A man with black hair and an athletic build, wearing a gas mask, sprinted through a dark corridor. His gasps echoed off the walls, each breath fogging his mask.
He skipped one or two stairs by jumping to escape faster but still, it wasn't fast enough, so he quickly climbed a floor using the railing. Reaching the top, he checked the apartment doors but found none open. An inhuman scream pierced the darkness behind him, sending a shiver down his spine.
He then headed toward the terrace, knocking the door open and wedging a crowbar between the door handles. Just as he paused to catch his breath, another scream came, much closer than before. The door shook violently. Having no choice, the man moved toward the edge of the terrace. Looking at the desolate street below, he positioned himself and jumped.
...
Hruday woke up abruptly, eyes wide and back drenched in sweat. His heart pounded in his chest, and he felt paralyzed. Slowly, his racing heart calmed, and he could move again. He tousled his messy curly hair and rubbed his sleep-deprived, wrinkled eyes. "These dreams are getting scarier,"
He tried to recall the details. "Actually, what was the nightmare again?" he murmured. "I can't recall; it's so blurry."I was running and falling... But why do I still feel chills? I need to Google why we forget dreams so easily."
Feeling suffocated, he decided, "Ah, man, I need some fresh air." Stumbling towards the balcony, he leaned against the railing, trying to calm his racing heart. The early morning air was crisp, carrying the faint scent of wet earth. something that was rare to feel as soon as school started there would be tons of vehicles in the morning bussing honking and producing all kinds of pollution chaos even in the early morning remembering all that hruday sighed as his focus diverted
From the neighbor's TV, he heard "rapid-fire news reports" about missing persons, rumors of a wild animal from the forest, and chaos caused by a new zombie movie release. Curious, he looked at the news. It showed images of zombies scaring people and biting them and news about a cheetah escaping from a nearby zoo.
He focused more on the news. "Breaking News at 9 AM: A terrorist base? a secret lab, this facility was discovered in the forest after a huge explosion caused a massive forest fire. Was this an attack by the secret agency? Watch at 9 a.m. for full exclusive coverage." Hruday was so engrossed in the report that he didn't notice someone approaching.
His father's deep voice startled him. "What are you doing, Hruday? Do you know what time it is?"
Hruday jumped. "No, Dad. I was getting some fresh air. I had nightmares, and in today's dream, I was paralyzed."
"Didn't I tell you not to watch horror movies?"
"No, I didn't. I stopped a week ago. Did you do everything I said?"
Hruday scowled. "Yes!, I did everything AGAIN! and again, changed places, prayed before sleeping, and stopped watching movies." His voice softened as he realized he had raised his voice in the corridor.
Seeing his frustration, his father asked, "You know you can always tell me anything, right? Now tell me what your dream was about."
"Ah, yes," Hruday sighed. "I couldn't remember today's dream properly; it was hazy. All I remember is falling. But there was one vivid dream during my trip with friends. I woke up and drank a glass of weird-colored water without realizing it. It tasted disgusting. I went outside because of some crashing noise and saw a mutilated crow, or was it? It had tiny bullet holes and red pulsating veins. It bit me and sucked my blood, then puked blood inside me. I could feel the pressure it was like a large injection then I felt shocked that I couldn't move. after that I threw it off and felt dizzy, I don't remember anything."
Hruday's mom, overhearing the conversation, started nagging, "Why are you still here? Do you know what time it is? Have you ever gone to school early without my help? How long do I have to remind you?"
After what felt like centuries, Hruday obediently went to the balcony again, staring at the sky. "Sigh, after spending my 'holy days,' it doesn't feel good to return to school. No, it should be called hell. It's the start of hellish days. This time, I have to meet expectations and score well, or else my future..."
He could never imagine that what he said would come true, and he would see what real hellish days were.
Dogs were barking. "Bowh! Bowh!" The sound caught Hruday's attention. A shabby man, covered in mud, was mumbling and screaming at the gate of their apartment.
"Hey, what are you doing, mister?" Hruday asked. The man didn't respond and started acting wildly, giving Hruday goosebumps. He called his father.
"Dad, look out there. That man is acting crazy; maybe he's drunk."
His mom, hearing this, said with concern, "Don't go. Ask for help from others." Hruday's father called a neighbor, and by the time they reached the man, he had screamed and fainted.
After some time, Hruday had to leave for school. His father and the neighbor helped the man wake up by splashing water on his face.
The fainted man, looking fragile and in his 40s, said in a feeble voice, "I'm a truck driver from Mumbai. I feel like I've been in this state for a long time. Can you tell me where I am"?
Terrified to learn the date, the driver explained that he had been experiencing hallucinations and blackouts but ignored them due to medical expenses. He thought it was his colleague's mischief until he started sleepwalking and ended up in a dump, unconscious for three days, only to find himself in an unknown city.
Hruday's father thought, "Isn't this a new disease in the news? Or maybe he just has Alzheimer's."
Hruday hesitantly left for school, glancing at the driver. He felt uneasy passing the bar with a drunken crowd. Despite the bar's disdain, it attracted many customers who bribed the local police and were backed by a politician. Even though he knew there shouldn't be any stores selling cigarettes and alcohol within a 1-kilometer radius, he felt too powerless to do anything about it and laughed at how hypocritical people were as just a year ago police had come to their school talking about the rules
He murmured: "it's like that tail", "a crane with arcane words eating humans while preaching peace haha truly end times are coming he continued thinking how scriptures were so accurate in describing things maybe they were time travelers .lol What I am thinking, I guess they knew human nature best".
As he walked he noticed the same distant scream he had heard in the kitchen earlier, thinking it could be the summer fair, but still, he felt uneasy seeing his favorite street dogs missing and their friends chasing the drunken man. Startled, Hruday quickened his pace, not wanting to be chased by crazy dogs. Could they be infected with rabies?
He walked faster, looking back at Bucher at the meat store, helping fend off the dogs.
Hruday wanted to share his weird experience but knew what his friends would say. He entered the classroom, where everyone was sharing their experiences on the first day back. Hruday told the tale of his horrifying dreams. His friends asked, "You're not telling from some movies, right?"
"Then you became a birdman, no, a raven," a tall, fat guy commented, laughing. "Grow up, guys. Still telling lies that aren't even convincing, going beyond borderline fantasy, huh?"
Roy snapped back, "How do you know Raven's character? "Wanna be a cool guy"? You're just doing this to join their group, aren't you? So shut up."
Distant Chatter
Horny Group: "Dude, I saw that girl's underwear," a fat guy commented, and his lackey said, "Don't lie, come on, bro." "Let me prove it. Do you know what color bra our teacher is wearing? It's black."
"Dude, how do you know she hasn't come yet?" I saw her changing; I am the owner of her apartment."
"Oh, dude, what does that mean?" "Yes," he said with air arrogance.
That cringy couple: "Oh, what happened to my baby, my Pookie? What is this bite mark? Tell me, don't lie, I will buy your favorite chocolates."
The girl replied, "No, baby, I want a good bag. Don't you want your lovely cuddle muffin to look cute?"
Group: "Dude, do you know now that staying in bunkers is a trend these days? Some big YU Tubers are making underground bunkers and videos of staying there."
Man, the trend these days.
Group: "Hey bro, did you watch the new Revengers trailer? It was released on April 25. Where were you?"
Dude, the internet is trolling this guy; it's hilarious.
This Mr. Beast Man, how is he not broke?, man does he have unlimited money, his friend replied"I wish that he would give me 100,000 randomly "
dude, I would be happy with 10 grand but he leaves far away it's impossible i just hope copycats would find me
----
Hruday: "Really, man, it was terrifying at first, but now, after summarizing, I think it's exciting, dude. You know, should I make a movie? I am sure it would be a hit, right? If it happened for real, it would be amazing."
Roy: "Are you crazy, bro? Don't even dream about it. It would be amazing to only see it, but those who live it would know its true horror."
John: "Oh, trying to sound cool."
Michael: "Yeah, man, trying to act mature, huh?"
Roy: "No, bro, experience, you know. I was terrified when a horror movie scene happened."
Which movie was it?? (everyone asked.)
Roy: "1920 London."
Whooow, spooky, hahaha, awkward silence.
Hruday thought, "Sigh, this guy. Has he ever watched any other horror movies? He claims so. Man, he is hung up on that, and that too he watched when he was a kid at his grandma's house. I don't even remember my grandma's face. He says it was the scariest, and the title doesn't change even now.
"oh God help this child". I guess he was traumatized by his grandma lol, not by the movie."
Hruday said enthusiastically, "Roy, do you think ghosts really exist? And what about zombies? I think it can happen, right? You know, mutation of a virus like in the 'I Am Legend' movie or like the flu or the new movie 'Infectents'."
Michael said, "Bro, seriously, huh? Whatever that means, Jurassic World would become real."
A skinny guy passing by said enthusiastically, "Hey, I watched it too; it was amazing."
Roy murmured in annoyance, "Did Shravan let you stroll?"
Troy ignored him. "I think so too, bro. It might happen. We will never know what can happen."
The teacher, who had entered a while ago, looked all pissed that the student had ignored her existence and tried to silence everyone. She screamed, "Hey, stop talking!"
She threw a chalk piece at Hruday the usual target. He felt something weird as he looked at the teacher. Something snapped in his brain, and, for the first time, he caught the chalk involuntarily, snapped it, and threw it back at her in that split second.
It all happened so fast that his brain's command center couldn't cool the anger and stop it. He had dug his own grave without realizing it.
A second later, he realized he had messed up, and the teacher, fuming with anger, yelled, "Hruday, you!"
Hruday defended himself, "Why am I the only one getting scolded? Everybody is talking!" he shouted loudly.
Roy was pulling Hruday down to save him from getting into more trouble by challenging her.
The teacher, her anger reaching its peak, said, "Wait, I will call the Headmaster. You seem to have grown tails, huh?"
Roy asked worriedly, "Bro, why did you do that?"
Hruday said, "Ahh, they won't beat me on the first day, right?"
Michael replied, "No no, they will call your parents and make sure you get beaten by them. Are you dumb, bro?"
Hruday said, "Haha, I am messed up. Isn't this my first day of school? Man, she always targets me."
Roy: "Bro, did you get puberty now that you are 17?"
Michael: "Yeah, your voice changed when we were 17 last time. Seriously, you are a late bloomer, man. you are like those anime girls lol?"
Hruday: "No, I got puberty when I was 15, okay? Also, I am a year younger than you guys; I was born on December 21, 2005."
he continued seeing none cared and seeing Jhon smirking at him "It's like when you are walking and you feel something fall on you, and before you realize it, you act like a deadly insect is biting you."
Roy nodded" Michael: "Ya! Oh, speaking of insects, when I was sleeping, a real cockroach came near my mouth. I woke up startled, and it crawled all over me."
John: "Are you sure it was only one cockroach? You woke up after its husband entered your drooling den of a mouth."
Roy: "Ah I see That's why your throat is sore."
John: no I think Michael gobbled up the cockroach subconsciously activating his Chinese gene
Hruday: "Guys, I am tense, thinking about how screwed up I am, and you guys are chilling and having fun."
John: "Why should we be worried? Did we screw up? Will this affect us? No, so have a good day."
Roy: "Also, did we exclude you from the conversation? So enjoy while you can. You have already messed up, so stop ruining our fun." He gestured, waving his hands.
Troy was about to give condolences to Hruday, but hearing his friends say all this, he went back, feeling awkward.
As Hruday and his friends were talking, a mysterious 6-foot-tall garbage picker, along with his skinny friend, approached them directly.
______________
"author note":
guys, it is scary how movies are actually becoming real-life scenarios and tech like Reviving dinosaurs is already a work in progress, also other sci-fi things like organ printing and cloning
wait don't go yet tell me your opinion as this story was written way back in 2017 i am just editing the few chapters that I had so be sure to share your views about :
"I wanted the MC's name to be unique that's why his name is Hruday It means heart but this wasn't the first name it was Haru "