The Haunted Wooden Box

By Syed Akram

After spending a long day doing the project as she is in the final year of her B. Tech and returned to the hostel around 7 o clock after dusk and entered her room and observed nobody is in the room and to get fresh up, she entered the washroom and after fresh up when she tries to open the door and the door is slashed from outside and she thought someone must have returned to the room and might have done it. she shouted that it is not funny I'm already tired just open the door and after 5 seconds that the door opened itself and she came out of the washroom and stood frightened for a second and realized that the room door was slashed from inside by herself only, and firstly she thinks it might her illusion as she is too tired but she was afraid inside and took her phone and dialling to her roommates by sitting on her bed first in the row of four-bed nearer to the door.

As no one answering and she thought they might be on the way to the hostel and started watching her phone by plugged headphones in the ears to get relaxed. After around five minutes all of a sudden power off in the room and she removed the headphones and going to open the door to check outside and before she was about to open the door, she hears a knock on the door and felt a relief that her roommates might have returned. After opening the door, she gets terrified by seeing no one was out there and returned to her bed immediately and left the door open. she tries to call her roommates once again but still, no one is answering, and she tries one more time and this time one roommate lift the call and she was shouting where were you and told to come hostel fast and saying that she glanced at the door and her heartbeat suddenly stopped. she stood rooted to the ground. Frozen. Paralyzed.

A strange woman structured stood behind the door, staring at her. she dropped her phone and a faint flashlight of her phone fell on the door and she ran away from there screaming at the top of her lungs.

Along the runaway by screaming, she reached the next room and knock on the door very loudly and forcefully of that room and shouting open the door please open the door. One of her friends opens the door and they get shocked by seeing her full of terrified and asked what happened she replied by gasping, "someone is there in my room” as the power didn't come yet there are four members in that room and telling her to take a deep breathe first, we all will go and see who is in there. In the meanwhile, her friends return to the hostel and they are not aware of this incident and they stopped in the front room and see why the room door is open where did the Lakshmi go by left the room door open, and her roommate Roopa enters the room after observing the Lakshmi phone on the floor to take it and suddenly the door closes itself without even a breeze of wind, Roopa took the phone immediately and already the flashlight of the phone is on and she focuses on to the door and tries to open it but the door is not opening.

Roopa felt a mysterious presence in the room and turn around to take a glance at the room and found nothing, but she can feel that someone is there with her in that room. The moment when she started to try to unlock the door, she began to hear strange whispers. She stopped, stood still, but the whispers persisted, she realized that the voices were coming from behind her she looked around again but found no one. She resumed unlocking the door and shouting her friend's name and telling open the door. The murmurs are getting louder. After trying for five minutes, she sat on the first bed from the door and trying to call her friend, but the murmurs were draining her. She pressed and released his ears several times to stop buzzing. Slowly the sounds subsided. she felt relaxed and call her friend and luckily the call connected, and the whispers immediately returned. She tried ignoring the strange voice asking her friend in call what is happening outside then she heard the first clear words " GET OUT" and she ran towards the door and she is trying very hard this time in fear and the door opened and she went outside and shiveringly telling them that someone is inside the room. 

Now it is around 10 o clock Lakshmi from the other room joined her roommates and saw Roopa trembling, as their room is on the second floor every hosteller on that floor gathered at their room. Both Lakshmi and Roopa explained what they encountered at that time power came and everyone searched their room and wondering at the strange presence but nobody able to express it. Warden came to see what is happening and after hearing the two incidents to get rid of the fear she said, "both children are what that must be your imagination, everyone returned to their rooms." warden also checked the room and she also felt a mysterious presence, but she strikes of the thought and left the place saying, Lakshmi sleep early. Lakshmi, Roopa entered their room with other roommates Keerthi and Madhu. Four of them did not discuss anything regarding what happened and try to sleep, Keerthi and Madhu were blessed with sleep and they are having a decent sleep now. Roopa was trying to sleep, and Lakshmi did not turn off the room light. she keeps on thinking " Who was she? Did I really see someone? Or was it just my imagination?

She mused in the deathly silence of the night. she closed her eyes and tried to sleep. Creeeeaak! the bathroom door groaned at the hinges. Her eyes flew wide open. Her heart against her ribs. she had shut the door just a few minutes ago. she sat still and saw everyone was packed in their blankets and blissfully asleep. Then who had opened the door? She turned her head towards the door. Her heartbeat stopped. It was wide open now. someone was standing there, facing her. Faint moonlight seeping through the windows of the room revealed a flimsy womanish figure in a flowing dress. "Gh...gh...gh......" but no more sound would emerge from her throat. She began to shake frenziedly. was I dreaming? she was thinking. She shut and opened her eyes. The spectre was gone. She had perceived two frightful eyes, two dark holes staring at her, chilling her to her bones. but now a black hollowness inside a rectangular frame of the open door stared back at her. She lay in her bed wide awake, reflecting. Lost in these thoughts, why all of sudden all these things happening, and she began to drift into sleep. The next morning it is like as usual everyone is going to college as she woke up a little late.

She was alone in the room and thinking about why all of sudden these things happened and not to overthink she put her busy in cleaning the room. From other roommates, she heard that a dog sat in front of our room door until we return, as she did not go to college and thought of letting the dog in. After she came back from breakfast the dog was already there as the door is closed, it is outside and after the door open, she let the dog in, it went straight away to the closet and started barking. she opened the closet and there is that small wooden box, which she found while cleaning the room under Madhu's bed. She took the box outside and kept it on the balcony wall and after that, the dog suddenly disappeared. She waits until her roommates return from college to talk about that wooden box. As soon as her roommates return, she did not even give time for a refresh, put that wooden box in front of Madhu, and asked impolitely to tell me about this box. Madhu took the box and asked why what happened, the box looks very nice do not you think. Lakshmi told the incident what happened in the morning and about the dog. After listening to that Madhu replied in a tense tone that the wooden box is not mine. Everyone looked at Madhu shockingly and asked then whose box is it, she replied that when I visited the temple two days ago in the evening around seven and this box was lying outside the temple and I lifted the box as it looks beautiful even in the dark and brought it to the room. After listening to this incident everyone looks changes to a little anger. 

Lakshmi shouted, "I'm sure that due to this box only all of a sudden weird thing are happening in the room and asked why you brought this box to the room". Madhu in a funny tone relax lucky (Lakshmi nickname) you are just overthinking that is it we will see today what is going to happen. Lakshmi in a tense tone then I am not going to sleep today night here after dinner I will be sleeping in the Deepthi’s room (Her friend's room on the third floor). Roopa said common lucky you are the brave and if you did not stay, I will also come with you. After the dinner, both Lakshmi and Roopa did not come to the room for the night and only Keerthi and Madhu is in the room they both decided nothing is going to happen and we will be here only. Keerthi is an early bird and blissfully asleep, Madhu is still watching her phone with headphones plugged in. She did not notice that the Keerthi is in deep sleep and suddenly a pillow falls in front of her, firstly she thinks Keerthi might have thrown it and plugged out the headphones and said Keerthi it is not funny and continued watching her phone. In her phone, as the notification pops up as low battery, she turned around to grab the charger, and then she watched in horror as the pillow from the bed rose on its own and came hurtling towards her. She dodged. She was even shocked when she did not find Keerthi in her bed and She stood frozen, looking around the stark empty room. Suddenly the cupboard opens and room doors also open, from the cupboard that mysterious wooden box fell and from door Keerthi about to enter the room, water bottle in her hand. Madhu grabbed Keerthi's hand and went to the third floor to join the others by locking the door from outside.

Madhu knocked on the Deepthi's room door and everyone spent the whole night there as Deepthi's roommates went to their respective native places in advance on the occasion of UGADI festival (TELUGU NEW YEAR) which is after two days. Morning Keerthi listened to all these incidents and took Roopa, Madhu, and Lakshmi to the room and lift the box lying on the floor and in front of them threw it out from the balcony and told them to relax and get ready to go home and forgot all these incidents and enjoy the festival. Lakshmi said it is after two days why in advance and mentioned that she has some work to do in the college. Keerthi and Madhu both shouted that look at your face in the mirror see how you are looking, and you are too disturbed about this first pack your bags and get ready and everyone agreed to that. Everyone departed to their native places Madhu, Lakshmi, and Roopa are from the same places and on the same bus to the Hindhupur land known for floating pillars. Keerthi on the bus of Hyderabad to the Kurnool. Everyone dropped a message to each other after reaching their houses.

simultaneously at everyone house:

In Keerthi's house,

Keerthi spent the whole day as usual in the house happily and around the time of dusk, her mom told her to unpack the bags which she brought from the hostel and her eyes become wide and shocked after seeing the wooden box in her bag which she threw outside the hostel. First, she thought to tell her roommates about this box, but she didn't, as not to scare her friends. She put the box in her room and by telling her mom she went to her friend's house as she returns from the hostel after a long time. Keerthi's mom was doing some work in the kitchen and suddenly heard some sound from Keerthi's room, and she went to see what is happening in the room, is Keerthi returned so soon and opened the door. The room was a complete mess, every object was misplaced which makes her very angry and gives extra work. She started cleaning the room and found the wooden box in the mess which she took and put in the main hall after cleaning the room and decided to ask about it Keerthi when she returned to home. 

Keerthi's mom started watching T.V and she heard the sound again from Keerthi's room and went to see what happened now and she gets shocked, the room which she cleaned just five minutes ago now is again a complete mess with all things misplaced all over the room. She gets even frightened when she saw the wooden box again in the same place which she remembered placing in the main hall. 

At the same time in Roopa's house,

Roopa, after reaching home she put her bags in her room and get refreshed and get busy with her family telling them about college incidents and forgot to unpack her bags. After dinner, she went to her and saw the bags which she brought from the hostel and decided to unpack before going to bed and when she opens the first bag found the wooden box and her eyes wide with fright. She wants to scream and call her mom and to tell everything about this box and the hostel incidents. But she didn't want to scare anybody, even didn't want to tell her friends. She took a deep breath and thinking what to do next and she is the smartest in her room. She thought of a brilliant idea, took the box, and kept it in the " Pooja Gadhi" (Prayers room). When she came out of the room, she heard some strange screams from that room when she slashed the door from outside after keeping the box inside. 

In Lakshmi's house

At the time she reached home, everyone was ready to depart the village temple to perform some "Pooja" in the temple and told Lakshmi to get ready and reach the temple as soon as possible. She threw the luggage bag in her didn't even think of a second thought and get ready in no time to go to the temple and join the others. Everyone returned from the temple around near dinner time and everyone had some family time until the dinner gets served and after the dinner, everyone went to their rooms. 

When Lakshmi entered her room, she then drew in her breath. The night scene of the hostel played on her mind yet again-- the apparition of a woman at the room door, staring at her. Now in her room, she was alone but there was a second unknown presence in the room, she felt it. After turning on the room lights and saw her bags and she smiled, how in a hurry the luggage left in the room. when she opened the luggage bag, her ground beneath her feet shook She immediately calls Keerthi and tries to tell her about the box, suddenly her mom called lucky, Jyothi came to meet you (neighbour of Lakshmi). She is wondering why Jyothi suddenly wants me to meet and cut the call of Keerthi which is ringing and went to the main hall to see Jyothi. Lakshmi didn't tell her that I have come from the hostel today and how did she know, did she saw me in the Temple. With all thoughts in her mind, she entered the main hall and they greeted each other, and Lakshmi asked without hesitation, how you know that I have come home today. Jyothi with a smiley face are you kidding, just now you wave your hand from the balcony to come over to your house when I was on the terrace won't you remember. Lakshmi froze for a second and to scare she nodded her face as she agreeing to her words. They both chat for around an hour and after Jyothi left she told her mom that I will be sleeping in the main hall only.

In Madhu's house,

At the time when Madhu reached home, some guests were already present in the hall and Madhu greeted everyone by throwing the luggage at the corner of her room and they make her sit with them. The guests left around the dusk and she was already tired after the journey and now completely exhausted. She went directly to the Kitchen and told her mom to serve dinner immediately even though it is early, and I want it on the table at the time I came after refreshing. Her mom did the same thing as she knows how badly she was tired today; Madhu had her dinner and went to her room to take a blissful sleep. Madhu falls asleep in no time and she is being uncomfortable on the bed like having a bad dream. In her dream, she's having a vision of the wooden box found to be in her roommate's pack bags when they are unpacking the bags in their home. She is having a vision in her dream about how Keerthi's mom faced some paranormal activities in Keerthi's room, and the wooden box in her room, how Roopa found the wooden box in her bag and heard the screams when she put the box in the pooja gadhi, how Lakshmi found the box in her bag and how in her home, her neighbour saw someone called her from the balcony. Suddenly the alarm goes on and Madhu wakes up gasping and checks her luggage bag brought from the hostel and there it is the wooden box has appeared on the top.

continuation

Madhu connected the conference to three in the morning and told everyone about the dream she had yesterday, and the box is in her bag. She becomes horrified after realizing that these incidents happen in reality with them and they also found the wooden box in their luggage bags. They all decided to come hostel after the day of UGADHI and everyone agrees and before hanging up the call Roopa mentioned to keep the wooden box in the Pooja Gadhi, and everyone said okay to that. Everyone kept the wooden box as the Roopa mentioned and after two days is festival and they celebrate the festival with absentminded. The day after that everyone was packing to return to the hostel. Lakshmi went to take the box from the Pooja Gadhi and found nothing, the box is not there, and in panic where it would be gone who might have taken it. She asked her mom and what she said made her even terrible that which wooden box I didn't saw any, morning only I clean the Pooja Gadhi. Immediately she made a call to Madhu and talked about it and what she found is even Madhu's wooden box is also not found in her room where she kept it, both put Keerthi and Roopa inline and said about the box is missing and they froze after listening that in their home also box is missing from the place where they kept it in the Pooja Gadhi. 

Madhu said to the three of them that anyhow the box is gone I'm staying one more day and asked them what you say, three of them agree with Madhu and decided to spend one more day in their home. 

How three of them Madhu, Lakshmi, and Roopa departed to their home same like that the three of them returned to the hostel. It's around 7 o clock in the evening they unlock the room and enter. At that instant, they heard a growling sound. Momentarily, they were unnerved. They gathered courage and open the door. The room was dark and cold. Three of them glance a look around the room and that's where their vision stopped at the last bed from the door. Someone was sitting there, watching them. Then the shadowy figure began to move towards them. "There you are ....... at last," three of them clearly heard a women's voice. Instantly, Roopa turns on the lights. The woman disappeared; they were thinking why even the box has gone why we are still experiencing these things. Roopa went to put her things in the closet and after she opens it, started screaming, Lakshmi and Madhu went to see what's inside the closet, and their heart skips a beat. In the closet, it appeared again the wooden box which they thought they lost its haunting on the festival. Madhu shouted I'm done with this box and I'm going to put it where I found it, Lakshmi also agreed to Madhu's decision and Madhu took the box and both are going towards the door and Roopa shouted from behind don't leave me alone I'm also coming. Three of them were going to the place where Madhu's found the box, at that time Roopa gets a call from Keerthi that asking I'm coming to the hostel are you in the room, and Lakshmi took the phone from Roopa and said to Keerthi don't enter the room until we return to the hostel and she said okay. 

After five minutes they reached the spot where Madhu found the wooden box, Lakshmi told Madhu that put the box exactly where you found, and Madhu did the same thing, and they didn't even turn their head back and returned to the hostel. Now when four of them entered the room, they didn't feel any mysterious presence how they felt when the wooden box is in the room. Even though they get rid of the wooden box, four of them change to another hostel and they didn't forget the wooden box mystery until now, even this incident happened one year ago.

The End.

By Syed Akram