Ghost Of Monica

The phone went off Sonica’s hands the moment she got the news. Monica is no more! Anna just announced that she had jumped off from the thirteenth floor of her apartment. The mobile crashed on the floor. She was so stunned at the news that her body didn’t respond even at the sound of the fallen mobile. How could this be possible? Monica was all fit and fine in the afternoon when they met at the coffee shop. She sounded very excited after meeting her after so many years. They spent so much time together talking sharing old memories over cups of coffee and light snacks. Sonica was happy that at last, she got back her lost sister after so many years. Why did she do this after all? Several questions ran into her mind but she couldn’t find an answer.

But now she has to join the funeral of her loving sister. Sonica locked her home took her car and drove to the cemetery where the burial is to be performed. But the car stopped all of a sudden in the midway and didn’t get started after several trials. Strange! The car came back from the garage a few days before after regular check up. The fuel indicator displayed that fuel hasn’t finished! Then what may have happened? She thought and got out of it. Though she knows some work of repair now she has no time to use her experience and check out for fault. So she took out her phone to inform the mechanic about the car and ask him to take it to the garage but after several rings to he didn’t pick up the phone. What’s’ going on? Damn it! She locked the car and started walking towards the cemetery. While walking too she went on trying to connect with the garage owner and didn’t look how long she walked on. After a while when she slid her phone back into her dress pocket, she looked at the front assuming she has reached the cemetery. And she was right! She was standing before the cemetery gate but the gatekeeper wasn’t there. She pushed the gate open and entered. Then she looked forward to getting a look at the others attending the funeral but she couldn’t find anyone. Maybe they are in the backyard and she walked on. The lights seemed lacking sufficient power and shone dimly giving the cold silent graveyard a spooky atmosphere. Silence prevailed everywhere! Even there was no sound of breeze blowing or the rustling of leaves of the graveyard trees. The only sound Sonica could hear was the sound of her slippers and it too gave such a haunting sound as if some paranormal activity is going on everywhere. Her eyes looked at every nook and corners in search of the people who may have come but she couldn’t see anybody. How is this possible? Is she too late to reach here and have all the rituals got completed? But then she should have met the people returning home but she didn’t. She was thinking of every possible reason for not finding anyone while her eyes were still hopefully searching for a single known face.

Suddenly she saw a person coming from the backyard of the cemetery towards her. She advanced towards him/her (because the human figure was fully dressed in black attire and wore a hoody which hid the face but still Sonica felt maybe the human is a girl rather than a boy due to the curvy figure) and asked “Excuse me. Can you say are there any people in the cemetery who came sometime before for a burial?”

The figure still faces hidden behind the jacket hood pointed towards the backyard without speaking a word. She said “Thanks” and walked on. She didn’t look back or she should have noticed that the figure too turned around after she passed and started walking silently behind her. After walking for a few minutes she saw another human figure sitting on one of the graves with a face hidden behind the arms as if trying to solace oneself from the grief of losing someone. Sonica’s intuition said she must be Anna and so she advanced towards her and said “Hello Anna. Has the burial finished? Where are the others?”

The figure raised her face and looked at Sonica which made her give out a loud scream. Dead Monica was sitting before her, and the most horrifying state was her face all covered with blood oozing out from different smashed bruised areas on her once beautiful face. Sonica looked at her and said “Are you alive Monica? ……Then……then why did Anna said you are dead? And …why did you dress up like this? There isn’t any Halloween party now!” 

Monica laughed out loud. ghostly laughter echoed in every corner of the cemetery and gave Sonica a spine chilling feel. She backed a few steps back while staring at Monica’s scary face. Monica said in a cold peculiar scary tone “You are shocked to see me alive, ….right Sonica? Anna wasn’t wrong, because she never called you to give the death news. It was me who gave you the news in her tone. And it’s a true one. I did jump off from my apartment and the moment I touched the ground my head smashed into several pieces and my spirit left my human body. Aren’t I looking good as before? Paul is nodding his head in denying that means all my beauty is gone”

On the mention of Paul, Sonica’s eyes became bigger and she looked around to find Paul’s presence. Paul was standing just behind Sonica. IT was the same figure whom she asked a few minutes before about the people joining Monica’s funeral gathering. But now, the jacket hood had gone off his face and his scary face blood-chilling bulging eyes made Sonica scream loudly. Sonica could just mumble “You! …. How did you come here? You committed suicide! You are dead! A ghost!”

Paul gave out a frightening smile “Yes I’m a ghost and the reason is just YOU….”

 Monica said, “All these happened because of you and now you have to reveal why you did all this?”

 Sonica started to back out a few steps so as to get an opportunity to run away from the cemetery but couldn’t. Her feet seemed glued to the ground and she couldn’t move a bit. She joined her hands and said “I’m sorry Monica…..very very sorry. Please forgive me. From childhood, I envied you because of your beauty your smartness your ability to befriend anyone easily as I lacked all these qualities. You excelled in studies too. After we grew up I met Paul and fell in love with him. But here too you beat me and Paul fell in love with you. I felt distressed as I found I’m losing my love too. So I was in search of some idea to get you out of Paul’s way when I saw the talent hunt in the drama competition. I knew that you would easily win the contest and I was right. The moment you got a chance to learn acting I cheered you to take it as a career. You too were very interested in making a career in performing arts and followed your heart the moment you got a chance. The busy schedule didn’t let you spend much time with Paul as before and I took the chance to make a second entry in his life. I tried to hypnotize him to believe that you have forgotten him. This made both of you quarrel and make the promise of not seeing one another’s face again. At first, Paul must not have understood my plan of taking him away from your life but when he understood he felt guilty and tried to go back to you. When you didn’t believe him, he committed suicide. But… but ….I didn’t give the news of his death to you… then… how did you…”

Monica said “Your deed has earned you your death sentence and now no one can save you from our fury. Your envy took our lives and now it’s your turn to leave the world”

“Noooooooo…. pleaseeeeeeeeee” screamed Sonica and started running towards the gate the moment she realized her feet aren’t glued to the ground. Behind her scary ghost of Monica went on laughing in the same terrifying manner. After running for sometime Sonica felt exhausted and she looked straight to see how far her car is? Then she understood that she is still in the same cemetery and had not gone far from the ghosts due to their paranormal activity. Suddenly Paul’s horrid face came before her and asked: “Ran enough?”

Sonica screamed once more "Help Me..Help ….Someone….Please” and ran in the other direction. She ran a few feet but then stumbled to fall in a hole. The moment she realized the hole to be a grave she tried to get up but Monica’s ghost was standing before the grave giving out a haunted giggle. Then she said “NO one can save you as no one can hear you my dearest sister. You have to come to the place where you have sent us;……. IN THE GRAVE” Panicked Sonica saw in horror Monica and Paul’s ghosts burying her alive in the grave.

Sonica was not heard by anyone anymore!