9.14

It was during this pandemic that I started jogging. I was never overweight, If anything I always looked malnutrition. Like everything, the miracle this lockdown brought was this glorious belly that which me or any of my family ever hoped. Yes I was a bit fat. As I felt the lockdown might be lifted soon and I knew this pandemic was ending. I needed to do something about my physique. So, I started jogging. It was really hard at first, dragging my lazy ass through the 1km I hoped to conquer. A week went by and I improved. Now i can almost run upto 4km and I’ve scheduled my route like wise. I just picked random roads around my house, never discussed the roads or never cared because I was not that afraid of traveling alone nor was easily scred by the thoughts of things lurking in the darkness.

The middle part of my route included this cramped up road that went through( a bit of shady-forrested area. I always started my journey by night around 8 after I’ve finished my work.(I never could wakeup in the morning to have a morning run. So, this was the solution.). It was always a pleasure to run along the road in darkness with only the light from my cheap torch and the music blasting in my ears.

Everything was normal until I improved my stamina to 6km. This required a bit more longer route, but I liked the mid part of the woody area to run through because i never encountered anyone there and it was almost the most quietest places i ever ran, too quiet. So i squeezed in that route around the last part of my route.

My daily routine continued. I started reaching that stretch of the road around 9pm. Thats when i noticed something, actually i only started to notice it around the third day, when i pass through there, there was this interruptions to my music, but it was impossible in this highly priced ANC earphones. So as a techie I am I started kinda checking whats wrong.It irritated my mind the next day. It is the Thursday and I decided that I’d verify whats wrong today. Like usual, I reached that spot by 9. Started running through that area, in the cold darkness, to find the spot that has the maximum interruptions to the music. I found that place, it was by the concrete electric post by the road. I took out my phone, it was weird, the music was playing, there was zero signal, gps signal, screen fluctuates sometimes. It was 9.12pm on the clock.

I needed answers , i started checking everything, even checked my earphones. I put it back in my ears, then i it felt some presence behind me, even how much brave i was, i was afraid to turn back. Then in a split second I summoned enough courage to turn back. I did. There was nothing. Feeling relived i return back to my phone. it just passed 9.12. Clock just transitioned to 9.13. Then only i realised, my volume was always low, (as I’d wear for long periods, didn’t want to hurt my hearing) and the interruptions were happening to music, i slowly increased the volume, finally reached full. And i closed my eyes to try to concentrate to the interruptions. It clicked. It was words. I could make out someones voice saying something.

......... nnnn

..........n

..........unnn

As the time clicked each second away it became clear and clear.

....uunn

......runn

It hit me by horror..

It was my voice.

I was screaming runn through the earphones.

I opened my eyes in horror, scared and ready to run, with my phone infront of me, i watched as the clock ticked itself and transitioned to 9.14.

I tried to move i couldn't. Motion was impossible, only my vision was there, i was almost a statue. I was there motionless , there was a lot of me around along the path, a lot of me in different clothes different forms and shapes of incomprehensible structures. All along and beyond this strech of darkness of a path. All of us screaming ‘run’ at each-other. All of us stuck in that thursday 9.14 pm. It was too quiet as another me jogged past us.