The Lost Souls

Meetings With A........ What?

"I think you're over-exhausted." Ria tried to calm Vedha.
"N-no... I am exhausted beyond limits but my brain sure works." Vedha winced as Ria cleaned her wound with water and a cloth.

Ria was focusing only on her leg and she started pouring out her thoughts.
"Omg Vedha... This wound is deep and there's dirt all over it...what if you get an infection...or what if some reaction happens near the wound...or what if these ugly bushes over here make it even worse or....."
"Lovely optimisim Ria!" Sapna cut her off.
Ria just rolled her eyes.
"Where are the boys?" she asked.

"They're gone to bring some more wood for the bonfire." Sapna told her.

They both noticed that Vedha wasn't paying attention. She was lost in her own thoughts.

"I think you should take a bath Vedha...you really stink!" Ria chuckled.

"You guys smell like a swamp which is filled with animal and industrial waste, so you should go and take bath, maybe I'll enjoy watching you guys." Vedha retorted.

"Lovely description Vedha!" Sapna said with the same tone.

"Ewww...that's creepy." Ria made a face.
"And enjoy watching us bath or just him?" she winked at Vedha.

"Him? Who?" Vedha asked her.

"You know... Just a guy....who went crazy to find you....who kept searching for you....who was worried like hell for you...soo that guy." Ria said that with a weird tone.

"I'm sorry I didn't get it, who?" Vedha understood that Ria's answer will be something stupid.

And Ria responded.
"Sumedh. I'm talking about Sumedh. I am sure you would enjoy watching him ba....."

Vedha hit her in the head before she could complete her sentence.
"That's not true. He's my friend so ofcourse he's going to worry about me. Even you guys came all the way here to find me so what does that mean?" Vedha blurted.

"Yeah you're right." Ria agreed.

"But....he was really worried for me?" Vedha whispered.

Ria and Sapna both smiled at her and Vedha couldn't stop herself from smiling either.

                                         ~~~~

The boys were back with sticks of all shapes and stacked them in a corner. They were outside near the lake when they saw the girls sitting together on large rocks. The surrounding was quite with only the chattering of insects and sound of running water, which actually made them hear Vedha's loud voice. They approached the girls after splashing water on themselves, but found out that they were in a quite different mood. It was more like a horrified and apathy mixed look on their faces.

Vedha had stopped her story. The girls motioned and the boys sat down making no action and looked at them expecting an explanation. A few moments passed and Ria finally spoke,
"Vedha saw dead bodies in the forest."

Someone from the boys gasped softly and most of their heads snapped in a shot at Vedha. But her gaze was again lost somewhere between the rocks and her shoes. She looked up and met everyone's eyes and scoffed.

"Is that true?" Sidd asked her.
She nodded a yes.

"Were they real?" Akshay asked her.
She nodded yes.

"Did you....did you touch them?" Evan asked her.
She again nodded yes.

"Whose bodies were they?" Ethan asked her.
She just stared at Ria, Sidd and Sumedh who were sitting next to each other.