Tales from the Neverbeens

I wonder when she got afflicted by it, the girl who lives in the apartment just below mine. It's not like any illness or disease, atleast not one that is known. I was an unfortunate soul to learn about it altogether. Just because I lived upstairs! About a week back, when I opened my wardrobe, a spider walked out. "I wonder how it got there," I told her when I met her on the stairs. She returned a feeble smile. The next day I saw a couple of spiders on the window sill, moving out. Throughout that day however at least twenty spiders creeped out after that. I was wondering what was going on (insects and animals often sensed the imminence of natural disasters, I had heard), when I learnt that the girl had moved in recently into the apartment below mine. I noticed it when I had gone to introduce myself to her. She attracted spiders! A hundred spiders seemed to be creeping around her apartment, walking upto her feet every now and then. I was too horrified to even ask her wha...

This village has something weird about it. All the people in it stay indoors in the evening, no matter what. It made me very curious. I had reached in the dusk just to find that even my host was hesitant to open his door to me. I asked him, but he just deferred the topic saying that the time was too dangerous to talk about it. By the time I had my sumptuous meal, I was dead tired. It was a long journey I had made. But as soon as I was getting ready to sleep, I was reminded of the behaviour of the village in the evening, and curiosity got the better of me. I walked out into the living room to meet my friend. I found him seated beside the fireplace, stoking the fire. "Welcome, my friend, I was just beginning to think when you're going to ask me again," he said, clearly knowing why I had come. "It is the story of just a few months back. The highway as you know connects two large cities. A lot of vehicles ply over it throughout the day. One day, some men fishing in th...

Neil and I had met after a long time. Almost eight years. But he looked all the same, except for the stubble that he had grown. We happened to meet on a warm Sunday morning on the path along the forest during my morning-walk. And like old times (whenever we did something together, it was never something normal) we decide to walk into the forest instead of along it. About half an hour later we were deep inside the forest and had no idea where we were. And nor did we care. We were busy talking and catching up with each other's life. But a sudden rustle nearby brought us back to the present. It was unlikely that it was somebody. Nobody came into these woods. It was 'something'! We waited motionlessly to listen. There it was again. Definitely footsteps, but of what? Silently we moved in the direction of the sound, gathering all our courage. We walked into a clearing. The next time we heard the sound, it was closer. I picked up a pebble and threw it in the direction of the s...

I am quite fond of a baby's sound. But not always, which I learnt just the other day. Just yesterday when I reached home and unlocked my door, I heard a baby's laughter. It took me some time to realize that it was coming from my apartment itself - an apartment that had been locked for the last nine hours. I walked inside, my mind making all the rational reasonings upon the sound and all the other senses trying to find where the sound was coming from. A fair approximation led me to believe that it was coming from the wardrobe. Was it a prank? Or did I leave my laptop on inside the dresser? I opened the door slowly, only to find that there was nothing but clothes and accessories that in no way could make such a sound. I was tired, and it was already 10 o'clock. I had no will to rush out, though I was quite disturbed by the sound. On the third floor, there was no way for some cat or other animal to cry from the outside. But deciding to be brave (and lazy) I waited till the...

I have rented a new room, but strangely it has old windows. I had noticed it the day I moved in, but it was only the last night that I realized the reason. Sinister, as it was, I could not but wonder how it had come to be. I am skeptical by nature. Anything supernatural is out of my belief bubble. But sometimes the trust in our senses compel us to doubt our beliefs. Last night as I lay in my bed reading, I heard a faint scratch on the window pane. I disregarded it supposing that it was some insect or a bat. A few minutes later I heard it again. Distinct this time. I went to the window. I opened it and glanced outside. Nothing. I returned to bed. Moments later a voice shook me. "Feet..." it said. Did I mention it's the third floor, and there is no balcony outside the window? There was no way anybody could be outside the window that high. It must have been the sound of the wind, I thought. " I lost my feet.." the croaky female voice came again, and I had no do...

It was dawn or dusk, I have no idea. I had woken up with a start and found that it was dark. I could not even see the clock. It was so hot, I was sweating. And itching all over. I had allergies. All kinds of them! When it was windy I would get it. When it was dry, I would get it. When I was cold, I would get it, and even when I was hot, I would get it! But this time it was intense. I was sweating and itchy all over! I realized I should check under my sheets for a possible caterpillar. It was too intense to be an ordinary allergy attack. I switched on the lights and checked. No caterpillar, no centipedes, or any insects for that matter. But it was itching still. I checked again. Nothing. And I checked again. This time I saw it. The small hair that had grown out of my skin. On my thigh. It was not the hair every boy grows. It was an straight, tough, and resembling that of a caterpillar! And it was when I checked properly I found that it was all over. I had the hair all over me.. the h...

I have always avoided this window. I always sleep on the other side of the room. The reason is rather based on some instincts that are much inclined to the supernatural and may seem trivial and in fact silly to anyone who has not been near it. It has always remained closed, and is so dirty that the other side that has the view of the hillside, is barely visible. But I have grown an acceptance of the presence of it, and it bothers me much less now so long as I keep my distance. Until now. I had been seeing something moving beyond the window that is distracting me every now and then. Every night, when I switch off the light inside, the outside becomes dark enough to see. And through that window I can see the head of a man moving, peeping in, sometimes disappearing only to reappear in a few minutes. I don't know the face. And its appearance should not have been disturbing to me. Had it not been the fourth floor, and no balcony or any kind of place where a man could stand so that his...