A Corpse and the Tale of the Dom House

The name of the village is Maliganj. a tranquil little community tucked away by the riverbank. But within the heart of this tranquil village lies a terrifying tale—the Dom house, and the corpse within it.

Anik, a city boy. After completing his studies, he works in Dhaka. Ever since his grandfather's death, he hasn’t returned to the village in many years. Now, suddenly on a break after leaving his job, he decides to revisit his roots. His parents died a long time ago. His grandfather was the closest person in his life.

He recalls those eerie tales he listened to on his grandfather's lap and the old Dom house in the southern part of the village, which everyone feared, as soon as he enters the community. An unidentified corpse is said to have been kept in that house when it was last used. The house has remained closed ever since. Anik sneaks quietly out of the house one night. A flashlight from his phone in one hand, a bottle of water in the other. The village roads under the moonlight seem almost lifeless. All around, only the calls of shalik birds and the chirping of crickets.

The Dom house still stands—a small thatched hut, its mud walls crumbling. The door opens with a gentle push and does not have a lock. Dust is everywhere and there is darkness inside. A wooden cot, and beside it, an old red-and-black quilt thrown on the floor.

A bitter wind suddenly blows. The flashlight of Anik flickers. His eyes lock on the quilt—something seems to be moving underneath.

His breath catches. He steps forward, despite the fear, and raises the quilt. He feels cold from what he sees. A corpse.

But not decayed or skeletal—completely fresh. With its eyes open and a smirk on its lips, As if it’s sleeping, waiting for someone.

It has a sinister smile and red eyes. "You thought the job of a Dom was just to burn the dead? No… this is a cycle, a curse. There is no turning back once chosen." Anik makes an effort to back away, but the door has become a solid wall. A strange smell, like rotting flesh and burning fire, fills the room. "Do you see this body? It's not just anyone… it's me," says a shadow in the shape of his grandfather.

"Wha… what are you saying?" Anik trembles.

"That night, the corpse I brought here was cursed. Its eyes were open. As I went to burn it, it looked at me and said—

'You will take my place, and I will become your shadow.'

Since then, I’ve been trapped in this house, and he? He is my shadow as he travels the world. "It is your turn now that you are here. You’ll be the next Dom."

The corpse stirs. It sits up. Its eyes glow in the darkness.

"No! I don’t want this! I want to leave!" Anik screams.

Suddenly, flames rise around the room. While nothing burns, everything is covered in smoke. Numerous dead people's faces float through it. Their lips curled into the same eerie smile as their eyes opened. A voice echoes—

"Hello, brand-new Dom."

The next morning, the villagers find the door of the Dom house wide open. Inside, there’s no corpse. There was only an empty bed and a phone on the ground, its screen showing the last picture: Anik—eyes wide open, wearing that same terrifying smile.

The villagers whisper—the curse of the Dom house has begun again. Another one is lost in the cycle. And now begins the wait… for the next visitor.