What The Eyes Don't See

25 | The Haunted School

It was half past eight that evening when he stood in front of the school building. He had an early dinner and then stepped out of the house under the pretext of meeting old friends.

He had been waiting for night to fall, for that was when the school would be empty and silent. The shadow had led him up to here, but now he was not feeling his presence. Standing on the desolate road, he was engulfed in the feeling of utter loneliness. He had to think of his next steps. The school was in front of him. If he could only smuggle his way in somehow... maybe the way he did when he was still a student, by hopping over the back wall. He remembered there was one narrow patch that did not have broken bottle shards embedded in the wall to deter trespassers.

He stood for several minutes on the opposite side of the road, surveying the school building. Holy Heart Convent stood proudly even after a hundred and sixty-three years of its existence, a landmark of this part of the town, which was otherwise devoid of much population. Truth be told, the building had always been a bit creepy. It was all white, and on virtue of being the tallest building in the vicinity, it looked like a white giant looming in the night sky, just about to break out into a rampage. Then there was the chapel in front of it. It was a white structure too, with a pointy triangular roof and a large lighted up red cross at its apex. Seen from the ground, the white chapel resembled a gargantuan hooded figure emblazoning the dark starry sky. And even today, as the night wind swept past the board that announced the name of the school, it made it judder with a repeated thudding sound, enough to send shivers down the spines of the faint-hearted. Anay remembered how the boys were afraid to walk past the school building at nights. There were talks of it being haunted. On this night, more than ever, Anay realized how true that was.

The main gate was closed as expected. He walked around the building. The back gate opened out in an alley, across which was a residential complex. Anay scrutinized the place carefully. Then he looked at the high wall. It was still the same, but would he be able to climb now as he did when he was fifteen? There was only one way to find out.

He landed on the ground of the school compound with a louder sound than he had expected. He quickly took cover in the bushes behind him and waited. No one came. Heaving a sigh of relief, he stepped out.

Now, he had to analyze the situation. He had come here—nay, he had been brought here—but what was his purpose? What was he to truly find out? Deep Mishra. The boy he had hardly seen when he was alive, would he be able to unravel the mystery of his death and shatter the sword of death that was dangling above his head? He hoped to. This was his last chance. If he did not, that sword would plummet right down and pierce his skull.

"I am here now just as you wanted!" he said softly. "Isn't this what you wanted? Now do whatever the fuck you want to. Let us end this tonight." He waited, hoping against hope for some kind of reply, some sign, some manifestation, but none of that happened. He feared if this wasn't a dead end.

He walked with agile steps toward the main building of the school. Where should he begin his search? The best place would be the Office of Records. If the school had suppressed the news of Deep Mishra's death at that time, there was the possibility they knew more about his death. Like a cat prowling a house at night, he walked along the long corridors of the school. The office, if it hadn't been shifted all these years, was to the extreme left of the main lobby. He moved on with silent steps and came to the lobby. But the moment he reached, he grunted in disappointment. The office was locked. Of course, it would be. What else did he expect?

He stood there for a long minute contemplating on where else he must go, what else he must do, when, without any sign, the cold around him began to grow.

Alert all at once, he turned.

"Is that you?" he said. "Where are you? Don't play games with me. I have come to help you."