Trouble is not something I envy or desire, nor do I find it thrilling that I often get into it.

It was a normal day, or as normal as it could get for an orphan like me, spending his day as far away as possible from the orphanage and his night, awaiting the day. Anyways, on this particular night I was staying out late, dreading my return to the orphanage when I heard soft whispering sounds coming out of a dead-end street.

Now, any sensible person would’ve walked away but, as usual, my childish curiosity got me in trouble. The thing that really scared me was that the sound never changed pitch or volume. I mustered enough courage to move forward, but I wish I hadn’t.

The cloudy London sky, now dark, seemed to look at me with sympathy as I crept into the shadows. I went further in and realised the sounds were coming through a door and I was on the other side. I felt attracted to the voice like a moth to light. I couldn’t control what I was doing. I really hoped my life would last longer than the moth’s.

I opened the door, just a little, so I could peek through, seeking the source of the voices. The voice didn’t stop and I could not see the source either. All I felt was sweat dripping down my cheek. Then finally I spotted something.

It was a man just standing there, but he wasn’t moving or talking. I went in mustering all my courage. I was actually relieved when I realised it was just a man. He didn’t move at my entrance, which I found strange, but I moved on anyways.

The room felt ghastly and eerie, making me feel distressed. I went closer to the man and realised his eyes were red and angry, which really scared me.

The moment I came in front of him, it seemed some sensor had detected me and hundreds of bats came up in front of me. I heard a shrill scream which I later realised was mine. Like a chorus, I heard the whispering: “Suffer with us.”

My eyes widened. Then suddenly there was a white flash and a terrifying sound. I caught a glance of a deformed face. I didn’t stay for his autograph. Instead, I ran and ran until I couldn’t run anymore.

This encounter scarred me for life. I was never the same after that day. I finally learnt how valuable life was after coming close to losing it.

Published in Dawn, Young World, June 23rd, 2018