When the Dead Walk Among Us
Have you sat in your home and noticed how things tend to be misplaced? Have you noticed that silent breeze that blew on you while you sat in a corner where you knew there would be no breeze? Have you noticed how the remote got misplaced, knowing you never touched it because you live alone? Have you seen how your footwear became moist even though there was no reason for it to be so? What about when your cash is misplaced — have you sat down to even think about whether you are living alone, or if someone or something is living with you, unaware to you?
The world is a global village, so say many people, and now it includes the dead. They are tired of being dead and they want to live the life of the living. The dead are everywhere. A man who sits beside you may be dead and you may not know it, but let me tell you how you can identify a dead person. The dead are not truly aware of much of what is going on around them. Their particular interest is in a specific thing — like maybe a person, a place, or an object. If you sit beside a dead person, you will have goosebumps even though the weather is not cold. And a dead person's whole foot never touches the ground. They walk with their toes.
---
A Daughter's Defiance
Cherish is a small-time clerk in a law firm. She had graduated from the university with a degree in office management. Back then, everyone at home had frowned when she got the admission. Her father wanted her to be a nurse and follow in the family medical tradition, but she was not good with science courses and had opted for the management department. Her dad had fumed and angrily exclaimed, "What is the meaning of this? What sort of cabbage course is that? I will never accept it — no way — because that course will lead you nowhere."
"Dad, please don't be angry, it is my passion."
"Passion!" he had exclaimed again, raising his hand up in total bewilderment. "You think passion can take you far in life?"
"I will be content with what I'm good at," she had said.
"Will you be content if I stop paying your fees? Can your passion take care of it?"
She was silent, knowing she depended on her father for now until she was done with school, and hopefully she would get a job — and then that would be the end of his constant berating.
"Adam! Let her be. Everyone can't be a doctor or a nurse. After all, you and I are already doing that for the family." Her mother came to her defense, and she breathed a sigh of relief. It had been a hard decision going against her father's wishes.
"Very well, enjoy your passion," her father had said. And that had been the end of his outburst.
---
The House That Breathed
And now she had gotten a job, and the job came with accommodation, which she was very grateful for. The house was an old, beaten 1770-kind-of structure. The stairs creaked, and the water first came out brown and then red for about twenty minutes before it cleared. Her bed always felt cold and then suddenly warm. She always pulled dust from her hair even though she had dusted the house and was sure there was no more dust, since she cleaned the room every day before going to work. At times she saw footprints on her floor, or water prints from the bathroom, even though she hadn't used the bathroom — but she couldn't remember that. Her mind always told her they were her footprints, and she would forget about it after a moment.
---
The Seeker
One day a friend invited her over, and she agreed to visit. While she was on her way, a young man selling bangles made of wood and red thread stopped her.
"Fine girl, you have a white mist above your head and behind you."
She stopped in her tracks. Shaking her head, she knew about people like him and how they went about scamming innocent people. She vowed he would never see her cash.
"What do you mean?" she asked, all innocent.
"There is a black shadow all over you," he said.
"And let me guess — your trinket would save me from this shadow?"
"Yes," he said with confidence.
She laughed and looked at him with disdain. "Do you take me for a fool? Do I look that easy to scam?"
"I'm sorry, I'm not who you think," he said, and he put his hand in his pocket, bringing out a mirror which he showed her. "This mirror turns black when it faces you, and it shows me things about you."
"Oh really? Like I'd part with my hard-earned money, right?" she mocked him.
"No," he said with a heavy sigh. "It shows me that you live with a ghost. You live in a haunted house, and your life force has been feeding them."
She laughed with derision. "Me, live with a ghost? How crazy can you go just to get a few cash."
"Have you noticed the dust and the footprints?" he asked her.
She frowned, taken aback. She knew no one knew about that. "How did you know about that?"
"I told you, the mirror shows me."
She shook her head and muttered, "Stay away from me." And she walked away. She could hear him shout after her, "My name is Seeker. When you need me, find me here." She just shook her head and kept walking.
---
Brenda's House
She arrived at her friend's place a few minutes later, and all trace of her encounter with the Seeker had been wiped from her mind. She was glad she had come. They chatted about everything and complained about boys — typical of girls living alone. Then Cherish felt sleepy, and her friend told her she was free to sleep and that lunch would be ready before she woke up. She smiled. She had always had a soft spot for her friend Brenda.
Brenda wasn't beautiful, but she had a heart soft like silk and a smile that always said *I got your back, and I will always be there for you.* So she shifted to get comfortable on the bed, and in no time, she was fast asleep.
---
The Dream
She dreamt she was sleeping in Brenda's house, but the house was made of bones. A black circle sat in the middle of the floor, surrounded by a hundred burning black and red candles, and she was in the center. She looked around and noticed about thirty people all standing in a circle around her. Her friend Brenda was bending over her, tugging at something on her wrist, but the thing kept burning her and she would yelp, and a voice from one of those standing about would shout, "Remove it now, Brenda! It is now or never!" And her friend would reply, "I'm trying, Mother, but it is burning my hand!"
This kept going on, and no one noticed that she had opened her eyes. She looked at her hand and saw one of those bangles that Seeker had been selling. As she turned, she saw him — just sitting there, watching her. She could feel his concentration, and when he looked at her, she saw that his eyes were made of all the colors of the rainbow.
"What is going on?" she asked him.
"I visited you in your dream, knowing your life was in danger, so I put my bangle on your spirit form."
"What are they trying to do?"
"They want to initiate your soul into their demonic realm."
"But why? I have done nothing to offend anyone."
"Does it matter? Does the sun have any reason to shine? Does the car have any reason to move? The devil has no reason to claim a soul — he thrives on suffering, and an innocent soul is the devil's delight."
With that, she woke up. Bending over her was her friend Brenda. She yelped, and with blurry eyes asked, "What was that?"
"What was what?" Brenda asked her.
"You bending over me."
"Oh, I was just trying to wake you," Brenda said, hiding her hand — but it was too late. Cherish had already seen the trace of a burn on it.
"Well, thank you. I'll be going now," she said as she stood up.
"Let me walk you out," Brenda said.
"Oh, don't worry about it," she said, waving her away as she walked out. When the cold wind hit her face, she shuddered and made her way back, hoping to find Seeker and find out what was going on.
---
*Stay tuned as the story unfolds — the trap and mystery Cherish finds herself in is only just beginning.*
You might also enjoy this:
Living With The Dead Part 2: The Blood Clique
Comments
Post a Comment
"share your thoughts below"