The Ghost -I …The Novella continued

I had, by now, begun to enjoy my invisible status. I had seen things that not many can claim to have seen. Though many-a-times, not being able to do anything about what I saw agonized me. I saw men plan crimes and then carry them through; I saw men plan nice things and do them. It only confirmed what I had always known- our world is full of all sort of people and there are as many – if not more –  good people as there are bad.

During my life, I was always intrigued by stories of ghosts and people who could talk to the dead, and anything supernatural. I always wanted to know if there was any truth in the stories. There was some truth for sure, because I was now something that could only be defined by the word Ghost. But, I was unlike ghosts in that I could not do anything to harm anyone-  neither did I ever want to.

After a few days of leaving my body, I had started to feel distanced from the events and episodes of the life I had. Yes, I was attached to the people I loved and still despised the people I hated, but I would, if I got a chance, help everyone. I didn’t feel vengeful. What reason there was for that, I can’t say or rather I don’t know. If I find out some day, my dear reader, I will tell you.

One day I came to hear about the Ghost of the pregnant lady and I thought this was my chance to get to the truth. All of a sudden stories of strange incidents were abound. Everyone claimed to have witnessed something bizarre, something beyond explanation of the normal laws of science.

A guy claimed, “I was a little late in coming home from work that night. I think it was about midnight and since there was no transport available at that time, I had to walk home. While I was crossing the forest…”

“Where exactly?”, someone would  interrupt at this point in his narrative.

“Oh! You know where there is a little stream running down the hill and disappearing under the road, from where it starts to be really dark… and the jungle become really dense. There is a large tree and a big curve in the road at that point.”

“Yes, I know that.” And all heads would nod in unison, because that point in the road was unmistakable and even before the incident of this ghost, that part of the road was believed to be haunted.

“As soon as I reached that point, I thought I hear a sound. At first I could not be sure, the night makes you imagine so many things. Every shadow is a animal or a ghost and the forest is filled with so many sounds, but as I walked on, it became unmistakable.”

A Dramatic pause. Wherever this story was told, at  this point everyone looked expectantly at the story-teller, a bit irritated, but before anyone could say anything, the narrator would continue. The way he told the story sowed the first seeds of doubt in my mind. Anyone who would go through a scary experience like that would be a little more worried about what had happened, instead of savoring the moment of telling about it.

But anyways, he continued, “… the sound was unique, nothing like any other sound that you usually hear at night. It was more metallic… then I knew what it was, it was the sound of  anklets. So, I thought to myself,  there is a woman behind me. I looked behind me as far as the eyes could see in the dark. There was nothing to be seen,  and as soon as I stopped… the sound stopped too. Now I was scared. I started walking albeit at a faster rate, the sound began again, matching my every step, though it was beginning to get closer, not a fast rate, but slowly and inevitably. I thought death was at hand now; I began to take the name of God, hoping that it would make it all go away, but it didn’t. The sound was creeping near. It was a cold night but my heart was beating faster than a bird’s and a cold sweat broke out on my forehead. The sound of the anklets had grown very near and I had almost resigned myself to my fate, I was now waiting for it to catch up. Though I did run with all my might hoping to get away. But before I could get further, a light filled the road and I heard the sound of a car. I had decided to stand in front of it if I had to, but get it to stop. Fortunately, it was my uncle returning late from a trip and he saw me and stopped the car. I just passed out then, and the next thing I know I was at home, in my bed.”

This story was widely believed because many claimed to have heard the sound while passing through that area on the road. But there was not anyone else who ventured out through that area alone or at midnight- the time of the ghosts.

The story gained more believers when it was in the papers that before the appearances of the ghost a woman had died at that very spot. She was pregnant, as it was later found out in the autopsy, and she had died under mysterious circumstances. It was widely believed that it was her ghost that was haunting that place and would continue to do so until her wishes were fulfilled.

I decided to investigate the whole thing for myself. If she was a ghost I had nothing to fear because so was I. A female ghost as a friend would be a welcome addition. Despite myself and despite remembering what Fielder had told me, I was hopeful that there actually was a female ghost and I was excited to meet her, So, I had began to hang around that area a lot and see for myself what all the fuss was about.

For several days and nights I didn’t leave that place. I just sat there and watched people go by. During the day the road was very lively with cars and people walking continuously and many stopped and their conversation always amused me. But at nights it got depressing, even scary though I really didn’t have anything to be scared of. But there were no ghosts. In fact one night a couple of people passed through that area. I looked like they were unaware of the story for neither were they scared nor they seemed to be any kind of rush.

Then one day it happened. I found the secret to the ghost and it was disappointing.

….Continued!