The Wraith (Chap. 2), by Anupam Sharma

The time to cross the Rubicon had come. Blignaut’s palms were on the pistol & even in this cold weather a drop of sweat emerged on his palm. The figure came closer and Blignaut felt short of breath. But he waited and he felt his arms jamming as the next moment a frail figure stood close to him.

“You lost” muttered the infirm body.
d N n n no, just g got my t t tyre stuck up” Blignaut stuttered

Tension was written all over blignaut’s face.
“May be I can be of some help, I am staying just round the corner” native said
That statement relaxed Blignaut for a moment but he soon grew skeptical and thought “what is this person doing here at this time”. But he didn’t ask the question for he feared the same question thrown back at him.

Soon the native was at it, pushing the jeep out.
The native introduced himself as George and asked for a lift for, where else, Tacorn.
The engine roared and they were off amidst a strange situation where it was silent only a few moments ago but suddenly the birds and animals had come out howling and wailing as if something has suddenly gone horribly wrong.
Petrifying enough to make most men on earth wet their pants.

On their way to Tacorn Blignaut kept on thinking how he got into this muddle.
At around 4 pm he had gone to his friend’s place who knew something strange & secretive about Blignaut’s family and was going to tell him.

But as soon as he reached there his face grew red seeing his moribund friend with knife stabbed in his chest.

He wanted to say something but before he could he passed away in Blignaut arms.
Strangely enough the police was there in the nick of time. Blignaut was arrested on charges of murder and was apprehended.

“How can I prove my innocence?” that is all what Blignaut thought. There was no hope. He knew it was a set up. But how could he prove it? How did police know about it even though nobody was there in the house? Did his friend call the police?
Blignaut thought the kind of state his friend was in it was impossible to even move let alone make a call.

And most importantly what was the secret his friend was going to tell him before he was polished off.

Blignaut knew he had to run away. And then Blignaut saw a ray of hope


To be continued…

THE WRAITH, by Anupam Sharma

It was bucketing down in 13 crosstown as blignaut with only $50 in his pocket is stuck in a morass at the end of the town leaving for the big city Tacorn. His grandmother was living alone in a posh home in Tacorn. She was 70 but more active than many women of her age and meticulous too. It wasn’t easy to befool her.

Blignaut’s jeep was making a squelching noise and his feet were slipping trying to push the jeep out of the mire.

He has been thinking how after committing the murder he had talked his grandmother into giving him refuge from the “stalkers” who were after him trying to usurp the secret formula he had got.

13 cross-town always had this creepy and gloomy about it with the thick forest cover around and rustling of the leaves perennially. But tonight it was even spookier and blignaut’s heart skipped a beat with fear his in heart and worry written all over his face.
There was different nimbus about the place tonight.

No animal noises, no footfalls just the blustery wind and patting of rain giving rise to sort of deafening silence, good enough to make a native think twice before treading the path. But Blignaut had no option because death was staring him in the face. As Blignaut looked back he had choice, the haven was 50 miles away and he was fugitive panting and somehow thinking on what could be his last night.

As he tried to take the jeep out of boggy ground he saw a figure moving close to him at a brisk pace. Could it be a native or could it be police as those thoughts ran through his mind he drew his hands closer to his pocket which had a .64 bore pistol. He certainly didn’t want to commit one more crime.

“Should I run or wait” Blignaut thought of what seemed like eternity, with no apparent answer. As the thoughts engulfed his mind the footfalls grew louder and louder. It was time to take decision.

TO BE CONTINUED…