Scary Stories (Shadows of the night)

The stable girl

Damon Elliot was bored. He threw another pebble at the pond in front of him and watched it hop a couple of beats before finally sinking into the water. His father was at the other end of the pond near the oak tree, completing some paperwork with the owner of the stables.

Today was a public holiday, and while his mates would be chilling and having a time of their life during their summer vacations, while he would have to bake in the sun near some abandoned stables in the French quarters of India. He sighed, got up and dusted his pants and went to one of the empty stables.

The horses were long gone, but they had left behind the remains of the stables that once upon a time owned some of the world's best animals. Damon remembered the story very well.

Jack Difinskey, the beefy young owner of the stables was one of the most respected men of Pondicherry. His horses were his pride, his love, however someone else took their place.

A young women, the daughter of the village head was his soon to be wife after he had won her heart with his riding skills in the Annual Jumping Competition. But his heart broke into millions of pieces when she left him for her gardener's son. Mad with grief, he set himself on fire right next to the stables. Unfortunately, his beloved horses weren't spared and they too died that very same night with him.

Walking around the stables, the lingering smell of burnt wood filled up Damon's nostrils, a smell which evoked sadness and curiosity from him. He passed by each broken down stables, where the remains of half eaten fences and horse name plates were falling to pieces. It wouldn't be hard for father to break all of this down, thought Damon.

As he came towards the end of the long line of stables, his mouth fell open and all but his teeth fell out. There was a girl at the last stable, her black hair in a braid, piercing black eyes, mahogany complexion with rosy pink lips. Her bottom half was hidden behind big stable door but this only brought more of Damon's attention to how beautiful her face was.

An inviting smile spread across her face and he tried not to run as he went towards her.

"How do you do? My name is Vaish. Pleased to meet you." She held out her soft hands and Damon shook it only to let go of it immediately.
He inspected his hand and sure enough; a crimson pink colour was rapidly growing across his palm from the burn.

Looking up, his gaze immediately locked with her eyes-eyes like a hawk;beautiful but terrifying-and he decided to forget the minor incident.

"S-s-so do you live here?" Damon wanted to shoot himself for stuttering-and live here, seriously? Who lived in the stables?

She chuckled and Damon felt like his heart just made a tremendous leap. "No, My residency is one of the tiny shacks opposite of the stables. I just work here during the day."

Damon looked around the beaten down stables. Not a soul was to be at sight and the horses were of course long gone. "Here-you don't mean the stables do you?" He scrunched up his face in confusion.

"Yes I do mean the stables. I am the best at taking care of the horses." She replied with her chin proudly up.

Damon was lost for words. Once again he looked around him. There was no sign of a presence ever visiting this place at least in 50 years.
"Are you talking about these stables? It looks like a bloody world war 3 over here!" He laughed then quickly covered it up at the sight of her hurt expression.

"What on earth are you talking about! These are the finest stables in the whole of Pondicherry with some of the world's best horses in them. If you have a problem with me working here; you can leave in a jiffy." She panted slightly with her eyes glaring at him.

Damon was taken aback in shock and utter confusion. First of all was her anger at a simple yet a question with an obvious answer (which surely should be no)-but also her use of present tenses associated with the stables working conditions. Nevertheless it wouldn't hurt him to pretend like the stables were fine. At least there was a chance of a hook up after that.

"Right, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to hurt your feelings neither insult the stables. In fact I know that your stables are one of the best-not only in Pondicherry but possibly in the whole world. That's why I am here actually; it's good reputation stretches across the ocean and all the way to North America."

He prayed that it worked and sure enough a smile broke out across her pretty face-stretching from ear to ear.

There elapsed a conversation anything like Damon had before; equally delightful and confusing. They both stood there talking for an hour-not moving a muscle-totally engrossed in one another's words.

"Do you like movies?" He asked thinking it was high time he asked her out already.

"I love them though I hardly can ever afford to see them."

"Why don't we watch one together sometime. In fact do you want to go out and watch one right now-I heard a new horror movie has come out." There he said it. Large butterflies came swooping down into his stomach as he waited for her answer.

She mulled over it for a long time as she bit her fingernails in a way which Damon thought was very cute.

"Everything is on me, of course." He added quickly.

She hesitated then gave a grin. "That sounds wonderful. Thank you."

Damon let out a sigh of relief and his mind tried to wrap around the amazing fact that he was going on a date with her. With her!

He stepped back to allow the stable door to open. It creaked like the opening sequence of a horror film and when it opened Damon stood in utter disgust and shock.

He felt his eyes get heavier and colder. The living nightmare started to fade away replacing itself with many black spots. His head started to spin and spin and spin until he could no longer feel the cold hard ground of the stables.

What happened next you may ask. Damon's father never bought the stables due to it still feeling like the tragedy had not yet gone. As for Damon? Well I hear he is still at the local hospital muttering the same thing over and over again
"Legs burnt off, legs burnt off, legs burnt off!"