The Fishing Adventure

prongs

Now, going for fishing on a Sunday had become a usual routine for Richard. A year ago, he used to hate fishing and used to wonder how could anyone spend an entire day sitting on the lake and wait for fish to fall into the trap. But now, he was going fishing every Sunday. It was only after his doctor advised him to go fishing as his doctor believed that fishing was only sport that could provide full relaxation in these busy times. Now, even Richard felt so, it was just after his first fishing weekend that he realized how much the calm and serenity of the lake helped him gain peace. And today being a Sunday, he was busy having his breakfast at 6 in the morning while reading the daily newspaper and just planning to spend one beautiful day at the lakeside. His wife usually didn’t join him in any of his fishing activities so she was still asleep. He finished his breakfast as soon as possible so that he doesn’t misses the sunrise between the mountains, it was one of those photographic moment that occurred in the small state of Hennessey and Richard absolutely loved it. Being born in this town, he very well knew about the daily event and it was his one of those special moments that he had cherished since childhood. He quickly got into his Sedan with all his equipments and the cheese sandwiches that now had become his specialty. Looking forward to have a great time, he started his car and set on the road. It was about an hour drive through the scenic countryside to the lake from his home. But time never affected Richard, it was the thing that he was driving alone affected in the whole of town that affected him. Driving through the countryside, Richard didn’t saw many people as he had expected. The only life form he saw was in the form of a shepherd taking his cattle to the grass above a hill. The roads were slippery from the rain last night and the car was frequently going out of control so Richard was more cautious than ever. The weather had turned worse from night and it had turned total dark even though given it was still morning. Rain had started coming down again and somehow Richard knew that his fishing plans for today had taken a toss. Hennessey was always such sort of a place with an unexpected climate. The road now on which Richard was traveling was a small road through the woods and now it had started to rain heavily. The road wasn’t in best of forms and had many pits and dugs. He used to drive through that road every Sunday but today it seemed that his Sedan was unable to move through it and eventually broke down.

The road was lonely as ever and it was raining more rapidly than before. Richard stepped out of car to check what the problem was; it just seemed to him that it must be just an engine problem and he could rectify it easily, given that he had experience in car repairing. He had spent initial year of his career fixing cars at a local garage. Even now, that experience comes handy. He stepped out of the car, and immediately observed that half of the car’s tires were stuck in mud. But going from experience he realized that this wasn’t the exact problem. He opened the car and checked to see what the problem was.
He very well knew that he has to get the problem solved immediately as the woods have never been considered an ideal place to hang out. The woods have claimed 66 murders and numerous disappearances and nobody have yet been arrested. As soon as he opened the engine, he heard some movement behind him. He immediately turned around but found no one there. He looked around very well but no one was there. Still working on the engine, he again heard some twigs being crumbled under the effects of somebody’s footsteps, he had a screwdriver in hand and he instantly turned around waving the driver as a weapon. But again there was no one and thus he concluded that it might just be winds that maybe bothering him. There was a very human chill now running down his spine now.
He was very well into 10 minutes of his repair work and suddenly the wind started blowing so fast that the car door got shut. Richard soon realized that the car keys were inside and now, he was all alone outside the car with nothing he can do to get away. All his wallet, cell phone were all in. But this wasn’t what he was thinking now, or was he even thinking now. He was hearing footsteps, sound was coming close from the woods and they were fast approaching his car. He could somehow make it that there were at least 6 people coming and he could hear whispers too as if they were saying something to each other but the language in which they spoke was totally alien to him. And now he was seriously wondering what to do, whether to ask these unknown oncoming people for help or hide away from them as they could possess some possible danger.

Living in a modern world, he jumped to the bushes right next to his car and laid down there with his face towards the wrong side of sun. Now he was able to just hear voices and unable to see anything. The footsteps came closer and now he was able to hear more, the people weren’t actually conversing, they were singing some chants. Some chants that Richard was unable to understand. Soon, they were close enough to the car and rain had started pouring down more heavily than before as if they were the ones who were bringing down the rain with themselves. It was just then there was a sudden explosion and all the glasses of car were shattered and the metal pieces of car went blowing in all directions. Richard still didn’t dare look up, he was afraid what will they do to him if that was what they had done to the car. But out of nowhere, came a hand that pulled Richard off the ground and placed him face to face with them. Richard was feeling the burn on his wrist where the hand had touched him. Now, Richard could see that they were actually six people out of which there was just one female. All dressed in black and faces covered with hoods on top seemed just as if they are coming from monastery or something. Richard mustered all his courage and spoke the only words he could have done “Who are you?” There came no reply, they carried on with their chants paying no attention to what Richard was saying. Richard spoke again “What do you want?” No reply this time as well. The chants were becoming louder and louder and Richard wasn’t able to do anything, the fear had gripped him. Not being able to move, as the chants became louder, he went down to his knees. The rains were coming down hard on his head; the chants were hitting his head as if they were like swords piercing through his chest every time they spoke it. The people standing were to take notice of Richard but slowly formed a circle around him. And it was then, there was a loud thunder followed by a chilling lightning. Next Richard knew was that he woke up after what looked like eternity to the sunset. He was still on ground but there was no one around and the car was there only and its glasses weren’t broken, the rain had stopped and the burn on his wrist had also healed.

He finally discarded all the events as a nightmare and opened his Sedan and got into it. He drove back home enjoying the sunset, the birds chirping and returning to their nests after a long day. He reached home and saw his wife waiting for him at the doorsteps.
He parked his car in the garage and asked his wife for a glass of wine and came in the house and went to change.
After changing, when Richard came, he still found his wife at the doorsteps. He asked her again to pour him a drink but there came no reply from him. He started walking towards his wife whether to inquire if everything is alright. As he was passing the mini bar they had got in his house, he happened to look at the small mirror placed behind the bar. But he saw no reflections…………………………….