{"id":27468,"date":"2020-06-12T07:40:51","date_gmt":"2020-06-12T03:40:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.mauritiustimes.com\/mt\/?p=27468"},"modified":"2020-06-12T07:40:51","modified_gmt":"2020-06-12T03:40:51","slug":"haunted-house","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mauritiustimes.com\/mt\/haunted-house\/","title":{"rendered":"Haunted House"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Sonakshi Seetohul <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"Hannah didn\u2019t remember much before the crash. Accompanied by her parents and brother, they were driving to a beach holiday in Spain \u2013 then the car began to jerk, they started screaming, then darkness.<\/span><\/p>\n

Nobody was conscious. Hannah could stay in the car or go look for help. A mile away, she saw a sign just hanging on to a gas lamp, reading \u2018Welcome to Southfield\u2019. Getting nearer, she noticed that the buildings were unkempt and an overgrown park, bombarded by weeds and ivy, lay in a dilapidated corner. She saw a creepy-looking house at the end of the road. Tentatively, she stepped inside and discovered it was grubby, dimly lit and decorated by cobwebs. A threadbare carpet covered the floor, surrounded by knights\u2019 armour and medieval weapons. A grim-looking portrait of what Hannah assumed was the house owner began to glow with a blue haze. Suddenly, a skeletal hand shot out of the frame, followed by the rest of its body. Standing in front of her was a creature with sunken eyes, hollow cheeks and straggly hair.<\/span><\/p>\n

Hannah croakily asked \u2018W-who are you?\u2019.\u2018I\u2019m a nobody.\u2019 answered the ghost. When I was alive, nobody wanted to be friends with me, the \u2018harmless old bag\u2019. When I died, I vowed to destroy the neighbourhood. The ghost fixed his bloodshot eyes on Hannah. \u2018I may be a nobody, but I still have enough strength left in me to kill anyone who sets foot in this town.\u2019<\/span><\/p>\n

After that day, Hannah was never seen again.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

March 2020<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n

It was March 2020<\/span><\/p>\n

Nature\u2019s own month<\/span><\/p>\n

After so many months of winter<\/span><\/p>\n

The sun shone<\/span><\/p>\n

Birds sang with bees buzzing around<\/span><\/p>\n

The sky was clear and blue<\/span><\/p>\n

Mornings arrived early<\/span><\/p>\n

There was a chill in the air<\/span><\/p>\n

Winter was gone but the memory still here<\/span><\/p>\n

The scent of flowers filled the air<\/span><\/p>\n

Everybody awaiting impatiently for Spring<\/span><\/p>\n

But oh! What did it bring?<\/span><\/p>\n

Not a soul in sight<\/span><\/p>\n

The streets were empty<\/span><\/p>\n

People have been put on lockdown<\/span><\/p>\n

To protect close and dear ones<\/span><\/p>\n

Young people had to study online<\/span><\/p>\n

As schools were closed down<\/span><\/p>\n

No more meetings or family gatherings<\/span><\/p>\n

As social distancing was the new norm<\/span><\/p>\n

Although gardens were filled with flowers aplenty<\/span><\/p>\n

The parks were empty<\/span><\/p>\n

Only a rare few ventured out during this plight<\/span><\/p>\n

Despite all the scenes of despair and chaos<\/span><\/p>\n

Critters chattered playfully<\/span><\/p>\n

While new shoots found their way through the ground<\/span><\/p>\n

Trees were filled with leaves<\/span><\/p>\n

Leaves were green and flowers blooming<\/span><\/p>\n

It was March 2020\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Sonakshi Devi Seetohul, who is only 11 years old, has qualified for and become a Member of Mensa, The High IQ Society, in September 2019, after scoring brilliantly in the Mensa IQ Test. This has allowed her to join a community of more than 20,000 with a high IQ. She is the daughter of Gautam and Shoba Seetohul, who live in the UK.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

\n

* Published in print edition on 12 June 2020<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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