Boys of class O-II are busy practising Descriptive Narrative here. Description of situations and feelings is deemed as one of the most challenging jobs when it comes to writing skill, but see our brilliant Ahmar Siddiqui has fully succeeded in that. Well done, boy! :)

A time I experienced something spooky

The pungent smell of perspiration in the air entered my nostrils as I entered the newly constructed jogging track. Already, there were runners left and right racing enthusiastically. One side of the track was lined with tall hedges that separated the track from an educational institution whereas the other side afforded a view of the park. I had caught wind of the establishment through a friend who also exercised routinely. I did a quick warm up and began to run at a brisk pace. After successfully completing two laps around the track, I stopped and sat down, leaning against the towering hedge. I looked up to find the sun hidden behind thunderous clouds that rumbled above. I made a silent prayer for it not to rain otherwise I would be unable to visit the open air gym.

Unfortunately, my prayer went unanswered, and it started raining heavily – that they call ‘cats and dogs’. So, I briskly made for the exit. On the way, I jumped over a black cat. Though I continued onwards, but was internally aghast. I bit my tongue as I recalled the superstition that walking past a black cat is a bad luck sign. I dismissed the thought as an old wives’ tale and got back to the task at hand.

Hardly a minute had passed when an oddly shaped object caught my eye. I neared the tall hedge where the unidentified object was. To my horror, I found a severed finger! I yelped and ran home faster than a speeding bullet.

When I lied down in my bed that night, my wild imagination began to conjure multiple scenarios regarding the severed finger. The scenario that my mind deemed most likely was that a man had been chopped up into miniscule pieces by a serial killer. Realizing how close to my residence the heinous act had been committed, I found sleep escaping me. I recalled the black cat I had jumped over and concluded that bad luck was responsible for my current predicament.

The following day, I set off towards the jogging track to procure the finger to submit it to the police. Trying to appear inconspicuous I casually jogged over to the spot where I had discovered the finger. To my utter disbelief, I found several severed body parts littered beside the hedge. The horrific sight made me queasy.

A stranger approached me and inquired about my obvious distress. I responded by pointing to the body parts. The stranger laughed and told me that the body parts were fake; they were used to teach first aid classes at the school that was on the other side of the hedge. Dubious, I reasoned how lifelike the parts looked. The stranger who had introduced himself as a regular runner, named Ahmed, showed me the insides of the objects, proving that they were made of plastic.

I took a sigh of relief. My belief in superstition disintegrated as swiftly as it had formed.

Written by:
Mohammad Ahmar Siddiqui

Ahmar