Footsteps
Vinod was an active teenager. With a tall athletic built, he loved the outdoor life and was involved in various activities. He was never one to miss a game with his friends.
Vinod also loved fishing. On weekends, he would pack up and spend the whole day by the sea or the river, with his fishing rod. Sometimes, he would go with his dad, but most of the time, with his friends. They were all fishing fanatics.
One Saturday night, Vinod was walking back home after a long day at the sea. It was rather late. His friends and he had been so engrossed talking that they had forgotten about the time. When they realised it, it was already 11 p.m., 1 hour past Vinod's curfew. Afraid that his mother might scold him, Vinod contemplated not going home. However, all his friends wanted to go home, he had no choice to but to follow.
The road to his house were not well lit. On that particularly night, there seemed to be a blackout on the road because the road ahead of him could barely be seen. It was also a moonless night. Vinod walked briskly, towing his fishing gear and the two big fishes he caught that day.
Normally, the trip between his house and the fishing area would take him only twenty minutes. Vinod checked the luminous dial of his watch.
"Alamak… I've been walking for the at least twenty five minutes. How come I still haven't reach home yet?" Vinod lamented to himself.
"It must be because I am very tired. How could I forget about the time? Mom's going to kill me. Surely she would not allow me to go fishing next week." He spoke loudly to himself.
It was past forty minutes and Vinod was still walking. He got worried. The road seemed to stretch forever, never ending.
"I must taken the wrong route," he thought to himself.
"Vinod."
Vinod stopped in his tracks. He had heard someone called out his name.
"Vinod."
It sounded like his mother. Vinod turned and looked around but there was no one. Thinking that it was just his imagination he walked on.
Finally, he reached the neighbour's house that was a few houses down the street from where his house stood. He felt relieved for his house was just around the corner.
However, Vinod still could not reach his house. He looked around and realised that his surroundings looked frightening. The trees were swaying in the wind and all the leaves were rustling noisily. The shade giving trees during the day looked especially frightening at night. The darkness around looked ready to swallow him.
Unsettled, Vinod looked away and continued walking, keeping his eyes on the road ahead.
Footsteps. He heard footsteps from behind him. Vinod turned around but there was no one. This time, Vinod got scared. He increased his speed and walked faster.
The footsteps became louder. It sped up when Vinod sped up. It had become more distinct. At times, he could even hear the sound of deep throated breathing.
“Vinod.”
This time, it sounded as if someone beside him was calling him. Losing his cool, Vinod ran. He ran with all his might. He dropped his fishing gear and the fish and sprinted home. The footsteps behind him quickened its pace into a ran too. Vinod was really frightened by now.
Finally, he could see his mother. She was waiting for him at the doorway. He ran straight into her arms. The minutes he reached his doorsteps, the sound of the footsteps disappeared.
“What happened?” Vinod mother asked anxiously as she brought him in and gave him a cup of warm water to calm himself down.
Vinod told her about what happened.
“You deserve it, you know. I told you right, never to come back late. Don’t you know that stretch of road is haunted?”
“Is it? I don’t know. You never told me.”
“Let me tell you now. Many people have gone missing on that stretch of road, and would be found dead after a few days.”
Vinod was at a loss for words. He could only stare at his mother.
“I think a pontianak is haunting that road. She hunts down the young men and kills them.” Vinod’s mother continued.
That sentence made Vinod shudder with fear.
“She would suck the life out of them. Very few of them managed to escape from her. You are one of them. You are very lucky. Now go and wash up and pray to Lord Siva for protecting you from the evil.”
From
that day onwards, Vinod always listened to his mother’s advice.