Blood Moon Prophecy Part-2
It had been a long and arduous journey from Lengui airport to the quaint village of Kepran but surprisingly, Sharon, rather than being tired is rejuvenated by the invigorating ambiance of rural Mizoram. Martha and Robert, Sharon's dad, had slept through their entire journey from Aizwal to Kepran but Sharon hadn't even blinked her eyes once. She is transfixed by the tall, rugged mountains, dangerously stiff cliffs, all-pervasive lush green blanket of vegetation, clear and sinuous streams, and sleepy villages insulated from the modern, anxiety-ridden life.
Sharon had been transported to a past, idyllic, nostalgic world, the world of her childhood by the mystic, alluring mountains so that she didn't even realize that their SUV had halted long ago and her parents were busy unloading their baggages. Sharon was brought back from her reveries by the mirthful laughter of her cousins and the mock menacing tone of her uncle who very dramatically declared that if Sharon didn't get out of the car within 5 seconds then he will be compelled to tickle her to death.
Before coming out of the car Sharon also shouted in a mock angry tone, "Fine, I yield to your unreasonable demands, you fleecing pirate."
And soon as she stepped out she was inundated by the hugs and kisses of her cousins. It had been a long time since Sharon had experienced such pure and intense love, which is almost an unknown phenomena in the metropolis. However, this flow of love and affection was interrupted by her aunt who ordered her children to take Sharon inside their home and let her have some rest. The order was almost instantaneously executed by her cousins and Sharon was ushered into her granny's home. As she stepped inside the threshold she was transported to an altogether different world, the nostalgic world of her childhood. However, Sharon did not had the luxury to revel in her nostalgic reverie for long for she was urged by her aunt to hurry up and quickly join them in their sumptuous lunch which was, apparently prepared specially for Sharon.
Sharon quickly glanced around and saw that nothing had changed much, it felt as if she had stepped back in time and had entered a time insulated zone. Perhaps, with the exception of her granny, who seemed to have aged almost a decade since she last saw her. Suddenly, Sharon was overwhelmed by an unknown sorrow and she found herself tightly hugging her granny. Her granny returned the hug, albeit feebly and asked her to hurry up if she didn't want to have a cold lunch.
Having had her lunch and a short siesta, Sharon went out with her cousins, Esther and Arash, for an evening walk around their village. Though they were forbidden by their parents to go near the stream but as soon as they stepped out of their home they headed straight for the stream as if by a tacit agreement among them. As they reached the stream, they were caressed by the soft, cool, clear breeze which Sharon had yearned for almost 5 years in the soot filled air of Mumbai. They sat silently by the stream and let the cool mountain breeze caress their face. Sharon had always felt comfortable and at ease in the presence of her cousins, both of whom were now teenagers and only a few years younger than her.
Without a preamble, Arash broke the soothing silence and asked Sharon about her life in Mumbai. Sharon had expected this for they had a lot to catch up on. Though they had been in touch with each other but Sharon had always believed that one cannot convey their emotions through the modern means of communication. For Sharon, nothing can beat the charm of a face to face, personal conversation and she had really looked forward to having some private time with her cousins.
Sharon would not have realized how long they had been talking if Esther hadn't asked them to hurry up for it was getting dark. On their way back home, Sharon suddenly stopped in front of an abandoned and dilapidated house.
"What happened? Aren't you feeling well?" asked Esther, concerned etched on her face.
"This was Samuel's house, wasn't it?" asked Sharon.
"They had left a long ago. Almost 3 years ago." said Arash.
"What? Why?!.... Why hasn't anyone told me?" Sharon was quite visibly baffled.
"He was you best friend, wasn't he?" asked Arash.
"Yes, but we haven't been in touch for 5 years. Neither I had his contact number nor I found him on any social networking site. It was almost as if he had disappeared into thin air." replied Sharon.
Esther and Arash looked at each other, a deep frown etched on both of their faces.
"So, you have no idea about what happened?" asked Arash.
"Clearly she hasn't." retorted Esther.
"Will you both stop gloating about my ignorance and do the favour of enlightening me?" snapped an agitated Sharon.
"Samuel died of tuberculosis 4 years ago." calmly replied Esther.
Sharon was too stunned to say anything.
"Tell her the full story, Esther." said Arash.
"What! Did you really believe that superstitious cock and bull story?" snapped Esther.
“No, but what you are telling is not the whole story as well. Samuel was her close friend and she needs to know the whole story even if it is a superstitious, stupid concoction." reasoned Arash.
Esther heaved a deep sigh, and said, "4 years ago both Samuel and his step-brother were afflicted with tuberculosis. The local quack was called to prescribe medicines for them and as was expected his prescribed medicines had no effect on the brothers. That's when Samuel's step-mother decided to seek the help of the man who claimed to possess the knowledge of black magic. Apparently, that man said that he can cure only one of the boys and the other has to be sacrificed. Naturally, his step-mother chose her own son and was too willing to sacrifice Samuel for curing her own son. So, on a chosen night that man performed some ritual on the bank of the stream and then he sacrificed Samuel to appease the Devil. Next morning we were informed about the tragic demise of Samuel but his dead body was shown to no one. He was neither buried in the village cemetery nor given any funeral services. It is rumoured that his body was dumped by his step-mother and that man in the forest on the other side of the stream. After a few days of Samuel's death, his step-mother along with her son disappeared mysteriously never to be seen again."
Sharon stood petrified. She was too shocked to say anything. After a few minutes the silence was broken by Sharon herself, "This is a blatant murder. Why hasn't anyone reported to the police?"
"Apparently everyone thinks that reporting the 'sacrifice' will bring them bad luck because he was 'sacrificed' to appease Devil, and nobody has got the nerves to mess with Devil." sighed Arash.
This reply further enraged Sharon. But before she could express her anger Esther interrupted, "It's getting really dark. We should hurry up or else we will be in serious trouble."
Realizing that Esther had a strong point, Sharon unwillingly yielded to her order.
The three of them snaked their way back to home through the zig-zag muddy paths.
Sharon had been transported to a past, idyllic, nostalgic world, the world of her childhood by the mystic, alluring mountains so that she didn't even realize that their SUV had halted long ago and her parents were busy unloading their baggages. Sharon was brought back from her reveries by the mirthful laughter of her cousins and the mock menacing tone of her uncle who very dramatically declared that if Sharon didn't get out of the car within 5 seconds then he will be compelled to tickle her to death.
Before coming out of the car Sharon also shouted in a mock angry tone, "Fine, I yield to your unreasonable demands, you fleecing pirate."
And soon as she stepped out she was inundated by the hugs and kisses of her cousins. It had been a long time since Sharon had experienced such pure and intense love, which is almost an unknown phenomena in the metropolis. However, this flow of love and affection was interrupted by her aunt who ordered her children to take Sharon inside their home and let her have some rest. The order was almost instantaneously executed by her cousins and Sharon was ushered into her granny's home. As she stepped inside the threshold she was transported to an altogether different world, the nostalgic world of her childhood. However, Sharon did not had the luxury to revel in her nostalgic reverie for long for she was urged by her aunt to hurry up and quickly join them in their sumptuous lunch which was, apparently prepared specially for Sharon.
Sharon quickly glanced around and saw that nothing had changed much, it felt as if she had stepped back in time and had entered a time insulated zone. Perhaps, with the exception of her granny, who seemed to have aged almost a decade since she last saw her. Suddenly, Sharon was overwhelmed by an unknown sorrow and she found herself tightly hugging her granny. Her granny returned the hug, albeit feebly and asked her to hurry up if she didn't want to have a cold lunch.
Having had her lunch and a short siesta, Sharon went out with her cousins, Esther and Arash, for an evening walk around their village. Though they were forbidden by their parents to go near the stream but as soon as they stepped out of their home they headed straight for the stream as if by a tacit agreement among them. As they reached the stream, they were caressed by the soft, cool, clear breeze which Sharon had yearned for almost 5 years in the soot filled air of Mumbai. They sat silently by the stream and let the cool mountain breeze caress their face. Sharon had always felt comfortable and at ease in the presence of her cousins, both of whom were now teenagers and only a few years younger than her.
Without a preamble, Arash broke the soothing silence and asked Sharon about her life in Mumbai. Sharon had expected this for they had a lot to catch up on. Though they had been in touch with each other but Sharon had always believed that one cannot convey their emotions through the modern means of communication. For Sharon, nothing can beat the charm of a face to face, personal conversation and she had really looked forward to having some private time with her cousins.
Sharon would not have realized how long they had been talking if Esther hadn't asked them to hurry up for it was getting dark. On their way back home, Sharon suddenly stopped in front of an abandoned and dilapidated house.
"What happened? Aren't you feeling well?" asked Esther, concerned etched on her face.
"This was Samuel's house, wasn't it?" asked Sharon.
"They had left a long ago. Almost 3 years ago." said Arash.
"What? Why?!.... Why hasn't anyone told me?" Sharon was quite visibly baffled.
"He was you best friend, wasn't he?" asked Arash.
"Yes, but we haven't been in touch for 5 years. Neither I had his contact number nor I found him on any social networking site. It was almost as if he had disappeared into thin air." replied Sharon.
Esther and Arash looked at each other, a deep frown etched on both of their faces.
"So, you have no idea about what happened?" asked Arash.
"Clearly she hasn't." retorted Esther.
"Will you both stop gloating about my ignorance and do the favour of enlightening me?" snapped an agitated Sharon.
"Samuel died of tuberculosis 4 years ago." calmly replied Esther.
Sharon was too stunned to say anything.
"Tell her the full story, Esther." said Arash.
"What! Did you really believe that superstitious cock and bull story?" snapped Esther.
“No, but what you are telling is not the whole story as well. Samuel was her close friend and she needs to know the whole story even if it is a superstitious, stupid concoction." reasoned Arash.
Esther heaved a deep sigh, and said, "4 years ago both Samuel and his step-brother were afflicted with tuberculosis. The local quack was called to prescribe medicines for them and as was expected his prescribed medicines had no effect on the brothers. That's when Samuel's step-mother decided to seek the help of the man who claimed to possess the knowledge of black magic. Apparently, that man said that he can cure only one of the boys and the other has to be sacrificed. Naturally, his step-mother chose her own son and was too willing to sacrifice Samuel for curing her own son. So, on a chosen night that man performed some ritual on the bank of the stream and then he sacrificed Samuel to appease the Devil. Next morning we were informed about the tragic demise of Samuel but his dead body was shown to no one. He was neither buried in the village cemetery nor given any funeral services. It is rumoured that his body was dumped by his step-mother and that man in the forest on the other side of the stream. After a few days of Samuel's death, his step-mother along with her son disappeared mysteriously never to be seen again."
Sharon stood petrified. She was too shocked to say anything. After a few minutes the silence was broken by Sharon herself, "This is a blatant murder. Why hasn't anyone reported to the police?"
"Apparently everyone thinks that reporting the 'sacrifice' will bring them bad luck because he was 'sacrificed' to appease Devil, and nobody has got the nerves to mess with Devil." sighed Arash.
This reply further enraged Sharon. But before she could express her anger Esther interrupted, "It's getting really dark. We should hurry up or else we will be in serious trouble."
Realizing that Esther had a strong point, Sharon unwillingly yielded to her order.
The three of them snaked their way back to home through the zig-zag muddy paths.
............ To be continued
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