Fear of being alone

I always hated it. The dark feeling that I always hate kept on coming when I am alone.  It all started when I heard a story…..

           Rain pattered on the window sill as I looked wearily at my brother, Pranav, as he listened to his I-pod. I went to him and asked him to tell me a story. He sneered at me in an evil kind of way. He started this very scary story. Once upon a time, there was a man eating Cannibal. He looks for small boys and chops them to pieces and eats them with deserts made by blood. He said he might appear anywhere and cut even me into small pieces. I shuddered at the thought of being chopped. I kept thinking about this story the whole day.

            I could not sleep well that night. The Cannibal man kept on coming in my dreams, chopping my head, my hands, my legs and happily laughing while doing so. He even laughed out loud that the whole world can hear.

             I woke up hearing a strange noise in the kitchen. It was very sick. I went down to have a look. Lo and behold! It was the Cannibal again! He came towards me, swinging his machete. Suddenly his hand stretched and gripped me hard, not wanting to leave me. I shivered until my heart moved to my brain. The evil man plunged his machete into my heart!!!!! Ahhhhhhh!!!!! I shouted as loud as a thunder. Blackness fell over me.

          Darren! Darren! Wake up!! Time to get up! I woke up. I wanted to scream. I could not believe that I was alive there lying on my bed. Was that just a dream? I couldn’t believe it. I brushed my teeth and had breakfast. Mom and Dad went to work. My brother Pranav was already off to his friend’s house. I….was….alone!

             I ran up to do my homework. As I was doing my work, I heard a muffled sound, but I did not care. It came again, I slowly started shivering. I stood up, feeling very scared. I heard it again; I screamed and ran to the corner. It kept on coming until I called my mom. After she picked up I stammered, “Mom!!! I am scared! Please come home now! I cannot stay alone!” My mom paused for a while and then said, “Darren, you are grown up. You cannot be scared like this. Mmmm… ok! Do this. There is a small God statue in the right side shelf. Take it and keep it next to you. Pray God and you will be safe for sure. Trust me! I will try to come home faster.”

             After the call, I tiptoed to the right side shelf that my mom mentioned, and I took the God statue carefully and tiptoed back to my room. I still heard the sound but this time it was getting feeble and feeble. I started getting more confident and felt braver. Pranav came back home first before lunch. We both had lunch together and did our homework together. I wasn’t thinking of the Cannibal again that day.

             But whenever I am forced to be alone, I feel terrorized little bit and whenever I feel so, I run to the right side shelf to take the God statue and tell to myself “All is well! All is well!” 

 - written by my son Pranav