Nestled amidst the labyrinthine streets of Dhanmondi, a time-worn duplex carries the weight of history, heritage, and horror, or so the rumours go. Within its aged walls resided Rayeed, a spirited high school student ensnared by inexplicable events.
When daylight surrendered to night's shadow, the house metamorphosed into a realm of mystique and disquiet. Subtle creaks on the wretched floors, a curtain's eerie sway, and an unsettling tap on the windowpane became his immaterial companions. These phenomena were unlike the murderous spectres portrayed in Hollywood, yet they rattled him in a way that no gruesome apparition ever could.
With each passing month, Rayeed's nightly encounters intensified. His determination to unearth the secrets of his home led him to the folklore legends and ancient tales. As he delved further into the world of the unknown, his anxiety surged. Shadows grew deeper, whispers more insistent, and nights lengthened into endless stretches of restlessness. Were these manifestations of a tormented spirit, or were they the fabrications of a mind imprisoned by trepidation?
On one fateful Ramadan night, as the clock neared the witching hour, a sinister howl pierced the silence, distinct from the minute disturbances Rayeed had grown accustomed to. With trembling steps, he ventured out onto the menacing terrace, navigating through the obscurity with his flashlight, and staggered up the narrow fire escape. There, his breath caught. In the dim moonlight, a jet-black cat with gleaming eyes meowed.
The cat’s purrs, when combined with the shrill whistling of the midnight wind, created a harrowing cry more befitting a panther
The cat’s purrs, when combined with the shrill whistling of the midnight wind, created a harrowing cry more befitting a panther than its smaller domesticated cousin. Rayeed stood there, stunned. Euphoria replaced the insurmountable fright coursing through his veins. In the cold light of reason, his supposedly-haunted home was a mere backdrop for a misunderstood explorer, and fanciful imagination had conjured a series of unwarranted dread. Even so, he wondered, was it really so simple? Was there a rudimentary explanation behind it all, or was he truly being harassed by some insidious creature as his gut instincts foretold?
As he pondered, the chilling autumn air sent a tingle through his tensed nerves. The black cat, which had been within an arm’s length, suddenly dashed into a decrepit corner connected to the adjacent building, and it turned towards the boy. On its face, he glimpsed an expression so animated that it was unlike anything he’d seen on an animal, or even a human. It was leering with jest and eyes so full they seemed to protrude out through the feline’s skull. Then, it leapt, and was off onto the next roof.
Was this the finale to a mysterious saga, or an ominous precursor for horrors to come? Only time could tell the truth surrounding this nocturnal enigma.
Kazi Rafsan Mahboob is a student at Sir John Wilson School.
