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)