Chime Of The Bell- Chapter 11

(Farheen’s narration)
The reunion was supposed to be joyful but a gunshot and a blast don't exactly qualify as that. But thankfully the injuries were minor. So after five minutes, Vaishali was all ready to move again. She and her crazy scientist friend were pretty shocked to know no one had returned to the cottage yet. So all of us together headed towards the bell tower.

Amongst the enormous trees, the sun shimmered against a scarlet background. I had never seen anything like this. It was strange how I found this sunset so beautiful even in the ugly situation we were in. Just a few steps ahead of us stood the bell tower and yet the thickets make it seem like miles, so dense was the vegetation in Proveglia.

Clearing away the last shrub on my way I was right under the structure. Nothing seemed unusual here. It looked like the same monument which had been left untouched for centuries. Only time had got its cold hands on it and since then it has been decaying to death. And yet after all the tortures, it has gone through, all the hideous atrocities it has witnessed for this centuries, here it stands tall and cold in front of us. But maybe one day this too will perish to the soil just like the others and one day this too will be a part of the charred fleshes and bones of Proveglia.

Although this tower is called the Belltower, there is actually no bell in that tower. The bell was removed back in the 19th century after the mad doctor threw himself off it. Now the bell tower just stands as a symbol of the horror of this island. It stands as a monument in the memory of all the people who have suffered terrible and unfortunate death here.

I don’t know if I was deceived but as I kept walking closer to the monument I felt like the temperature was falling. Standing right under the tower it was like I was freezing. I was looking upwards at the huge grunge and almost decayed metal staircase that leads up the tower, wondering if I could spot my bodyguard somewhere when suddenly I caught a glimpse of something moved past me through the corner of my eyes. I couldn’t make out what it was; it appeared to be like a shadow but it moved so rapid that it was hard to tell. I instantly turned in the direction but could see nothing. And then they Screamed.

“What?”, I cried turning back as fast as possible. Vaishali and Debaleena stood there almost hurdled up to each other. They definitely looked scared.

“There was a mouse”, cried Debaleena.

Like are you kidding me? See I know a mouse can be scary but in a situation this critical how can they afford to be afraid of something so puny.

She kind of read my expression and added “ You should have seen its size. It was not a rat it was kind of a rodent. A giant rodent.”

I would never have believed her if I hadn’t seen it in my own eyes. Right after Debaleena had finished her sentence a huge creature come out of the bushes and rushed right past me to the opposite side of the bell tower. It took me the next ten seconds to recover from the shock of what I had just seen. The Proveglia adventure changed me in many ways but most significantly it broke my notion about mise being cute (They are ugly and disgusting). And trust me Micky and Jerry are just some prettified versions of the ugly creature.

“Wait there is something,” said Vaishali as her eyes searched in the direction the huge rat went. I had no intention of catching another glimpse of the ugly creature but with the gravity, she said I was compelled to look. There was something shiny and black lying on the ground. Maybe something of leather I assumed. I moved a little closer to have a better look. As the thing became more prominent I had no doubt it was a shoe and when I went even closer around the tower, the legs attached to the shoe were even visible and gradually the entire body of a man…My Bodyguard.

The man laid there unconscious in a pool of blood being surrounded by the rat beasts who were feasting on his flesh. That was no doubt the most disturbing scene I had ever seen. That hideous site almost made me puke. Vaishali and Debaleena were equally shocked and for a moment no one knew what to do. But someone had to do something, I had to save him somehow. I looked around, I looked at my friends who returned me the same terrified and helpless look. At this point, I was almost vexed to tears. Finally, I discovered that I was still holding the gun. Without thinking much I fired. The shot was aimless but not unproductive. The tumultuous noise scared away the rodents so that we were only left with the half-eaten body of my bodyguard.

Dropping the gun I immediately rushed to my bodyguard. Till this point, I had controlled my emotions, but now seeing my bodyguard in the terrible state I couldn’t hold it any longer. Crouching on the ground beside him I put my arms around him pulling his head on my lap and cried out loud. Tears feel down my checks, I couldn’t hold them any longer. To be honest, all this time I was trying to fight the fear. But you knew it Bodyguard I was scared, very scared.

Never in my life, I had felt so unsecured and helpless. Vaishali sat down beside me and putting a hand on my shoulder. I felt like now I could really use some help, I cannot afford to be of myself anymore. I leaned on her without releasing my Bodyguard. Burying my face on her shoulders I wept. Maybe I cried aloud. “Vaishali tells me he is alright. Tell me he will be alright very soon. Tell me he is just unconscious…just taking a nap. Tell me he…”

“He is still breathing”

“Huh?”, I looked at the person sitting opposite me. Tears on my eyes made it difficult to see her. “What did you just say?”

Debaleena had her two fingers placed near Mr. Bodyguards nose. “He is still breathing!”, she repeated with a sudden urgency in her tone.“Hurry up help me get him to the cottage. We can give him some first aid there”.