Flickering Lamp post : Thriller Story by Revathy Tamilmany

[revathy]

Flickering Lamp post - Thriller Story written by me - read and comment.

Flickering Lamp-post

The night was dark and the air was cool, the park silent and it was eerie. Only two noises broke the silence of the night... the sound of a wolf howling at a distance and tyres screeching nearby.

Mike was at the wheel of his car entering the park side. His family had shifted to the city of Brighton recently to a house near to this park which was the only way to their house.

“Mike, hurry we are already late… mom and dad would be worried at home", his wife Annie said with a tired face.

The car stopped unexpectedly in front of a lamp-post which started flickering all of a sudden. Mike re-started the car and was dazed out of the blue as he noticed figure of a man standing in front of the car in the dark, but at the same time he was bewildered as he could just see an empty road when flickering lamp glows.

“Annie, can you see a man standing in front?” Mike asked. His voice was trembling.

“No! Mike, already the place is so creepy and don’t make me scared anymore. Let us move from here” Annie fumbled.

Mike speeded off and instantly slammed on his breaks. Annie bumped into the dash-board with that sudden stop and let out a scream.

“Mike, what’s wrong? I got petrified.”

“Annie, I felt like I hit someone with my car... I could continuously hear someone’s cry out of pain”, Mike yelled out with terror.

Annie was mind struck as she didn’t sense anything of that sort.

Mike got out and walked towards the flickering lamp-post. He found something wet on the road in dark and touched it.

“Gosh! Annie it is blood on the ground,” he screamed with panic. But when the lamp glowed he saw nothing on the road which made him little more mystified.

Annie stepped out and ran towards him. The wind pushed her back a pace, the sound waves crashed onto both sides of the park; it was hard to look around in the filth filled air.

“Mike, I’m terribly scared, my eyes are filled with dust, where are you?”

Suddenly the wind stopped blowing and she opened her eyes but Mike was missing. She looked around and shrieked all over, calling his name. She saw a man standing in the dark and ran towards him thinking it to be Mike.

As she moved closer, abruptly the dark figure disappeared. She heard voices murmuring from the depths, “Annie, don’t go away from me”. Her hands trembled and as she leaned forward her head swam dizzily. She shook her head, unable to accept either the proof of her own eyes as the figure had passed before her or the voice which seemed familiar to her but which was not Mike’s. Neither seemed real. She ran in terror hoping to reach home soonest leaving that weird place behind.

Hearing what happened from Annie, Mike’s mom and dad ran with her in search of Mike. The place was so quiet and as they moved forward they noticed Mike sitting on a bench under the flickering Lamp-post. Annie ran towards him with tear-filled eyes and stopped immediately half the way.

“Can you see that?” she whispered with a trembling voice to Mike’s father. When the flickering lamp-post glows they could see Mike sitting there but when it goes off it was someone else’s figure in the dark.

“Yes, Annie you don’t panic I’ll see what is there”, he stepped forward and touched Mike’s shoulders courageously.

“Mike….?”

The lamp-post stopped flickering at once. Mike turned to him and said, “Dad, when did you come here?” His face was pale and his hands were cold.

“Son, why are you sitting here? Are you alright?”

“Dad, I heard crying voices but I don’t see anyone here. I was puzzled when it said…”

“Son, come home now… we can talk about this later”, he stopped him abruptly to get away from the place.

Next morning Annie’s father, Paul had come home early as Annie rang up and suggested that it would be better if he was beside them. Mike’s mom looked so worried and Paul was trying to change the mood by cracking some jokes. It did help but only a little. Mike was having breakfast with them.

“Mom, did you know what happened in that park few months ago?”

“Yes Mike, I heard that a man met with an accident one night by a speeding car.”

“No Mom not an accident. He was murdered, and it was…”

“Ahem…Mike, stop thinking about that; I’m worried to see you disturbed; I wish we could leave this house and go, you people never listened to me when I told not to come here”, Paul interrupted in the middle.

“Yes, he is right! Relax yourself Mike”

“Okay, mom” Mike left the place giving a wry smile at Annie’s father. Paul persisted that everything would be alright if they vacate the house.

The day passed without incidents. Night arrived and Paul was walking to and fro in the veranda. Mike went to him and asked why he is looking so worried. Paul complained that they have to move from the house as early as possible and that is the only good solution for the strange incidents.

“Is it a good solution for the family or for you?” Mike questioned with a grin.

“Mike, what are you asking?” Paul exclaimed.

“It’s not Mike, you killer this is Charlie here” he snarled, looking down at his side. A soft whimper escaped his throat as tears filled his glowing eyes.

Next day a man who took his dog for a morning walk noticed Paul lying dead in the park and informed the police from whom Annie and others got the information. Annie wept badly and felt guilty for bringing her dad to that place thinking that it all happened because of her. Police reported that it seemed to be an accident but nobody knew how it happened and they are going on for further investigation.

In the evening all were seated worried, Annie moved upstairs as she needed some rest due to head ache.

Mike was sitting there gazing through the window. Annie went inside and was lying on the bed as she was totally vexed.

“Annie, I need to talk to you”

“Mike, I’m not in a position to listen anything now”

“No, you would Annie; I know” came a grim voice from back.

“Who is that...!” she turned back astonishingly.

“I’m Charlie! Do you remember” he whispered.

“Charlie…?” she was not able to believe her senses. It was Mike sitting there but heard a familiar voice which was not his. Annie’s mind got teleported to the past as Mike started speaking in Charlie’s voice.

Charlie and Annie were college mates. Charlie loved Annie but never told her. Annie’s father somehow came to know and had warned him several times as he did not like that. Charlie did not heed to his words as he hoped that Annie liked him. Paul wished that Annie would never know about this as he had given a word to his friend George that he would marry her to George’s son. It was in that park after a quarrel between them; Charlie challenged him that he would hold the hands of Annie very soon.

Paul got heated up and in a fit of rage he killed Charlie with his car near the lamp-post. Annie never even knew about Charlie’s death.

Charlie succeeded in his determination by killing Paul finally through Mike albeit without his knowledge.


Annie stood wordless with tears hearing this.

“Annie, I love you truly even now; my soul came inside Mike just that I could always live with you” he went closer to Annie.

“No…” she fumbled for words.

“Charlie you killed my dad for his fault, but what did Mike or I do to you? You love me I don’t deny it, but I love Mike more than that, did you ever think over it... I never had a thought on you like that, I always considered you as a good friend and just a friend… I’m living happily with Mike and why do you want to spoil that…?” She wept.

The room was filled with silence for a moment.

“Annie, what happened why are you crying?”

“Mike…? Mike, are you back to me?” she ran towards him.

“What…?” he exclaimed.

“No, nothing… I love you more than anything”, her lips lingered for the length of two heartbeats, and then she put her palm against his cheek.


Mike and his family sold that house and left the city. Even today people around the place say that, every year on one particular day which is Charlie’s death day, the lamp-post in the park flickers at night. But nobody has the courage to ensure if it is true.


-Revathy Tamilmany

[Admin]

Excellent imagination and story narration. :o

What is missing "in the current context" is "nativity".
Names Mike, Annie, Charlie and Paul dont give the feeling that this is an Indian story. Thats definitely not your fault. Its with this site whose major audience happen to be Indians.

On an absolute scale, a fantastic story. Full marks to you.
A professional looking story - surprisingly written by an amateur.

Reva, you will effortlessly qualify to be a professional writer.
I would suggest you to consider taking this up as a career choice.
Part-time will be ideal to start with to test and hone your skills.

If you are not aware let me tell you this.
There is a huge potential to name, fame, glory and money by writing and marketing it.

By any remote chance, if you choose to do so, "Welcome to the world of blogging."