I heard the very light sound of Anklet on that dark night, very close to me and I couldn't hold myself any more. Ran upstairs, gathering all my strength, screaming out loud for help. The Ghost followed me over those wooden steps as fast as I moved.
The night before my exam when I was very young, studying in 6th grade, I was busy with my studies. While rushing through my notes late night, I doubt I heard some strange sound outside my window, very close. That diverted my attention from notes, holding my breath, listening carefully with sharpened ears into the darkness outside trying to catch the sound of any slight movement out there and all I could here was the tick tick sound of the wall clock - which I noticed only then that one exist in my room and working! I turned around slowly to take a look at it and it shows time 12:00 am, which frightened me again for unknown reasons.
My house is located at the centre of large area covered with huge trees and bushes. The house is built with huge halls and lengthy corridors with less ventilation that left very less light in some rooms, which makes it dark rooms and bit scary. Backyard almost looks like a mini forest, pitch dark during night with the squeaking and chirping sounds by Cicadas and House Cricket. Fortunately or unfortunately, my study room was facing backyard with one large wooden window.
On that evening, while having dinner, I heard my elder cousins whispering among themselves on something which they made sure not audible to me, I realised the reason later. The expression on their face was a mixture of fear, horrified and nervous. This aroused a curiosity in me and I tried to get the topic listening with sharp ears. I could only hear in bits and pieces - "a kid and a lady ...", "someone saw ...", "2 days before ...", "near by ...", "white dress ..." so and so. I actually couldn't figure out anything and they were not willing to share with me either. I finished my dinner and went back to my studies as I had to prepare for an exam very next day. To reach my study room, I have to cross two halls and one corridor, which will be lightened up only until everyone goes to bed.
And now at this moment, all of a sudden, the half heard conversation at the dinner table, the juggled phrases, came to my mind in such a way I would never want at that particular point of time at midnight - "A lady and kid in white dresses whom someone saw two days before near by my house post midnight". I wonder how easily my subconscious mind sewed up a sentence, on the blue. I usually struggle to answer the jumbled words in my English grammar paper - but this realisation, of getting better at jumbled words or phrases, didn't look very impressive for me at that moment as the well formed sentence had already started working with my imaginations and poked my heart to pump more blood.
I realised all my senses working to its fullest - the sound of wall clock; the breeze coming through the window; the squeaking in the backyard, everything is very well audible. I felt like, someone is standing very near, close to the window. Hold my breath, and waited for a couple of minutes and I stood up silently, with all my courage, to leave the room as soon as possible. A sudden wind blew the loose papers on my table and I was taken aback with shock.
Power went off!! What a coincidence.
Now I could sense more things surrounding me in this darkness. My heartbeat increased and the very thought of crossing two halls and one corridor, without lights, to leave the then scary room drained out my strength and courage. I felt paralysed and helpless.
Gained back control on my courage, though less, and deciding to escape from there, prayed before taking my next step forward. At times, people become more religious in a matter of second. Moved stealthily, wishing, I should not be stopped by anyone in the darkness. I felt the blood circulation was more into my legs, brain does that job on time and without our interference; preparing them ready to take off on any unpleasant cue, to run as fast as possible. Somehow managed to cross the halls and reached the corridor entrance, which was as lonely and scary as a graveyard, which I never felt like before. There is no bedroom near to this corridor and hence no one closer. This corridor is one foot down from the hall I stood and near to the entrance is a wooden staircase. The relief I had on crossing the halls fade off immediately on the very thought of crossing that corridor, which I am scared of in any other night - without lights.
I even thought about giving up and call out for help; but my ego couldn't as I don't want to be teased by my cousin's there after, calling me a coward. Tiny water drops started forming on my forehead; I could hear the sound of breeze very clearly; I could smell a strange scent; and I could sense everything in that room in that darkness, which I could never possible till day and to my shock the wall clock rings indicating 1:00 am. I realised it took me one hour to cross two halls which hardly take one minute otherwise.
Deciding to move forward, I stepped down to the corridor and suddenly stepped back on hearing the light sound of Anklets.
Did I hear it clearly or was it something else?
I m not sure, I heard so. Waited for a while listening for any odd sound again. Prepared to step down, mentally prepared to run up the stairs to my uncle's room and vocal system amplified to cry out loud upon hearing that sound again.
Stepped down, and I heard the same light anklet sound very close to me in that darkness and I couldn't hold any more. Ran upstairs with my full strength screaming out loud for help. The Ghost, wearing anklet, followed me over those wooden steps as fast as I moved and followed me until I stopped and started banging my uncles door madly and cried out for help.
Everyone in the house woke up hearing me screaming. I was taken down the stairs to the hall by my cousins. While stepping down feeling exhausted and frightened and not able to answer any of their questions, I could still here that sound following me downstairs and this time I found that it is in rhythm with my movements, which no else heard.
I listened so carefully and was shocked to know that the source of this sound is from my pocket - slipping hands in my left pocket, I felt the coldness of the two silver coins which my brother gave me that day evening!!
My agony is now replaced with embarrassment. I couldn't even laugh at that realisation due to the moments I had gone through till then. Now I don’t know what to say to others, while everyone was trying to console me.
Once settled, I started pondering, why didn't these same coins, which was there in my pocket for a long time, made any sound until I step down to the corridor. And why on earth, no one heard the same sound, except me, when I stepped down the stairs with them.
Finally I myself untangled the mystery behind the source of the sufferings I had gone through that night. As I mentioned before, this corridor is 1 feet down from the hall and as I stepped down with my left leg, the coins made the sound. The pitch silence at that time; all my senses very active working at its best; me paying very attention to any slightest movement in the darkness; was more than enough to hear that very light sound and mislead me. When I ran upstairs, these coins again made the noise and I felt I am followed.
Then I realise any kind of fear anyone has or had in their life is predominantly dominated by their own thought process and the mindset. And though I had undergone such a fearful night which I will never ever forget in my life, that was my life learning to face any fear in future!! A psychological uplifting in my life.
