Shruti was sleeping peacefully in her bed, until she was awakened by a strange noise. The noise was particularly whispering noises, as if someone is trying to talk to her. She listened carefully only to hear words like "Please! Don't hurt me Shruti please! I beg of you" the voice was masculine and familiar, but she couldn't remember.

Then suddenly the voice screams "I will kill you! Bitch!" Shruti literally jumped from her bed and tripped over her slippers. She ran to the washroom and washed her face, but she was too scared to look into the mirror as she feared she might see something she is not supposed to see. She went downstairs into the kitchen for some water. She glanced at the clock, it was showing 2:00 AM. She took out a water bottle from the refrigerator, gulped it down hastily.

When she turned around, someone bumped into her. She froze. She couldn't dare to open her mouth. She felt a feminine figure standing in front of her, with her hair flowing in the background, the sight of a woman with her hair let down, standing in front of her sent chills down her spine. Slowly the feminine figure started walking around her and then 'Click'. The kitchen lights were on. It was Monika who switched on the kitchen lights.

Monika said, "What the hell Shruti! What are you doing here at this hour?!"

Shruti said, "Monika! I had a nightmare again. I came down to drink water but I bumped into someone."

Monika cut her off, "That was me you fool. Anyway, let's go to sleep now". Shruti was still scared.

When they both went out kitchen, something moved behind Monika, which frightened her. She looked back, but it was no one.

"Monika! Can you sleep with me today! I am afraid." Shruti said with hesitation.

Monika said, "Of course, come let's go."

Monika and Shruti, laid besides each other. "God! Remember, I used to come at your house for sleepovers. I really miss our college days." Monika said turning towards Shruti.

Shruti said, "I bet we must have had a lot of fun in our college days."

Monika gave her a pitiful look, while Shruti closed her eyes. Monika kept looking at ceiling and then eventually, fell asleep.

Shruti opened her eyes slowly, as cold sensation enveloped her. To her horror, she was standing inside a filthy room, its walls were covered with blood. The floor was filled with decapitated limbs and hands. There were dead bodies all over but they seemed very much alive. Some were screaming in pain, some were laughing insanely, while some kept staring at Shruti. It was a horrible sight as if she has just entered 'The Hell'. She felt so nauseous after looking at men with gruesome face approaching her. They held her wrists tightly and pinned her on a large wall. They tied her up in large heavy steel chains and started biting her. One man spat out a large chunk of flesh which was torn out of her leg. She screamed loudly.

She tried to free herself, but all her efforts went in vain. Suddenly Sameer came into the picture, he was walking past the dead bodies, he was wearing a dirty black cloak, and his legs were backward. This time he was not laughing, but was giving her death glares through his green eyes. He stopped in front of her, she now had a clear view of him. He was fuming with anger. The other dead people ran away after seeing Sameer.

She kept screaming but her cries fell on deaf ears. He snapped his fingers and she was on the floor the next moment. He kicked her hard and she went a little far, and hit her head on that wall. Sameer lifted her through her neck, with one hand and let out an animalistic roar. She tried to free herself from his grip but was trapped, under his immense weight, she could feel his breath on her face. Suddenly he let go of her and pulled her hair, then he repeatedly smashed her face on that wall. She fell on the floor, and immediately the floor was turned into pool of blood.

She felt herself going numb. She was unable to move, so she was forced to look at him who was now hovering on her. He leaned closer and whispered in her ear, "Soon, you will be one of us. I will give you such terrible death bitch. You and your husband messed with the wrong man". Saying this, he stood up taking out his axe, never losing his hateful, angry gaze. He stood besides her and stabbed her with all his force.

Monika sensed movement, she turned towards Shruti, rubbing her groggy eyes. She found Shruti was writhing in bed. Monika tried to wake her up, but there was no response from Shruti. Monika glanced at watch, it was 3 am. She thought, it was not a good idea to call uncle. Monika hurried towards kitchen, and bought water bottle. She sprinkled the water on her face. Shruti's movements stopped suddenly. Monika panicked and poured the whole water on her face. Shruti opened her eyes, sat upright on the bed. Thank god her survival instincts were working.

Monika threw the bottle away and held her hand,"Shruti! Are you OK honey? What happened?"

Shruti got down from bed and stormed in the bathroom. Monika followed her. She looked herself in the mirror, her whole body was bruised. Her face contained cuts, her neck had red hand prints, her stomach also had minor cuts.

She screamed at her own reflection, "Look what they did to me! Bastards!"

Monika couldn't understand why Shruti was screaming, as nothing had happened to her. She was fine, and didn't had any bruises on her body. Suddenly she collapsed on the bathroom floor. Monika was so horrified, that she started crying. She dragged Shruti back in the bedroom and dialled Uncle's number.

Uncle's house:-

Uncle's sleep was disturbed by the ringtone of phone. He woke up and received the phone call without even looking who has called.

"Hello" he said in a groggy voice.

"Hello, uncle...I'm Monika... Uncle!" said Monika trying to contain her hiccups.

"Mona! What happened! First stop crying. Wipe your tears child!"

"Uncle! Shruti!"

"What happened to her. Is everything alright?!"

"No! Shruti was hallucinating again. She collapsed on the bathroom floor, after talking something by looking in the mirror. Now, she is not waking up. I don't know what to do. I am scared."

"Don't worry! I am on my way. I'll be there in 15 minutes."

Saying this Uncle went to washroom and splashed some water on his face, rinsed his mouth and took the car keys and his jacket.

Monika's home:-

Monika used her all energy in putting Shruti back in her bed. She tried everything to wake her. She even kept a smelly shoe, near her nose. Shruti didn't respond to any method Monika tried.

Monika was on the verge of losing all her patience. She was now furious. In fit of rage, she took the flower vase in her room and smashed it in the floor, the vase was broken into million pieces. But to her surprise, Shruti woke up screaming. All the patience returned back to Monika.

Monika rushed towards Shruti. "Shruti! Oh thank god you are alive."

Shruti began checking her body again for injuries, she opened her mouth to say something but, didn't say anything. Monika quickly hugged her. Shruti hugged her back. Monika noticed Shruti was crying.

"Shruti! Don't cry." Monika said, as she calmed Shruti by rubbing her back. Their interaction was halted by doorbell ringing. Monika opened the door, Uncle came in.

"Tell me Where is she?" He asked.

"Uncle! She is okay now, she woke up just now." Monika said.

"Oh good. Let's go see her." Uncle said.

They both entered Shruti's room. They found Shruti was crying. She was slapping herself for no reason. It was shocking.

Monika went near her and stopped her,"Shruti! Are you insane! What are you doing!"

Uncle said, "Shruti! Calm down and tell us what happened!"

Shruti kept crying. Uncle even offered her water, but she refused. Monika said, "Shruti! Please stop crying. At least have water."

Uncle said, "But at least tell us what happened, it will only make you feel better."

Shruti had now stopped crying. She said, "Uncle, I am sorry, because of me you had to go through trouble, that too at this time."

Uncle said, "No Shruti! Don't be sorry! I had decided to protect you since the day you told me your story. Besides you are like my Monika, just another niece of mine. So don't worry."

Shruti said, "Thank you uncle, uh.. I saw a terrible dream. In which I was in some gruesome place." She told everything she saw in her nightmare.

Monika said, " Oh my god! That's such a terrible dream. It sounded like hell. Uncle, Is hell really like that?"

Uncle said, "Who knows, its just people used their imagination to scare people off, you know how people were superstitious in ancient times."

Monika said, "Oh! But why did she had such a terrible nightmare!?"

Uncle said, "Now that's hard to answer but there are many reasons of having nightmare at this time plus Shruti is receiving medical treatment. Her mental condition may be one of the causes."

Monika said, "Uncle, thanks for coming, but I insist you stay here for night."

Uncle said, " Night! Its almost 4 am Mona, next day has already started. I am fine though."

"Oh. You are right, even I don't want to sleep now. Do you want some coffee?" asked Monika.

"Yeah sure, coffee is good." Uncle answered.

Monika went to make coffee, while Uncle observed Shruti's behavior. Shruti was lost in her thoughts, she seemed scared. Uncle sensed something strange in her behavior. She was definitely hiding something.

Monika bought coffee for everyone. Monika felt better after sipping good hot coffee. She said, "Uncle! Would you mind if I ask you a question?"

Uncle replied, "Yeah sure Monika!"

Monika said, "During seance, while I recorded Rohit's voice, it sounded bizarre when we played the tape, how come it appeared clear in the reverse mode. I mean it was very unexpected."

Uncle answered, "We generally assume that spirits or ghosts do not exist or now in modern world, hardly there are any evidences of seeing ghosts and spirits. But they do exist. People don't believe unless they see with their own eyes. That's how, people discovered that spirits can communicate too through any medium. In our times, technology was not advanced as it is today, I tried many things to communicate with them. I even attended many conferences on parapsychology, from there I learnt many things including Spirit Photography and communication through EVP i.e Electronic Voice Phenomenon. From that people experimented with the recordings, adjusting frequencies, analysing the whole concept, which proved that spirits do exist and they like any other normal person. Its just, we need to think the other way."

Monika said, "My god, this subject is really deep. I am starting to like it. Uncle you are simply great, how can you manage such things and your work?"

"That's easy, I do what I love. My passion is my priority, otherwise, I would have died long back after Sheetal passed away. I was devastated when she died, she was my reason to live. But, things change gradually and you become used to it. Adaptability is the main feature of being human. We learn from our experiences Mona." Uncle answered.

Monika just smiled in response, but snoring noise caught her attention. To her surprise it was Shruti who was now asleep and snoring too. Monika covered Shruti with a blanket before going to living room with uncle.