Twilight had settled over the darkish street as I walked alone, gripping my laptop tightly. The huts along the roadside flickered with firelight, where women cooked and children played, their laughter lighting up the mood. The flickering streetlights cast long, uncertain shadows on the rugged footpath. As I moved further, the huts gradually receded, the darkness deepened and the quiet of the night grew stronger.
I could only hear my thumping heart gradually taking over the
sounds of my brisk walk. Then, the sudden roar of a speeding auto rickshaw behind me
shattered the quiet. As it zoomed past me, a few meters ahead, it made a sharp U-turn as if it was
only looking for me since ages. Suddenly, something impossible happened - the front half of the vehicle vanished, as if it was swallowed by the dark night.
The back half still as revving as it was, empty and driverless, rolling
eerily toward me before zooming past again. A chill ran down my spine.
A couple of seconds later, a loud thud echoed through the
air. My heart now pounding, I somehow gathered just enough courage to turn around
to see what on earth that was. Although in the heart of hearts, I knew it was a
better idea to just run away.
From the wreckage emerged a twisted old man. His body
contorted unnaturally, one of his eyes hollow and the other milky white and a
part of his intestine hanging out seemingly reaching out to whatever food it
can grab. He gradually approached me with a staggering gait, grunting, his
limbs jerking with each step. Then, without warning, he broke into a run. I
utterly missed the warmth of fire in the huts down the lane and mothers’
interaction with their babies.
I took a step back thinking if it was finally a good idea to run. But I soon realised it was impossible to match his speed. My grip on the laptop tightened. As he was about to pounce on me, with a hopeless yet desperate cry, I swung the laptop with all my might. The moment it made contact, a blinding light erupted from the screen, eating away the darkness.
“Where am I?”
