I had a nightmare today. Although I never like nightmares, I was amused by this dream's concept.
Scene 1¶
I was camping with friends, in a forest full of tall coniferous trees. Despite a sunny day, the forest was unusually dark and the weather was cool, with a hint of fog in the distance. The ponds, waterfalls, and the slightly rocky terrain were a refreshing change from the plains of Urbana-Champaign and the polluted cityscape of Delhi-Gurugram.
After a fireside chat at night, we got into our tents and went to sleep. In the middle of the night, we were awakened by footsteps in the distance, made obvious by the rustling of leaves fallen on the ground. We took out our flashlights and walked out of our tents. We searched a few feet away from our tents to see if a person or an animal was nearby. We didn't find anyone or anything.
So we got back into our tents. Where's Peter?! How did it take us a few minutes to realize that he was missing?! He must have walked a little too far from the tent while searching for the footsteps. We went out looking for him, this time holding hands to prevent others from getting lost. Finally, we saw a person lying on the ground. Was this Peter?
We walked closer and saw Peter lying supine on the ground, blood pooled around his torso. He was stabbed in the chest and his throat was slit. His face was pale white and a little disfigured, and tears of blood had flowed through his shut eyes. We heard footsteps again, behind us. When we turned our flashlight, we saw a glimpse of a tall person who quickly hid behind a tree. It was wearing a black robe with a hood covering its face, and held a dagger that was covered in blood.
What do we do now?
Scene 2¶
In a remote town in the Himalayas, lies a thick forest full of coniferous trees. This forest is apparently haunted and people have been known to go missing. Locals claimed that they have seen a ghost while collecting firewood. They identified her as the only daughter of Sir Eddington.
They described her as a tall bald lady, dressed in a black gown, with a hood covering her head. Her face was gray and flaky, as if burned. She didn't have eyes, only empty sockets for where her eyes should have been. One witness claimed to have seen her with large round yellow eyes and no eyelids. She held a dagger in her hand, made of sharpened bone.
Eddington was a ruthless British official, posted to this town when India was a British colony. His harsh policies made life very difficult for the people living here, trapping many in predatory work contracts and collecting painfully large taxes. Her daughter, on the other hand, wanted to stay away from the region's politics. His wife had died when his daughter was a little child, and he never prioritized spending time with his daughter, instead focusing on amassing power and wealth. Consequently, her daughter found solace in her interests, literature and photography. She often hung out in the forest, enjoying its beauty and tranquility.
Exasperated by Eddington's rule, the locals decided to fight back. At dawn, they attacked his mansion, which was situated at the edge of the forest. Although Eddington had a small army, it was no match for the locals who had been training for this day and were experts at navigating the mountainous terrain and hiding in the forest. They eventually broke into his mansion and captured him. They beheaded him in front of his mansion, declaring their freedom and the beginning of a new era free of tyranny. They set fire to his mansion, killing the remaining soldiers, and his daughter who had been hiding inside.
They raided his house the next day, foraging for valuables untainted by fire, and found his daughter, lying on the ground. Her feet and face were covered with shards of glass, presumably from the mansion's fallen chandeliers. Tears of blood had flown from her eyes.
Scene 3¶
I lay on the cold marble floor, with a searing pain in my eyes. My head was heavy and my thoughts garbled. What just happened? I could smell smoke and hear flames, but I couldn't see anything. I tried to get up but my body didn't comply. I wanted to sleep.
When I woke up, I was lying in the forest. The fallen leaves were soft yet crisp. I got up, but I couldn't see anything. Why can't I open my eyes? My thoughts were clouded like the forest's fog. I was lost. I waited for someone to come by but no one came. So I started wandering the forest. I came across streams, boulders, and heard birds chirping merrily. Oh, what a delightful sight it would have been, if only I could see!
I was alone for what seemed like an eternity. Finally, I heard footsteps. I approached the person, and shouted for help, but heard no response. As I crept up behind him, I snapped into a trance. I wanted his eyes. I grabbed his neck, plucked out his eyes with my sharp nails, and popped them into my eye sockets. I could see again! I don't know why I did this, or why I expected this to work, but it did. How glad I was to be able to see once again! The forest was as beautiful as I remembered it. The next day, however, my elation gradually faded away, just like my eyesight. I guess this only works for a short time. I'll just have to wait for more people to come to the forest.