How I Became An Achluophobic

I was confused. Whether to write or not. I felt the guidelines not so persuasive for anybody to write it up. Even though I am a grown up now, I was a teenager when this incident occurred in my life, the incident which turned me into an achluophobic, erytophobic bloody boy. Still at the age of 25, I am still haunted by the memories of that particular incident.

I was second son to my parents and was about 12 years of age when this happened while we stayed in a hill station in India. My home was one of the twenty similarly built houses in a colony which was designated only for Govt servants.

It was placed amidst a plantation of well grown Eucalyptus trees. Those trees always give me creeps as its half lost skin reminded me of burned human body. I was not sure why I fantasized them as half burned flesh. It may be because I once watched a human body being cremated. All those evening mist, mint flavored scent of the wind and distant howling noises from the nearby plantations added a horror atmosphere to the already deserted land.

In my house, I and my brother were tucked in beds which were kept together in a room while my parents slept in another room. Even my brother was 5 years elder to me; he was very younger than me in certain aspects.

Out of which the most bizarre one is that he used to howl at night if the power was cut. He knows it as the bed lamp which shall be kept on for all night long would go off. Black out was a normal phenomenon back there in those days. Day time was the most favored time for them (Electricity Authority) to cut the power, but they did often it at night as well. This unusual habit of him made me uncomfortable from time to time. No matter how hard I tried, still couldn't get used to it. When he did that, as often he did, I curled more under my blanket and stayed like a corpse. I couldn't end this para without mentioning about the bed lamp. It added the last flavor for the horror atmosphere. A red and orange colored light as backdrop. What else would more suit that situation? Every night when the tube lights were shut off by my parents, I watched the mist flowing through the open window with the distant howling noises in background. While the scent of Eucalyptus hits my nostrils, I hit a high and get dissolved in the red light. It was then, when this scary thing (lamp) goes off, he would start off his howling beating the one that comes from outside.

One night, as usual we were tucked in by our mom. She covered the mosquito net over our beds. It was required for anybody to sleep in those areas otherwise these humming creatures would literally take you out of where you are lying to any other place. Those days I used to stay awake longer at night. I used to play with my arms as I can see it clearly in the light from bed lamp. After a while I slipped into deep sleep.

In my dream I was traveling with my family in our Ambassador car. Me and my brother on the back and my parents on the front. My father was driving it through some unclear but similar areas. Momentarily I realize that we are descending through a steep road. The car was gaining speed as it descends the hill. All of a sudden I saw a person lying on the ground. I was frightened as we saw him at a close range and before anything could happen, our car drive through him. I watched in horror as the all the leaves on the roadside turned red and I couldn't raise my voice nor had the courage to look back. But my brother looked back and shouted "He is okay, He is okay. He waved his hand to us".

The next thing I knew was I am awake and still in my room with my brother with the bed lamp in background. I was sweating from the fear of the bad dream. Suddenly my brother wake up and moved the net by his side to come out. He walked around our beds and made a stop nearby the switch board. It was near to my head side. I was relieved to see him as I was still under the after effect of the dream. I asked him to switch on the lights. I asked him once, twice and again. I could see him from the red light from the bed lamp. I asked again. "Brother. Why are you not switching on the lights? Is there any problem?" He was just staring at the switch board and stood there without looking at me. A quick action was felt on my side and I turned my head to watch the most dreaded scene in my life. My brother was lying beside me covered with his blanket. I was shaking, shivering, struggling to catch my breath, all at the same time. I didn't had the courage to look again towards the head side. I curled into my blanket and was praying to the God with whatever chants I knew at that time. I never slept for that night and got up only when I heard my father speaking with my mother.

Still after about 13 years from the incident, I get uncomfortable Goosebumps while I think about this incident. Later I tried to figure out how or why it could have happened to me. Who could be that? I went into a research about paranormal activities and psychokinesis effects. I cut out the possibilities of still being in a dream as I didn't sleep for that night after the incident. Again the chance of it being a hallucination is absurd, as I looked at him and I could clearly see him because of the light from bed lamp. The only thing I am sure about is that I had seen a bad dream that night. And while I wake up from it, this thing walked away from me. I felt like Satan walking away from me.

In any way I am happy to accept the outcome of the incident. Even if it made a coward, I became more close to the concept of God. A God fearing coward. To be honest, I like that tag.