Chapter 6
It was around noon.
The dense forest lay buried under a thick shroud of clouds. Lightning flashed across the sky, followed by a distant rumble of thunder. The air was heavy with moisture, hinting at an approaching storm. The tall branches of the trees clashed against each other, and the restless rustle of leaves deepened the silence rather than breaking it.
That eerie silence was pierced only by the furious barking of an injured dog. Its voice carried hunger, pain, and rage — like a chilling warning of some unseen danger.
In the midst of this atmosphere, Raj was running. His feet crushed dry twigs and leaves mercilessly. His breath came in ragged bursts, uneven and wild. The last trace of humanity had long vanished from his eyes. Now, they held nothing but madness, venom, and a strange itching restlessness. In his hand, the knife glimmered — catching the dim light, it looked like a harbinger of death lurking in the shadows of the forest.
Not far away, hidden behind a tree, Sonal was whispering into her phone. Her face carried the weight of panic, and her trembling eyes gave her away.
Breathless, she said —
"I can’t take this anymore… When will you come? Raj is losing his mind. The bag is still with him!"
A cold, muffled voice answered from the other side —
"Don’t worry… I’ll reach by nightfall. Just keep an eye on the bag."
Suddenly, Sonal’s eyes widened. Her ears caught something strange — a harsh, pressing sound, like branches being forcefully broken, moving closer to her.
She froze for a heartbeat. Then, with quivering lips, she whispered into the phone —
"That… that sound… someone’s coming…"
The next moment, Raj emerged from the thickets. His face twisted with madness, eyes bloodshot, breath rapid. From behind, Rahul tried to grab him —
"Raj, stop! Come to your senses!"
But Raj shook him off violently and stormed ahead. His eyes locked onto Sonal, and his lips muttered feverishly —
"Not today… today it ends… I won’t rest until I finish this…"
Terrified, Sonal stumbled backward, pressing herself against the tree. Her hands trembled as she brought the phone back to her mouth and whispered in desperation —
"Raj’s gone mad again… he’s here to kill Oldman’s dog. People are gathering around… if anyone sees him, we’ll all be in trouble."
The voice on the phone replied firmly —
"Stay calm… handle everything."
Without answering, Sonal cut the call abruptly and darted her gaze around. A chilling feeling crept up her spine — as if countless unseen eyes from the depth of the forest were fixed on her.
Her heartbeat thundered in her chest. The barking of the dog, the rustling of the leaves, the whistling wind, and the sound of Raj’s deranged footsteps all fused together — turning the forest into a stage waiting for some dreadful secret to unfold.
Panic-stricken, she bolted in the opposite direction — deeper into the jungle, further away from everything, desperate to escape every eye that might fall upon her.
Countinue.....
By pooja kumari
In the middle of the jungle stood an old, withered tree.
Tied to its trunk was the dog.
Its body was rotting, old wounds had turned green. Its eyes glowed blood-red, breath ragged and broken. Every bark felt like the echo of some unspoken curse.
Raj staggered toward it.
His breathing was heavy, madness carved deep into his face. The veins in his arms bulged, and he gripped the knife so tightly as if he had been waiting for this exact moment to kill.
The dog saw him and barked louder.
But this time, there was no fear in the sound — only fury.
The air of the jungle grew heavier.
Raj stepped forward, slowly, steadily.
His eyes were fixed on the dog, unblinking.
He muttered under his breath —
"Today I’ll end this… today I’ll finally find peace…"
And then—
Joy suddenly appeared from behind and pulled Raj back with all his strength.
Raj spun around, enraged.
"Get out of my way! This dog won’t live tonight!"
Panting, Joy shouted —
"Raj, you’re wrong! This isn’t just a dog… it’s something else, something—"
But Raj wasn’t listening.
He shoved Joy violently.
Joy tried to stop him again — the two locked in a furious struggle.
The dog’s barking grew monstrous now.
Each bark slashed through the silence of the forest.
And then Raj snapped.
In rage, he drove the knife straight into Joy’s right arm.
Joy screamed in agony —
"Ahhh!"
Blood burst from his arm as he collapsed onto the ground.
At that moment, Romi came running through the bushes.
Her eyes brimmed with tears, yet they carried a spark of courage.
Stumbling to the tree, she untied the rope with trembling hands.
"Run… just go…" she whispered shakily.
But as soon as the rope fell loose — the dog didn’t flee.
It lunged straight at Raj.
Raj’s face twisted with frenzy, with a grotesque hunger.
He didn’t back away.
Instead, he spread his arms wide and shouted —
"Come on! Bite me! Tonight, either you die… or I do!"
The dog sank its teeth deep into his arm.
Raj shrieked in pain — yet his eyes showed no fear.
Then Mohan rushed in, yelling —
"Raj! Move away!"
He tried to pull the dog back.
But the beast spun and sank its jaws into Mohan’s leg instead.
Mohan’s scream tore through the forest —
"Ahhh! Let me go!"
Something demonic flashed in Raj’s eyes.
He raised the knife high and began stabbing the dog’s back again and again, like a madman.
Relentless blows.
With every stab, the dog howled in anguish.
At last, its body collapsed onto the ground — wheezing, whimpering, and then… still.
A heavy silence spread all around.
Only the metallic stench of blood and their ragged breathing filled the air.
Joy lay on the ground, his arm drenched in blood.
Romi dropped to her knees beside him.
"Joy… are you alright?"
Through a trembling voice, Joy whispered —
"I’ll be fine… but Raj is not…"
Mohan, groaning in pain, slumped against a nearby tree.
Blood poured from his wounded leg.
And Raj…
Raj was still standing there.
Blood smeared across his face, madness burning in his eyes, his body carved with deep scratches.
The knife still clenched in his fist.
A slow, twisted smile spread across his lips.
"See that? It’s gone now… I’ll finally have peace…"
But in the next instant, his body convulsed.
He staggered, dropped to his knees.
From his eyes, droplets of blood began to stream down.
Romi, Joy, and Mohan — all three watched in silence.
Fear, hatred, and mystery etched on their faces.
Not far away, the Oldman stood watching.
His eyes were hollow — as though he had witnessed this all before.
The jungle fell silent once again.
But this silence was thick, soaked in the stench of blood and death.
Countinue......
By pooja kumari
