The Coffin
Composed by Madhusree Debnath, from India.
The month was November. Alexis, Nico and George got a new job. They jobbed at the same place, in Washington, the USA. After two months of working there, they got transferred to Cambridge, in the UK.
They did a blunder, that was, they did not search for a rent house, beforehand. After reaching Cambridge, George reserved a cab and strolled around in search of any rent on urgent basis. No rent was available at that time, as because there was a high demand for the rents. They strolled around and asked most of the citizens of Cambridge. They got aware that only one two-storey house was available and that too, it was for free. They also got to know that it had been vacant since the last 25 years. Alexis said to Nico, “I think we should take that house as our temporary residence, on an urgent basis. No way !”. Both Nico and George agreed on Alexis’s point and they headed towards that abandoned house.
After reaching at the location, they noticed two security guards outside the main gate of that house. George craved for one of the guard’s attention towards all of them. One of the guards, Luke, looked at them and seemed to have got flabbergasted. And it seemed that they saw real life humans for the first time. Lol ! Luke snapped to them and asked them harshly why they were there. “What’s the reason for your harshness and strict nature towards us ? We want to rent this house for atleast two months. And we heard it is free of cost. I would likely request you to help us to explore this house. And if you want to be paid for that, I will pay you.”, said Alexis to Luke, restlessly. Luke said to Alexis, “If you pay me, I shall help you to explore this house.” Alexis paid Luke and then, they headed directly towards the main entrance of the house. Luke took out the key, unlocked the main door of the house and helped them to explore the whole house except the most top floor of the roof and the attic and one room in the first floor. Luke strictly advised them not to explore the top floor of the roof and the attic nor the mysterious room of the first floor. Neither of the travellers opposed Luke and entered one room, in which there was, two beds, two pairs of windows on each side.The room was clean. Luke was a very humble man. After 5 minutes, Luke said to everyone, “Now onwards, neither I nor my partner will attend the duty to safeguard this house, cause now, you all are here.” Before Nico could tell Luke anything, Alexis politely asked Luke if he knew the owner of that house. Luke nodded his head, indicating a negative reply to Alexis’s question. Nico angrily said to Luke, “Why won’t you attend your duties from tommorow ? Who has granted you this permission ?”. Luke did not respond to Nico’s question, which further made Nico angrier. George comforted Nico and spoke to her politely. “Everyone is advised not to stay in this house, neither on the full moon day nor on the day of new moon. And if anyone is planning for organizing any event in this house, never try to do it here. Someone stays in this house, still now. The invisible and the inaudible spirit !”, said Luke to everyone. George said to everyone whispering, “This guy is totally crazy, as I can discern. Let the guards go wherever they want to. Leave it !”. Luke went out of the room. In the evening, Nico was strolling around the courtyard. She lit her torch. Suddenly, she noticed an uplifted mass of land. It seemed to have been someone’s coffin, to her. She turned back her head. She quickly rushed to the room and called Alexis and George from the kitchen. She said to them, “Did anyone of you notice an uplifted mass of land on the ground of the grassy courtyard ? It seems to be someone’s buried coffin in the ground.” “None of us noticed it… Why, what has happened ?”, George said to Nico. Nico told George that it seemed to have been someone’s coffin covered with leaves and other stuff, to her eyes. Alexis comforted Nico. The clock struck two in the morning. They were extremely late, as they were hastening to accomplish some important works. Each one of them went to bed. In the next morning, three of them started heading towards their office. They got to see that there were hardly any people, stayin’ in their neighborhood and most of the houses were vacant. In the evening, when they were returning from their office Alexis wanted to visit the adjacent church. After entering the church, a nun called Alexis and said to her, “Are you people staying in the Princess William’s palace ?”. There was an affirmative answer to that question, from Alexis. Then, the nun said to all of them, “You all are just like my children. I want you to follow my advice. My advice to you is, go out of this house on the upcoming full moon night. No-one even strolls around that region, on full moon and new moon nights. I don’t want you to know the reason, for the time being. But if you follow my advice, I can guarantee you that you can live with inner tranquility and happiness, rather than comin’ across hot and high situation. Byee ! I am leaving.” George dismissed her advice as an advice of a crazy woman. None of them paid attention to her advice and then after visiting the church, they headed towards their residence. Nico and Alexis alighted at the location, while George was parking the car. Nico switched on the torch of her smartphone and pointed out the uplifted mass of land, which she noticed on the previous day. “It seems to be someone’s coffin. Isn’t it ?”, said Nico to everyone. Alexis turned the whole flow of the topic to another topic. She asked Nico what would be their dinner. Nico seemed to pay a great attention to that uplifted mass of land, as a result she did not even reply Alexis. Alexis clutched Nico’s hand and she took both Nico and George to their room. In the next morning, George said to Alexis, “See, we have been best friends since the last 10 years. So, I told my parents about this case of the sweet relationship between you and me. And they want me to take you as my life partner or my wife. And not only that, your parents also want to accept me as their son-in-law. And both of these families, want us to stay together forever as a couple. My parents talked to your parents and I know that you are also aware of their conversation with each other. They want our marriage to be performed by this month.” Alexis told George that she agreed to marry him on that month. Finally, their marriage was scheduled on the upcoming full moon night and it was decided that there would be a big party in that house, which was rented in Cambridge. Nico said to Alexis, “I advise you people not to organize the event in this house. The words of that nun still makes me think about the same case. Alexis said to Nico, “Please don’t worry. You are such an intelligent girl and your belief about the existence of evil spirits is absolutely something which can’t be anticipated from you. Come on ! Don’t worry dear friend !”. The days passed. It was the day for full moon. The weather was fair and calm. In the evening, everyone came to their house. George and Alexis stood at a place, together. They seemed to be very glad. There was a cool breeze all around and the moonlight was very bright and appeared to brighten every object around. But after a few minutes, a strong cold wind started to blow all around. Nico’s notice found that the soil and leaves covering that coffin, got eroded away by the strong wind. And everyone could notice the coffin which appeared very bright in the moonlight. Since there was a type of strong wind and a type of local thunderstorm, their marriage was postponed by five days. The invited people, returned to their houses, leaving Nico, Alexis and George. Later on, the weather became calm and silent. A pleasant breeze was blowing again, comforting everyone. Alexis said to George, “Just think about the weather George, it is so strange. After our wedding got postponed and everyone went away, the weather is again calm. How is it possible ! ?”. George told Alexis to calm down and comforted her. Alexis lit a candle in her hand and was strolling on the corridor. She glared at the bright white moon. But suddenly something frightened her a lot. Alexis clearly noticed a figure to rise and get up from that coffin and that figure started heading towards the main staircase of that house. Alexis got bewildered. She heard the sound of footsteps which literally made her understand that the figure was heading towards the room. She got to notice that figure to enter George’s room. But due to the reflection of the moonlight on the figure’s face, Alexis could notice that figure was completely similar to her figure, in the same costume, same haircut and the same pair of shoes. The figure entered the room in which George and Nico were present. Alexis said to herself, “How is it possible ! ? I literally noticed that figure to get up from the coffin and enter this room. Everything was very clear in-front of my eyes. What if that evil tries to take my partners to another place and wants to marry George ! I am sure that the evil will want to marry George and spoil his life. I have to do something immediately. Let me enter the room and confront that evil.” Alexis pushed the door and entered the room. She saw that evil figure, speaking to George. Both George and Nico got flabbergasted and bewildered, noticing two identical persons in-front of them. Alexis pointed towards the other similar figure and said to everyone, “I have clearly noticed this evil to get and rise up from the coffin and I literally noticed her to enter your room at first. Please believe me. I am the real Alexis.” Nico said to George, “How is it possible ! Two identical persons at the same time. Alexis, do you have a twin ?”. Alexis gave a negative reply to Nico. Their marriage was postponed by five days. The figure who entered the room at first, said to everyone, “I was supposed to marry George. The other same faced figure is the fake Alexis. She’s lying to everyone.” The other identical faced person remained speechless and ran out of the room. She said to herself, “If I would be present in that room any-longer, I wouldn’t be able to create this master-plan to prove the fake Alexis. Let me head towards the church. That may work…” On the other hand, the same faced figure who remained back in the room convinced both Nico and George, that she was the real Alexis. But still, her attitude with everyone made Nico suspect about her a lot. “I am with you people. See, the other Alexis ran out of the house. She fled away, thinking, if she gets caught. George, it’s me, the real Alexis. After five days, our marriage will take place. Be ready for it.”, said the same faced person who stayed with them, to George. And the other same faced Alexis who headed towards the church, didn’t return to her home. She met that nun, whom they all met a long time ago and made her aware of the whole incident. That nun said to Alexis, “I have understood everything. But for solving this issue, I might need to go to your house, on the day of occasion. But for the time being, I am arranging a temporary residence for you, inside the church itself. You may stay here, for these five days, after that, we both shall start for that house. And right now, I am giving you this thread kind of thing to wear it in your right wrist.”. Alexis thought about it for a few minutes and determined to stay in the church for the following five days. Three days passed. On the other hand, Alexis who was staying with Nico and George said to George, “Only two days are left for the auspicious event. Since it’s an auspicious event, I would likely advise you not to go anywhere out of this house for the following two days. Don’t go to your office also, for only these more two days. Take a leave… But you don’t have to know the reason for this advice of mine, to you. If you pay attention towards my advice to you, you’ll be safe.” George remained speechless and he didn’t reply her.
Two days passed
It was the evening of their marriage. George consented to marry Alexis who stayed in that house. But at the correct time of the work, another Alexis came inside running and she was found to arrive there with a nun. George glared at both of the same identical faced persons and said to Nico, “Nico, what will happen now ? Everyone’s here. So many people are invited to our marriage for this second time. Will the whole thing get blundered ?”. Nico was flabbergasted and tried to comfort George. The same faced Alexis, who was the bride, became very aggressive towards the other same faced Alexis and yelled out and moved towards the nun and the other Alexis. All the invited people became very disappointed but also flabbergasted with the incident and went out, considering the case. Two same faced Alexis, Nico, George and that nun, were left behind. Finally, on one hand George got fainted. Nico found herself to be in a serious trouble, to manage that violent situation. Alexis who stayed in the church, was bound to a tree by the other Alexis who stayed with Nico and George. Her hands were bound to the branch and she was whipped by the other Alexis who stayed with Nico and George. “Today, you will be slain by me. You will be battered to death.”, said the Alexis who stayed with George and Nico, to the Alexis who stayed in the church. It was bleeding a lot from the victim’s body. The victim found the other Alexis, in an aggressive state. The victim yelled out in pain saying, “No matter how severely you batter me, in this way, I will prove the truth.”. Nico noticed the violence which grew up and she felt uncomfortable and fainted down. Then, the nun lit fire in a small matchstick and threw it towards the coffin which was buried. The moment the coffin got to burn in fire, the Alexis, who was anguishing the other, was found to yell in pain as if she was being beaten up by someone. That Alexis ran towards the coffin. Her advent gradually seemed to change, as the coffin was gradually getting changed into ashes. Her advent left the other Alexis who was bound to the tree, in a speechless and a frightened condition. The figure who ran towards the coffin, yelled out, “Alexis, I am the spirit of Princess Edith Williams, who died of an accident. And that accident transpired to me on the day of my marriage. As a result, I couldn’t fulfill my wish of marrying David. I was buried here, on this ground. I couldn’t rest in peace. After that incident, this house was abandoned as because, others thought that my spirit was found to stroll around this house. And that night was the full moon night. After the house was abandoned, I decided that whoever would come here and if she/he stays here on either full moon or new moon day, I would suck that person’s blood and will be able to take a new rebirth as a human being. This is the case. I wanted to marry George because I knew that if I would marry him, I wouldn’t kill him, but I would be able to take a new rebirth as a human being. I would have changed to a human being. But you came to be my obstacle. I won’t leave you, until and unless you move away from this city of Cambridge. Go away…” The real Alexis got a relief, as she could free herself from being bound to the tree and immediately she awakened Nico and George. She spoke to them and they understood that situation. Princess Williams wept in pain and requested to everyone by saying, “I want nothing, but some peace and relaxation. I would likely request Alexis to fulfill this wish of mine, by burning this doll into ashes. Take it Alexis and if you change it into ashes, I will get relief. Please do so. I beg to you.” Alexis felt pity on Princess Williams and she wept. She lit the matchstick and burnt a doll into ashes, which the princess gave her. Princess Williams said to everyone, “Goodbye everyone ! May the God bless all of you ! Stay well forever and always love everyone with your good heart. I will be ascended to the peaceful paradise, now. Thank you so much Alexis. I am leaving…”. She started heading forward and literally diminished in the foggy winter, with the candle in her hand. The light of the candle was only found up-to a certain distance and gradually, the flame of the candle got smaller in size and diminished in the foggy dark zone. Her uttered words left everyone, speechless and everyone wept off, except the nun. The nun was also found to disappear suddenly, without saying anything. Only George, Nico and Alexis were left behind. At that night itself, three of them set for New York in the USA and Alexis and George decided to marry in New York. After reaching New York, Alexis and George married each other and finally Alexis, George and Nico settled there and lived peacefully. But still that incident left them in shock. A full mystery…
Thank You
Author: Madhusree Debnath (From India)