Cursed

Breaking Down

Ann's POV

"My pain echoed through the empty halls,

Devil lurking in the walls;

Darkness resides in my mind,

My demons you will find...!" The distorted sinister voice of a little girl lingered around me as I crouched leaning against the wall. It was cold, misty, and dark around. Where am I?

"Are you alright dear?" I felt a soft hand on my shoulder and immediately jerked open my eyes to realize I was still sitting in the waiting area, it was just a dream, I turned to my side to find a pair of soft soothing eyes looking at me.

"Yeah... I am okay!" I replied rubbing the sleep off my eyes. She smiled at my reply, seeing her uniform I realize she is a nurse here. Shallow was sitting beside me on another chair. I spent the whole night in the waiting arena.

"How is Pihu?" I asked looking hopeful. My voice sounded hoarse and much heavier due to the tiredness and sleepiness I was feeling. There was a constant throbbing in my head, making it difficult for me to keep my eyes open.

"The doctor will talk to you about her... Are you sure you're feeling alright?" She asked me, sensing my uneasiness and also changing the topic about Pihu. It felt like she was hiding something. What's wrong? Please don't say Pihu is no more!

"Hey!" She nudged me bringing me back to reality.

"Yeah.. yeah...I...I'm fine..!" I replied not revealing to her the fatigue and headache I was having. 

"Okay! then why don't you go and get something to eat till the doctor comes to talk with you?"

"Yeah okay!" I replied getting up from my seat. I was feeling too tired and sleepy and a bit hungry too. Let me get some coffee, I thought as I excused myself and went towards the hospital cafeteria with Shallow.

I brought myself a strong black coffee and a sandwich, and for Shallow, I got some biscuits. He immediately gulped them down. I knew he was hungry too, but he didn't complain at all. I bent down at his level and patted his back. He waged his tailed looking at me, I smiled looking at his gleaming eyes. I still remember the day Sid surprised me with Shallow, how tiny he was then. It was the first time I went out with Sid, maybe it wasn't an official date, but for me, it will forever be my first date with him. Where are you, Sid? Why did you leave?  I asked myself, feeling despair thinking about what was going on in my life. 

Everyone I loved and cared for is either dead or missing. A small tear escaped from the corner of my eye and rolled down my cold cheeks. Immediately I rubbed it off. I have decided that I will be strong and I was not going to cry and find an end to all these. I will find them out.

"Miss Sengupta?" I heard a deep baritone and turned towards its direction to find a doctor with three cops. 

"Yes?" I asked and walked towards them.

"Well dear, I suppose yesterday night there was an accident in the woods and we found a car collided with a huge tree. There was only a little girl in the back seat, and the front seats were empty. We found a cellphone lying on the front seat from where we found you." One of the police officers spoke.  

"Do you know these people?" He asked showing me few pictures of me, Saikat, and Sis from Sis's phone. 

"Yes!" I replied, my eyebrows frowning in confusion as I looked through the photos. The screen of the phone was cracked. A sensation of anxiousness and distress crept inside me, fearing the worst, "this is my sister Arundhati Sengupta and he is my friend's brother and kind of a brother to me" I said pointing towards the pictures," his name is Saikat Chatterjee!" I replied my voice almost choking. Don't tell me they are dead, please don't die, I prayed, trying hard to hold back my tears.