a headless man

The morning mist clung to the hills like a secret, softening the green as the four friends walked the stone-paved path into the village of Glenfaye. To one side stretched quiet farmlands, to the other, a dense forest loomed — still and watchful.

“This place is perfect,” Rajeev said, eyes scanning the landscape. “We made the right call coming here right after exams.”

Sameer stumbled, kneeling to fix his shoelace. “Yeah? I bet your idea of fun is staring at the sky with that antique DSLR of yours.”

“Don’t mock him,” Arti cut in, pouting. “You can’t deny the stars shine better here. No light pollution.”

“True,” Veeru muttered behind them, lugging all their bags with a deadpan face.

They laughed, the village gates just ahead — the perfect place to forget the world for a while.

1.1

Outside a stone-built inn with flower boxes under its windows stood an elderly woman. Her face was lined, her hair tied neatly in a bun, and her gaze sharp.

“Don’t make a mess around here, children,” she said in clear English, her tone calm but firm. “Or I’ll throw you out of my inn.”

Rajeev nodded quickly. “Don’t worry, we’ll behave.”

Inside, the place smelled of wood polish and old bricks. After setting their bags down, they stepped back outside, eager to explore.

To their surprise, most of the locals they passed by greeted them in English. It felt unusual, almost surreal, but also comforting. Maybe rural Ireland wasn’t as disconnected as they’d imagined.

Walking along the grass trails that led into the fields, they admired the landscape. Barley crops swayed gently in the breeze under a pale sun.

“Wow,” Arti breathed, eyes wide. “Nature really is beautiful.”

Rajeev was already several steps ahead, crouching slightly to take pictures with his old DSLR, eyes glinting with joy.

"Let’s check out the forest!" Sameer suddenly said, throwing up his arms.

“Nice,” Veeru said simply, ever the minimalist.

Water bottles in hand, they wandered into the woods. Tall trees lined their path, the undergrowth dotted with wild herbs and flowers. Laughter echoed among the trees.

Eventually, they found themselves in a wide clearing — a grassy field where nothing stirred. No animals. No birds. Just wind and sky.

The sight stunned them.

“Whoa…” Rajeev looked up, wide-eyed. “I’m definitely coming back here tonight with my telescope. Look at that sky!”

“What if you find a ghost out there tonight?” Sameer said laughing.

“Do you really think they exist?” Ignoring him Rajeev went forward.
He snapped photo after photo, immersed in the moment.

A few steps behind, the other three watched him.

“He looks so… happy like this,” Arti murmured, smiling softly.

“Oh, here we go,” Sameer teased, flashing a grin. “Everyone knows you’ve got a thing for him.”

Arti’s cheeks flushed. “It’s not like that!”

“You should tell him,” Veeru said gently, hands in his pockets.

“Yeah, he’s right,” Sameer added. “This place is perfect for a confession.”

“I-I might… just not now.” She waved them off, trying to hide her flustered smile.

By evening, the four of them were walking back toward the village. The sun dipped low behind the hills, casting long shadows across the land. The first stars began to flicker into view.

And in Rajeev’s hand, his camera clicked — capturing the beginning of what they thought would be just another beautiful night.

1.2

Later that night, around ten o'clock, Rajeev returned alone. The clearing was silent, bathed in the pale light of the moon. He carried his old DSLR slung over one shoulder and cradled a small portable telescope in his arms. Each step into the field felt like walking into a dream — soft grass brushing against his ankles, the cool night air brushing his cheeks.

A sudden sound of hoofbeats. He turned.

A horse stood at the edge of the clearing, black as shadow, its coat glinting faintly under moonlight. It was tall and still, as if carved from obsidian. Its mane flowed like smoke, and its eyes reflected nothing. Strange, but Rajeev simply assumed it belonged to someone nearby and shrugged it off.

He moved a little farther into the field and set up his telescope. The sky stretched out above him like an endless canvas — clearer and more vivid than anything he’d seen in the city. The stars twinkled like ancient secrets waiting to be read.

He smiled, wide and soft, the kind of smile that only came when he forgot about everything else.

"The stars here look brighter than they ever do in the city," he murmured, eyes shining with quiet wonder.

He angled the lens, adjusted the focus, and began taking pictures. Click. Click. His fingers worked out of instinct. His mind was elsewhere. He peered through the telescope, watching the constellations slowly shift above him. The Milky Way spilled across the sky like liquid light. He could trace each pattern, feel their presence above him, like the universe itself was leaning down to speak.

He lay down for a moment, camera resting on his chest, the telescope nearby. His heart beat slower. He felt still, small, and infinite.

Time blurred. He didn’t notice the wind picking up. He didn’t notice the distant sound of branches snapping in the forest.

It was only when the cold began to sting his skin that he came back to himself. He sat up, eyes still lost in the sky. His fingers were stiff, legs a little numb.

He checked his phone. 2:08 AM.

“Shit,” he muttered softly, half-smiling. “Got too carried away.”

He began packing up, gently folding the tripod, carefully unscrewing the telescope lens. The sky still pulled at him, like a lover saying goodbye. He looked up one last time before slinging his bag over his shoulder.

“Beautiful,” he whispered, one last time.

Then, without realizing how silent everything around him had become — he began the walk back.

Something felt off.
The night air had shifted. The wind had died.

He stopped.
A strange chill crawled down his spine. Slowly, he turned his head to glance behind him.

The black horse stood at the edge of the clearing again.

But this time, it wasn’t alone.

A figure sat atop the horse —

Adrenaline exploded through his veins.

He didn’t wait to think.
His feet were already moving, sprinting over the grass as if survival itself commanded him.
He ran. Fast. Breath ragged. Vision blurred. Each gasp felt like his lungs were collapsing.

“What the hell was that?” he muttered between shallow breaths. “What did I just see? Why am I running?”
But deep down, he knew.
He had seen it. Clearly.

His thoughts tangled with panic, questions spinning in his mind with every pounding heartbeat. He didn’t stop until the first faint glimmers of light from the village came into view. The outline of the inn. Safety.

Sameer was outside.

Rajeev stumbled toward him, sweat on his face, eyes wide, chest heaving.

Sameer turned, surprised. “Whoa—Rajeev?”

Rajeev dropped his telescope with a heavy thud and collapsed to his knees, gasping.

“I saw…”
A pause. He blinked.
“…a headless man.”