Chapter 3: The Stay

“You shouldn’t have come this late,” said the caretaker, his voice as cold as the night air.

We had finally arrived at the lodge after an exhausting, delayed journey. It was past midnight, and as we stood in front of the old building, the uneasiness I’d felt throughout the trip crept back in. The lodge was run-down, much worse than I’d imagined from Rai’s description. Rajesh, rubbing his eyes, didn’t seem to care—he was ready to drop into any bed available. I wasn’t so sure.

The garden we had to cross was overgrown, the once neatly-trimmed bushes now wild and unruly. The iron gate squeaked and groaned as we pushed it open, and the wooden front door creaked ominously as we entered. The caretaker, an old man who looked weary beyond his years, stood waiting for us. His thin figure and lifeless eyes made him blend into the lodge’s eerie atmosphere.

I shot a look at Rai, lowering my voice. “Are you sure we’re going to make it out of here alive?”

She gave me a half-smile, though I could tell she was a bit thrown by the caretaker’s cold greeting. “Come on, it’s just one night.”

With Rajesh already on the verge of falling asleep standing up, we had no choice but to go along with it. Rai didn’t press the caretaker with her usual questions this time. I think even she felt it was better to get to our rooms quickly and avoid further conversation.

The caretaker led us inside, moving slowly down the hallway. The lodge’s interior was a strange contrast to its exterior—while the outside was falling apart, the inside was in surprisingly good condition. The floor was covered with Kashmiri carpets, soft and well-maintained, which felt odd given the building’s neglected state.

Our rooms were cozy enough, with large wooden beds and thick blankets. After the long, uncomfortable train ride, it was a relief. We dropped our bags and freshened up before heading to the dining hall for dinner.

Despite the strangeness of our arrival, the food was a welcome distraction. The rich aroma of mutton curry and steaming rice filled the room, and for a brief moment, we forgot the unsettling feeling hanging over the place. Rajesh perked up with every bite, his earlier exhaustion vanishing. Rai and I exchanged a glance—maybe things weren’t so bad after all.

“Not bad,” I muttered, savoring the warmth of the food.

After dinner, Rajesh and I were ready for bed. “I need sleep,” he declared, stretching. “This day has been too long.”

“Same here,” I added, feeling the weight of exhaustion in my bones.

Rai, however, had other plans. “I’m going to talk to the caretaker for a bit,” she said. “Just want to get some details about the lodge.”

I shrugged. “Alright, but don’t be too long. You’ll need the rest for tomorrow.”

She nodded, and with that, Rajesh and I headed upstairs. As soon as I lay down, sleep pulled me under like a heavy blanket, and the strange atmosphere of the lodge faded from my mind.

---

The next morning, I woke up to the faint sound of footsteps outside my room. I got up and made my way downstairs, where I found Rajesh lounging on the couch in the common area, looking much more awake than the night before. Rai was nearby, talking quietly with the caretaker. When she joined us, she looked thoughtful, as though she’d learned something she couldn’t quite make sense of.

“What’s up?” I asked, grabbing a cup of tea.

“Well,” she began, “I found out something weird about this place last night. The caretaker told me that the lodge had been closed for twelve years before it reopened recently.”

“Closed? For twelve years?” Rajesh raised an eyebrow. “Why?”

“That’s the thing,” Rai said, shaking her head. “No one seems to know. It used to be really popular, but then one day, it just shut down. The caretaker doesn’t know much either—he’s only been living here for the past five years.”

I frowned, that familiar uneasiness creeping back in. “So, no one knows why it closed down?”

“Nope,” Rai replied. “But something about it just feels... off, you know?”

I didn’t like the sound of that. The lodge had already given me a strange vibe, and now, hearing that it had been abandoned for so long only made things worse.

---

Later that morning, we set out to explore Kurseong and its surroundings. The fresh mountain air was a welcome relief after the staleness of the lodge. We decided to visit Dow Hill, a lesser-known but beautiful spot known for its tranquil atmosphere. It was peaceful, though a bit eerie with its dense forest and the historic Victoria Boys' School, which loomed in the background.

As we walked around, Rai told us about some of the local legends. “People say this area is haunted,” she said casually. “There are stories about a headless boy roaming the woods at night.”

Rajesh rolled his eyes. “Great. More ghost stories.”

“Don’t be so sure,” Rai teased. “Places like this always have a history.”

I chuckled, but the eerie tales stuck with me. Something about the isolation of the place, the silence in the woods, and the decaying old buildings made me feel uneasy. The beauty of Kurseong had an underlying darkness, one that was hard to ignore.

---

When we returned to the lodge that evening, the mood shifted once again. It felt colder, quieter, and somehow darker than before. The garden we crossed earlier seemed even more overgrown, and the trees around us swayed in the wind, casting long shadows on the ground.

As we walked inside, I noticed something I hadn’t seen the night before—a door at the far end of the hallway, nearly hidden behind a large, dusty curtain. It was closed, but a faint light flickered from underneath, as if someone—or something—was inside.

I stopped for a moment, staring at it, the uneasy feeling growing stronger. There was something unsettling about that door. Why hadn’t I noticed it earlier? And why was there light coming from behind it now?

“Everything alright?” Rai’s voice cut through my thoughts, pulling me back to the present.

“Yeah,” I said, shaking off the unease. “Just tired, I guess.”

But as we headed upstairs to our rooms, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was watching us from behind that door, waiting for the right moment to reveal itself.

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