The heir of haunted palace

Submitted into Contest #55 in response to: Write a story about an old family secret surfacing generations later.... view prompt

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Science Fiction Thriller Historical Fiction

... I , Arav Singh , the heir of this haunted palace is now standing infront of this palace. I inherit this palace from my previous generation but people says that this is haunted palace , they say that the heir of this palace couldn't live in this palace. He came out of this palace either with serious illness or dead. My parents were also not letting me come here but I'm too stubborn since childhood. No one can change my mind. I was curious about this palace since childhood but now I came here to build a hotel by tearing out this palace. I assured my parents that I will not stay a day at this palace, then they let me come here. I decided to investigate about the rumors before starting my work. So , I went to some old villagers and talk to them about the palace , different people told me different types of stories behind the palace but there was one thing common in all of them that  " The owner of that palace had done something bad with someone and his next generation is now paying the dept of his sins."  ' What bullshit'  I thought. My previous generations were great kings of Rajasthan , they fought against British in order to save our country.. how could they do any bad things. Local labours didn't agree to tear up palace so I braught labours from other villages and started my work. In a day , the outside boundry of palace and few walls of palace were teared up by them and at night we all left the place. But next day when we arrived at the site , all of us were stunned. " Saa..sahib..how can it be possible?"  All the labours were frightened now because the walls that had been teared up yesterday was now standing very well as if it hadn't been destroyed. " Sahib..there is something wrong.you should drop the idea of hotel and go back."  One of them adviced me but how can I admit my defeat so easily. I scolded him and doubled the wages of labours so that they continue their work. Their work continued for 2-3 days but the palace was fix in its previous position without any harm because what they destroyed whole day was then fixed up next day on its own. Labours were frightened so much that they left the work after 3 days and I was so disappointed , angered , didn't know what to do but was so stubborn that I did't want to let it go. Hence, in anger I decided to tear up myself , I work whole day and at night I decided to stay at the palace to guide it by sitting on a chair but after few minutes I fell asleap. Suddenly , my eyes opened up by a sound. I stood up from my place and was stunned  everything that I had destroyed was now fixed as if it had never been destroyed. And a sound was echoing everywhere   " This is my palace"  Not only that sound but also the whole thing was roaming here and there , few objects hitted me so hard that I start bleeding , I was so frightened at that time that sweats were falling on my forehead. I was regretting my decision to stay here at night. I was very frightened now because the sound was echoing around my ears. So I ran away from the palace at midnight. But it didn't end my curiosity , I remembered that one of my grandpa's friend was also living in that village. So I went to him but unfortunately he was very ill so that he couldn't say a word but he pointed at book , I braught the book with me. I opened the book but It was the diary of Quwar Abhishek Singh , my grandpa's father. I started reading  Abhishek Singh's POV I am the king of this small estate , I had done many good things , I fought many battles and saved my estate from the British but I have done a sin so that my next generations may have to suffer because of it. Actually I was not born in a royal family. I used to be the brave Army Officer of royal family. The king was very old now and was in coma and taking his last breath. During this time Dalhauji , governor general of India had launched the Doctrine of Lapse policy according to which If a king didn't have a heir , his estate would be gone to British and all the courtiers were tensed that now our estate would go in the hands of British. In order to save our estate they took a tricky way , they tricked Britishers that I am the biological son of king and then I become the king of this estate. I was also honest at that time and was serving them good but I don't know what happened to my soul that I committed that shameful crime that night. one day a man came to me and said that he was the real son of King and he had the evidence also. He had a paper with king's royal seal claiming that he will inherit the property of king. At that moment , I was calm to him and promised him that I will discuss it tomorrow with the courtiers but in my mind I was planning something else. May be devil possessed me at that time and I ordered my man to kill him at night.    Yes I murdered him and hide his corpse in secret chamber. But after that everything changed , he wasn't dead now , he is still living in this palace and torturing me every night . I couldn't sleep at all , I couldn't breath freely because every moment he is watching me , he says that he wouldn't let anyone live here. This is his property , he is the real heir. I'm frightened , don't know what to do. May be when you get this diary , I wouldn't alive. I'm writing this to you my child , I know you are at my mother-in-law's home. I'm advicing you not to come here otherwise he won't let you alive. I love you my child. My hands were shaken and heart was trembling now , I then saw the date. It was the date , one day before his death day. So , it means at that night after writing this , he died. And this diary then passed to his son ( my grandpa) then to his friend. Although, I was frightened but my mind had been changed now. I decided that I would make that palace pure and make it suitable to live then I would leave that village. My determination was more stronger than before. I went to the palace next day and cleaned it myself during day time and at night , I was sleeping on my bed but after few minutes of sleep , I felt some pressure on my neck , I found it difficult to breath , I immidiately opened my eyes  but there was no one. I subconsciously looked at the wall clock , it was 12'o clock. I stood up to drink water because my throat was dry now but suddenly I felt that someone pushed me from behind  and I fell on the ground , I felt a huge pain on my head and then I felt like some one was dragging me by my shirt collar. I was unable to do anything, I was helpless , wanted to call somebody to help but who would come in this haunted palace to help me. I was dragged out of the palace now , my head was bleeding , my legs were shaking. The door now closed by its own as if telling me " Good Bye " . My subconscious mind was telling me to run away like previous time but my stubborn nature was telling something else. Then I saw a glass window , I broke that window and came into the palace again but what I heard and saw there made my heart tremble.. The frightening sound was echoing in whole palace  " This palace is mine..I am the real heir of this palace." This voice gave me goosebumps and I saw a figure too behind the curtain , it was cloudy , couldn't see clearly but it was a figure of a man looking outside.  Anyhow , I managed my self running from that place and Coincidentally I arrived at a room by hiding from that figure.  There I saw a portrait of a king. Subconsciously, I walked towards that painting , It moved it little bit side ways , I found that there was a secret door behind that painting. I was shcocked and excited.  I remembered my grandpa's father had mentioned about the secret chamber . So , I entered there. It was very dark chamber full of bats and dusts , it was giving me a horrified look , I swallowed my saliva and went ahead then I saw the skeleton of someone. ' It must be of him'  My subconscious mind told me to burn his skeleton ,  may be then the spirit would be free. I looked here and there but I couldn't get kerosene oil then an Idea came to my mind. Anyhow I managed myself to bring the little bombs which I had brought to destroy the palace . I fixed them around the skeleton and I was about to press the button but I don't no how the figure knew that and the remote was fallen apart from me. And a that cloudy figure grabbed my neck and pulled me up in the air. I was helpless , frightened, unable to breath , I was feeling like a fish without water , it was becoming more and more difficult to breath and I was feeling like I was taking my last breathbut suddenly my gaze fell on a mashal ( A stick with fire) That was still burning , God knows whether it was God miracle or a science magic that it was still burning in the chamber. With so much difficulties I moved my leg towards the mashal which was hanging on the wall , then it fell down on the bombs wire and they start burning and was about to reach Bombs. That figure also saw that and his grip on my neck loosen , I took the advantage and came out of chamber and close it and went little far. Soon after the chamber explode , I took a sigh of relief. I stayed at the palace for few weaks just because I wanted to be assure that the spirit had gone now. Then I donate that palace to an orphanage . I think that the orphan childrens are the true heir of that palace. It was very horrified experience of my life in which I payed the depts of my previous generations. It is my last visit to this haunted palace.  " Good bye palace...Good bye past."

August 15, 2020 02:13

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6 comments

Keerththan 😀
09:55 Aug 22, 2020

Spooky. Wonderful story. Well written. The diary entry format was amazing. Well written. Would you mind reading my new story "Secrets don't remain buried?"

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Laiba Noor
09:56 Aug 22, 2020

Of course... I will love to read..

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Georgia Bower
09:37 Aug 22, 2020

So many spooky elements! I really liked the way you used a diary entry for insight into the past.

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Laiba Noor
09:43 Aug 22, 2020

Tysm ☺

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Shakil Ahmed
13:07 Aug 17, 2020

Very scary...

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Laiba Noor
03:59 Aug 21, 2020

Thnq

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