After the night

I woke up in my bed, covered in sweat.Not because of the hot weather, but because of what I saw.
“Was it a dream?” I wondered.My body felt tired, but for some reason, my ankle was perfectly fine.
I got up and rushed towards the window.The alley had no blood, no scratches – just the old cracked road.But one thing kept making me anxious: the scar on my ankle.
The morning was calm.The weather was warm, different from yesterday.I learned that if someone is gone from your life, it doesn’t mean life stops.Life is cruel.Life is unfair.Life is painful.But death… it’s more horrible than you think.Some people say “I want to die” like it’s a joke.Those who do, have never faced death.I did, last night.Whether it was a dream…Whether it was reality…I felt it.Death, standing before me.So I should admire the time of life I have since sometimes, death is just about a peek outside the window.
Back then, I thought that, but I didn't knew what my existence would do.
After all…I was never supposed to live past that night.



I still had sorrow in my mind, but I had to move on.I decided to go to school.I glanced at the clock and started packing my stuff.
Schools.They were closed till last week because of the asteroid incident.But now, life was getting back on track."I should pick my bag" I thought.
I picked up my bag and came out of my room.My mom was surprised.It was expected.After all, I was locked in my room for months now.She cuddled me as she saw me after so long.Her eyes had some tears, not from sorrow, but from joy.I said, “Ah mummy, don’t do this, you know I’m not a kid now.”
She said while reaching for her slipper, “Ah, you’re not a kid now, right? Hmmm right.”
She started beating me.“Mummyyyy I didn’t mean that,” I cried.
My mom muttered while hitting me, “You locked yourself in the room, didn’t go to school for weeks, and you think… you know how worried I was? You didn’t even thought about me.”
I cried while getting beaten, “Noo mummy not the slipper, I’m sorry… I’m sorry mummy, I won’t do that again. Huh! What’s that? Not the jhadu – ahhhhhhh.”
After sometime, she said, “Okay, that’s enough. Get ready for school.”I Whispered, “Okay,” with my beaten face and started packing again.
I knew she wouldn’t show it, but she was also in pain.I didn’t even think about her when I locked myself away.For her, I was last hope.I didn’t know how she felt when my father died.I just thought about my own sorrow.I didn’t think about how she had felt.When her husband died, and her only kid locked himself in his room.She must have felt lonely.Very lonely.


I went towards the door and opened it slowly.The sun was up, shining with a mild warmth.Birds were chirping.I looked back inside my old shaby house and said, “Love you, mummy. Bye.”
She replied, “Come back early, beta.”I replied, “Okay,” and went towards the school.

It took me 20 minutes to reach there.
At school gate, I sighed, and took a step in.School felt… good.Everyone was talking to each other.Some kids were discussing the asteroid incident, flexing their knowledge about it.
I kept walking until I reached my class.Everything looked the same as before.Old paint, some broken benches, and the cracked blackboard.I stared at the dark blackboard as if its darkness was attracting me.The cracks on its black surface had particles of chalk dust in them, making them look like thunderbolts in a dark storm.
I shifted my gaze towards the left.There was Kuldeep, sitting at his bench, studying.His eyes scanned the book through his glasses.His back was tilted, and his slightly skinny body looked like an S shape.
I walked towards him to greet him, since he was a good friend of mine.
But suddenly, someone punched me.It was Naman.
I looked at him with a death stare. “Why did you punch me?”“I just felt like it, you son of a bitch,” Naman said.“Oh, then how about I beat the shit out of yo—” I said, but Naman ran away.“Hey, come here you son of a bitch!” I screamed while chasing him.



After some time, we both got tired and sat at the staircase behind the class.“Hahhhh… why did you bother me this much?” I asked while panting.“Hahhhh… hah… I just felt like it,” Naman said, breathing heavily.
“You… really are a sucker,” I said with an annoyed face.
I was trying to be ignorant at that time, but I knew deep down why he punched me.
I asked with a light expression on my face, “Did you… miss me?”Naman replied, “Who are you? My girlfriend, talking like that. Stop doing these gay things.”
I started laughing while watching the sky above.“Yes… you’re the same as before. Let’s go to class then.”
Naman whispered silently to himself while walking, “Yeah… maybe I did.”



We went to class.
I told Naman everything that happened last night.He thought for some time and said, “Maybe it could be just a dream.”
I slapped my forehead and thought, “Why am I even telling everything to this brain-dead idiot?”
“I have a scar on my ankle that I didn’t have yesterday,” I said to him.Naman’s expression changed suddenly.He became slightly serious, still having the grin on his face, like he was getting excited.
“Okay… let’s fuck your nightmare before it ruins more of your sleep,” Naman said while standing up, looking almost thrilled.
“What do you mean?” I asked, still wondering why he looked so excited.“Why don’t we check that place?” Naman suggested.
I flinched for a moment, then thought, “It could be alright… there’s no trace of that thing now, so it can’t get too dangerous. He might get disappointed if I refuse.”
I sighed. “Okay… let’s check that place.”Naman screamed, “YAYYYY!!!” in class.
The teacher made him stand for the entire period.



After school, we both went to the alley behind my house.I showed Naman the place.

---
It was evening.The alley was still the same.The garbage bags lay along the streetlight.The old cracked road looked clean…Too clean, if I’d be honest.
Naman said, “Wow… there’s nothing here.”I replied, “It’s expected. What, did you think there would be a monster roaming arou—”
Suddenly, I felt something like last night.Naman asked, “What happened, Yash?”
I said, “There’s something here… let’s check further.”
I didn't knew why I suggested that but somehow I knew its not that thing.

We kept walking while investigating the street, and then we found something at the dead end.



The dead end.It was dark.The light didn’t reach there.There were some white pieces on the ground…bones.And some blood trails, like something had been dragged here.
I stared at the blood and said with a terrified look on my face,“That… was not a dream.This isn’t human blood.”
I said it while trembling.