Haunted Tree - Dark Territory

Disclaimer: This horror story is purely fictional. Any resemblance to name, place, organization or community is purely a coincidence. The story is neither meant for harming any living being, nor does it encourage readers to believe in paranormal activities. The images used in the post are only for representation purpose. They are downloaded from internet and the author doesn't bear the rights of the same.

Warning: Reader discretion is advised!

Story till now: Read at Haunted Tree Sequel

My eyes opened all of a sudden. The fan above me was moving slowly. I was lying on bed in a house which looked somewhat familiar to me. I rose and said to myself, “This seems to be our Maths teacher’s house!”

“Yes, my boy!”, someone replied.

“You’re alive?”, I almost yelled with fear as I saw her seated besides me on that bed. She was indeed alive!

“What do you mean by alive?”, she asked angrily and continued, “It was my birthday yesterday and you were lying in our basement. So, I brought you up this morning. Since then you were asleep. When did you arrive here?”

“Last night, when my friend told me to visit you!”, saying this I wondered if I was in dreams yet again. But, I couldn’t have reached the wrong house in dreams though. I started recollecting about how I arrived in basement but all I could remember was that I went down upon someone’s call.

“Don’t worry kid, your friend must have played a prank on you, in fact, I’d told him to give you the invitation”, her sentence grabbed my attention.

I couldn’t believe her. I went out to check if all other flowers bouquets present outside her house were still there! Surprisingly there wasn’t any! Neither was there any tree in front of her house. I stood there on the door gazing at the moon and lightning strikes which indicated the possibility of rainfall.

“Now come inside, it will soon be raining”, she said while standing besides me on the door. At that very instant, I realized something. I hadn’t returned home and my mother must be worrying about me. She doesn’t even leave me at my friend’s place without letting her informed and this time I’d spent an entire day!

Engrossed in my thoughts, I’d already started walking out of her house and felt heavy with each step ahead. After few steps, I realized that the rainfall had begun and teacher was shouting for me to stop. I turned back and stepped into her house.

“Where were you going at this moment? It’s so dark outside!”, she said.

“My home! My mother must be waiting for me!”, I replied.

“Oh! I forgot to tell you. I’d already informed your mother that you’re here and that you'll return tomorrow as it was evening before you were able to wake up!”, she sympathized.

“I’ll bring you some hot coffee to warm you up”, saying this she went inside the kitchen.

I stared at the interiors of her house. There was dust and spider-webs all over. I always thought she likes cleanliness, but I was wrong. There were weird objects placed all over, including a mould of skull, strange toys, different knifes etc. which had nothing to do with her profession. The rain had stopped by now.

“Here’s your coffee”, she came with just one coffee mug.

“And yours?”, I asked.

“We don’t drink coffee here!”, she gave a weird smile!

As I finished my coffee, I asked about her weird house.

"Follow me. I'll tell you everything.", she said as she stepped in that dark territory.

As we were crossing the backyard, something caught my eye. It looked like a graveyard. I was scared. There were too many human skeletons lying in an arranged manner in that wet mud. There was also a vacant burial space adjoining it.

Before I could ask her about it, she spoke, “Many years ago, this place was a graveyard and no one lived here since years. And then I bought it as I couldn’t find any other house those days.”

I was terrified as I’d never been to graveyard either and I’d seen skeletons only in biology laboratory.

“What about that empty space there? Did someone steal any skeleton?”, I asked.

“No, it hasn’t been used yet!”, she said.

As she kept telling about the previous owner of that house, we reached the corner of the yard where a huge tree had grown. I looked up and to my astonishment, it was the same tree I’d seen in my dreams. This time it had leaves and its stem was on fire.

I stepped back with fear and shouted, “This tree is evil!”

Before I could flee the place, she caught hold of my arm and calmed me down saying, “Trees aren’t evil, humans are!”

“Why are we here?”, I asked as I was trembling with fear upon seeing that tree.

“The stem of this tree is always on fire and hence I treat this as a bonfire during night! You can sacrifice the coldness of your body here and feel better!”, she said.

This was quite unusual for me but I believed her. She handed over some twigs to me and insisted me to put them near stem to increase the fire! As soon as I went near it, the tree shed all its leaves, increased the fire and someone pushed me towards the fire and laughed.

I fell down and turned back, but my teacher was nowhere to be seen. I saw something rise out of the ground. It was that evil figure once again.

I ran away as fast as I could. I could hear a cunning laughter! As I passed through the backyard, the skeletons were all out of ground facing me and had scattered near that vacant space!

It made my blood run cold and I ran out of the gate onto the main road with that evil laugh echoing all over. I turned back to see that evil figure standing upright amidst the darkness!

Though it was too dark, I ran all the way to my house with the help of street lights. Even the street dogs who used to keep barking at night were nowhere to be seen.

As I reached my house, I was panting heavily. I knocked the door several times, but no one opened. I could hear the same evil laugh again. I looked back and saw that figure walking towards me. I started yelling and ringing doorbell as fast as I could!

The door opened all of a sudden. I rushed in and closed the door quickly and fell down unconsciously!

Story ahead: Read at Haunted Tree - Epilogue (coming soon)

Haunted Tree Sequel

Disclaimer: This horror story is purely fictional. Any resemblance to name, place, organization or community is purely a coincidence. The story is neither meant for harming any living being, nor does it encourage readers to believe in paranormal activities. The images used in the post are only for representation purpose. They are downloaded from internet and the author doesn't bear the rights of the same.

Warning: Reader discretion is advised!

Story till now: Read at Haunted Tree!

“Bhoot aaya.. Bhaago jaldi.. Bhaago..” I kept screaming till my mother shook me very hard to bring me out of my horror dream!

It was an indeed the first horrible dream of my life. I’d never experienced such a dream! My mother knew that I was used to dreaming at nights! So she went to the kitchen telling me to get ready for college as someone had called on my cell and informed me.

I was shocked. It was Sunday! How can there be lectures in college on the holiday?

I straightaway went to the bathroom. The next moment, I shouted on seeing my hand in the mirror!

There was a unique symbol scribbled on my hand with blood stains dripping out of it. Mother asked me what had happened. As I was about to tell her about it, my hand was alright and there was no symbol! I kept thinking about this till I got out of my home for college.

Just as I was about to cross the lane adjoining college, I saw a black cat with neon-green eyes – the same one as that from my dream – staring at me continuously while I ignored her and walked into college campus!

To the astonishment there was not a single student in the campus! Even the gatekeepers enquired as in why I’d came to the college on the holiday! I even forgot to ask mother who had played this prank!

Suddenly I remembered the dream and I tried to look at the haunted tree from my dream which was inside the campus with curiosity! There wasn’t any such tree there! I gave a happy smile.

I pointed out and asked the gatekeepers if they cut down any tree from that place. Surprisingly, they told me there wasn’t any tree there!

As I was about to return back home, someone called me from behind. I turned back to notice my college friend walking towards me with a wonderful bouquet in his hand.

He informed me that our Maths teacher passed away last night and he was going there. I was shocked for a moment. I wondered if it had anything to relate to my dream!

He told me that he had some important work to do and requested me to take that bouquet to her place. I agreed.

For a moment I was stunned to notice the symbol on the bouquet which he handed over to me. It was the same one which I had seen on my hand apparently. I was going to ask him about it, but he had gone.

Suddenly the winds blew ferociously followed by lightning and heavy rain.

Catching hold of the umbrella, I set off to her house. She stayed close to our college. She was unmarried and stayed alone.

I’d visited her place earlier. I was terrified on seeing the haunted tree from the dream right in front of her house. Today, the house appeared to me like a haunted house due to this weather.

As I moved further, I was shocked! There were many similar bouquets with the same symbol, all of them laid down outside her house. I thought, there must be a florist shop nearby, though I never saw it.

I went inside the house with a feeling of curiosity and expected to meet some of her relatives inside.

Thudd…

The door behind me shut with a loud noise!

I went further to check if anyone had arrived at her place. Everything was neatly arranged at her place. I didn’t know whom to call as I forgot to ask more details about her death like the incident, place, reason, etc.

I stepped inside further and asked, “Is anyone there?”

“Yes, I’m here in the basement!” I heard a very low voice from the basement!

I felt relieved as there was atleast someone in the house from whom I could ask about this tragic incident. I stepped down in the basement. It was almost dark there!

I saw a familiar figure in the corner.

“No, this can’t be true! You can’t get out of my dream!” I yelled as I remembered it’s the same figure which followed us in my dream.

As the spirit approached me, the only electric bulb which was glowing in the basement went off!

Story ahead: Read at Haunted Tree - Dark Territory