The Historical Woods

by Shreya Sehgal
(Gurgaon)

ONCE UPON A TIME, THERE WAS A WOODCUTTER NAMED SANJAY. HE USED TO CUT TREES AT A PLACE NAMED HISTORICAL WOODS. HISTORICAL WOODS WAS A REMOTE PLACE, SITUATED AT A DISTANCE OF 10 KM FROM THE NEAREST TOWN. IT WAS A FRIGHTENING PLACE INDEED, BUT SANJAY BEING A REGULAR THERE, WAS USED TO ITS STRANGENESS. HE USUALLY USED TO GO THERE AT 6 IN THE MORNING AND RETURN AT 12 AT NOON AFTER 6 HOURS OF HARD WORK. HE USED TO EARN A LITTLE BUT IT WAS SUFFICIENT FOR HIS FAMILY WHICH CONSISTED OF THREE PEOPLE WHO WERE SANJAY, HIS WIFE AND HIS SON. ONE DAY, WHILE HE WAS CUTTING WOODS, HE HEARD SOME FAINT FOOTSTEPS. HE THOUGHT THAT THEY WERE HIS OWN OR MAYBE THE NOISE THE WOOD MAKES WHEN IT LANDS ON THE GRASS BUT HE WAS HEARING THE FOOTSTEPS EVERY NOW AND THEN AND THIS WAS SERIOUSLY BOTHERING HIM. HE DECIDED TO REST FOR A WHILE AND TAKE A BREAK FROM HIS WORK. HE SAT DOWN UNDER A HUGE TREE WHICH SPREAD ITS BRANCHES ABOVE HIM TO GIVE HIM SHADOW. SUDDENLY, HE HEARD SOME FAINT NOISES, AND DROPS OF BLOOD STARTED APPEARING ON THE GRASS. HE THOUGHT THAT ANOTHER WOODCUTTER WAS PLAYING A PRANK ON HIM SO THAT SANJAY LEFT THAT PLACE FOREVER. SANJAY SHOOK THE TREE TO SEE IF SOMEONE WAS DROPPING FAKE DROPS OF BLOOD ON THE GRASS. MORE DROPS OF BLOOD BEGAN TO FALL; SOME DROPS EVEN FELL ON HIS HEAD. HE TOUCHED THE DROPS, IT WAS REAL BLOOD, IT WASN'T FAKE. HE TURNED AND SAW A HUGE MONSTER STANDING RIGHT IN FRONT OF HIM. SANJAY WAS REALLY HORRIFIED AND COULD NOT FIGURE OUT HOW THIS HAD HAPPENED. HE FAINTED AND THEN THE NEXT THING HE SAW WAS A HOSPITAL ROOM. HE HAD A PLASTER ON HIS HAND AND THEN THE NURSE AND HIS WIFE CAME IN. THEY TOLD SANJAY THAT HE WENT THROUGH AN ACCIDENT. THE TREE WHICH HE WAS CUTTING HAD FALLEN ON HIM AND THAT HE SHOULD NOT GO THERE AGAIN. THAT PLACE WAS NOT GOOD FOR HIM. WHILE HIS WIFE WAS SAYING THIS, SANJAY NOTICED SOMETHING ABNORMAL ABOUT HER. SOMETHING NEW. SOMETHING HE HAD NEVER SEEN BEFORE. HE LOOKED INTO HER EYES, HE REMEMBERED THE MONSTER. HE LOOKED AT HER LIPS, HE AGAIN REMEMBERED THE MONSTER. THE NURSE WENT OUT OF THE ROOM. THE WIFE CAME CLOSER AND CLOSER AND SAID "SORRY HONEY" AND STABBED HIM.