An old alley

Samresh, the eldest son in his family, led a dynamic life balancing friendships and family dynamics. His father's stern demeanor contrasted with his mother's leniency, creating a unique environment at home. Samresh, aware of his father's strictness, always sought permission from his mother before venturing out with friends. This cautious approach stemmed from his fear of his dad's disapproval. In this intricate web of family relationships and personal choices, Samresh navigated his teenage years, learning the importance of striking a balance between his desire for independence and the respect he held for his family's values and expectations.

Samaresh had always cherished his evenings. Like any other teenager, he eagerly anticipated the moments when he could join his friends for outdoor adventures. Their meeting point was the neighborhood playground, conveniently located not far from his home. Two routes led to this cherished destination, one through the main road and the other through a labyrinth of narrow alleys. To save time, most of the gang chose the latter route, except for one deserted, eerie lane that Samaresh habitually bypassed.

However, one fateful evening, everything changed. Samaresh found himself running late, and his desperation to be with his friends as quickly as possible consumed him. In his hurry, he contemplated taking the dark, vacant shortcut he had previously avoided. Time was of the essence, and the urgency drove him to make a decision he would soon come to regret.

As he ventured into the desolate alley, he couldn't help but notice the eerie presence of a tube well. Close by, a small hut belonging to an old lady stood silently. Samaresh had glimpsed this elderly woman before, passing through the playground. Her unsettling gaze had always sent shivers down his spine, so he made a conscious effort to avoid eye contact with her. However, on this particular evening, driven by haste, he found a newfound courage when he heard the sound of the tube well echoing through the narrow lane.

The tube well's clanging indicated that the lane was not as deserted as he had thought. Someone was pumping water from the well. Samaresh, despite the palpitations in his chest, quickened his pace, his fear momentarily replaced by a sense of bravery. He reassured himself, thinking, "I am a brave boy, so why should I be scared of an abandoned alley? I will run fast and cross this passage in no time."

As he passed the tube well, his heart began to race uncontrollably. His bravado evaporated, replaced by an overwhelming sense of dread. There was no one standing by the well. The loud sound of the tube well persisted, but there was no visible entity responsible for the water being pumped. Panic gripped Samaresh as he questioned, "Who could be pumping water from that well?" He could hear the sound, and, most unsettling of all, he could see water flowing out of the tube well.

His mind raced, and his thoughts turned chaotic. "What is happening?" he wondered, his distress mounting. He was trapped in the grip of an invisible force, and the uncanny vision before him was beyond any rational explanation. Without hesitation, he turned and ran in the opposite direction, desperate to escape the dark alley's clutches.

As he sprinted towards the other end of the pathway, fear overtook him completely. He shouted in terror as he saw the old lady crawling toward him. Her eyes bore the same unsettling, chilling gaze, but this time, she was not strolling; she was crawling. Samaresh's senses betrayed him, and he collapsed in the middle of the lane, overwhelmed by the inexplicable terror he had encountered.

When he finally regained consciousness, he found himself in his bed, surrounded by his parents, friends, and concerned neighbors. They all wore expressions of curiosity and concern. They demanded to know why he had fainted, and in response, Samaresh recounted every chilling detail of his ordeal.

As they listened, the neighbors were overcome with shock. One of them asked hesitantly, "Are you talking about the old lady who lived at the end of that dark alley?" Another neighbor, clearly shaken, nodded and added, "Yes, the same lady he's talking about. We've seen her many times before this incident."

But then, the shocking revelation came. "That can't be possible," said the neighbor, her voice trembling. "The old lady passed away a long time ago, and her hut has been vacant for years. There's no question of seeing her so many times; she had a tragic death." The room fell silent, and the weight of reality began to set in. Samaresh's heart sank as he realized that he had encountered not just a terrifying apparition, but the ghost of the old lady he had feared and seen on numerous occasions. 

However, amidst the daily struggle to balance family dynamics and teenage adventures, there was one unforgettable summer evening that left an indelible mark on Samresh's life. The eerie encounter with the ghostly apparition of the old lady in that desolate alley would forever haunt his memories. The terror he experienced that night became a constant reminder of the inexplicable and the boundaries between the living and the spectral. Samresh's fear of his father may have been real, but it paled in comparison to the supernatural terror he encountered, making it a defining moment in his life that he could never forget.