THE TRIP

KODAIKANAL, INDIA...

The cold, cloudy breezy morning lifted my spirits. Being a pluviophile, I usually go on a bike trip to get an adventure out in the woods. Since it was Saturday, I decided to plan a bike trip. I would occasionally climb small cliffs and venture deep inside the woods for some thrill.  For me, the cloudy sky along with mild showers is the perfect day. Equipped with the climbing gears, trekking shoes, sports watch, and a rucksack around my back, I would feel like a secret agent on a mission. I got up from my bed and went to the balcony to feel the fresh cold air cleansing my lungs. From the balcony, I could see the beautiful green cover all around me with thin clouds moving slowly on the mountain tops and peacocks spreading its beautiful wings to welcome the rain. I never knew that was going to be my last trip.

I was pursuing my masters at that time. I lived alone in a house owned by my dad. Since my college was present in the hill station and my family runs a business in another district, I chose to stay alone in my house rather than staying at the college hostel. I would occasionally be accompanied by my friends on weekends but mostly I was alone.

'"Beautiful day" I whispered to myself sipping a hot cup of tea.

In the afternoon, I geared myself up for the trekking. Usually, I used to venture the woods alone since it gave me that thrill and the goose-flesh. Well, my friends had warned me several times not to venture into the woods alone but I never listened to them. I owned a dirt bike with which I used to ride inside the deep woods to quench my thirst for adventure and sometimes I would park my bike around to get some pictures of beautiful scenery and creepy places and climb over the small cliffs by myself if I was in the mood.

I tightened my rucksack clips, hopped on my bike, and put my phone on the recording mode. I placed it in front of my bike and wrapped a cloth around it for support. I liked to see my trekking trip recording in the night after the trip. The breeze stopped it began to drizzle.

"This is the best day ever," I said to myself and grinned

On my way, I saw my classmate Madhu along with her friend standing near a chocolate store. She saw me going past her and gave me that cold, angry look as if I tried to kill her and I gave her a disgusted look and mimicked throwing up. She was my best friend and my secret crush. But we got into a fight, and we weren't really in talking terms after that.

I drove for almost an hour and I reached a lake. The water looked grey and there was no civilization across that lake. I saw a dense forest and ridges across the lake. The grey colored water along with the dark skies highlighted the green lush and gave the place a spooky look. I had never been in that dense forest before, so I thought why not give it a swing. I drove through a narrow bridge across the river. I rode through a rugged road into the woods. I rode inside the woods for almost half an hour and I stopped under a small cliff. I hear the soft gushing sounds of water. Then, I remembered there was a water stream on the cliff but I didn't know its exact location.

There was a passage large enough for a dirt bike to go through, and so I was in a dilemma whether to climb or to ride. Since dusk was fast approaching, I decided to use my bike. I rode through the narrow uphill carefully. I could feel my backpack pushing me backward. By the time I thought my decision was bad, I reached the cliff. I stopped my bike and looked for the water stream. But it was nowhere. The gushing sound came from the back of the cliff. I unwrapped the phone and stopped the recording. I took out my DSLR and my climbing gear and began my search for the water stream. 

But before that, I decided to look down the cliff to see how it looked from the top and that's when I saw that figure. It was standing near the bushes on the other side of the road. The figure was clad in a black raincoat and wore a terrifying joker makeup. It was directly looking at me with its face tilted. I had coulrophobia and everyone around me knew that. I stood there terrified with my hair standing on its end.

"Heyyy!!!!What do you want, you creep?"  I shouted at that figure mustering up my courage

I then decided to take a photo of the figure. I took my phone and when I looked for it, it was no longer there which made me even more terrified than I already was. I convinced myself that it was some sick joke played by some jerk and I began my search for the stream.

Few minutes passed and I found the water stream. It was a beautiful sight. Flapping sounds of flocks of birds echoed along with the gushing sound of water. I took many photos I could and I saw my watch. It was almost sunset. The faint lights of the sun penetrated through the clouds. So, I decided to return home that's when I felt that someone was watching me. I immediately looked around. There was nobody.

I took my mobile and put it on the recording mode again. When I approached near my bike, the same sensation came again and I looked around me. That's when I had the shock of my life. 

It was the same figure I saw some time ago! It was almost twenty feet away from me and was looking directly at me with a sinister smile on its face. It looked about a few centimeters shorter than me. I did know whether it was a man or a woman. The makeup was slightly wearing off due to the drizzle and it had a long hair flapping on its face and had a medium build.  But the smile, the smile made my blood curdle. I stood there petrified. I tried to move my body did not respond. What it did next made my body tremble with fear.

It held a camouflage rucksack that I didn't see during my earlier encounter. It slowly slid its hand inside the rucksack. I was almost sure it was a weapon, and I was begging my body to move. But what I saw was the most disgusting sight and made me dizzy. It was a severed human head!. It took out a human head! It then took out a blood-covered climbing ax and dropped the rucksack. Inside the rucksack was the remaining parts of the body. It looked at me and pointed its finger towards the severed head indicating I was next. Its smile then converted into a menacing laugh. Suddenly that psychotic bastard charged towards me like a rabid dog! 

Panic-stricken, I quickly stuffed my phone in my pocket and jumped onto my bike. I sped down the cliff praying to God to save me. Luckily, I managed to go down the rugged passage without falling. I looked back as I sped down the road. It was chasing me! Raising the blood-covered ax, it was charging at me at full speed. I sped through the rugged road. I felt drizzle of raindrops falling into my eyes like a sharp needle. The sunset and the rain drizzle reduced my visibility and I just felt the ride like a biker race video game. Seconds later, I heard a huge roar from a distance. I looked back and I did not see that psycho. Within minutes I reached the bridge on the lake and I just rode through it like a madman. 

I didn't know what to do. My entire body began to shake. I remembered that a famous Lord Shiva temple was near the lake. Without a second thought, I rode there. When I reached the entrance, I saw Madhu and her friend carrying the temple offerings on their hands. As soon as I saw them, I lost my balance and fell. I rolled for a few seconds and landed near them. They were almost taken aback by my eccentric behavior. They then came towards me to help me. 

Madhu came near me and tried to lift me but I resisted.

"Madhu pl..please as...sav...save.. m...me,"  I said to her stammering patting my phone pocket. I could feel my adrenaline wearing off and everything around me started to spin.

"SID...HEY WHAT HAPPENED?" she shouted at me lifting my head and rested it on her hands. Few people around gathered near me and I felt cold water sprinkle on my face. 

"Madhu, my p..p..pock...et," I said to her mustering up my stamina and the world around me blacked out

Three hours later...

I woke up in a well-lit room. The bright tube light flashed before my eyes. I slowly opened my eyes and looked around. I saw Madhu sitting near me with a worried look on her face.

"Hey, guys!!! Sid woke up! Come fast!" She shouted. My friends came running inside the room.

They surrounded me with the same face Madhu had. Along with them stood a tall, muscular man in Khaki uniform. It was the Inspector of Police. I got up slowly and smiled weakly at them. The Doctor came to check up on me. He checked my pulse and flashed his bright flashlight into my eyes almost blinding me.

"He looks good. Something scared him out of his wits. I'll prescribe some pills, but he is good to go" The doc said to the Inspector smiling. 

Just I was preparing to greet them, my cheeks received two mighty slaps. It was from Madhu and Rohan.

"ARE YOU MAD YOU IDIOT!! WE'VE WARNED YOU A MILLION TIMES NOT TO GO OUT THERE ALONE HUH?" Rohan shouted at me at the top of his voice and I saw the tear-filled eyes of girls. Madhu's eyes were puffy and bloodshot. 

"Hey, he just got up...go easy on him"  Anika came to my rescue and hugged me.

"Is my phone broken? Did you see the video?" I asked Madhu groaning.

"We all did. That video is going to haunt us for the rest of our lives, man. Which sick bastard would even do these kinds of things?"  Rohan replied.

"Your phone screen is okay, just some scratches on the screen" Anika replied. 

"Hey kid, we have some questions, can you answer?" The Inspector asked me and I nodded.

He signaled everyone to go to the waiting room. He asked me some routine questions and I answered him.

"What you did today was the stupidest thing you've ever done in your life. We've informed your parents, and they are on their way," He told me placing his hands on my shoulder.

"Yeah, I screwed up big time. My friends are going to treat me like a kindergarten kid for some days" I replied to the inspector and gave him a fake smile, but he gave me a serious look.

"Look several people went missing at that place. A month ago an idiot like you decided to trek inside the woods, and we haven't heard of him ever since. Do you what happened to those other missing people? Several days later, we found their disembodied corpse in a rucksack near their houses. That psycho killed ten people until now. You are the only person who made it out alive. Gladly, you recorded everything and now we have a lead. But don't ever do these kinds of stupid things in your life...okay?" The inspector said in a serious tone.

A sharp chill ran down the spine. I gulped and nodded. About thirty minutes later, I was discharged from the hospital and went to the parking lot along with my friends. From their look, I could sense that everyone was furious with me. 

"Where is my bike?" I asked Madhu like a school kid who did something naughty.

She gave me that stern, angry look and replied "get your ass on the back of the scooter. Your parents are going to come tomorrow. Thanks to you we canceled all of our plans, and we are going to spend the rest of the night at your house. Just wait till we get to your house... we've got big plans for you tonight"  with gritted teeth.

"I didn't know you cared for me," I asked her smiling at the same time scared.  

She ignored that question and began to drive. I tried to talk to her during the journey, but she didn't reply to any of my questions.

About twenty minutes later, we got to our house. Later that night I got an earful from my friends. After that incident, I wasn't allowed to touch my bike and my parents stayed with me until I finished masters. Even today I used to think of that incident. What would have happened if that sick bastard had caught me? Even the thought of it makes my spine tingle. But the only thing that pesters me even today is that the psycho had several chances to take me down. It could have knocked me out cold when I was taking the pictures or when I was returning from the stream. Why did it wait for me until I reached my bike?