The unknown

Silence, is powerful sometimes, peaceful at times, and maybe scary from time to time. In a group of strangers, a silent person is a mystery by themself, but a silent space decorated with darkness is something more than that of one’s imagination. It’s the space where the unknown is privileged to dominate the known. A suspicious place where only guesses can have their seats.

It wasn’t the same a few moments back. Huge unrest, various quest, throbbing, and crying were the occupants. Silence spread its wings just after a shrieking noise, the sound which instilled fear within them. The lack of light was their first enemy, the dark made sure that all of them were unaware of what was going on around them.

The courage of questioning their whereabouts was diminishing whenever one among them was taken away and the fear within them was elevating with every passing second. Anymore the pitiful souls didn’t have the strength to fight back.

As time passed on, everyone was lost in their thoughts. There were so many questions running within them. The common one was,

Where am I? and why?

They didn’t have an answer not even a clue. They feared to speak up. And all they did was, wait for someone to rescue them. Every single heartbeat felt like a lifetime. All of them were shattered, and the fear of what next took the front seat. Will I be the one, next? They feared.

After a prolonged wait, a quavering voice sprouted amid silence.

“Is anybody around?”. The impatient person took the lead.

“Hmm. Yeah.” An apprehensive reply emerged followed by a long breath.

“Please. Untie me. Please.” The shaky voice begged fretfully.

“Am sorry, I am not in a position to help anyone, not even myself.” The helpless sobbed.

“What’s going on? Please, Help! Can anyone hear me?” The screech for help pierced through the air. But in vain, only the echoes were the return gifts.

“This doesn’t work here. Be silent.” A firm voice ordered.

“Who, who are you?” The trembling voice asked out of fear in the least decibel as possible.

In a trice, a barking dog responded to the query. It upraised the trepidation amongst them. A pet lover may enjoy the sounds of their pet at any random time, whether in the dark or in silence. But for a stranger, a dog barking at them in the dark can only act as a threat to life. It did the same to them.

The helpless beings stood still, the pressure within them was building up, and the fear restricted them from letting out their emotions. They silently cried and prayed within themselves. The dog continued growling with certain pauses. All they could imagine was the growling dog roaming around. The palpitated heart, dried lips, and Shallow breaths became normal for them. The time flew as same as their heartbeats. Some felt it was the end and few were on the edge of hope.

As time passed, they could hear the dogs whimper at a distance, which brought a small sigh of relief to them. But it didn’t last long, a new entry into the darkness lit up the screams again.

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Original Copyright © Sukanya Pon