M.Macabre's Hallowe-e-ners #1 - A Glass of Water
Ah, I gasped out peacefully. Man, was I bone dried out!
As I kept back back the glass from which I had gulped down some water, I stopped.
I could see that figure again, standing silently outside in the yard.
Wait, where were my spectacles? Oh right, in my
back-pocket. Fumbling for them and then putting on, I looked back…
Nope, no one was there. Just the trees waving smoothly
in a light breeze.
I stared over there for about two minutes. That was
the second time I had seen it. What was going on? Was I drunk? Might be…might
be. After all, it’s not that everyday a seventeen-year old get to drink that
sweet ol’ whiskey along with some Chinatown takeaway…
Opening up my phone, I scrolled through the messages.
There were only three – one from Mom, who had reached Hawaii to celebrate their
two-week long 20th marriage anniversary, and two from Natalie.
My mind lit up immediately. Opening up, I read out her
text:
‘Hey man wassup?’
‘Gonna be coming over tomorrow!… :)’
Natalie was one among the many close friends I had
over here in California. It surprised that how by luck I had amassed so many
since the five months I had shifted over here from NYC – like, hell-
My eyes again stopped. Yes, the figure had appeared
again. It was just standing like a silhouette. Upon coming closer however, it
had disappeared.
(have I gone mad or what)
Something was not right, I thought. There had been
rumours of a some psychopath down the neighborhood where I lived – a man who
would apparently lure children using sweets and toys, and then leave their dead
bodies – it was a gruesome thing. There were also the reports of the home-alone
teenagers who would supposedly disappear whenever the man was around – the
details were a bit obscure to me, but this what it was in a nutshell. The
police had been informed about it, and they did – well, nothing till now…
(that’s 21st century police for you)
The feeling of thirst came up again. It was a hot and
sultry May night. There were no stars in the inky black sky which was termed
‘night’. I walked over again to the refrigerator. Yep, this was the time to
drink that sweet icy water. Oh yes, in such summer nights…
I kept the glass on the refiling pad and pressed the
button. For a few seconds it did not pour anything. That’s when I noticed that
something else was off.
Turning around, I saw it. Yes, the aquarium. It
usually gave off some loud vibrating noises for it was getting filled all the
time. But now there was no sound.
That meant only one thing.
The pump was off for the fifth goddamn time this
month.
(jesus christ to hell with those plumbers)
My throat was getting parched up. We didn’t use
bottles to fill them up with water for drinking. Just take a glass, fill ‘em
and enjoy. As far as I remembered, there were some ‘emergency water bottles’
lying in the cupboard…
(where was the damn thing)
I began searching for it. Although I could have kept
up with the scorching thirst for some time, the seven goldfish which were
swimming around quite helplessly in the tank could not. They needed the H2O
to survive in such a mercury-breaking hot night.
I searched in my bedroom, mom’s sewing room, and dad’s
study room – the possible locations were it could be. But no, they weren’t
there.
(where could it be?)
Suddenly it came to me. The bottles were stored in the
bottom shelf of the kitchen cupboard – the most obvious place one would keep
it!
(god what is happening am I losing my mind)
I rushed back into the dining complex, and that was
when I froze for the fourth time that night.
The silhouette. No, it was no longer standing in the
lawn…
It was standing right behind the kitchen counter!
Then, just as I took one step towards it, it suddenly
ducked and disappeared out of view. I ran towards the kitchen and flipped on
the switches. The low lights flooded up the whole area.
No, there was no one. The whole place was empty. The
thing had disappeared…
Taking out the bottle and then filling the tank (after
which the fish felt alive to me), I sat down on the sofa. The TV’s signal had
gone to sleep a long time ago – I was watching the last three episodes of a
web-series I had started a week ago. I must have then dozed off…
But what was happening to me right now? Why was I
feeling so thirsty? I would regularly get told by pops to have atleast two
bottles of water per day. I was hydrated all the time. Then…
(might be the weather)
The pump? Might be because of the heat…but above all,
who the hell did that silhouette belong to which was supposedly…
I felt a chill spread through my spine.
The thing was supposedly inside the house.
I was never afraid of anything – I was more into the
daredevil side. But tonight, especially with the ‘off’ things happening…
I suddenly stood up. That’s it. That was it.
A smile came up to my face. Yikes! This thirst had
literally rendered my sense of thinking!
I walked to my bedroom. Opening up my phone, I dialed
up a number. The time by the clock told that it was one o’ clock in the
morning.
The phone began to ring. After some moments later, a
familiar voice came on the other side:
‘Hello? This is Natalie Hughes speaking…’
I replied: ‘Yes, who is now playing a fine game indeed
with her boyfrie’m’d huh?’
‘Luke? What happened? Why the hell are you calling me
up now?’
‘Well, I guess because you owe me an explanation’
There was no reply on the other side. Then, it came
again:
‘What? Look man, this isn’t really the time to joke. I
told ya I’m coming tomorrow. Can’t you wait for me hmm?’ There was a soft laugh
from the other end.
‘No, not me, but it seems that you could not wait for
me.’
‘What do you mean?’ Natalie said.
‘What do I mean? Aight, then can you please explain
what in Christ’s name you’re doing over here at one o’clock morning?’
‘What? What are you saying?’
‘Of course that’s what I am saying! You were just
standing outside the lawn when I came to the kitchen for a glass of water. It
happened two more times. And then, you sneak into my house, scare me again, and
then disappear? Look man, I know that you are a daredevil like me, you have
done this before – going into someone’s house and then jumpscaring the
daylights out of them – but not Luke Davis. You’ve picked the wrong house, man.
Now can you please come out where you are hiding? I’m waiting to be spooked…!’
I laughed a bit at the comment.
There were a few moments of silence, before the other
side spoke again.
‘Look Luke, it’s true that I like to scare people, but
I am at my own house man. There is this assignment I have to submit, and I was
working at that. Besides, I don’t know your location. How could I possibly-
hello? Hello Luke? Hello? Hello?...’
But the phone had already dropped from my hands as I
stared right at front of me.
The silhouette was standing over there – I could hear
it breathing rapidly. And then, I gasped at what he had in his right hand. It
was a knife – which was glittering in the faint light. Was that a smile I could
see? I don’t know, as the next moment I saw the man rush towards me, and
then…and then-
***
‘AAAAAH!’
I jumped up with a start. What a terrible nightmare it
was. Yikes! Jesus!
Breathing rapidly, I turned my head towards the clock.
It was 12.45 in the morning. The TV had gone to sleep long ago – I remembered watching
the last three episodes of a popular web-series I started watching last week…
Standing up, I felt my throat all of a sudden being
cramped. I was so goddamn thirsty! Water…a glass…
(a glass of water)
I walked towards the kitchen. Grabbing a glass, I moved to the refrigerator. We didn’t use bottles to fill them up with water for drinking. Just take a glass, fill ‘em and enjoy-
I stopped suddenly.
Wasn't a figure standing over there?
As I glanced a bit closer, I saw there was nothing...
As I took down the contents of the glass with one gulp, I felt as if my soul was being restored.
Ah, I gasped out peacefully. Man, was I bone dried out!
As I kept back back the glass, I stopped.
I could see that figure again, standing silently outside in the yard.
Wait, where were my spectacles? Oh right, in my back-pocket. Fumbling for them and then putting on, I looked back…
Nope, no one was there.
Just the trees waving smoothly in a light breeze...
***
M.Macabre
28.10.2021
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