“The Last Night of Kalikapur”

The village of Kalikapur was known for its silence. Tucked away behind dense forests and narrow muddy roads, it was the kind of place where time seemed to stand still. However, the silence was not tranquil; rather, it was eerie, akin to the calm before a storm. People whispered stories, but no one dared speak of them aloud.
After nearly a decade, 19-year-old Rafiq went back to Kalikapur. His grandfather had passed away, leaving behind an old, worn-out house in the middle of the village. Rafiq had no plans to stay long—just enough to sell the house and return to the city. But fate had something else in store.
The Approach It was dusk when Rafiq arrived. The crimson sun dipped behind the trees, casting long shadows that danced on the muddy path. He was met by the villagers with suspicious eyes and only brief nods and no smiles. An old man approached him and whispered, “Don’t stay here tonight. Sell it and leave.” Then he walked away without another word.
Brushing it off as village superstition, Rafiq entered his grandfather’s house. Dust covered the furniture, cobwebs hung like curtains, and the air smelled of damp wood and old secrets. He lit a lantern and settled in.
The Whispers
That night, something felt wrong. The wind howled through the cracks in the wall, but it wasn’t the wind that disturbed him—it was the whispers. At first muffled, it became louder, as if someone was standing right next to him. "Why did you come back...?" Rafiq jumped, his eyes scanning the room. Nobody was there. He chalked it up to imagination. However, the whispers persisted. Midnight Clap A knock on the door came at exactly midnight. Three sluggish blows. Knock... Knock... Knock...
Heart pounding, Rafiq walked to the door. “Who is it?” He inquired. Silence.
He opened the door. No one. But muddy footprints led from the gate to his doorstep. Then, the lantern inside flickered, and all lights went out.
The Forbidden Room
Searching for a candle, Rafiq stumbled upon a locked door at the back of the house. He had never noticed it before. The key was already in the lock, almost inviting. He flipped it. The space was chilly. Freezing. Strange things were inside, including old photos, smoldering candles, diary pages that had been torn up, and... a mirror. But it wasn’t an ordinary mirror. It was black, reflecting nothing.
He stepped closer. Suddenly, his reflection appeared—but it smiled when he didn’t. Then it whispered:
“Now you see us.”
The Truth Comes Out Rafiq retreated, his heart racing. He grabbed the diary and ran to the main room. Flipping through it, he discovered something horrifying.
His grandfather wasn’t just an old man he was the village’s spiritual guardian, the only one who knew how to trap them spirits who once ruled the forest and demanded human souls every few years. When his grandfather died, the spirits were free. They had waited... for Rafiq.
The Last Escape
Terrified, Rafiq tried to leave. However, the doors did not open. The windows were sealed. Whispers turned to voices. Shadows moved independently. The mirror started to shatter. The voice said, "Offer us your soul, and you may leave." But Rafiq was smart. He began to chant after grabbing the diary's pages and drawing the protective circle his grandfather once used. The house shook. Screams filled the air. The mirror shattered.
Light.
Then silence.
The following morning Rafiq was alive but unconscious when the villagers found him outside the house. The house had collapsed during the night, they said. But Rafiq knew better. He had sealed the spirits back. For now.
He left Kalikapur the same day and never returned. But even years later, sometimes at midnight...
He hears the knock.
Knock... Knock... Knock...