Woman In Red
Sitting on the small rock beside the campfire Sebastian stared at the Moon blankly mesmerized by the beauty of the full Moon. The luminescence of the Moon, the dancing leaves, swaying long grasses with the breeze and the tickle of the moist air on his face all were alluring. He felt a little drowzy and was hardly able to keep his eyes open.
The lethargic effect of Nature stupefied his mind and he could neither sit straight nor hear anything clearly. All talking, muttering and laughter around him entered his ear in the form of little pitter-patter of the tiny rain drops on water. He realized that his mind was too tired to be in his control.
He had transcended the bounds of reality and was going to trespass in the land of dreams, in the world of imaginations where he could meet his parents again, re-live his lost childhood and be a happy person forever.
But before could begin his journey in his dreamland he heard a fissle behind him. With his blurry eyes he could see a dim figure of a woman behind.
She was beautifully dressed in red, her eyes had a shade of deep blue, her long smooth hair seemed to be nicely braided, her white cheeks blushed with red dimples when she looked into Sebastian's green eyes. But something disturbed Sebastian.
He couldn't see her face clearly probably due to his drowsiness yet he could see that she was bound by shackles from her neck to her feet. He couldn't understand why someone would bind such a beautiful, innocent creature in shackles and why was she here in the woods.
He felt sorry for her condition and was happy to see this beautiful stranger. He wanted to tell her to join them but he could not see her properly.
He rubbed his eyes for a clear vision but as soon as he removed his hands from his eyes the lady was nowhere to be seen. He tried to argue with himself that he was just hallucinating.
There is no woman in red here, in the middle of a forest camp. He simpered at his foolishness, at the idiocy of his brain. “What jolly things it creates !” he told to himself.
As his conflicting thoughts were settling down he heard a whisper from behind him. It was the voice of a female and the sweetest voice Sebastian had ever heard in his life. The voice was whispering his name.
It called him by his name several times. Sebastian felt as if it was penetrating his heart. It was like the soothing musical notes of glasses filled with water which produced a tone that pronounced his name.
He could resist the enchanting voice no more. He felt his heart slowly cradled in his chest and his mind ordering him to feel the voice and move towards it. Sebastian looked behind and saw the red dressed woman behind a tree.
Her figure was hardly visible this time and more blurry as compared to earlier. She seemed to be telling something and that's when he heard his name again. Sebastian realized that she was the one calling him.
She was only a few meters away from the camp fire so her appearance was dim. He wished to go and talk with her, ask her name, who she was, tell how beautiful she looked, ask her reason to be in the forest. He desperately wanted to remove the chains from around her.
He wished to break all her shackles and set her free. He wanted to be her silver knight protecting the woman from the woods and her gloomy fate. His sub-conscious mind encouraged him to go speak with her.
But something struck his mind. His consciousness argued his sub-conscious mind, why was she in the forest? why she kept herself away from the camp? why she called him behind the trees?
why darkness was safer to her than the campfire? why not come forward and introduce herself? why the woods were more comfortable to her than the camp and people?
But he didn't give much attention to any of the questions. Rather he brushed them off with only one reply - “Perhaps, she was shy to show herself and talk to everyone.” He decided to answer the call that spell bound him.
The enchanting voice entered through his ears and like a snake coil it's prey, it coiled him brain, his mind and all of his body. He got up from the rock he was sitting on and slowly trode towards the tree which she used as her hiding shield. But as soon as he reached near the tree he saw that she wasn't there anymore.
He moved round the tree and looked around himself but she was nowhere. Sebastian began to contradict himself once more. His conflicting thoughts and confused mind quarrelled again.
At the moment he heard his name being called by her once more from behind a nearby tree. He walked towards the tree and saw her coming out of her hiding with a smile. Her shining white teeth were much more beautiful than the white camellia of the Spring.
Their brightness was enhanced by the flickering glow of the campfire. As he took a few steps ahead he felt something pulling his left leg.
He tried to kick and move ahead but no use. Fear grasped his heart and he looked down to see a hand firmly held his leg.
His breathing grew coarse and he bent down to to get out of the vicious clutch. But as he took a better look from near he discovered that it was just a few wild vines wrapped around his trouser. In the glow of the flames combined with the shadows of the trees they looked like a rotten hand.
His breathing returned to normal and he turned his eyes towards the beautiful lady but she disappeared again.
This time Sebastian decided not to follow her and return to the safety of the camp rather than following a girl whom he never saw in his life.
He turned towards the camp and strangely his vision started to get clear. He could see the campfire from the woods slightly bigger than a firefly. He was startled when his realization told him how far away from his friends he had reached.
As he took a step forward he could hear his name being called once more. This time like a sweet lullaby which reminded him of his childhood and his mother singing to him before during his bedtime.
She died many years back in an accident along with his father. He was only 8 years when he faced this most tragic and gruesome incident of his life. He grew up in an orphanage after they were gone.
He had no relatives or other siblings to live with or look after him. He met many kids and made some friends in the orphanage back then who love him dearly and are with him till date.
He turned back towards the voice and saw her, THE WOMAN In RED standing far away from him. She gestured him with her hand to go near her, but Sebastian didn't flinch. He stood there gaping at the woman, girl or whatever she was.
He didn't want to go to her but it seemed his body, his mind and his soul everything belonged to her. He could not resist his strong urge anymore. He started to walk towards her with eyes fixed on her.
She was moving back getting deeper inside the forest and her song, her voice was getting filled with pain. It felt as if someone was hurting her, torturing her for eras. Sebastian couldn't bear this thought, this pain anymore.
The urge to break her shackles, to free her and to save her from whoever it was took over his heart. Sebastian felt that someone was pulling the chains and taking her away from him so he paced after her.
He ran after her as fast as he could following her soulful shallow voice like a musk deer follows the fragrance of it's own musk.
But after running after her for quite long he stopped unable to find any trail of her. She vanished along with her voice in a moment.
Sadly, he let out a sigh and turned towards he way of the camp. Looking behind he realized what he did. There was no camp, no campfire, no friends, no vehicle or tents.
His clear vision could only spot darkness for him along with the shadows of the trees under the full moon and the dried leaves that protected the earth from bearing his footprints.
Turning all around him he soon discovered that he was lost. In such stern situation his mind whispered to him.
“Congratulations Crusoe being far from humanity, here's your first exploration.” Sebastian frowned and searched for the slightest trail of his way to return or for the woman.
After a while the moonlight revealed to him a clear track with only a few leaves on it. Sebastian's mind danced in his chest and his joy knew no bound.
With a broad smile and a satisfaction greater than Columbus’ he trekked his newly discovered, troddened track.
He kept marching forward with light feet trying to produce as little sound as he could. He didnot wish to disturb the serenity of the jungle and invite it's wrath upon him.
Even in the cool breeze of spring he was perspiring extensively trying to push fear away from his little bosom.
Beautiful singing and chirping voices of many birds filled the air and a few frightening ones could be heard.
After walking for a long time he reached the bank of a river. The water was crystal clear and he could see his reflection on the water under the moon surrounded by white clouds. The whole place was tranquil.
The river looked sullen though serene, probably because not many people knew about it and could enjoy it's beauty. Perhaps it was left alone for a long time far away from the touch of civilization.
Yet he felt relaxed with the thought that it was better undiscovered rather than ruined. If people found it and it grew popular, then many tourists would come to visit it turning it into a favourite picnic and camping spot leading to it's demise.
It was protected in the heart of nature but if humans found it they will pollute it. With a rustling sound behind him Sebastian was brought back to reality. He followed the path back to where he came from.
But he heard the singing voice again, this time from somewhere near the river. He ran towards the river and began to search the woman wildly.
That's when he saw something shiny inside the water as bright as a diamond.
To get a better look he bent down and brought his head near to the water. He dipped his hand in the water to get the shining object. A hand protruded out of the river and grasped around his throat.
He observed that it was a female's hand and tried to free himself but couldn't. Shackles with iron spikes wrapped around his hand in the river, then they grew longer and larger wrapped all around his body.
Blood started to pour from everywhere in his body and drop by drop it fell on the river. The chains pulled him within the river. He attempted to stand his ground but he failed. He tried to jerk away the shackles or free himself from the hand but no use. He felt like a fly stuck in a spider’s web.
He lost all hope and felt someone or something sink it's teeth in his neck. He endeavoured to pop his head out of the water and gasped for air to breathe but in vain. He heard the same sweet voice whisper in his ear “Your sacrifice my freedom, your death my life.”
He started losing his sense, darkness was veiling his sight, his heart beating slower by every second and death carrying him to another world.
That's when a strong hand held his shoulder firmly and pulled him out of the river. He could see nothing but hear the shouting of many boys and few girls.
