Marked By Darkness

Chapter 5- Mystery of the Bunglow

After a few days, Ruhi paced around her room, holding her phone tightly.
Her mind buzzed with excitement and a bit of nervousness. She had to show this to Anshi; she needed someone to validate what she'd seen.

She dialed Anshi's number.

"Ruhi, my darling! How can I be of service?" Anshi's voice came through, filled with enthusiasm.

Ruhi rolled her eyes but smirked. "Ugh, just stop with the theatrics. Get over here now."

"Right now? What's the rush? You're not dying of boredom, are you?" Anshi teased.

"Anshi, I swear. I need you to come with me somewhere, and there's something I want to show you."

"Ooh, sounds serious. Important?" Anshi laughed.

Ruhi let out a dramatic sigh. "Very."

"Alright, alright! I'll be there in a bit. But if this is another one of your wild ideas..."

"Just hurry up, will you?"

---

After sometime, Ruhi sat in the living room, impatiently tapping her foot against the floor. Her mom's voice pulled her out of her thoughts.

"Mom?" Ruhi called.

"Hmm?"

"What are you reading?" Ruhi glanced at the book in her mom's hand.

"Oh, just a novel by my favorite author."

Ruhi wrinkled her nose. "Your favorite? How can you stand reading something so boring?"

Her mom pretended to be offended. "Oh, hush, you little critic. Not everything needs to be flashy videos and clickbait titles."

"Mom, don't forget your daughter is a well-known blogger. Maybe you should check out my videos sometime."

Her mom smiled warmly. "Oh, I do watch them. In fact, I'm often the first one to like them."

Ruhi teasingly leaned against her mom. "That's why you're the best mom."

"Am I only the best because I like your videos?" Her mom asked with a smile.

Just then, the doorbell rang.

Ruhi immediately shot up, her heart skipping a beat. She opened the door to find Anshi standing there, slightly out of breath.

"Hey! Come on in."

Anshi raised an eyebrow. "So, what's this big surprise you have for me? You sounded so dramatic on the phone."

Anshi grinned mischievously.

"Follow me. I'll show you."

---

In Ruhi's room...

Ruhi pulled out her iPad and opened a video. Her hands were almost trembling with anticipation as she passed the iPad to Anshi.

"Look at this! Remember that old abandoned bungalow near the cemetery that I told you about?"

Anshi's expression shifted from curiosity to confusion as she watched the video. The eerie, desolate bungalow on the screen sent a slight chill down her spine.

"Yeah, the spooky one. What about it?"

Ruhi leaned closer, her voice dropping to a whisper. "This video is of that same bungalow! And look-there's this boy showing it off like some haunted attraction."

Anshi squinted at the screen, her brows furrowing in disbelief. "Wait, seriously? That's the same place?"

Ruhi nodded enthusiastically. "Yes! And here's the crazy part: I actually know this guy."