Mr. James Bourne was packing his bags to meet his sick aunt Morris in a town named Savegeville about hundred and fifty miles away from his own.
“James, have you taken all the necessary stuff for the way…..don’t forget to take the pistol….remember its dark already and every day I hear an incident of someone being looted by a dacoit!”, these were the almost last words of his wife, Marie St. Jacques who loved so much that she rang him up every half an hour while he was in the train….it didn’t take him more than seven hours and forty five minutes to reach Savegeville. It was quite a deserted place there was not a single person on the station except James.
He was roaming in the town searching the address which Aunt Morris gave him. There was one common thing every time he asked the address to anyone… the person ran away in shock and horror, James was surprised at this gesture of the people. Nevertheless he reached his aunt’s place. She had turned very old since the last time James had seen her.
“So how was the journey? Hope you didn’t find it difficult to find my home?”
“Oh! No, not at all!”
These were the tiny bits of conversation they were having while eating their supper. There was nothing much to do after the dinner and he went to sleep.
But his sleep couldn’t last long…he heard a crackling noise in the backyard as if something was falling down.
“Aunt did you hear that??”
“What James?? Must be your imagination!”
“No aunt I am sure I heard something...”
“Then you better go and see it your self and please let me sleep!”
He couldn’t afford to disturb her further….he put on his shoes went out to see what was happening…..he saw that mangoes were falling down from trees (in winter)……it surprised him but still it was a joy for him as he loved mangoes more than anything. He gathered all of them, took them inside, made a shake for him self and drank it with utmost joy and thought not to disturb Aunt Morris and tell her about this in the morn.
“Aunt, Can you believe it mangoes in the winter season??”
“What? Are you kind of mad or what? Forget about winter, mangoes in Savegeville?? Without here being a single mango tree?” James was shocked at his aunt’s reaction something was wrong he felt……in the entire town!
“Come aunt I’ll show you...”
“Yeah just for your satisfaction!”
They both stepped out of the door ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..James's face turned pale….forget about mangoes there was not a single tree out there……it looked like as if he had stepped into some other world from a magical gate……….yes was in fact another world another place ..A place whose entrance from the backyard door of his aunt’s house…he turned back to see his aunt and he was shocked….fear filled his mind no house no aunt……..he was surrounded by graves and graves was all he could see. In a far distance he saw a funeral taking place. He ran towards them closer…closer….clearer the picture became finally he was next to the coffin………….that was the final shock he could tolerate!







The Sunday Times
22nd June, 1985
Savegeville

Shocking and Suspicious death of a stranger!

A man named James Bourne was found dead at around four in the morn yesterday in the grave yard. Earlier the man was reported to ask the address of the graveyard in which his dead body was found. Postmortem reports say that he was dead due to food poisoning by drinking a mango smoothie- a very surprising fact for Savegeville where there’s no mango tree!! But the local men believe that it is the work of some ghastly creature. His family members have been informed who claim that he’d come to meet his Aunt Morris- which is another shocking news. He has been buried next to Mrs. Antoinette Belarus Morris, who died three months back……………the same aunt Morris the man was looking for!!

By-
Apoorv Anand Srivastava
X-B
The Aditya Birla Public School,
Renukoot, Sonebhadra.