Storieo

Tag: dark

  • Lonely Dance of Unending Pain

    Lonely Dance of Unending Pain

    Gabriel, an ordinary guy with a longing-filled heart, happened across a secret world where night animals prowled in continuous darkness. There he found her once, Serena, in this strange realm, an alluring and ethereal beauty, a vampire whose longevity stood in stark contrast to Gabriel’s transitory human existence.

    Their encounter was a clash of two worlds, and they instantly and undeniably connected. Gabriel saw a depth of need and an endless thirst for love in Serena’s stunningly alluring eyes that mirrored his own. A flame that flared brighter than the moon above was ignited by the forbidden attraction of their relationship, which surged through their veins. But the world they lived in was filled with suffering and hopelessness. Serena was constrained by her vampire nature, doomed to perpetual gloom and ravenous for the red elixir of life. She struggled with her cravings as she tried to reconcile her developing love for Gabriel with her growing hunger. She found refuge from the frightening demons that tortured her immortal soul in his arms.

    Their relationship was a secretive dance always pursued by the ghost of death. Gabriel knew of the striking contrast between Serena’s everlasting soul and frail human existence. They were constantly reminded of how transitory their love was in the grand scheme of things by the relentless passage of time. Their link became deeper even as the walls encircled them as the moon faded and the world continued to revolve in a never-ending cycle of day and night. When the vampire council, who uphold an unforgiving law, learned of their illicit relationship, they let out wrath that rocked the fragile bliss that had been built up between them.

    Gabriel and Serena formed a contract at their lowest points in a last-ditch effort to elude fate. They intended to emigrate to a remote location so that their love might flourish and they could create a haven away from the prying eyes and criticism of the outside world. But cruel and inexorable destiny had other ideas. As Gabriel and Serena stood on the brink of freedom on the eve of their departure, tragedy struck with brutal ferocity. The vampire council pounced upon them, determined to establish order. In a cruel turn of events, Gabriel bravely defended Serena from the attack, giving up his life to save the person he loved. Serena cried out mournfully as Gabriel’s life drained from his human form, and the sound reverberated throughout the night, tearing at the fabric of their interwoven souls. She hugged his dying corpse with a broken heart, knowing she would have to live without the person who had brought her out of the shadows.

    Serena’s life changed forever at that point and became a lonely dance of unending pain. She was a broken immortal, plagued by the thought of her lover Gabriel.

  • The Unwanted Observer

    The Unwanted Observer

    The cold wind would whisper through my room, as I’d sit on my desk in the after-hours, to study for my final exams. Maybe it was then, maybe it started before, perhaps it was always there. It was a habit for me to study for my exams throughout the night, where everything was silent, while the nocturnal beauty swept throughout. Whilst studying I would always feel someone staring, silently observing, their gaze piercing my back. It felt like someone was breathing heavily as if struggling to draw out every single breath. I would turn back immediately, only to find the narrow, dark hallway beyond my room. I would not pay it much attention and would continue with whatever I was doing. However, as time went on, I started hearing something like footsteps, no, not footsteps, but someone, dragging their feet along the hallway, coming towards my room…  closer, nearer, and right in front of the doorframe, it would stop. Chills.

    One day I found my little brother, changing the light-colored, net curtains that adorned his room’s door, with a thick, deep-colored one.

    Amused, I asked him, “Why the thick, dark curtains? Weren’t you always fond of light, net ones as they brought about an air of carefreeness to you?”

    My brother hesitated. He said, as he gulped, “I don’t want to see whatever roams around at night”.

    Hearing him sent shivers down my spine.

    “So, you experienced it too… ” I said.

    “Yes, and it keeps sighing heavily right in front of my door.”

    Just then a sudden, loud, shattering noise was heard from the hallway. ”Clank!”

    “Did the chandelier fall?” My brother mumbled.

    We ran outside the room. Nothing was there. The chandelier was intact, and so was everything, yet the eeriness of the hallway was palpable. We went to our father right away. At first, we were reluctant, “What if he doesn’t believe us?” We mustered up our courage and we all sat down. As we told our story to him, his expression grew more grim and more dense. Finally, he said, “Yes I experienced it too.”

    “How? What happened?” We asked with dread yet relief.

    Father said, “I would smoke a cigarette in the washroom, I could feel someone walking in the hallway. They would keep dragging their feet. They would take deep breaths riddled with agony. Coming towards the door, and stopping right in front of it. Feeling as if the presence is staring right through the door at me. When I’d open the door, all I could see was the uncanniness of the hallway.”

    Just as he spoke, a very subtle yet intoxicating scent started spreading. Suddenly in the upper lofts of the hallway, loud and random thuds started coming. It was as if a bird or a rat was stuck inside and was going berserk. The sounds were horrifying, to say the least. Deeply unsettled, we went up to the loft. The moment we opened the shutter, everything became dead silent; only to discover that everything was in place.

    Since then, right around 11:15 pm, this occurrence started to take place routinely.

    After a lot of discussion, we dug deep into the history of the house. Ultimately, It was found that the previous to the previous owner had taken his own life in that hallway by hanging himself from that chandelier. He also had a foot defect that made him drag his leg to walk.

    We were stunned. With the dots connecting one by one, from the heavy breathing to the feeling of a person dragging their feet; we organized a solemn Pooja and cleansed the whole house.

    The feelings and occurrences stopped after that. Everything had finally returned to normal. Over time, we all grew and led our lives peacefully.

    Today I am married and have a small child. We visited the house after years. Nostalgia and the bittersweet feelings of childhood flooded through. At night, after a hearty dinner, I turned off the light and sat down in my room.

    “ Thud, thud, thud… ”

    “ Puchki, come here and sleep now my little angel”  I called out to my four-year-old.

    As I turned my back, I saw him…

  • The Japanese traveler

    The Japanese traveler

    Minstro mintu was a thinly old man with a shrill voice and crazy looking beard. He had traveled from far south to reach the shrine of Bilael, a demi god of their tribe. During his journey he would stop at any place after 8 at night and begin again the next day before the sunrise. At times he had to stay in a small village at others he stayed at big towns but it was all the same for him. Because where ever he goes he would find a lonely place to pass his night into much needed relaxing sleep. On about December’s end minstro arrived at Kejuyan town which was famous for it’s sculptors all over Japan. It was getting dark, so he decided to stay on for the night.

    In search of a calm place he stumbled upon a secluded dumping ground. He found a clean and composed place and lit fire with ancient stone friction technique. As the fire illuminated the dark lonely place, he saw there were old broken sculptures lying scattered all around him.Then he spread open his belongings which he carried along with him in a bag, hung on the top end of a long hardwood stick. It had all the necessary accessories to comfort him during his travel. He was carrying a mouthorgan, a tiny bottle of Rum, few clean clothes, and some bread. He drank some Rum and played a heart touching tune on his instrument and within few minutes, the alien land turned into quite a warm homely place.

    As Minstro’s night was passing in confortable warmth in the middle of the wilderness, a stray puppy came sniffing from the rags. Minstro called him close and petted it’s back. Finding comfort recieving warmth and affection in Minstro’s company. Minstro too liked the love of his unexpected guest and started narrating his life’s story to the pup. He told how he was a rich silk merchant and how after having lost the love of his life, Mia Shin, he left all his materialistic possessions back home and started on foot for a pilgrimage to the other corner of the world. The listener closed his eyes and felt soon asleep but Minstro continued his tale.

    He recounted how Mia Shin faked love and got engaged to an even wealthier person. But owing to his pure feelings he couldn’t bear to see her with another man. He was unable to find a cure for his unhappiness from the best doctors in his town. He drank for so many days and was in sheer pain from betrayal of his sweetheart that he only wanted to waste his remaining life. His mother called for him one day and ordered him to leave for a pilgrimage and find real happiness in the devine grace of sacred Bilael.

    With a weeping heart he began to journey towards the north, hoping never to see any joy again in his dull and depressed life. Then where ever he went, he only noticed the all pervading dullness and sufferings of the human life. Moving across the 7 nations he saw humans in their pride, anger and greed and still never made an assumption for them. He passed through the dark alleys of big cities filled with cries of prostitutes and illegitimate children and felt sorry for them. He met criminals and thiefs on his way to the shrine and yet prayed for their reformation. He shed tears for those young soldiers who were bloodbathed while protecting their mother land. And walked by the luxurious houses of ministers who gave empty hopes and false promises to their country men.

    He saw young girls falling in love with the wrong men and many men wasted in love of their cunning mistress’. Which made him remind of his own past. Wishing them the company of honest spouses he passed them too silently. He saw how people use to treat him with great respect while he wore silk robes and how lowly people view him while wearing ragged clothes. In a world full of hypocrites he continued walking with a poker face.

    Amidst this loss and pain, Minstro looked around himself that day. He finally realised the beauty of the broken statues and the warmth of unconditional love of the dog. For a minute he went into deep thinking and then he said, ” I have traveled a long distance for so many days and seen so much loss everywhere on this planet that I would have shun the idea of continuing my journey as soon as I started, yet there is one thing which still kept me going.” It was, he said, ” the soothing joys of being alone”.

    At about midnight a noise was heard in the dead cold silence, a cracking sound was heard from a near by rock statue, it seemed as if something had broken. It was nothing but the heavy heart which snapped into pieces that moment when mistro finished narrating his life’s story. Perhaps the winters were really too harsh that year. Or another possibility could be, that the statue too had a story of his own to share with a lonely traveler.

    Minstro turned towards the statue of the curly haired youg boy sitting on a rock with his head resting on his palms, it shed tears on to the ground beneath it. Minto asked the boy,” what’s ailing you”. The boy replied,” many years ago, their lived a master craftsman in the town. His name was Diago. He made many beautiful statues. Then one day, he carved a very beautiful princess out of a brilliant white marble. Her beauty was mesmarising. Diago fell deeply in love with the statue but as he couldn’t have loved a lifeless stone figure for the rest of his life. So brokenheart he went far away from us leaving us all alone.” Sculpture responded,” for a long time I felt lonlyness was a curse untill today when you found your happiness in a lonely life.”

    Statue demanded minstro to suggest a fitting solution to find his happiness to, being a wise traveler of the South. Then Minstro exclaimed, life is so full of misery and pain that the only wise man is the one who accepts the pains as inevitable and sees good in the most sad moments of his life. Minstro said, “never admired the beauty in broken stone sculptures as long as my eyes were rested at expensive silk fabrics. I never knew real love, untill one day a little pup really made me feel that”.

    He found his cure in lonelyness, and found happiness in himself. The sculpture found his answer so did Minstro. He streched himself and soon felt the heaviness around his eyelids. He fell deep asleep in the cozy place.

    The next morning Minstro wished goodmorning to the statue but it did not reply back. He checked the statue by knocking over it’s shoulder but it didn’t respond at all. Believing the previous night’s incident as part of a lucid dream, Minstro prepared himself to accomplish his remaining journey. As he gave one last glance towards the forgotten statue, he was surprised to find a crack right on it’s heart. Minstro smiled and bid his final goodbye.