woods, she keeps on walking barefoot.

If you were here you’d observe, how possessed she looks! Her long shiny hair, tied into a messy bun with fringes of hair coming out like tentacles of a witch, her fur coat protecting her from the cold, her blank eyes that can see nothing else than the light and her bleeding feet which have stopped feeling pain. A crow hovers over her and the glass jug falls to scatter into pieces. I wish I can stop her from stepping onto the glass. She goes ahead and OUCH! She doesn’t feel anything.

I watch from a breaking distance that she wouldn’t notice me. I wish to see where is she going and to do what. I have been tracking her every move in this house since the day, we had brought her in. The warden who gave her to us said, “She is a dangerous little beast. Take care of yourselves.” Those words could never leave me at peace, so I would bunk my classes to put up a CCTV camera in her room and I’d watch her every step closely. I wanted to be sure, she was who she was pretending to be- a human!

Shreya stops near the white light, takes off her clothes and stands chanting some mantras. Horrifying it is, to see someone you love to be in possession of the evil. My little sister is the evil, herself. I want to help her, but I’ll make it only worse, I think. So, I run to wake my parents up with a hope that they will believe me this time, finally. This time, I have proof that she is not normal like me and my other two brothers. My parents shush me away a few times before they agree to come and see what the fuss is all about. Panting, when I reach the spot, the light is gone. There is no sign of Shreya. I am worried about her. Calling her name out, I start looking for her with my parents.

After hours of searching, we return home. My eyes are watery and Mum is crying without gasping a breath. Opening the door, I curse myself for not informing my parents earlier. As I do, there is a strange insect’s sound that has filled up the silence. I see the door to Shreya’s room open, as I go closer, there she is lying peacefully on her tiny bed. “Shreya!” Dad and Mom look at me with disgrace and go in their room. They’re disappointed with me for playing such pranks on them. Was I dreaming? I ask myself. As I am about to close Shreya’s bedroom door, she opens her big brown eyes and looks at me with an evil, haunting smile. A white shaft of light starts to fill the room. I shut her door and run as fast as I can.