After Life - Discovering the Depth of Darkness

I believe you

I tried my best to calm myself and fall asleep, but my mind was still reeling from the bizarre events that had unfolded. Suddenly, I was startled by two knocks on the door. Instantly, I turned on the light and cautiously made my way towards the door. Peering through the keyhole, I strained to see in the darkness, but there was nothing visible.

"Who is it?" I called out, hoping for a response. Silence greeted me, and a sense of unease washed over me. I chose not to open the door and began to retreat back to my room. But then, the knocks resounded again, this time louder and more insistent. My heart raced as I turned around, only to come face-to-face with a woman. Her long black hair was braided, and blood dripped from a deep wound on her head. She wore a blood-stained green saree. I stood frozen, forgetting to breathe, as terror engulfed me. The woman opened her mouth as if to speak, but all I heard was her piercing scream.

Suddenly, I woke up, my body drenched in sweat and my breaths coming in rapid gasps. It was just a dream, I realized with relief. Glancing at my phone, I saw that it was 4 a.m. I still had a couple of hours left to sleep. Clutching my pillows tightly, seeking comfort and solace, I closed my eyes and attempted to drift back into a peaceful slumber.

Startled by the sound of the alarm, I woke up earlier than usual. Checking my phone for any messages or missed calls, I found that there were none. That was a relief. Deciding to prepare some toasted bread and scrambled eggs for breakfast, I turned on the TV to have something to watch while I ate. Since my father always tuned in to the news channel, it automatically played upon switching on. Taking a bite of my crispy toast, I listened absentmindedly to the news anchor's voice. "A middle-aged woman was tragically killed in an early morning accident on the ECR," the news lady announced. My heart skipped a beat as I saw the image of the woman on the screen. It was the same woman from my dream—the one wearing the blood-soaked green saree, with her long hair braided and a severe wound on her head. Feeling a growing sense of unease and a need to escape the solitude of my home, I quickly finished my breakfast, albeit reluctantly. Determined to clear my mind and shake off the lingering effects of the unsettling dream, I left my house, craving the company of others and hoping for a distraction from the strange occurrences that seemed to be intertwining with my reality.

I hopped onto my lady scooter and made my way to the beach. The tranquil atmosphere here was a stark contrast to the unsettling events of the previous night. It almost felt as if I had stepped into a different world, away from the horrors that had invaded my dreams.

I've always been the type of person who enjoys watching extreme horror movies, never flinching or averting my gaze. Ghostly tales and supernatural phenomena never managed to sway my belief system. After all, I had never encountered anything of the sort in my own life. But now, with the vivid dream, the enigmatic guy, and the truck incident, it was becoming increasingly difficult for me to maintain my skepticism. These occurrences challenged my usual reliance on what I could see and comprehend. They seemed impossible, beyond the realm of reason.

As I stood by the shoreline, observing the powerful waves crashing against the rocks, I found myself lost in deep contemplation. The rhythmic motion of the waves always had a way of triggering profound thoughts within me. I mulled over the events of the past day, desperately seeking clarity and trying to make sense of the inexplicable. The beach provided solace, a place where I could gather my thoughts and perhaps find some answers amidst the vastness of the ocean. As I immersed myself in deep contemplation, a sudden sound broke the silence of the beach. It was a child's laughter, light and carefree. I turned my gaze towards the source of the sound and spotted a child playing joyfully with the doves that had gathered nearby. What struck me as peculiar was the lack of fear or flight from the doves. Normally, they would scatter and take to the skies at the sight of humans, but these doves seemed unperturbed, leisurely pecking at the sand for food. The sight further accentuated the strangeness of the events that had unfolded the previous night. If I were to confide in Rani about what I had experienced, I knew she would dismiss it as the product of an overactive imagination or perhaps even suggest seeking professional help. I felt a sense of isolation, as I had no one to share my concerns with or seek solace from. It seemed that the mysteries that had befallen me were mine alone to grapple with, a burden I had to carry in silence. I emptied all the eggs; I should buy them when I return. I walked for some time and went to a grocery shop.