Haloween Story

Ghoul dressed in a grey white flowing robe stood at my window.It had a big rotting skull for a face.The scary ghoul told me in clear language that he was a far off relative who had passed away fifteen years back.In truth I had never known him or even seen him.When I told him so, he began to tell me incidents of my childhood which I don't remember. Nevertheless he appeared to be affable and in a few minutes I wasn't scared.Instead we engaged in fluent conversation.The "soul" narrated how he met his end when his car fell off a cliff.The three hour hospital stay,then the coffin shutting up,going underground,and so on.He said he felt really bad at not being able to do things which he did when he was alive.I asked him if he'd like to accompany me to a Haloween Party in my neighbourhood.He was overjoyed at the idea !! We planned the party for 31st Oct 2013.....

Saturday 26th Oct'13 9.30 a.m.

Last night at about midnight the ghoul again appeared at my study-room window while I was thumbing the keyboard of my PC with lilting Indipops as background music playing on my FM Band radio.I had been in fact revelling on whether yesterdays guest appearance was was for real or just a flight of fancy.This time however I was strangely not scared.Calmly I shut down the PC but kept the radio switched on.However ,I turned down the volume.Unhurriedly, I pushed back my chair,walked slowly up to the window and with a slight hesitation asked the ghoul to come in.Swiftly I bolted the window and opened the door to my study.He stood at the open door for a few moments and shuffled into the study somewhat hesitantly.Softly being told to sit down,he gracefully declined.As for me,I slumped into the chair while he stood facing me.It appeared as though he had much to tell me and was eager to do so.I was ready to listen to him patiently and also shower him with a volley of questions.

........ to be continued

Monday 28th Oct'13 9.40 a.m.

Both of us were silent for a long long while.Probably thinking of what to say/ask and how.My visitor broke the silence.

"I'm Deepak Malhotra ex VP of Malhotra Industries"

"Oh ! I've heard of you from my parents but they never once told me of your whereabouts.The only thing I know is that you were a very grousy,serious and selfish man with lots of money.Almost a millionaire!"

"Appears you don't know much about me.Let me tell you in detail if you have the time....."

"Go on !! I do have time to listen to your tale.... "

" I graduated from High School,joined as an apprentice in a ball-point refill factory where I gathered enough experience and went on to set up my own ball-pen and refill manufacturing industry which fortunately thrived and I went on to make a lot of money and became a millionaire.Mal ballpoint pens were the best designer pens available in the Indian market.There was no reason for me to be unhappy or discontented.I married a pretty accomplished lady and soon had a small daughter Tina whom I adored.Then the twister came !! My wife tried to poison me thrice so that she could remarry and grab my property.In the meantime Tina was sent to college hostel.The doctors never believed me when I told them that poison was being mixed with my food.They just smiled,prescribed a host of pills and left every time they were called to take me out of the nauseating feeling after being poisoned.Not once did the doctors or the neighbours suspect any foulplay.I became weaker and weaker until I was almost confined to bed"

The ghastly looking ghoul now looked a pitiful sight instead of scary!!

.......... to be continued

29th Oct'13 11.00 a.m.

A few minutes passed before the ghoul began to speak again.The expression on his ghoul-face was now far from scary to me.It had a glum gloomy expression.Maybe if he had a proper human face he may be shedding tears.

"Before I go with you to the Haloween Party I'd like to look more human so that people at the party are not scared when they see me."

"It's Haloween ! Everyone at the party will be wearing scary dresses and masks. So...."

Now it appeared that his face took a more calmer expression.It was then that he made a funny request.

"I loved to smoke cigarettes when I was unburied " He looked expectantly at the pack of cigarettes with a replica of his face on it.

"But.... you don't have a proper mouth.. In fact,I'm sorry to point out.. no lips !! Can you smoke?"

"Not really.You can light up one and blow the fragrant thick white,blue smoke onto my face...."

Not wanting to disappoint him I lit up a cigarette and blew a thick blanket of second-hand smoke onto his ghastly face.

"Aaaaaaah !! That really feels heavenly!! " The ghoul stifled a bout of coughing.

I had a feeling that he was now tuned for a few questions which were reverberating in my head since he appeared to be in a better mood."You said that your wife was trying to kill you.Then what?"

"As the months rolled by,I became weaker and weaker and almost lost my appetite.A day arrived when I just couldn't touch breakfast.My "loving" wife admitted me into the best nursing home in the locality.I lay totally unwanted and forlorn on a bed with my arms pierced for dextrose drips and "medicine"I had a feeling that the treatment at the nursing home was"engineered" by my wife.I never had any visitors except my "loving" wife who cautiously enquired of my well-being! I pleaded with her to take me home.. but she never said "yes" or "no".Tina also never came with her.The nurses told me that it was the "doctor's" orders!!

In the meantime my "loving wife" had taken the rudder of Malhotra Industries into her grip as also my money on the pretext that I was terminally ill.A plan hatched in my sickly head !! I had to escape from the nursing home!!

My jaws dropped !! "Escape from the nursing home!! how?"

"Late one night when all were asleep, I stealthily dragged my exhausted body from the bed and almost crawled to the basement car parking.I spied a car which had keys in the ignition and drove away as fast as I could.The inevitable happened!! The horrible accident which smashed my skull... the same nursing home.. and finally the end of my human life.."

........ to be continued

30th Oct '13 9.45 a.m.

By this time my heart cried for this nasty looking ghoul who probably was my distant relative.Nevertheless I had a fragment of doubt that he WAS a relative.I preferred not to ask.Instead asked him "Then what?"

"I was put into a finely decorated and polished wooden coffin made of the finest Burma teak and my "loving" wife clad in a black dress stood and wept as though she had lost a diamond necklace!! By her side was my rival.. a podgy,slovenly man also clad in black weeping like a child!! Amidst great fanfare I was buried and my wife put the first shovelful of mud into my grave.I felt suffocated and began screaming to be unburied but none could hear me!! I lay four feet under the cool wet earth and soon a lovely marble tombstone was put over my grave.On it was written

*** Dipak Malhotra 1952-2000*** Tina came by the next day and tearfully planted a rose plant close to my grave.Today it bears lovely red roses.If you have some time ,please follow me...."

Not sure of myself I decided to follow the ghoul.He walked truly fast and I had to sprint to catch up.In a few minutes we stood before his grave.Indeed I saw the clean marblestone washed by rain.The writing was clear and distinct.

*** Dipak Malhotra 1952-2000*** The lovely red roses swayed in the soft night breeze of October.

"Tina really loved you.. didn't she??" The ghoul just let out a long sigh in reply.

"Please break the gravestone and unbury me !!!! " pleaded the ghoul.

I left the ghoul sitting morosely on his grave and went home to fetch a shovel and a pickaxe.This time I brought my car since I was quite run-down after the quick sprint.I imagined I saw the ghoul "smile" when he saw me!! Sweating profusely , I managed to get the body exhumed.The corpse wasn't there !!!!!!!!! I looked up and saw the ghoul grinning....... Then the "graveyard" was flooded with electric spotlights.It was a perfect set for a Haloween Party !!The "ghoul" ripped off his mask and I saw him.. my close friend "Shubhash" "Happy Haloween !!" grinned Shubhash.Morosely I wished all those at the party " Happy Haloween"

And it all went happily late into the night .....

END

Author's Notes/Comments:

HAPPY HALOWEEN TO ALL ........... DEDICATED TO MY ESTEEMED FRIEND RESPECTED MR BERN.SIR THIS IS FOR YOU.

19 November 2013 - 5:45am — PeterChristophe...

Wow!! I love how the ghoul

Wow!! I love how the ghoul details his slow departure from the mortal coil. And the part where the main character blows cigarette smoke into the ghoul's ghostly form is such a great image.

19 November 2013 - 5:50am — bishu