THE CRICKET BALL

The doctor attending the young boy Ramu, looked up from his still shivering patient and said,

 “He will be alright soon- seems he was frightened by something- but tell me what happened?”

The other boys, who also looked scared, said nothing. They looked at each other.

“We have told these kids several times to avoid playing after sunset in the courtyard of that deserted house in the village corner….,” said Ramu’s mother and continued with a disapproving look at the other children, “…looks like they disobeyed us today.”

Then Dorai, who was a little bolder and outspoken than the others said, “Sorry auntie, we did play a little cricket there first time today… because there is so much vacant area there.”

 He paused and continued, “Suddenly, a woman appeared with a basket over her head, much like our vegetable vendor Parvathi aachi….and at that moment, the ball that Ramu hit went directly into her basket, just as it sometimes used to happen with our aachi…”

Dorai then fell silent and suddenly looked very pale.

“Don’t worry, child, pray continue; do not be afraid- we are all here now,” said the doctor kindly.

Reassured, Dorai continued, his voice tremulous with fear, “ Just as aachi used to do after a little friendly chiding, this woman gave a strange smile and then with a vicious look, threw out what we thought was the ball…. But it was.. it was a severed human head with blood dripping from it!”

Dorai now was shivering and sobbing while recalling the horror.

“Did you all see that?” asked the gathered elders, now very concerned, to which the boys silently nodded.

“What did you do then? Where is she now?” asked Ramu’s dad to which Dorai replied, “We don’t know, uncle. We ran away screaming. Ramu also ran back with us, but fainted after reaching home.”

  A small group of elders then rose and said, “We will go and investigate. Doc will be here to make you feel good again, kids”

But there was no one at the place where the kids had played; nor was any human head to be sighted. The group was about to return in bewilderment when one of them shrieked.

 The cricket ball was lying on the ground. It was soaked in blood.

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