The Friendly Suggestion

“Hey, Stan my man! What a pleasant surprise.” I said.

“I came looking for you only, Mark.” Replied Stan.

“You are a hot topic in the rumours market.”

“I really hoped that they just are rumours and not reality! But as it turns out, they are all true.” Said he.

“What about me is being circulated out there? Let me also know.” I asked Stan curiously. “Don’t know why, but I get a feeling of it being ominous.”

“I had heard from several sources that you were being venturing into the eastern part of the village, too often, of late. So, to confirm this I came here to see it for myself, and I found you exactly here.” Stan responded.

“Since you are my friend and a stranger to this place, I would request you not to come here again.”

“This is the most dangerous & haunted part of the village. That’s why, people have abandoned their houses and have moved to safer areas, like the middle and western end.”

“You know what had happened here, a year ago?” He asked.

“I don’t, but would like to.” Said I.

“A number of times, within a period of those 30 days, there were sightings of a supernatural power in this area. A cattle would lose its head, every single night.”

“The most horrifying thing, in all of this was that a bowl of blood and the cattle’s head would be found in front of the owner’s house, the next morning. A satanic symbol was also left imprinted on the door, as a mark of bad omen.”

“Initially people thought it was just a prank of some mischievous character, but when on a new moon night a girl went missing, and her body was found without a head, residents of that area just freaked out and just ran away here.”

“Don’t get me wrong, I am only trying to help you. You have come on a vacation, why to unnecessarily get in trouble. Do I make any sense to you?” Said Stan.

I replied to Stan, “Thanks for letting me know. You are right, I should not be going to place; non-conductive for anyone. I will keep it in mind, going forward.”

Due to that conversation, between myself & Stan, we didn’t even realize when we reached the market area, the same place where I had first met Stan.

End of Chapter- 12

Previous Chapters:

1- Chapter- 1: The "Ancestral" Village
2- Chapter- 2: The Haveli
3- Chapter- 3: Legend of the Village
4- Chapter- 4: The Local Bazaar
5- Chapter- 5: The Banyan Tree
6- Chapter- 6: The Muddy Path
7- Chapter- 7: Open The Door
8- Chapter- 8: Horrible House
9- Chapter- 9: Men Or Monsters
10- Chapter- 10: The Ultimate Sin
11- Chapter- 10: The Butcher