37th Time’s the Charm!
Jessica was walking through the dark streets of her neighbourhood; it was midnight and there was no one on the street.
Suddenly she stopped in the middle of the road and pulled out a piece of paper from a brown box she was carrying under her arm, the box was the same as those containing wrist watches, but this one was made of wood.
“Miller’s house, second floor, parents’ room.” Jessica read of the piece of paper she had taken from the wooden box and threw it on the ground.
“Why are you still trying?” Asked a man who had appeared at the door of the Miller’s house.
“I don’t understand what’s wrong, but after all the attempts, I’m determined to find out.” Jessica said to the man with glasses standing beside the door.
Jessica opened the door of her neighbour’s house.
Inside the darkness was greater than what was on the street.
“I have to go up the stairs.” Jessica said to the man who had spoken to her, but who had disappeared in the same way he had appeared.
At that moment a sound was heard in the living room, on the right side of the entrance hall. Jessica ignored the sounds, which were very loud, it seemed that they were breaking the furniture and windows of that room.
“I can’t get distracted,” Jessica said as she continued on her way to the stairs of the dark house.
A man with broken clothes and a face full of blood gave a growl from the living room door, looking at Jessica with a terrifying face.
“Ghrr, grrraaaa.” The man shouted and started running towards Jessica.
Jessica ran upstairs and when she reached the top floor she headed straight for the Miller’s room, closed the door behind her and the enraged man fiercely began knocking on the door from the outside, trying to open it.
“Where do I have to look?” Jessica asked, waiting for the man in glasses to appear again.
“There is nothing to look for, Jessica. You have to leave me.” Said the man, who had appeared sitting on the bed.
“Dad.” Jessica said very determined. “I will find out how you died, nothing can stop me!”
“You have tried it thirty-seven times, in thirty-seven different dreams. When will you realize that there is nothing to find?” Said her father, moving his feet nervously.
“Is it there?” Jessica asked as she approached the bed.
She bent down and looked under the bed, where she found a gold-coloured ring.
“This ring. Was it yours?” She asked as she stood up, her father was not there, he had disappeared again.
She put her hand back in the little wooden box and took out another paper.
“The factory where Dad worked.” She said reading the paper aloud.
The bloody man, which Jessica assumed was her neighbour, Mr. Miller, was still growling and knocking on the door on the other side. Finally, Mr. Miller managed to enter the room by knocking the door down. He ran towards Jessica and jumped on her.
At that moment Jessica woke up only to find pieces of wood, some papers and a Gold Ring before her. She had finally found the truth, the wooden box & the Gold ring that helped her prove the murder of her father.
After so many nights of having nightmares, that night she dreamed the best dream ever.
Written and Published by Govinda Chaddha
