SHORT STORIES FRIDAYS (50)

THE DEVIL KILLER PHONE ( PART 8) : A HORROR SHORT STORY bY ME.

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Father David regained his composure after his initial shock on seeing Meenal entering the cafe. He urged Vijay to duck down quickly under the table to pretend searching for the wallet. Meanwhile, he took out the mask and covered his mouth. Fortunately, Meenal’s friend dragged her to a table farther away from where David and Vijay couldn’t be spotted.

” Phew!,”sighed Father David, ” That was too close. Thank you, Lord Almighty, for saving our skins. ” He asked Vijay to get up and resume his seat. They swapped the mobiles, had coffee with breakfast and went their respective way. Father David went home, offered his prayers and sought forgiven from Jesus for he was about to put an act of showing allegiance to the Devil. It was the only way to gain the Devil’s trust and then chant the prayers to send him back to the Forest of Darkness.

He said, ” Forgive me, My Lord! I have to pretend forsaking you which I will never do as long as I live. But the poor girl is in the spiritual world needs to be rescued at the earliest or she could end up like her sister. Please give me the strength to save an innocent girl’s life. Amen! ” He closed his eyes and meditated for sometime.

In the spiritual realm, Dipak’s spirit saw Meenal and was so scared that he was about to turn away. ” Wait, Dipak,” cried Meenal, ” What are you doing here? ” Dipak was too stunned to speak but the fury of getting murdered by Meenal ( the Devil) got the better of him and he lashed out ” You are the reason I am here. Don’t try to feign innocence. I did your bidding but you killed me after I served your purpose.” Meenal understood what happened and she tried to convince him that it wasn’t her but The Devil who possessed her body. Dipak looked at her incredulously, ” Do you expect me to believe your bunch of lies? ” They were arguing when Vidya joined them. Dipak was shocked to see her. Vidya said, ” I know you had a crush on me. But I couldn’t reciprocate your love because you were my junior and it’s against the societal norms. Meenal is innocent. Just hear me once.” She explained everything, including how the Devil tricked her into death and trapped her sister here. Dipak apologized to Meenal and said, ” I am sorry, Meenal. I committed heinous crimes and I am sure I would rot in hell but I am going to pray for your return to the human world. Until then I am not going anywhere.” He sat down on the scattered leaves and started praying. Some angels were approaching him to take him for the Judgement Day but a voice from the Heaven spoke, ” He’s repenting for his actions and is trying to help Meenal go back to her world. Don’t disturb him. ” Dipak’s action moved Meenal and she too prayed for him to go to Heaven.

It was getting dark. Father David stripped off his Priestly Garments and wore a modern attire of jeans and T-shirt. He left behind the Holy Cross and went to Meenal’s house. It was a quarter to twelve, when Meenal ( the Devil) stepped out. David followed her to the graveyard. Meenal stopped abruptly and turned to face him. ” What do you want?, “she yelled at him, ” Don’t you ever learn a lesson?”
David took her by surprise as he bowed down to her and said, ” Please let me join you and be your follower. I have been true to my faith, yet I got punished for a crime I didn’t commit. I promise to get you more followers.”

Meenal laughed at him and said, ” You call yourself a priest? How can I believe you? When you have abandoned your God for testing You, what’s the guarantee that you will be loyal to me? ” David answered, ” A priest will never tell a lie. You have to take my word for that.” Meenal decided to test him and said, ” Can you offer me your blood for the initiation process? ” David searched for a sharp object and picked up a stone to scratch his wrist. Meenal was impressed and delighted. ” Come with me,” she said, ” Let me introduce you to my followers and then I will assign you a task.” She introduced him to the people gathered around them and said, ” David, your first task is to bring Yasmin to me. I need her blood to increase my power.” David said, ” Don’t worry, My Lord. I will hand over Yasmin to you.”

In the spiritual world, Dipak and Meenal earnestly prayed for each other. Pleased with their devotion, God appeared in front of them and said, ” Open your eyes, my children. I am pleased with your devotion. Ask for anything.” Meenal was the first and she said, “My Lord! Dipak might have sinned when he was alive but he met with a painful death. Please let that be a punishment for him and kindly forgive him by granting him access to Heaven.” God smiled and said, “Excellent, my child. You could have asked for your own welfare but chose to get a boon for him. Your wish is granted. Dipak will go to heaven.” He turned to face Dipak and asked, ” Now that you are going to heaven, what’s your wish? ” Dipak replied, ” Oh, Lord of the Universe, please help Meenal by sending her back to where she actually belongs and protect her family from the Devil.” God replied, ” So be it. Meenal, you are going back to your world by tomorrow. Just be a good human and serve your parents.You will get Eternal bliss.”

A white light shone upon Dipak and he bade farewell to Meenal. Vidya hugged her sister and said, ” It’s time for me to move on permanently, dear Sis. I will miss you. Just remember what God said and convey love to Mom and Dad.” Meenal couldn’t stop crying as she saw her sister finally going back to Heaven. She was all alone and waiting for her turn to be freed from the place.

The next day, Father David called Yasmin and explained his plan to her. She gave her consent immediately and later that night, accompanied Father David to the graveyard.


Meenal was pleased to see them. She hugged Yasmin and said, ” My dear girl! I am so glad to see you. I needed a small favor from you.” Yasmin replied, ” Name it and consider it done.” Meenal gave her an evil grin, ” I need your life and blood. I will spare you the pain if you end your life.” Yasmin nodded and picked up the butcher’s knife. In the meantime, David took out the devil phone and started chanting his prayers. Meenal felt her body trembling and she was shocked to see Father David showing her the Holy Cross and the old mobile. ” You traitor! ” she cried, ” You deceived me. I am going to kill you.” She rushed towards him but thrown back by an invisible force. The devil was forced to leave Meenal’s body and enter the Forest of Darkness while the real Meenal was flying away to freedom. Within a few minutes, the Devil went back to his realm, while Meenal’s soul re-entered her body. She fluttered her eyes open and was delighted to find herself back to the earth. ” I am alive,” she grinned at her best friend, Yasmin and hugged her.

” How are you, dear Meenal? ” asked Father David with a smile. Yasmin said, ” Meenal, you have to thank Father David for saving your life. The Devil was creating chaos and mercilessly killing people while possessing your body.” Meenal’s eyes swelled with tears of gratitude, ” How can I ever repay your kindness, Father? Thank you so much for saving me and my family. I learned a very big lesson. Never get attracted by a fanciful object and avoid being selfish.” Father David said, ” It’s God’s wish that you were saved. It’s good to know that you learned your lesson the hard way. It’s not too late. Look after your parents and never hurt anyone, physically or verbally. ” He patted her head and asked the girls to wait for him. He had a final task to complete. He destroyed the mobile into several pieces and buried them. He placed the Holy Cross on the spot to prevent any possibility of the Devil to escape.

He rejoined the girls to drop them off at Meenal’s house. He convinced Meenal’s parents that their beloved daughter was back. He had tears in his eyes as he watched a happy family reunion. Meenal and her parents thanked him and Yasmin for their great help. They also decided to visit the Church regularly where Father David was the priest.

The End.

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SHORT STORIES FRIDAYS (46)

THE DEVIL KILLER PHONE ( PART 6) : A HORROR SHORT STORY BY ME.

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Meenal ( the devil) wanted to take over the soul of Vijay ( real Meenal’s dad). Meanwhile, in the spiritual realm, real Meenal couldn’t shake off the feeling that something ominous was about to happen. It was her intuition warning her of the impending danger. She started praying fervently.

Later that night, Meenal ( devil) stealthily crept towards Vijay’s room. When she opened the room, she couldn’t step in. The moment, she tried to put her foot forward, she felt a burning sensation in her ankle. She gave up after trying several times. Instead of going home, she went to a graveyard where some men and women were waiting for her. She smiled at her followers.

” Good evening, my faithful servants,” she crooned, ” I have some tasks for you. You are supposed to create a mayhem that even local police will fail to handle. I want to hear the sweet sound of cries, despair, and helplessness that would force people to give up their belief in God. They should be desperate enough to trade their soul in exchange for the solution to their problems. Hold rallies and convince them to accept me as their leader. I will grant their wishes but take them to hell to spend rest of their lives.”

Her followers included a gang of goons who bashed up Vijay and her college mates. A young man called Dipak said, ” Don’t worry, Ma’am. Consider your work done. This inhuman society has treated us like a piece of garbage. It’s time for seeking revenge. But what about my reward?” Dipak was a drug addict cum alcoholic. He was also a womanizer. Meenal had used her charm to win him over. She had promised to sleep with him in exchange for his services. Meenal winked at him and said, ” Wait. Finish your task first. I will grant your wish shortly.”

The gathering dispersed and Meenal was back home. In the other world, Vidya watched her sister in a deep meditation. She was about to approach her when one of the guardian angels stopped her. She said ” Let her continue to pray. She saved your father’s life with her prayers. The danger lurking around your family is not over yet. The battle has just begun between God and the Devil. It’s not just your family but the entire city is under a great threat.” Vidya was astonished to hear this.

Dipak was true to his words. He and his friends created a ruckus in college. He morphed the pictures of girls, posting them over internet, creating suspicion and leading to breakups between romantic young couples. Meenal watched him handing over a pamphlet to a troubled lover to solve his problems. In the following weeks, there was a spike in the number of suicides, rapes, murders, acid throwing incidents, arson and vandalism.

Vijay recovered within a week and was discharged from the hospital. He and his wife were afraid of Meenal. They avoided confronting her and just seemed to satisfy her every wish. They were a pure vegetarian family but forced to make chicken, mutton and beef for Meenal.

Vijay observed his daughter. She would venture out of the house at an untimely hour and would be back only by the dawn. He decided to follow her. He almost had a panic attack when he saw her shaking hands with strange men. One of the men, Dipak, had dropped his trousers with the hope of having sex with her. Vijay couldn’t believe his eyes that his daughter was going astray. Meenal came to Dipak and gave him a peck on the cheek. Vijay closed his eyes. He couldn’t see his daughter in such a disgraceful position. He almost started to turn around and walk off when he heard an early piercing scream. He hid behind a tree and watched Dipak begging for mercy. Meenal had burned his privates with a pair of hot iron tongs. Meenal said, ” You have committed a sin. Lust is a sin. You must pay a price for it.” She killed him and ordered her followers to throw the body in the campfire. Dipak’s body was burned to ash. Vijay couldn’t take it anymore. He overheard her conversation.

She seemed to be bragging about her accomplishments. She said, ” My faithful servants, be careful with what you ask for as a reward. Serving me is a great privilege given to you. Dipak’s death should be a lesson to all. He demanded more than he deserved. How dare he try to sleep with me, The Devil? A filthy human can never besmirch me with his dirty hands and legs. What to speak of my Glory? I hate to share the body of this arrogant girl, Meenal. But my mission is more important than her disgusting body. Her elder sister, Vidya, was very stupid to take part in the ouija board and released me from the netherworld. I took over her body, causing the car crash which killed her. Unfortunately, I got trapped in a useless cellphone because her fellow passenger started chanting God’s name. Poor foolish Meenal. She was an easy bait for me. I caused the trouble in her college and gained her trust by advising to stay at home. She believed my every word. I helped her to get rid of her cheating boyfriend and his family. But then she panicked. It was too late for her. I sent her soul to the forest of darkness and took her place instead.”

Vijay nearly fainted. He thought there was something wrong with her behavior. He was too shocked and numb with fear after realizing that his daughter’s body was possessed by the Devil himself. He started walking slowly and swore not to utter a single word to his wife. She was fragile and might even die if he told her about Meenal’s true identity.

The next day, Meenal went to college with her friends and came back in the evening. She stopped outside her house. Something was definitely wrong. She could sense it. She had experienced the same kind of feeling when she went to the hospital to kill Vijay. She heard people laughing. Instead of approaching the house directly, she went towards the back of the house. She had a nasty shock when she saw the visitor with her friend, Yasmin, sitting in the kitchen, having a cup of tea with her parents.

She could feel her skin prickling, a tiny wave of heat rushing through her veins. She had goosebumps and the usually confident, Devil, was properly alarmed. Who was the mysterious visitor? Will Meenal return to her original body? Watch out for the next episode for a shocking surprise.

Thank you so much for taking your precious time to visit my website. Hope you enjoyed reading my blogs. 😊😊

THE CHARTERHOUSE OF EVIL : HAUNTING CLARISSE (BOOK 5)

BOOK REVIEW (ADVANCED REVIEW COPY)

I wish to congratulate Author Janice Tremayne for coming up with one of the most scariest, most exciting and a thrilling book of horror. Normally, I don’t get spooked easily but this book had me praying Lord Almighty’s name. Despite the scare, I loved this one. After Stephen King, I found Janice’s books scary and highly impressive. I also loved her Zack Bolder series. I appreciate her excellent narration, and a smooth transition from the past to the present without disconnecting the link.


Clarisse Garcia and Harry, the hunters of evil spirits are asked to look into the unsolved mysteries behind the deaths of a boy and a priest around fifty years ago in the New Norcia monastery of Benedictine monks, whose tales of horrors originate back to 1844 at The Santa Lucia, twenty miles from Western Australia. The monastery has a dreadful past and dirty secrets.There have been mysterious deaths of the orphans in this monastic village. Clarisse experiences a spine chilling negative vibration and Harry’s spirit tracker senses many spirits roaming in the monastery. Can Clarisse and Harry live upto their reputation as the hunters of the evil spirits or end up as victim’s themselves? The history of the monastery is super scary and very thrilling.


I would certainly give this book a five-star rating. The story is so gripping and hard to put down that I decided to only give a gist of what the book is all about. This book will be available on Amazon from 4th October, 2022 onwards. Do not miss this one if you truly love a good horror book.

Thank you so much for taking your precious time to visit my website. Hope you enjoyed reading my blogs. 😊😊

SHORT STORIES FRIDAYS (44)

THE DEVIL KILLER PHONE (PART 5) : A HORROR SHORT STORY BY ME.

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Meenal (the devil) was getting ready to go to college. She generously applied her makeup. In fact, she looked more like a whore than a college student. She wore a tight blue miniskirt with a white tank top and a matching jacket. This wasn’t the style of the original Meenal. She grabbed her college satchel and saw her father casting her disapproving looks over the newspaper.

She went to him and asked, ” Dad, I want 5000₹ cash, right now.” Vijay couldn’t believe his ears. He was furious and yelled, ” Why do you need so much money for? You have been splurging my hard earned money on ridiculous outfits and makeup. What’s come over you? I am on the verge of retirement. Besides, money doesn’t grow on trees. Get a part time job and spend your money as you like. I don’t have money with me.” The devil inside Meenal decided to teach him a lesson.


Meenal replied, ” Sorry, Dad. I didn’t realize you were short of money.” She gave him a creepy smile that gave him goosebumps. She turned away and joined her friend, Yasmin.

Vijay finished his breakfast and tea and kissed his wife good bye. The moment he stepped out of the gate, a gang of five goons pounced upon him. One of the men snatched his briefcase, the other took his wallet, ring and wrist watch. They thrashed him to make it look like a case of mugging. Meenal was watching this entire episode with a smirk, much to the horror of Yasmin. Yasmin said, ” Why don’t you help your dad? The poor guy must be saved. ” Meenal said, ” My dad lied to me when he said that he didn’t have money. He could have directly refused instead of lying to me. This is what happens when someone tells a lie. Don’t worry. He won’t die.”

Yasmin was taken aback by her cool attitude. Meenal pretended to be in a state of trance. Yasmin shook her by her shoulders. Meenal yelled at the goons, who took to their heels, followed by Meenal and Yasmin. She asked her friend to call the doctor, while she chased the goons. Yasmin was puzzled over her weird behavior. On one hand, Meenal seemed to be cruel and then in a fraction of a second, turned into a loyal daughter.

Meenal met them around the corner and grinned, ” Well done, my fellows! I am very proud of you. I hope you received your compensation for the hard work. I want you all to meet me outside the cemetery at 12 AM tonight.” The goons, were in fact, possessed by demonic spirits and had launched the attack on Vijay as per her instructions. A couple of days ago, she could sense evil spirits lurking in their neighborhood.

She saw these men knifing a man to death and immediately recognised her followers. She gave them a seductive smile. Her charm attracted their attention. The leader, whose name was Siddhart, aka Sid, bowed down to her and called rest of his men to introduce them to her. She discussed her plans to unleash a reign of terror over the city. They agreed to her plan. She had stolen 50,000₹ cash from the safe at home and gave it to them for the mugging. She arranged for the corpse to be buried at a local cemetery.

Meanwhile, Yasmin got her father admitted in a hospital. His wife, Savita, was wailing over her husband’s serious condition. Yasmin called Meenal and told her that she had admitted her father at the City Hospital. After fifteen minutes, Meenal walked in with tears in her eyes. She saw Yasmin and asked, ” How’s dad? Hope he’s safe.” Yasmin replied, ” I don’t understand your behavior, Meenal. When I asked you to help him, you not only refused to do so, but also said that he had lied to you and he must be taught a lesson. The next moment, you chased those goons and asked me to take care of your father. What happened to you? ” Meenal cried, ” I am so sorry, Yasmin. I think there’s something wrong with me. I don’t remember saying anything evil for my Dad. Do you think I might be possessed? ” Yasmin was a true Christian. She accepted her explanation and replied, ” I guess you could say that. Sorry, honey. Let’s take care of uncle first.” She took her along to visit Vijay. Savita saw her daughter approaching. However, she started trembling at the sight of her. She said, ” Please Meenal, don’t go in. Your father might get upset on seeing you and his health condition may deteriorate. I apologize on his behalf. If you need money, please ask me.” Meenal used her devilish charm to convince her mother that she meant no harm.

Meenal followed her mother to see Vijay, who was lying in the bed with a bandage wrapped around his head. His left arm was broken and in a cast. He opened his eyes and saw Meenal looking at him with a malicious grin on her face. He was swearing profusely. His eyes were full of fear. Meenal came near his bedside and whispered, ” Sorry about your punishment, Dad. You should not have lied. Let this be a lesson to you.”She patted his hand gently and left him under her mother’s care. The couple were terrified of their daughter.

Meenal had already texted one of her classmates to inform the principal about the reason for her absence. Yasmin led her into the cafeteria where they chatted over a cup of coffee. They left the hospital as an autorickshaw approached them. Meenal was about to announce her destination when Yasmin stopped her and said, ” I booked the Uber Auto while you were busy with your father. He knows our destination.”

Meenal got in and Yasmin sat beside her. The autorickshaw driver was taking a wrong direction. ” Hey!” claimed Meenal, ” That’s not the way to Jaya Nagar.” Yasmin said, ” Be quiet. He is taking us to our intended destination.”

They stopped near St. Mary’s Basilica. When Meenal stepped out of the autorickshaw, she let out an ear piercing scream and fell down unconscious, causing a small crowd of people gathering around her. Someone said, ” Please fetch a glass of water and sprinkle some on this girl to revive her.” Father David heard the commotion and decided to investigate. He requested the people to let him in. He had the shock of his life after seeing the unconscious girl. He could recognise the devil. Perhaps God wanted him to save an innocent girl from the clutches of the devil. Yasmin was in tears and approached Father David, ” Father, please save my friend, Meenal. She seems to be possessed by an evil spirit.” Father David reassured her that he would help her.

What happens next is going to be even more interesting! The confrontation between God and Devil is about to begin. The real Meenal is still waiting to be rescued. Her parents are in the hospital. Will Vijay get another lease of life or would he succumb to his injuries? Watch out for the next episode of The Devil Killer Phone.

Thank you so much for taking your precious time to visit my website. Hope you enjoyed reading my blogs. 😊😊

SHORT STORIES FRIDAYS (42)

THE DEVIL KILLER PHONE ( PART 4)

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Meenal ( the original one) heard someone crying for help. ” Please help me,” wailed a pitiable female voice. Meenal thought the voice was familiar. She and her sister, Vidya, went to investigate the source of the sound. They entered the forest of darkness. Meenal was shocked to find her arch rival, Manju, standing between two tall trees. She was shivering in fright as a bat swooped over her head. Manju saw Meenal and her eyes widened in horror.

“No, don’t come near me,” she shrieked.

Meenal was taken aback by her abnormal behavior. She said, ” What happened to you, Manju? How did you end up here and why are you scared of me?” Manju snorted, ” As if you don’t know anything. You are the reason why I am here. I don’t know how you managed to do it. You spilled out my innermost secrets and forced me to take away my own life.” Meenal was puzzled. She asked her, ” What the hell are you talking about? When did this happen? ” Manju replied, “Are you suffering from Amnesia? It happened yesterday.”

Meenal answered, ” It’s highly impossible. I have been trapped here for the past couple of days. If you don’t believe me, ask my sister, Vidya.” Manju was shocked to hear her reply, ” But your sister died last year. Does this mean we are dead too? If you are dead, then who’s impersonating you? ” Vidya joined Meenal shortly. After hearing their conversation, Vidya replied, ” This is the work of the devil. He lured Meenal by impersonating me and helping her to get rid of her boyfriend.” Manju was speechless. She faced Meenal and apologized to her for her earlier outburst. Vidya asked Manju to accompany her to the land of the dead where people were waiting for the Pearly Gates to open. While Meenal couldn’t cross the threshold and was stuck on the meadows, Manju was given immediate access to the world of spirits. Vidya said, ” Looks like it’s time for Manju to cross over to the other World. Meenal can’t accompany us because it isn’t her time yet.” Manju wished her good luck and hugged Meenal. She said, ” I might have hurt you in our world. Yet, you have been kind towards me. I hope you take possession of your physical body and take good care of your parents.”

Manju disappeared into the bright light , leaving Meenal in utter despair. Vidya rejoined her and said, ” It’s unfortunate that you had to witness your college mate’s final farewell from the land of mortals to the world of spirits. I have been given time to stay back with you until I help you get back to your own body. I might not be having much time but my kid sister, I love you a lot and will continue to love until eternity. Do tell our parents that I love them and that it was my good luck to be blessed with a wonderful family.” Meenal hugged her and cried her heart out. She couldn’t digest the fact that her impersonator was responsible for Manju’s untimely death.

Meanwhile, Meenal (the devil) continued to put on a good girl act by helping her aged parents who started growing weaker, every time that she helped them. She also offered assistance to their neighbors by running errands for them, babysitting their kids, and conducting coaching classes for the students of all classes. The parents could hardly believe their eyes when their children started scoring full marks in all the subjects. But the devil wasn’t to be trusted. He continued to hunt for the unsuspecting innocent preys and sucking more souls.

Those who sought her help , either died, or got incapacitated in an accident. Vijay and his wife, Savita, were now scared of assigning any task to her. Vijay hired a domestic help to assist with the household chores, as Savita was too weak to do anything.

A couple of days later, a pastor Father David, had a weird dream. He saw a a beautiful teenager with an older woman chatting with each other. The teenager, occasionally, burst into tears and said, ” I wish I hadn’t sought the help of the devil. I wouldn’t have been in this world. Poor Anil and his family got killed. I am worried about Mom and Dad now. The devil has already claimed Manju. What about the rest of my classmates? Oh God! Please help me and save us from the devil.” The vision suddenly changed and Jesus appeared in front of him. He said, ” David, The poor girl you saw is Meenal. The Devil has her trapped into the world bordering the land of spirits and the Forest of Darkness. Time is running out. You only have a couple of days more to help her out. You need to visit her parents and sanctify their house with Holy Water. The girl whose body is possessed by Devil will not be able to enter the house. Search for an object associated with the Devil and bring it inside the Church. Chant the hymns to set the girl free and force the devil to go back to the Forest of the Darkness.”

Father David woke up with a start. It was a very lucid dream. He clearly had an instruction from God to help the poor girl out. But who was she? How could he find out the address of her parents. He had recently shifted to Bengaluru and moved to Jaya Nagar, a few blocks away from Meenal’ s house. He had recently read the reports of shocking cases of accidents and suicides in his new locality. Suddenly, he realized that the Devil in question, was quite close to him. It gave him goosebumps and he started praying for the success of the dangerous task entrusted to him.

Watch out for the upcoming episode of The Devil Killer Phone. Will Father David succeed in his mission? What would be the fate of Meenal and her parents? How many victims does the Devil plan to take? The story becomes more scary in the next episode.

Thank you so much for taking your precious time to visit my website. Hope you enjoyed reading my blogs. 😊😊

SHORT STORIES FRIDAYS (41)

THE DEVIL KILLER PHONE ( PART 3) : A HORROR SHORT STORY BY ME.

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Meenal, ( the devil), took everyone by surprise with a pleasant change in her demeanor. She started doing household work to help her mother and would also run errands for her father. Soon, she managed to win everybody’s love and affection. A month had passed, since she had escaped from the confines of the mobile and sent the poor girl’s soul to languish behind in the forest of darkness.

She became more studious and also helped those lagging behind in their studies. Her popularity soared to a new level. Her parents couldn’t be more proud of her. But everything comes at a cost. Meenal’s mother, Savita, was the first one to be affected. She started feeling tired after a couple of days. The devil had started feeding off her energy. Meenal had a wicked gleam in her eye everytime her mother asked her to do something because the latter was feeling weary.

Her father,Vijay, started noticing that whenever Meenal offered her help, it started affecting his wife, who no longer welcomed him with a warm smile. He was worried. In order to test his theory, he asked her to pay the electricity bill and gave her his card details. She did as she was told. Later that evening, he experienced a mild headache and absent mindedly, asked Meenal to give him a glass of water to take the medicine for the headache. His headache further intensified, reminding him not to seek any more favor from her.

Meanwhile, she finished preparing food and told her mother, ” Mom, I am going to college. Don’t forget to take the pill for your weakness. I think you have anemia. I will take you to the doctor after coming home.” Her father looked up from the newspaper and said, ” I will take her to the doctor. You concentrate on your studies. We don’t want to burden you with additional responsibilities.”
The devil in Meenal’s body got alarmed. Had her father realized what was going on? It was time to make him forget everything. Meenal took a deep breath and forced a smile, ” Now, dad. Just chill. Isn’t it my duty to take care of both of you ? Do you really think I am going to create any trouble for Mom? ” Vijay looked into her eyes. The innocence in her eyes and her sincere voice won him over. He mentally took himself to task for doubting his lone daughter. In fact, the devil had successfully hypnotized him to forget all his suspicion.

No sooner did she arrive at college, than a strange girl wearing a pink tank top with a pair of blue jeans, rushed towards her with her fists clenched. ” You bitch, ” she screamed, ” What did you do to my boyfriend? He’s clearly smitten over your new charming personality. I liked you more when you were a snob. Don’t you have Anil as your boyfriend? Stop stealing others’ boyfriends or I will teach you a lesson, you will never forget.” Meenal smiled at her nemesis, Manju, who kept on calling her names. She said, ” Listen, whoever you are! I don’t have any fucking idea of which boyfriend you are talking about. I know that you amassed quite a string of puppets who dance to your tunes in exchange for the service you are rendering. I would advise you to stop ranting and search for your soul within. Do you want me to share your tales of infidelity all over the city? “

Manju stopped her verbal tirade in shock. How the hell did Meenal know about her secret affairs? She had been quite meticulous in keeping her affairs a secret.
She almost whispered, ” Please forgive me, Meenal. I will never bother you again? I am willing to pay any price to keep my infidelities secret.”

Meenal’s smile widened, ” Is that a promise? ” Manju nodded and Meenal whispered into her ears, ” I want your soul in exchange for my discretion. Go and end your life after writing a note about your guilty conscience pricking you for doubting your boyfriend. You can have my boyfriend, Anil, whom I have already sent to hell. ” Manju simply nodded. She left without saying a word. A huge crowd had gathered around them. Meenal received a huge round of applause for her tackling Manju.

The poor girl took out a notebook and scribbled her suicide note, leaving it, on the hood of a car at the parking. She went to the terrace of one of the buildings and screamed as she plunged to death. The whole college was shocked at the turn of events. They had never witnessed any student committing suicide within the college campus. The police and the ambulance arrived shortly, as the college principal declared the rest of the day off for the students who were visibly shaken and too scared. Manju was a big bully but no one had any idea that she would resort to suicide. Little did anyone know, that it was the handiwork of Meenal, the devil.

When Meenal came back from college, she saw her mother waiting for her. She appeared to be relieved on seeing her daughter. She said, ” Our neighbor, Mr. Rao, told me that there was an unfortunate incident in your college and that a student had ended her life. I sincerely prayed it wasn’t you. God knows what I would have done if I lost you as well! “
Meenal hugged her mother. The devil inside her, had never experienced a maternal love. He was touched by her sincere, selfless love. This was something he hadn’t experienced. Against his inherent quality of tormenting people in exchange for a favor, he decided to stop feeding on her energy and instead focus his attention elsewhere.

The original Meenal, was now stuck in the region surrounding the paradise. God appeared to her in the form of Jesus. She had no words to express her happiness. She folded her hands and bowed her head reverentially. She said, ” I am sorry, God. Since I am a Hindu, I don’t know how the Christians offer their prayers. I hope You forgive me and save me from being trapped here forever, unless, of course, it’s ordained by destiny that I should stay here.’ God was pleased with her honest revelation and said, ” My dear Child, It’s your thoughts and prayers that matters. God is always one and He belongs to all. Some call Him Ram, Some call Him Allah, and Some Jesus. Unfortunately, My Children, whom I brought into this beautiful world called Earth, have divided Me into several thousand pieces and baying for each other’s blood. How can a Father Or a Mother watch His or Her children suffer In pain? I am here to help you out. You may have to spend a couple of days more as the fruits of your evil past deeds have caught up with you. As soon as the punishment ends, you will go back to your world. Until then, enjoy the company of your sister and enjoy the grand feasts.” He smiled upon her and vanished. Suddenly, Meenal felt a new wave of calmness and love take over her. She was quite happy to serve the term of her punishment.

Watch out for the next episode as Meenal the devil continues to torment people and an unexpected twist in the take.

Note : I believe God is one. He is Our Lord Shiva, Lord Ganesh, Lord Muruga, Lord Vishnu for Hindus, Allah for Muslims, Guru Nanakdevji for Sikh devotees, Jesus for Christians etc. How can we be so cruel and heartless to destroy the places of worship? Let Him guide us to develop love and fraternity towards all religions and respect Him in all the forms.

Thank you so much for taking your precious time to visit my website. Hope you enjoyed reading my blogs. 😊😊

SHORT STORIES FRIDAYs (40)

THE DEVIL KILLER PHONE (PART 2) : A HORROR SHORT STORY BY ME.

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The devil (inside Meenal’s body) switched off the phone. Meenal’s soul tried to focus on remaining calm. She could hear the howling of the wolves in the forest. Then, a bat swooped over her head, making her scream in fright. She decided to move ahead and find a way to escape from the horrid place. As she continued to walk through the dense forest, she heard a weeping sound. She retraced her steps towards the source of the sound. She kept on walking until she reached a clearing where a campfire was in progress. She was horrified to find a woman being burnt in a very big cauldron of hot oil.

She could only watch the proceedings in silence, until a hand touched her shoulder and she let out a huge shriek. She was shocked to find her sister’s soul grinning at her. ” I should say I am glad to meet you after a long time, but I am not, ” Vidya said, ” I am so sorry that you have to pay the price for my foolishness.” Meenal saw tears in her eyes. She wiped them and hugged her. ” What happened, didi? “she probed her. Vidya replied, ” Last year, when we went to Mysore, we had a great time visiting the palace and Chamundeshwari temple and other local tourist attractions. We had a campfire on a Friday night. One of my friends, Vishakha, had brought an ouija board. We committed a great mistake by trying to summon spirits from the other world to answer our questions. Initially, the Q & A session went very well but when we tried to wind up the session with the spirit , everything went haywire. The lights flickered and one of my colleagues, left us in a lurch by abandoning us midway. I and my friends started chanting prayers. Suddenly, all the chaos stopped. There was a pin drop silence. I thought everything was normal, until the evil spirit which I believe to be a devil, possessed Raghav’s body. His eyes glowed red which only I could see. He forced me to consume alcohol or threatened to behead me. I was scared. So, I had half a bottle of whiskey. He dragged me to the car and forced me to drive away from our guesthouse. I was barely conscious when I was driving and crashed my car into the tree. I can’t stop wondering how Raghav escaped unharmed with barely a scratch or two. It’s not like I want him dead or anything. He knew when to jump from the car to avoid the collision. After that I woke up in this jungle. Little did I realize that I was dead in the real world. How did you end up here? “

Meenal shared her dreadful experience while Vidya’s jaw dropped on hearing about the devil impersonating her. ” How do I get out of this mess, di?” wailed Meenal, ” I am glad to see you too but I want to go back. Di, do you think I belong to the world of spirits? Can’t I ever leave this place? ” Vidya was lost in thoughts. She said, ” There’s a way to find out whether you belong to the land of the dead or you have a long life ahead.” She held her hands and led her away from the outskirts of the hell. Meenal was amazed at Vidya’s navigation skills. The girls crossed a river and reached a place where there was sunshine. Meenal was caught off guard and shielded her eyes with her hands from the sudden exposure to the sunlight. She slowly opened her eyes and was pleasantly surprised to find an entirely different scenario. She cast a glance on the other side of the river. She was astonished to find a part of the forest plunged in darkness while the other side was as bright as a day. Vidya smiled at her sister’s response. She guided her towards a lush green meadow where there was a picnic table, consisting of delicious food. Meenal’s mouth watered at the sight of the food. She could hear her stomach rumbling. Vidya asked her to wait until she came back.

Shortly, Vidya came back with a nun who welcomed Meenal and asked her to join them for the morning meals. But a shock awaited her. The moment, she tried to pick up a fried cashew that was a part of the starter, she received a severe jolt and she dropped it on the plate. Vidya and the nun were alarmed. The nun offered her a glass of orange juice that immediately froze on Meenal’s touching the glass. The nun said, ” This girl can’t stay here. She’s meant to be alive and with her family. As she can’t eat the food meant for the dead, it means that her time hasn’t come yet. Please take her back, and leave her where you found her.”

Meenal pleaded with her, ” Please don’t send me to that dreadful place. I would rather wait and spend my time here than getting lost in the forest of darkness.” The nun looked at her apologetically and said, ” I am sorry, dear child. You can’t stay here any longer because you are a live mortal. If you don’t leave this place right now, all of us would be cursed to turn into a stone.” Meenal cried for mercy and pleaded with her to let her stay. Finally, she turned towards the sky and started praying, ” I am sorry, God! Please forgive me for my sins. I am seeking Your protection. Please don’t forsake me as I am Your child. I don’t want to go back to the forest of darkness and evil. I assure You that I will give up all my bad habits forever. I will remain Indebted to Your Grace and Kindness. If You too drive me away from Your Kingdom, whom shall I seek refuge from? ” The nun and her sister, Vidya, were moved to tears on seeing her earnest prayers.

Lo, behold! A miracle happened. A ray of light beamed upon Meenal, making her glow like an Angel. A Heavenly voice said, ” Don’t cry, My Child. I am here to protect you.” Meenal was both pleased and shocked at hearing the Voice of God.

In the meantime, it was Monday in the world of humans where Meenal ( the devil) got up early. She went for a morning walk. She came home and made coffee and breakfast for her parents who were pleasantly surprised with the positive change in her behavior. The original, Meenal, was too lazy to do her own bed. The poor, unsuspecting parents, didn’t realize the misfortune that was going to befall them. Meenal ( the devil) smiled innocently at them, before planning to unleash a reign of terror in the human world.

Watch out for Meenal the devil’s scheming reign of terror and the original Meenal trying desperately to get out of the trapped phone.

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SHORT STORIES FRIDAYS (38)

THE KILLER DEVIL PHONE ( PART ONE) A HORROR SHORT STORY BY Me

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Meenal Sharma had just turned 18. She was looking forward to her birthday celebration. She lived with her parents, Vijay and Savita Sharma, in Bengaluru. Her elder sister, Vidya, 23, passed away in a car crash, last year. She was returning from her official trip to Mysore.
Her colleague cum boyfriend, Raghav, managed to escape with minor scratches.

The venue for the birthday celebration was a five-star hotel in Rajaji Nagar. The party started at 7 PM. Meenal and her parents had a great time. They were completely exhausted as they reached home at Jaya Nagar at 1 AM.

The next day, Meenal woke up at 9 AM and decided to skip college for the day. After having her breakfast, she started opening her birthday gifts. Her parents gave her a gold chain and she received expensive gifts like perfumes, cosmetics, books, and clothes from her friends. Her boyfriend, Anil, had gifted her a latest model of smartphone. She opened it and plugged it for charging immediately. While she was going through her presents, a nasty surprise awaited her. Her dead sister’s old model, Nokia, turned up amongst her presents.

Meenal thought, ” How’s this possible? This trash got destroyed the night, Didi passed away. We had it thrown into the garbage.” She realized that maybe someone might have tried to salvage what was left of it and got it repaired for his personal use. But how did this model end up here? She decided to ignore it for now and spent the rest of her day, chatting with her friends, and sharing her birthday pics on the social media. Later that night, she had a shock of her life, when the useless basic model phone, suddenly sprang to life.
Her sister, Vidya’s smiling face, greeted her on the small screen. Meenal could not even scream out of fear. Vidya said, ” Belated Happy Birthday, kiddo. Don’t worry, I am not here to hurt you. I want you to keep this mobile safe with you and follow whatever I say.” Meenal spluttered, “Y…….you are supposed to be dead. This mobile doesn’t support video calling. What kind of trick is it? Who the hell are you? ” Vidya’s soul grinned at her and replied, ” You are right. I am indeed dead. But I came back to protect you and be your guardian angel. I don’t think you believe me.” She started reminiscing incidents from their childhood that only she and Vidya could have known. Meenal had tears in her eyes, ” I missed you so much, Di. Mom and Dad miss you too. Shall I call Mom and have her speak to you? ” Vidya replied fiercely, ” No way! Promise me that you won’t discuss my existence with anyone. Because no one will believe you and I won’t be able to come out during the day. That’s it for now. I will see you tomorrow. I need you to skip college tomorrow as well. Do as I say and don’t ask me why.” The phone went blank, leaving Meenal in confusion.

Meenal pretended to be sick and stayed at home. She switched on the TV and scrolled through the news channels until one of the headlines caught her attention. There was a massive shootout outside her college, killing fifteen students and injuring 3. Her mom came rushing to her room with a glass of turmeric milk . Savita’s face was pale on hearing the deadly news and said, ” Thank Goodness! You were at home today. I already lost one of my daughters. I couldn’t afford to lose another one.” Meenal received a text message from the college principal announcing the closure of college for a week and that the classes would be conducted online.

Meenal was grateful to her dead sister for the warning. She looked forward to their rendezvous at night. Everyone went to bed and Meenal took out the old phone. The clock struck 12 and the phone came alive. Vidya’s smiling face glowed at the screen. Meenal said, ” Thanks, Di. You saved my life. How did you know that there was a danger? Can you predict my future as well? ” Vidya responded, ” Since I am a ghost now, I have the power to foresee any calamity or a great fortune. Listen to me. Go to the shopping mall tomorrow. A great fortune awaits you.”

Meenal followed her sister’s instructions and struck gold, as she won a family vacation to Shimla in a lucky draw that she entered after buying clothes for 10,000₹. This became her daily routine. One night, Vidya said, ” Beware of your boyfriend. He is only after your money. Don’t use the smartphone that he gifted you.” Meenal was silent. She was madly in love with Anil and could not think of breaking up with him. Vidya frowned at her silence. She said, ” Looks like you don’t trust me. Never mind but watch this clip and then get back to me tomorrow.” Vidya’s face was replaced by Anil and her family.

Anil was gloating, ” That bitch, Meenal thinks I am in love with her. Poor girl! I only befriended her to empty her bank balance and she fell for me. Dad, I have discovered a new way to make more money. I am going to blackmail her to parting with cash over her nude photos that I photoshopped. I am going to yield a rich dividend.” Meenal had tears in her eyes. ” The traitor! The bastard! How dare he betray me? ” she thought. She summoned Vidya who quickly responded. She said, “I want to teach a lesson to Anil and his family.” Vidya’s face radiated a devilish grin. She said, ” Of course. I have a recording of his father’s sin. Forward it to Anil and threaten to post the video on the social media. I will take care of the rest. ” Vidya played a video recording that showed Anil’s father visiting a prostitute. Meenal forwarded it to her smartphone and immediately sent the message to Anil.

The next day, there was a breaking news on TV that a family of four were found dead under mysterious circumstances. Meenal was speechless to see the dead bodies of Anil, his parents, and sister. It looked like the whole family had committed suicide. Meenal regretted her decision to seek revenge. She wanted to see Anil punished but not dead.

She decided to confront Vidya’s spirit. She took out the hidden mobile, waiting for the mobile to glow. Vidya appeared with a grin that nearly gave Meenal goosebumps. She said, ” This should not have happened, Didi. I wanted to see him behind bars but not dead. Why did you do this? ” Vidya smiled, ” Because now you are going to do my bidding. You owe me too much favors and can’t afford to refuse.” Meenal was scared. She questioned her, ” You aren’t my Di. My Didi was sweet and never hurt a fly.” Vidya cackled like a witch and sneered, ” It took long enough for you to figure out my identity. It’s too late as I own a part of your soul now. Let me reveal myself.” Vidya’s face quickly distorted into the most horrendous figure she had ever seen. It was the face of a devil. ” “Aaargh!” screamed Meenal and fainted.

When she opened her eyes, she was in the midst of an eerie forest. She saw her image appearing in the dark sky. The devil had replaced her soul. The devil was in her body while her soul was inside the killer devil phone. Watch out for Meenal’s tale of horror in the next episode.

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SHORT STORIES FRIDAYS (36)

COMICAL HAUNTING

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Sagar Deshpandey and his wife, Anamika, stepped inside their new villa in Lonavala, a scenic hill station near Mumbai. It was fully furnished and comprised of four rooms on the ground floor and three rooms on the first floor with a terrace. They could not believe their luck, when their real estate agent helped them to seal a deal at an affordable price. Little did they know that along with the furniture, they also had ghosts as the residents. The ghost couple, Makrand and Sumitra Patil, were irked to find their house being invaded by two strangers.

They wanted to get rid of them. They decided to wait until midnight and unleash a reign of terror with their scare tactics. Sagar helped his wife with unpacking and arranging things in order. They had their food in a nearby restaurant. By the time, they came back , they were too tired and called it a day. A storm was brewing up and the ghosts decided to take advantage of the fact.

Sagar and his wife went to bed early that night. A gust of wind blew, rattling the windows in the process. Makrand entered the room through the wall. He made a howling sound to wake Sagar. Anamika murmured, ” Sagar, I hear some weird noises.” Sagar replied, ” Go back to sleep, Anu. It’s probably a harmless dog howling.” Makrand was furious while his wife, Sumitra, giggled as she heard the comment. She said, ” I like this guy. He called you a harmless dog. I knew you could not scare even a mosquito. Some ghost you are! ” She attempted to glide over Sagar when he let out a huge stinking fart. Now, Makrand roared with laughter and said, ” At least, he compared me to a dog. What about you? You are a stinking fart.” Sumitra grumbled, ” I guess he stuffed himself with Mooli ( radish) parathas. I pity this woman. How could she marry a guy with a serious gas problem? ” Makrand and Sumitra made their way out, having a typical husband-wife argument.

The next day, Sagar was busy reading a newspaper, when he noticed a transparent human like material floating towards him. He glanced at him. Makrand let out a typical ghostly laugh. Sagar smiled back. Makrand was shocked. He hadn’t expected this kind of reaction. He tried to threaten him and said, ” Leave this house at once, if you value your life. Or I will be forced to kill you.” Sagar replied, ” Please kill me by all means. I am fed up of living with a monster for the past 15 years. So, a ghost doesn’t scare me.”

Makrand commented, ” You aren’t supposed to react like this. You should say ” God save me and run.” Just then Anamika called from the kitchen, ” Who are you talking to, Sagar? ” Sagar replied, ” Your father. He’s here to bless us.” His wife replied, ” Don’t talk nonsense. How can my father be here when he’s in the USA? ” She came out of the kitchen and saw Makrand’s ghost. Instead of screaming in fear, she seemed to be pleased. ” Oh, Good! I see you have hired a servant. But why’s he looking like a ghost? Wait a minute, he’s a ghost. How dare you call my father a ghost? “
Sagar answered, ” Had your father been an angel, you would look like one!” Makrand was watching this banter in amusement. Sagar continued, ” This poor guy doesn’t know how to scare anyone. Let me show him.” He took out his phone and asked Makrand to come over and have a look. Makrand screamed at the pic. It was Anamika without her makeup. Makrand said, ” Had I not been dead, this pic would have given me a heart attack. Great bro. You do have a spooky wife.” Anamika lost her temper on being insulted.

Anamika hurled a rolling pin at Sagar’s head and it hit the bulls eye. Makrand clapped and said, ” Fantastic aim. Do keep going.” Anamika glared at the ghost and said, ” Just shut up and start sweeping the floor, ghostly servant.” Just then, Makrand’s wife, Sumitra floated over Anamika’s head and yelled at her, ” How dare you call my husband a servant? No one dares to treat him like a servant, except for me and get away with it. Both of you leave at once or I will have you killed.” Anamika yelled back, ” Don’t you dare challenge me Or I will let my husband loose on you. You don’t have any idea of the power of his stinking fart.” Sumitra became silent while Makrand was overjoyed to see his wife being tamed.

She flew away and carried a mug of water with her that she deliberately dropped on Anamika. The latter looked like a drowned rat and Sagar and Makrand burst out laughing. Sumitra winked at Sagar and said, ” Don’t just stand there. Click her picture and post it on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Serves her right for ill treating her husband and trying to dominate mine.” ” Please don’t upload my pic, ” pleaded Anamika, ” I promise not to yell at or fight with you, Sagar. I won’t even torture you for shopping.”

Sagar felt as if he had won a lottery. ” Thank you so much, dear friends, ” he said, ” We didn’t introduce ourselves. I am Sagar Deshpandey and this is my wife, Anamika. ” Makrand smiled and said, ” I am Makrand Patil and this is my wife Sumitra. This was our home prior to our death.” Sagar asked, ” If you don’t mind, would you please tell me how you died?” Makrand stopped smiling while Sumitra continued grinning. She said, ” One day, I slipped and fell in the bathroom. This guy laughed at me. I slapped him so hard that he died on the spot. We had taken a huge insurance policy on his life. While I regretted his untimely demise, I was happy to know that I would be getting a cheque of 30 lakhs. I forgot that I was still in the bathroom and did a stupid dance. I fell once again, hitting my head against the tap and died.”

Sagar and Anamika looked at each other and tried to hold back their laughter. He said, ” Listen guys! I like you both. I won’t evict you from your home. But promise to put on your best behavior and occupy your favorite room without bothering us. Otherwise, I would be prompted to share the comical story of your deaths over the social media.” The ghost couple looked terrified but promised to follow his instructions as his wife now looked at him, admiringly. ( The ghosts in this story are poltergeists).

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SHORT STORIES FRIDAYS (32)

THE HOUSE OF HORRORS : A HORROR STORY BY ME IN STORYMIRROR.COM

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Chris Stephens and his son, Mike were watching the football world cup on TV. His wife Stella was preparing dinner for the family. The doorbell rang several times before Mike opened it. Lawrence Matthews strode in with his wife Lisa. He was their family friend. Chris and Lawrence knew each other since childhood. Lisa was looking for Stella. Chris said, ” You will find her in the kitchen.” Lisa smiled and thanked him. Lawrence hit him playfully on the shoulders and said, “Hey, dude! It’s been a long time since we met. Hope you haven’t forgotten me.” Chris grinned at him and added,”I thought it was the other way round. What brings you here?”

Lawrence answered,”Have patience, my dear. I will tell you everything after dinner.” Their wives were chatting away merrily. They had their dinner shortly. They enjoyed the delicious meal of sweet corn soup, roast beef and sausages with french fries and ice cream. After eating to their heart’s content, they chatted for some time. Lawrence cleared his throat and addressed both Chris and Stella. He said “I have a proposal for you. I am dealing with the real estate business. A client requested me to find a suitable plot for him. He wants to build a multi-storeyed building for the residential purpose. Your property meets his requirements. I am willing to pay $400000. What do you say?”

Chris and Stella looked at each other. Chris replied, “My answer is no. I wouldn’t sell this house even if you offered me a hundred billion dollars. Stella and I built it together using our hard earned money.”

Lawrence exclaimed, ” I have an irresistible offer for you. Why don’t you move into my new luxury condo in the heart of Manhattan? “

Chris was adamant. He politely declined the offer. Lawrence turned towards Stella. He asked her, “Why don’t you convince your husband to accept my generous offer?”

Stella answered “I hate to disappoint you, but I can’t help you in this matter. I wholeheartedly support his decision.” Lawrence added with a shrug, “If you change your mind, please call me at this number.” They took leave off Chris and his family and left for their home.

Chris and Stella loved their little house. They would never dream of parting with it.

Lawrence was in a foul mood. He thought that he would easily persuade Chris and Stella to sell their house. He had already taken $5000 in advance from his client.

Lawrence wanted to usurp his friend’s house at any cost. His circle of friends included corrupt politicians, criminals and contract killers. He hired a contract killer to get rid of Mike. The latter was Chris and Stella’s only son. He was in eighth grade and attended Pinegrove school for boys. Lawrence filled him up with all the details. He asked him to tamper with the brakes in Mike’s bicycle to make it look an accident. He gave a brief description of the cycle that he had gifted to Mike on his twelfth birthday.

It was Wednesday. The contract killer reached the school and straightaway went to the bicycle stand. He identified Mike’s cycle from the photo given by Lawrence. He cut off the brake wire with the pliers. He cast a glance around the school and left the place without being noticed.

The school bell rang and the children filed out of their classes with their satchels. Mike was in an upbeat mood that day. He had secured an A grade in his math assignment. He went to the cycle stand to fetch his bike.

He proceeded towards his home. There was a traffic signal ahead of him. The light had turned red. He was unable to stop. As a result, a car coming from the opposite direction knocked him down. The traffic came to a halt. A small crowd had gathered around him. Mike had lost his consciousness and was bleeding profusely. A young man checked for his pulse and breath. Both were abnormally low. He was alarmed. He saw Mike’s school ID card and called Chris immediately. He informed him about Mike’s accident. He also called for an ambulance. Chris came rushing to the spot within ten minutes.

The ambulance arrived shortly. Paramedics lifted him gently and placed him on the stretcher. They drove off to The City Hospital.

Stella was in tears when she arrived at the hospital.

The doctor came out of the emergency room and said: ” I am sorry to say that we couldn’t save your son.” Chris and Stella broke down upon hearing the news. They had lost their only son. Their dreams for Mike had shattered.

They wept inconsolably into each other’s arms. Mike’s body was handed over to them after the completion of all the formalities.

Lawrence and his wife offered their condolences to Chris and Stella after the funeral. A couple of days later, Lawrence called Chris and discussed the sale of his house. Chris rejected his offer and hung up on him.

Lawrence was upset. His plan had miserably failed. He thought that Mike’s death would make Chris give in to his wishes. He wanted to seek his wily friend Roger’s advice.

He dialled his number and said ” Hi, Roger. I acted upon your advice and had Mike killed. But Chris still refuses to part with his house. What shall I do now? “

Lisa overheard his conversation. She shrieked “You scoundrel! How dare you murder an innocent boy? I never thought you would stoop so low. You are a traitor. I am going to call the police.”

Lawrence held her hand in a firm iron grip and twisted it with a brutal force. She cried out in pain. He had his other arm around her neck. She bit his arm and freed herself. She was about to move towards the door. He hit her on the head with a flower vase. She fell unconscious. He strangled her to death. He called one of his cronies to dispose of her body. He instructed him to dump it in Chris’ car at midnight. He went to his garage and made some minor adjustments in his car. He wanted to prove that his car was not in a working condition. His crony came at 11.30 PM and picked up Lisa’s body. He successfully completed the task assigned to him by Lawrence. The latter paid him a hefty sum for his work.

He filed the police complaint against Chris for kidnapping his wife. He told the officer his reasons for suspecting Chris. Lawrence accompanied the cop to Chris’house. The investigating officer recovered Lisa’s body from Chris’ car after an exhaustive search.

Chris was arrested and sent to the police custody.

Lawrence was too cunning for words. He knew that the body would be sent for post-mortem. He bribed the forensic expert to alter the report. The trial was conducted. Chris was found to be guilty. The court awarded him a death sentence.

Stella was hysterical. She had lost her son. She couldn’t afford to lose Chris. One day, she visited Lawrence and pleaded with him to help her. She said,” Lawrence, please do something and get Chris out of this mess. I will give you whatever you want in return for this help.”

Lawrence was a shrewd businessman. He said,” I am not a hard-hearted person like Chris. Please sign this document if you want to see your husband alive.”

Stella had no other option but to give in to his demand. She took a pen and signed along the dotted lines. Lawrence commented with an evil smirk, ” You should have accepted my offer in the first instance. You wouldn’t have lost your son or husband. You can leave now.”

“What about Chris?” Stella questioned him,” I have signed the document as a part of our deal. You promised me to get him out of this mess.” Lawrence laughed and said ” How could you be so naive to trust me? I had to save my own skin. So I framed Chris for my sin. I killed Lisa to stop her from going to the police. She knew that I was responsible for Mike’s death.” Stella was furious. She took a knife lying on the table and lunged at him. He caught hold of her wrist and snatched the knife. ” Take this, you bitch,” he said and stabbed her several times till she died.

He chopped her body into several pieces. He put all the severed pieces in a sack and disposed of them in various locations.

Lawrence had achieved his goal at the cost of three innocent lives.

Chris was executed with a lethal injection within a month of Stella’s death. Their house was demolished.

Lawrence held a meeting with his client and took him to the site. The client was satisfied and handed a cheque for $20000. Lawrence pocketed it. He had also arranged for the construction of a new building.

Lawrence was an epitome of greed. He used substandard materials and cheap labor for construction. A young lady named Joyce Goodwill moved into the apartment on the second floor with her 8-year-old daughter Linda. Joyce was a widow.

One night, when she was sleeping with her daughter in their room, she heard someone wailing. She sat up immediately and saw the ghostly figure of a woman shedding tears. Joyce was frightened. She asked the lady, “Who are you? How did you enter my house? What do you want?”

The lady replied ” Don’t be scared. I am not here to hurt you. I am Stella, the real owner of this house. My entire family fell prey to an unscrupulous bloodhound who constructed this building. I came here to warn you. Please vacate this building immediately. Ask your neighbors to do the same. I cannot watch innocent people getting killed.” She disappeared after warning Joyce about the impending doom.

Joyce wasn’t sure whether the ghostly encounter was real or a dream. Nevertheless, she decided to follow her advice. She tried to convince her neighbors to give up their apartments. Her neighbours laughed it off, saying that her story was purely her imagination. She had done her duty. She vacated the house and handed the keys back to Lawrence.

A fortnight later, the building collapsed due to mild tremors in that area. Though the intensity of the earthquake was mild, the building gave away because of a weak foundation. Most of its occupants were killed. Their bodies lay under the debris.

Lawrence’s client was arrested for negligence. Lawrence had the last laugh. He was planning to build his mansion in place of the collapsed building.

He decided to pay a visit to the site by evening.

He finished his official work and proceeded towards his dream destination. It was around 9 PM. He had planned to come earlier but got busy in his work. When he arrived at the site of the disaster, he was shocked to see the building still intact. He couldn’t believe his eyes. He rubbed them to make sure he was not dreaming. Someone tapped him on his shoulders. He turned around to find his dead wife smiling at him. She had an evil grin on her face which was as white as a chalk. She said, ” Lawrence darling. Where were you all these days? I missed you so much that I have come back for you.” His face registered a look of pure horror. ” This can’t be true,” he said, ” Dead people don’t come back alive.” ” Why not?” another familiar voice spoke. He saw that it was Chris. Lawrence was sweating profusely. He saw the distorted figure of Stella coming towards him. She carried her severed head in her hand and said,” What are you looking for, Lawrence? Come and join us for a wonderful feast.” He saw Mike coming through the gate riding on his cycle. He grinned at him and asked him to have dinner with them. The departed souls of those who died in the calamity descended from the staircase. There seemed to be a party. Lawrence was so scared that he actually wet his pants. Lisa dragged him towards the buffet table. He opened the lid of one utensil and was stunned to see a severed head. He moved towards other counters and was stunned to find the raw human meat being served. He threw up on the spot. He retraced his steps and went towards the gate. The gate closed automatically. He was trapped. He said, ” I am sorry for my misdeeds. Please spare my life. I will turn myself into the hands of the law. I will confess to all my crimes.” Chris responded,”It’s too late to apologize. There is no atonement for your sins.” He watched silently as Lawrence ran for his life. He stumbled upon a rock and fell down. Darkness engulfed the place as the building collapsed again. A concrete slab fell on Lawrence killing him on the spot. Chris and others disappeared from the spot. Their souls were appeased and liberated. Lawrence was duly punished by his victims.

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