SHORT STORY

In the murky by lane of Kings Road, a haunted house loomed, so creepy that it made the daring twins, Arya and Chloe, fascinated. They always loved to visit it, as it was in their neighbourhood. On a chilly gloomy morning they went to the haunted house’s garage to play a treasure hunt. There they discovered a floorboard hidden beneath a stack of old relics. This only made twins more excited and they dived in. They opened the floorboard and found a narrow cobweb-laden passage. Armed with flashlights and with a burst of excitement, they squeezed through the narrow tunnel and made it through.

The twins were surprised to find themselves in the haunted penthouse. Mustering courage, they began examining the place. A bunch of skeletons were hanging from the ceiling. On a counter lay a stack of jars filled with living parts in a yellow liquid. They also noticed some dead bodies lying in the corner; and not to mention the smell of musty iron and blood. The twins couldn’t hold it anymore. They shrieked with fear and collapsed on the ground.

When they came around, they crouched in the corner with their eyes shut and legs shaking. Then they heard creaking footsteps coming right towards them. The hinges of the main door moved slowly with a rasping sound. There stood a man in white coat and spectacles, with a stethoscope dangling from his neck. A cold smile stretched across the man’s face.

“Excellent,” he said in a rough voice, as smile stretched on his face. “Two new specimens for my collection.”

by

Abhi Varshini Velpuru

Class IX

Written in February 2024