Fifteen-year-old Melanie had taken up a new job at a restaurant. After all, it was her summer vacation, and she wanted to save some money. One day, Melanie was unusually late at the restaurant. As it was well past her usual time, she found it difficult to get a cab or bus. The only way to reach home now would be to walk. ‘Well, it’s better than being stranded on this road,’ she thought, and started walking back home. Soon, Melanie reached a heavily wooded path. At night it looked menacingly eerie than usual. By now, a strong wind was blowing in her direction and she felt chilly and numb. Melanie hurried her pace and tried to call her mother. But the phone showed no network. It looked as if it would rain any moment. ‘I am stuck,’ thought Melanie. She had covered almost half the way home by then. Suddenly, she stopped.
The Sinister Wind
Something was pulling Melanie down. She could not move forward. The wind was so strong that she fell down each time she tried to lift her leg. ‘This is just not right. The wind feels so sinister,’ thought Melanie. Melanie knew somehow she had to get out of that place, but how. She could not call her mother. There was not another soul on the road. Melanie looked about her carefully. There was a white halo around her. “What? A ghost!” cried Melanie. The wind was almost choking her now. She tried hard to fight the wind, but was pulled away more and more. It blew so hard that she was finally pushed into the nearby forest. Soon, a dark forlorn house came into view. The house did not have any doors or windows. Thick dark trees enclosed the house; its branches were swaying angrily in the vicious wind. “Swish, swish,” it moved.
Inside the Strange House
The wind pushed her towards the house now. ‘Oh, I will bang against these hard walls!’ thought Melanie, and she squeezed her eyes shut. Surprisingly, she did not bang against anything and so Melanie opened her eyes again. She was now inside the house. “How did I get in when there were no doors or windows? Did I walk through the walls?” Melanie cried out in horror. A cold shudder ran down her spine. There was no way out from the house. Tired she sat on the floor and sobbed. Just then, she heard a voice. It sounded like a little girl speaking. Strangely enough, Melanie could not make out a word the voice said. Puzzled and upset, Melanie tried to listen carefully. Various sounds echoed through the house. Soon, words appeared on the wall, but they made no sense. The voice continued to talk throughout the night, but Melanie did not understand a word.
The Wall Breaks
Terrified and exhausted, Melanie settled herself into a corner. Soon, the voice stopped. Melanie checked her watch and realised it was early in the morning. Melanie was starving and extremely thirsty. She thought of the wonderful breakfast of tea and toast that she should have been relishing now. With renewed energy, Melanie started shouting for help again. Another 12 hours passed, night fell and the voice started talking again. Melanie’s voice was hoarse with all the shouting and so she stopped. ‘Help me, God,’ she muttered a silent prayer. Just then, she heard someone calling out to her. “Melanie, Melanie.” It was a low whisper. “Help,” cried Melanie, mustering all her strength. Suddenly, the wall in front of her crumbled. Timid and scared, Melanie stepped out into the woods and ran towards home. Thankfully, this time nothing stopped her and she ran all the way back home.
