another story

Strange Happenings at the Market
“. . . and from then on, the market was in ruins and nobody, not even the locals dared to go near it. It is now forgotten, forever and ever. . .”

Bastille Day
Grandpa Joe ended the last part hastily and got up, slowly making his way out. The thin, pale figure was almost bent double, deep, dark wrinkles giving him an expressionless look. “Good night,” he announced as he bent down to reach for the old-fashioned candle stand on the floor. My brother, who was trying to sleep, gave a low, pleading moan and shrugged. This whole thing about the market was so creepy that I was already starting to get nightmares.
I stay in Paris. I had come to grandpa’s wooden house for the summer holidays. It was in the countryside, so there wasn’t any electricity. That meant that I could forget the tons of cd’s I’d brought for entertainment. I wasn’t prepared to deal with these problems. And to add to all this, my brother Daniel was with me. Daniel is a tall, lean fellow. He has hooded eyes and dark eyebrows. Despite him being fifteen, he has a playful mind and a keen sense of humour. I cannot even put up with him for a day, leave alone the whole summer holidays. And to think, he has been assigned to take care of me throughout our stay! Just because he is older than me!
I kept thinking about grandpa’s words- the strange rumbling exactly when the clock struck 12. To get these thoughts off my mind, I started counting sheep. Finally, I drifted off to sleep. The last thing I recalled hearing was my brother snoring. . .
“Wakey wakey!” a voice pierced my ears. Today’s agenda was going to the beach! Alas, a slight drizzle turned into a heavy downpour, and our plan was a flop. That evening, Daniel and I sat chatting in our room. “I was so bored today, staying at home,” I complained. “I think I know what,” muttered under his breath. Then he started whispering. “We will slip out at midnight and go explore the market grandpa was talking about. I bet he was just pulling our leg.” I shivered at the thought, but did well in concealing my embarrassment. Although reluctant, I stammered a yes. The candles were all blown out and grandpa was fast asleep. The front door creaked open but I managed to shut it silently. Darkness had settled in. The street lights were flickering on and off. The market was a mile away. I grew regretful as we trudged along for what seemed like eternity. Just as the market came into sight, my watch gave the alarm for midnight. The rumbling had begun! And that too simultaneously! I was sucked into the market, and the last thing I remembered was a crushing sensation. . .
I opened my eyes. Daniel was lying by my side, apparently unconscious. I looked around. There was a huge commotion all around me. A few paces ahead of me stood a large cutter. Somehow it looked familiar. It was the guillotine! My guess was proved right when I saw tumbrels, carriages that carry people to a guillotine. We were a few hundred years back in time, in France. I recognised Queen Antoinette in one of the tumbrels. What the heck! We were stuck right in the middle of the French revolution. And it was Bastille Day!
I smelt something burning. The smell caused Daniel to bolt upright. I fervently explained our grave situation to him. When we looked back, we saw columns of thick black smoke rising from a building which soon collapsed. The flames consumed a market next. People came rushing with pails of water. Rough hands pulled us off the ground and we were marched to a large stone monument. The dungeons! Our captors threw us into a damp, smelly cell. Daniel wrinkled his nose, but I was lost deep in thought. This seemed to be the same market that we had walked to last night. Suddenly a plan struck me! If only we could choose the time at which we would be executed. I called out to the guard...
‘Clit Clat Clit Clat!’ The trotting of horses was the only sound to be heard in the silent night. We were in our wooden tumbrel, being taken for our trial. It was 11.58pm. We had bribed the guard and he had kept his word. I started the countdown to midnight. Daniel was fully prepared, a large rock in his hand. At the stroke of midnight, he knocked the brains out of the horseman. We leapt out of the tumbrel and dashed to the spot a few paces from the guillotine. The rumbling filled the atmosphere again. Our visit to the eighteenth century France was mere history.
No one fainted, but when I landed, my vision was slightly blurred. “The side effects really do vary,” joked Daniel. Surprisingly, the police believed our story and took immediate action by sending professional archaeologists to excavate the place. Only one artefact was intact – a time machine. That explained everything!
What an adventure it was, and a great summer vacation too!!!

A story for u!

“Go to Whi-” A muffled thud followed. The sound of footsteps fading away could be heard. Tim heard a moan and then heavy breathing. ‘Boom!’
“A black out!” Tim exclaimed.
“Or rather, the line has been cut!” Steve blurted.
They had been talking on the phone with Jeff when this had happened. Tim has a pile of dark, unkempt hair. He has broad shoulders and wears sports outfits. He likes to play sportive games. He has a good nature and is forgiving. Steve likes to jump to conclusions. Despite being the younger of the two brothers, he is the best athlete in the whole of University of New York. He likes to needle his friends, but is dead serious when it comes to solving mysteries.

A creepy thought flashed through Steve’s mind. Maybe Jeff was in some kind of danger! He related his suspicions to his brother. Although it was late at night, Steve’s opinion was to go to Jeff’s house and inquire about him. They agreed upon his suggestion and, after thirty minutes of driving, they arrived at the front driveway of Jeff’s house. They ran up to the front porch and knocked at the door in a repeated rap, which was followed by a clicking and then a creaking. The light of the street lamp rushed into the unlit house.

A slender figure of a teenage girl came out of the darkness. She had a dark complexion, long, blond hair and twinkling, blue eyes. The boys recognized her as Emily, Jeff’s elder sister.
“Okay, let us get straight to the point. Where is Jeff?!” Tim said in a hurried and slightly demanding tone. Emily gave a heart-rending cry.
“What the hell is going on here?” came a shrill, high-pitched voice from inside.
It was Emily’s aunt! She was sinister looking and always poked her nose into others’ affairs. She was in her early fifties and had recently retired from her twenty-eight year teaching experience in the University of New York.
Emily recovered from her shock after taking a sip of water.
“He had gone to run a few errands for Dad. He has been away for around four hours already, and I have not even realized it yet! He hasn’t even had his dinner yet!” Emily explained. She burst into tears.

By this time, the whole house had been aroused by the commotion. The boys were alarmed at the fact that he had been gone for four hours, but they tried to hide their uneasiness. Suddenly, Tim’s cell phone gave a shrill ring. The speaker at the other end was his mother, and urgently called them home. The boys left after a hasty goodbye. As Tim drove the sedan, each boy was immersed in his own thoughts.


(2) The Hell Note

As the boys neared the front gate of their house, they could see their mother anxiously waiting for them, waving something in her right hand furiously at them. They could make it out as a white sheet of paper. Steve browsed the paper, which turned out to be a warning note, sleepily. Surprisingly, and unlike Steve, he was not scared out of his wits because of the threats mentioned. The two boys came to a conclusion that all matters would be settled the next day.
In the morning, after a satisfactory breakfast, which consisted of bacon, scrambled eggs and apple pie, they sat reading the letter. They could neither make head nor tail of it. They called their high school friends- Bob, James and Peter over for tea and also to discuss the recent happenings that had turned up.

They finally arrived. Their house had a basement in which they held meetings when special events turned up. It was a messy, crammed place, as the boys liked it that way. Six chairs went round an oval shaped table. However, today, one was empty.
James is tall, muscular and good looking. He has glossy hair and wears pressed clothes. He is a cheerful and vibrant person. James is also a computer freak and handles most of the I.T. projects all by himself. Bob always complains and tries to escape from danger, but proves a great help when they are in a tight spot. Bob is a stout and chubby person. He is usually the butt of ridicule of Steve’s teasing, but is good-natured. He is omniscient and retains the ‘First in class’ title. Peter has deep-set eyes. He is the adventurous kind and likes solving mysteries. He wears a cap and trendy overalls.

Mrs. Collins brought in a tray holding six cups of coffee and some cookies. Everyone was gloomy. She broke the silence by asking where Jeff was. Tim gave a forced smile and replied that he was sick. Mrs. Collins left without a word. He did not want to worry anyone. He began by reading the letter aloud, pausing at intervals to catch his breath. The letter said-

“If you want to see your friend Jeff again, that is, alive, it is better that you follow what this paper says. If not, you too will be in your coffin, wringing your hands and regretting that you ever befriended him. You will (n_t g_ t_ willow hank Inc state time lighted Inc NG) jungle. It is better to obey the predator than to run into danger.”


Tim read the last line with gritted teeth and clenched fists. Everyone stood still, gaping at him and blinking hard.
“I’ll bet anything that they are trying to exaggerate the first part!” Steve tried to encourage them. Nevertheless, every attempt was ignored.
“Is that what it is going to take? Because if it is, then count me out!” Bob gave a whining remark. Peter gave him a stern look, and then glanced from James to Steve to Tim.
“But it is coded and I….”Bob moaned again.
“Okay then, you if won’t help us, then no one can stop you. You will miss all the action and, by the way, if we solve the ‘mystery’, we will go to different places of interest using the prize money. Oh, and food! Remember that time we rounded up that stupid gang at gunpoint? Of Course, you had to be excluded. Then you will miss all the fun!” Steve exclaimed, winking at his brother.
“Alright, you win. But the next time, fat chance.” Bob muttered under his breath. Everyone was so used to this. . .


(3)Further Developments

The boys photocopied the paper and handed one piece to each one of them.
“So err . . . would you like to stay for lunch?” Steve invited.
Everyone agreed readily and with much pleasure, not just to be kind, but because each of them personally liked Mrs. Collins’ cooking. The sweet aroma of roast pork wafted through the slightly ajar door.
“Chow time!” Bob yelled, forgetting all his troubles, just as a “Lunch is ready, boys. It is getting cold!” echoed through the house. Bob ran up, saliva almost dripping from his mouth. Steve grinned at his chums. Bob never lost his ever-hungry appetite.
James took a quick glance at the old grandfather clock standing in the corner just ahead of the front door. He was tense and his expression was not a pleasant one. His face was drooping. “I’m sorry, but I promised my mum that I would be back for lunch. Anyway, bye for now!” James shuffled his way out. “Meet ya tomorrow!”
The roar of James gunning the engine to life was clearly audible in the distance.

Mrs. Collins was a thin, pale woman with grayish and curly hair bound neatly in a brown hairclip. She had a freckled face and when one looked carefully, one could see a pinkish widow’s peak on her forehead. Mr. Collins was a tall, lean and burly man but seemed as young as ever.

Everyone retired to his respective home after a scrumptious meal.
“Give the paper a second thorough look!” Tim shouted after them.
The next morning, the shrill ring of the phone at Tim’s bedside awakened the brothers with a start. An excited and agitated voice greeted them. The caller was James, and claimed to have decoded the message. Steve lowered his volume. He suggested that they had better not talk mention it over the phone. Since it was coded, it was obvious that it the person who sent it figured out that we were most probably the only ones who could break it.
Now, some prankster might be tampering with the cable and catching what they said!


Tim called a meeting at once. Everybody pulled in at the driveway punctually. Their faces expressed joy. Once in the basement, they looked expectantly at James.
He began by clearing his throat, “Hrmpgh Hrmpgh, as you can see, I have…”
“Just get straight to the point!” Peter cut in rudely.
Tim gave him a straight face.
“Well, the message says, or at least that is what I think,” James continued, feeling extremely important “that we should not go to Whistling Willow Woods”.
“And how is that so?” Steve reasoned, raising a quizzical eyebrow.
“Oh, that is as simple as a piece of cake! This is how it goes,” James challenged, speaking with shut eyes. “Whenever there is a blank, it stands for o. In addition, from the word ‘willow’ to the word ‘inc’, you just have to take the first letter of each word! So basically, some whippersnappers just want to tell us not to go to this idiotic and time-wasting forest. In addition, the words ‘willow’ and ‘jungle already give us a big hint! Anyway, I get the idea.” he finished smoothly.
Tim had a brainwave. He tugged at his brother’s sleeve and whispered that when Jeff had called, he had cut off at ‘whi’.
“But we were never going anywhere!” Steve answered back.
A surge of excitement went through them. Should they tell the others? Tim did so anyway.


“Someone has something to hide in that particular region and our friend Jeff wants us to find that ‘something’!” James stated at once.
“And we ARE going to find it, whatever it is. Say, how about a camping trip? We can have fun, and at the same time track these kidnappers down.” Peter said with anticipation.
“Bingo!” everyone cried in unison.
After planning a little bit more about the camp, the boys went back home.
The next morning was going to be the beginning of a big day!
The following night was a sleepless one for all of them, even for Bob, who usually slept like a log.


(4)Say What?

‘Ding dong!’ the ring of the doorbell penetrated through the gaps above the door to the Collins brothers’ room. They awoke with a start. The brothers jumped out of bed and washed up.
Tim put on his newest Nike jersey and Steve a proper camping outfit. The door was opened by Mrs. Collins, and in came three excited teens.
Tim and Steve hopped down the stairs two at a time, their bags in one hand and the other gripping the railing. They mounted their stuff on Bob’s sedan as he had just visited the gas station near his house.
“Don’t forget your sandwiches!” their mother cried after them.
“Yes mum!” Tim answered. The boys kissed her goodbye and set out for Whistling Willows without any more ado, with Peter at the wheel. After a few complaints of “It is so boring” from Tim, he finally turned the radio on.

The radio crackled at first, but after warming it up, began to broadcast live news. Tim cheered as he learnt that Manchester United had made it to the English Premier League semis. Steve strained his ears to listen to the headlines.
“In the past few days, mysterious sounds could be heard in Willow Woods around midnight by the people living in the countryside near it. There are rumours that a ghost haunts it and wants to posses the people. The police have taken action and requested all the residents to evacuate at once.” the newsreader reported. By now, everyone including Peter was listening keenly.
“Looks as if we are dealing with a night time ghost who just sent us a letter!” joked Steve.
“T… This g…ghost thingy gives m…me the c…creeps,” Peter stammered.
“Could a ghost possibly write?” Steve purposely made a worried looking face and broke out into a laugh as he saw Peter’s expression change into an angry blush.
“I have a hunch that some convicts are trying to scare the police away so that they can carry on with their activities peacefully. But still, why tell us about it?” Tim mused, rubbing his chin like an expert.
“I agree with you!” cried James, who had been silent since the beginning. He had to shout over the loud noise of the traffic.

All the while, he had been pondering over the mystery and observing a red Ferrari, which had been trailing them since about an hour ago. He had also taken down its license number, just as a precaution. He related his suspicions to Steve, whom he strongly trusted. The boys reached their destination after what seemed like ages. They hid their grey Mercedes behind the tall shrubbery. Who knows when someone might just blast it on the spot?
“Whew! You want to know how ravenous I am?” sighed Bob. Steve slapped his back.
“No wonder you come in so handy every time. The gangsters will be shooting at us and you serve as a big shield. We proudly say that we trained you to be so tough…and plump…Ha Ha Ha!” Steve never missed an opportunity.
Meanwhile, Tim, who had heard the conversation and was chuckling to himself, had been surveying the area and planning on their next move.


(5)A Frightful Welcome
Tim took a long time to do so, but finally agreed with Bob’s statement. Bob always knew that Tim could understand him better than anyone else could. Everyone started unpacking his sandwiches.
“Mmm . . . juicy! Steve is not going to eat them, right? He just said so,” Bob tried to outwit Steve, but in vain.
Suddenly, James shouted to them, also motioning with hands, urging them to come over to where he was standing. He had chanced upon the same car that had been trailing them. He walked as briskly but as he could, with Bob and Peter following closely.
“Let’s settle scores with some old friends of mine!” James stated furiously, turning to face the Ferrari. He told them very quickly how he had gotten to know that car. James almost broke into a run, but controlled himself, taking care not to snap any branches. They were just in time to see a person in black suit, cap pulled low and dark sunglasses. He had a huge cigar in his mouth.
“Wow! Mr. Shady’s hat is in the latest trend!” Peter admired.

James wanted to get him, but was restrained by his pals.
“It would be better if we follow him. I think it is appropriate that we do not pick up fights just yet. It is good that we left Steve and Tim to set up tents, cook and guard camp.
“Come on; let’s see where he leads us to!” Peter reasoned. Everyone agreed to his opinion. Who knows? There could be more reinforcements coming!
“Come on, but no violence just yet.” Bob whispered, his face as white as a sheet of paper.

The boys were led to a dome-like structure where the shady man mumbled some words and moved his hands in some kind of queer pattern round what seemed like a door. In the next instant, he disappeared. Bob and Peter had just decided to go back when they heard shouts from inside. A gruff voice from inside ricocheted among the trees, scaring Bob out of his wits. Another softer, but still frightening voice could be heard.

The fiercer one said, “Just let the boy get lost for once and for all! I am already quite irritated with him for his nonsense. By the way, today is the last night. After that, the war would be a long way after it has started! Too bad for our Collins brothers. Someone is going to miss the big show tonight!”
The second voice sounded angry. “But that boy will surely tell his friends what he heard the other day! Who knows, maybe the Collins and their friends are already trying to figure out how to open that damn door! Oh, and have I told you that they are in the jungle? I personally saw them.”
The dispute raged. Finally, another bossy voice sounded through the area.
“We will blast this cave, together with that kid! This midnight is the time!” The man cackled loudly.


(6)The Nighttime Showdown

“Come on, we have to warn Tim! That ‘kid’ they were referring to was most probably…Jeff!?!”
The boys panicked, as they did not know what to do. Fortunately, they had just enough time to run back and warn the others.
“So should we warn the police or tackle these ourselves?” Steve asked when the trio got back to camp.
“I’ve got a bad feeling about this!” Bob remarked. They decided upon going there themselves to do some investigating.
“I am going to kick their butts!” They set off straight after a late lunch at around three forty-five.

Bob, who had the sharpest memory, led the way, but rather against his wishes. Tim glanced at his wristwatch as they approached the same place. It was nearing half past four. The birds were chirping and the creek was murmuring silently. All seemed peaceful. Tim handed out a packet of raisins for them to munch on. He also carried a bottle of water rationing just in case of an emergency. It came handy most of the time. Bob told Tim and Steve what he had heard in a brief, summarized manner.

“Guess we will have to wait till midnight. That is when the strange are heard, right? I think there is a connection in between Jeff’s abduction and the sounds. Meanwhile, let us try to figure out how to get that door opened. Mr. Fats, kindly lead us to our phantom door!” Steve said all this in just one breath and purposely slurred in the last part.
After two hours of trying to open the door in vain, Tim decided that it was time for them to hide and just wait. Even James’ computer hacking skills failed him.

Each of them chose a position for themselves-Tim climbed a tree, Steve and James hid behind the shrubbery, Bob crouched behind the big oak on which James and Tim were. Peter was sent to fetch the car with all their things in it. The sky had begun to darken. The swaying of trees cast eerie shadows and the hooting of owls broke the silence of the night. Not a single star could be seen. It was a gloomy night.


(7)The Final Ambush

A flicker of yellow light sent shivers down the boys’ spine. It was followed by mysterious sounds. ‘Wieeo Wieeo Wieeo…’
“So these are the ‘stran-’” Steve cut off when he saw a helicopter.
“Drop the cargo here. Careful! Here goes! How much will that be? What? Two thousand bucks? Fine, fine.”
Steve pounced on them before anyone could stop him. Tim guessed that there was not any choice but to fight. He signaled for the others to follow.

Peter’s opponent was a tough guy, so Bob had to rush in to help after overpowering his adversary. Meanwhile, Tim was struggling to win. His man had hit him hard on the jaw. After receiving two hard kicks one in the chest and the other in the ribs, Tim collapsed. Steve was doing quite well. His adversary was Mr. Shady, as they had named him. He had dodged many punches and was tiring his opponent out by hitting and then running. Steve was able to knock him out in another blow. However, someone was missing all the fun.

James had found another way into the dome, through an underground tunnel, which he had discovered. He had decided to continue hiding in the same position. He had been trying to call Peter when he had dropped his hand phone in a hole in the tree trunk. Feeling around inside, he had chanced upon a button. He pressed it and suddenly, ground below him began to open and give way to a long flight of stairs, going spirally deep downwards. He had made his way all the way down the winding passage. There he found Jeff, neatly bound, gagged, and struggling to get free. Weak and starving, he had been left to die. James’ pocketknife came in handy there.





(8)The puzzle put together

“Hands behind your heads and lie still on the ground”, a voice boomed…cops!
According to James’ instructions, Peter came to the scene just at the right time, that is, when the boys were outnumbered. He had not forgotten to bring in the police.
The gang was finally rounded up. Their ringleader was sentenced to death. His accomplices were charged for scaring people, kidnapping and worst of all, smuggling guns and explosives and attempting to start a revolutionary war in New York.
They also learnt that the howls and faint flickers of light were used to signal to the helicopter so they knew that the coast was clear.

“I had heard strange characters talking about explosives and this region. I thought it might interest you, so I gave you a call. These people gagged me and cut the line,” Jeff explained.
“But still, why would they want to give away their secret in the note? Oh, I guess they thought that you managed to give us the message . . . Ha!” James acted genius.
After this narrow escape, they were more careful. Steve did not give did not give up with his old ways, though.