Horror?

Row, row, row your boat

Gently down the stream If you see a crocodile

Don't forget to scream!

A small chuckle escapes from a middle aged woman who is stirring a small spoon gently, her face reveals a small smile which can only be mistaken for a welcoming sight. Her attire is simply dressed in a white as pearl nightgown adding a gist to the scene of some horror panel. Did I forgot to mention she's sitting on a rocking chair? well, here you go. A simple middle aged woman sitting on a rocking chair busy stirring her tea with a creep smile registered on her face with hum of an elementary poem she learned in her childhood days. Her appearance is dull with scratches all over her skin making her look twice than old than her actual age. Her eyes showed no passion toward any object just a simple smile resting on her lips and humming of those four lines.

"Mrs. Right, would you like to begin this session?" asks Dr. Josh, a 26 year old young and handsome Clinical psychologist who is specially consulted to conduct his sessions with Mrs. Leah Right to help treat her traumatic condition which resulted due to sexual abuse by her husband and his colleague, Mr. Patrick Amber who is currently being locked in a jail for his sinful deeds inflicted on the poor woman.

Mrs. Right doesn't acknowledge his words busy stirring her cup of tea which is now cold because of her constant humming. The decision of conducting these sessions at home was a primal request made by Leah's sister, Andrea Jackson, because her sister wouldn't move an inch from that godforsaken chair. Her state was in such crucial period that her chance of recovery was a mark of question. By her constant calls and countless number of letters to Dr. Josh Dane only succeeded her in getting one appointment session with him. The fee was so much that Andrea had to sell one of her diamond rings gifted by her husband to agree Dr. Josh to perform sessions at Leah's house, which is now a reminder of troubled past.

"Mrs. Right? I am here to help you. Would you like to tell me about yourself." Dr. Josh gives her a smile. Maintaining his posture he tries making an eye contact with Leah but the stubborn woman kept looking down at her tea and hums those same four lines again and again.

"I can understand your pain right now but only I can help you if you open up about that night. Tell me Leah, what are you experiencing right now?" pleads Dr. Josh. The daily sessions aren't bringing any chance of recovery from Leah's side. The same one-hour session is gone by asking the same question but not even a word is reverted back to him. it seems as if someone has played a recording tape which shows the same scene again and again, even the attire of the lady is same. This past week session, Dr. Josh has only seen Leah in her same white gown attire along with the same cup and spoon she keeps on stirring with a small smile playing on her lips and the continuous humming of same four lines. Dr. Josh is sure that the humming would be the death of him if he sat in the same environment with her.

......................................................................

"Did she say anything." asks Andrea. Her hopeful eyes peering up on Josh to receive any good news on her sister.

He sighs.

"No. I'm afraid I have some bad news." John replies to her earlier question.

"Please do something doctor. I know she will open up about her pain. there must be something!"

"I am trying my best to pull her out from the trance but the lack of response from her side is not helping anybody." He states with hint of professionalism.

"Please. I beg you. You are the only one who can help me getting her back. She is strong! I know somewhere deep down she wants to be treated. Help us." Andrea breaks down. Never in her life she felt so vulnerable in front of anybody. Not even her husband.

No words left Josh's mouth. observing the pain of a sister makes him bend down to humanity's clutches.

"Fine. I will continue this session tomorrow at same time. See you tomorrow and don't worry about the payment. I'll consider this as a part of my research." Dr. Josh smiles at her.

By hearing this Andrea closes her eyes and thanked him for his generous support. Dr. Josh exits his way and leaves for his clinic.

...................................................................

"Row, row, row your boat

Gently down the stream If you see a crocodile

Don't forget to scream!" the humming turned out to be a full blown verbal mantra in next session with Dr. Josh. The previous reciting of poem not at all pleasing to his ears.

"Calm down Leah!" cried Andrea.

"Andrea! please stay calm. You need to leave the room so I can control her outburst. There must be a reason for this" says Dr. Josh. His voice a bit harsher towards her.

She scurries down away.

As soon as Andrea leaves the room Leah goes back to her chair and sits down. This time her expression blank with no trace of smile and humming. Josh's eyes matches hers in an instant this time.

She stares blankly at him. Both their eyes stare into each other for minutes. until when,

"Hello Dr. Josh. Remember me?" asks Leah. her voice as sweet as honey but a trace of venom latching on its way.

Dr. Josh gulps. He couldn't even imagine the scene unfolding in front of his eyes. The woman he tried so much to get in talk with has finally decided to unseal her lips. But the only issue he was facing right now was a question of remembrance. What does she mean by 'Remember me?'

"Surprise aren't you?" mutters Leah. Interrupting his other choice of words.

"Leah, I'm glad we are on speaking terms. Would you like to have something? you didn't ask for tea today? eh."

she laughs.

"Oh my! it feels so good to see you Dr. Dane. You have no idea how good it feels to see your face right now." she licks her chapped lips. rumbling yet an other dry laugh from her lips.

"What do you mean, Leah. I have been joining you since the day one. Requesting you to unseal your words for me to hear. I never left you." he says.

"Yeah. I know. Look at the irony-- 'you never left me'" Leah murmurs.

An uncomfortable silence surrounds them making them stare into each other eyes again but this time Josh is the one to look away.

"Very well, Leah. Now, let's talk to each other about your condition. How are you feeling right now?" Josh clears his throat. For some strange reason he seemed a bit intimidated towards Leah. There is a slight resemblance in those screams he got to hear few years back. The resemblance was something else and scary at the same point because he believed to repress it back in his mind to not feel the guilt again and again. The voices which still haunted him in his dreams. The past which still haunts him.

"Do you remember me Dr. Dane." Leah whispers. this time getting up from her seat and walking towards him. Josh's gulps down his saliva clearly getting intimidated by his patient's new behaviour.

Leah sits on his lap and adjusts her thighs around his waist making it clear for other person's view to think something opposite from actual scenario.

"Mrs. Right, please sit properly. You are invading my personal space. I advise you to sit back on your chair!" Josh panics.

Leah laughs at his panic state. she moves an inch closer and starts touching him in an obscene manner.

Josh gets panic again and tries to move her away from his lap but the grip she has on him is undeniably strong. He tries to scream but a pale hand covers his mouth to suppress his voice.

Leah chuckles. This time loudly.

"Hurts doesn't it?" her face hardens. the blue eyes are raging with fire that couldn't be mistaken for revenge, betrayal and hurt?

Josh's muffled voices can only be heard to Leah as she gets amused to watch him squirm under her gaze.

Josh tries making as much of noise as possible so that Andrea can hear him but the strong grip of her hand on his mouth does not help him.

He was loosing his conscience. His eyes were about to dip close but the sudden removal of Leah's hand make him gasp for air.

"Scream as much as you want" she says and leaps out from his lap.

Josh screams for help, Calls for Andrea but lack of response from her side or even rushing in of a petite figure is not what he gets in return.

Leah squats down beside him and speaks slowly in his ear

"Hurts doesn't it? when people don't respond back to your screams or cries, even knowing their outside hearing your cries for help. That's what you did to me that night. You witnessed my screams heard me cry when those bastards were trying to assault me and all you could do was stand there and watch the scene unfold between your eyes." she whispers sending a shiver down his spine.

At that moment Josh's life was sucked out from him. His breathing went to a complete still and he was shaking completely in trance with the emotion of fear. He couldn't believe the one dreadful night he got to witness turned out to be the one knocking on his door. The night he solely wanted to forget came back crashing down on his doorstep. The past was so painful to him, he couldn't change neither can go back in. His decision killed an innocence away. His cowardice was a result of an innocent death he presumed.

No doubt the past was back to haunt him.

He cried.

"I wa-wanted to h-help you... but I was s-scared. They had guns with them. I am so s-sorry. Forgive me. F-F-Forgive me please. Till today, I can hear your screams at night. The past still haunts me for my mistake. please forgive me!" tears streaming down his face. Josh was howling like a mad man.

"You know who's the real culprit here? Not that husband of mine, not his stupid friend but you. You! JOSH DANE ARE A REAL CULPRIT!!! The one who witnesses such crime and decides to stay silent is the REAL CULPRIT" screams Leah with grudge boiling inside her.

She turns him over and slap him.

"If you would had saved me that night I wouldn't had gone such terrible pain.. My sister and I went through so much of pain because of you and them that we couldn't see sun for days. If you wouldn't had left me behind that night and rowed back down on that silly boat of yours, I would've been saved from those hands.You took away my sanity!!!!" she breaks down.

"Till today I can feel those hands crawling on my body forcing away every ounce of strength I try building everyday." she punches his chest again and again. hardly.

blood oozes down his face forming a puddle beside his mouth. Within a second, Leah takes his head and slams it on the floor. Hearing the skull crack makes her laugh at his state loudly.

Slowly the door cracks and in comes a small, petite woman who watches her sister laughing like a maniac and rolling around the floor.

"You know he's not dead right." Andrea hesitates.

Leah stops her laughing and reaches the unconscious man and caress his hair.

"Not dead but enough to make him loose his sanity." she chuckles and recites her humming again.

Row, row, row your boat

Gently down the stream

Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily

Life is but a dream.