The Bell

Diya's Nana Ji, or maternal grandfather, had lived a happy and fulfilling life. A successful career, a happy marriage, loving children and loyal friends - he had it all. Though his passing at eighty-one years of age had certainly been a cause of sadness for his loved ones, it brought none of the agony and regret that often comes with an early demise. The old man had remembered all his friends and family in his will. Diya, the twenty year old college student, had received a handsome sum of money and a cabin in the woods. 

Nana Ji knew what this cabin meant to Diya. It was her favourite vacation spot as a child. She had the most wonderful memories of visiting the place with her grandfather and cousins, of playing by the lake and watching goats and sheep graze at the edge of the woods or in the postures nearby. More importantly, the canine representated the bond she shared with her loving Nana Ji. So he had left it to her, with a request that she take good care of it.

The cabin was located several miles from Diya's mother, Meghna's house. As Diya was there for the funeral anyway, she decided she would pay it a visit, before going back to university.

Now, this cabin in the woods was inaccessible by a vehicle. The very narrow path leading to it from the street went through a cluster of old trees. When Meghna heard of her daughter's plans, she had some reservations about her going out there all alone. But Diya assured her mother that she would be fine. She knew that pathway to the cabin, having made that journey through the woods many times, and that she would return in the  afternoon in time for lunch.

Before she left, Meghna told Diya that she would be going to her sister's place, and that lunch would be laid out on the table for her. Diya gave her mom a hug and drove off.

Diya parked her car at the edge of the timeline and began walking the familiar path to her destination. It would take her forty-five minutes to about an hour to get to the cabin. The trees and shrubbery seemed to have grown denser since the last time she was there. The birds were chirping happily,  the squirrels went about their business, scurrying away as Diya walked by. She walked slowly, taking in the natural beauty and reliving the happy memories this place had given her. She thought of all the times she and her cousins had accompanied their grandfather into these woods for a bit of bird watching. Or the time they had found an injured squirrel and had brought it indoors to dress it's wounds.

Diya finally reached the cabin and unlocked the front door. She spent the rest of the day cleaning up, going through some of the books in the study and just enjoying the gorgeous view of the lake. She figured she would leave an one o clock. She'd be able to reach her car by one-fifty and would be able to get home before two-thirty.

While going through some of the stuff in the storage, Diya found her grandfather's hammock. He had bought it after Diya and her boy cousin insisted that the back deck looked incomplete without a hammock.

It had been a long time since Diya had laid on it. Though it was quarter-to-one, she figured she still had time. She set it up on the deck and laid down on it. She wasn't sure when she would be able to visit the cabin again, and wanted to enjoy herself to the fullest.

Diya hadn't planned to fall asleep. However, her tiredness from not having slept properly the previous few nights, the soothing chirping of the birds combined with the soft October breeze, caused her to fall into a deep sleep.

She woke up only when her phone rang. It was her mom. Diya saw that she had been asleep for over five hours. It was almost six-thirty now.


Meghna was still at her sister's place. In the early evening, she decided to check on her daughter. She had said she would be home by two-thirty.

"Diya, please tell me you haven't skipped lunch." She said as soon an her daughter answered the phone.

Diya realized her mom was still at her aunt's house. She knew her other would get angry and would worry if she found out Diya was still at the cabin, so she decided to lie.

"Don't worry, Ma. I ate lunch on time."

"Ok, good." Meghna said, "I'll probably be home by nine, so feel free to order a pizza if you want."

"Ok, Ma! Thanks!"

Diya hung up and hurriedly packed up the hammock. By the time she locked the cabin door, the sun had set. As this time if the year, it got dark at around seven-thirty. It was six-forty at that moment, and if she walked very quickly she would be able to getting her car before it got completely dark.

Diya was almost running down the pathway to the street. Though she had walked through these woods many times, she had never done so in the evening. As the sky began to darken, the trees around her seemed to take on a foreboding appearance. She tried not to let her mind wander though, and focused on getting to her car and going home.

But in her haste, Diya accidentally tripped over a fallen tree branch and crashed to the ground. She picked herself up and after ascertaining that she wasn't hurt, she resumed her journey. This time, she turned on her phone's flashlight as visibility was quickly lessening.

As she started walking again, Diya heard a sound that did not belong in the woods. The sound of a bell. She slowed down and looked around. She wondered if someone was here with their pet. But who would be in the woods at this time? All she could see through the clusters of tree trunks was more trees. She resumed her pace.

However, the sound did not go away. It had actually gotten louder.


To her horror, Diya realized that someone carrying or wearing a bell was following her. She walked faster. She now had about twenty minutes before the woods would be enveloped in darkness. The person ringing the bell seemed to be just a few metres behind her.

Diya kept running. She reached into her pockets and felt her car keys. She decided to ditch her backpack as it was slowing her down. She ran faster, but it seemed her pursuer was keeping pace. The sound of the bell was louder now. Though she had walked this path so many times, her fear made it seem endless. As if she would never reach the safety of her car.

She dared not look back. She knew that if she did, terror would paralyze her. 

Diya had never felt such primal fear before. Being pursued in the darkening forest, by someone who was clearly deranged. She felt like an animal being chased by a predator who would tear her apart before devouring her. Someone who used that damn bell to frighten his victim while chasing her down. Tears of despair began to fall from her eyes. She took out her phone and called her mom. If the worst happened. If this monster caught up with her, then at least her mother would know what had happened to her.


"MA!!" Diya screamed into the phone the second her mother answered. "SOMETHING IS CHASING ME!!" Her sobs caused her words to come out in a jumble.

"Diya?" Meghna sensed her daughter's panic. " Who's chasing you? Where are you?"

"I'm in the woods! I fell asleep at the cabin. I'm so sorry Ma!" Meghna was hysterical now. The sound of the bell still followed her. "He has a bell! He has a bell!!" She screamed.

The sound was loud enough to be heard on the other end of the call. Meghna immediately told her sister what was going on and asked her to call the police.

"Diya, just keep running towards the street. We've called the police." She told her daughter, trying to keep her own voice calm. "Put your phone on speaker mode. He should be able to hear that you're talking to someone. Hold it tightly and don't drop it."

Diya did as she her mother said.
"He's right behind me!" She said "I can hear the bell!"

"I hear it too!" Meghna replied, her heart pounding in her chest, "just keep moving Diya, and stay on the line." She cursed herself for letting her daughter go to the cabin all alone. Why hadn't she gone with her?

As she ran through the woods, in the dark, with that awful ringing sound just behind her, the only thing that gave Diya any hope was her mother's voice. Even as her legs began to hurt, she kept running. The bell still rang, as loud as ever.


At long last, Diya could see the street lights. For the first time since this ordeal began, she felt as though she would make it.

"Ma! I see the street lights!!" She spoke into the phone.

"That's my girl!" Her mother said, silently thanking the Gods. "Your aunt says the cops are almost there."

"I still hear the bell!"

"I can hear it too. Just keep going. You're almost there!"

At long last, Diya reached the street. And just as she did, she saw a police car pull up a short distance from her. Two cops stepped out and she ran to them.

"OFFICER!! Officer..... he's after me! He has a bell!" She said frantically, now crying tears of relief.

"Miss, it's all right. You're safe now. Who's after you?"

"He has a bell officer! I heard it!"

Diya was still on the call with her mother, who chimed in. "Yes, officer. I heard it too." Meghna told them through the speaker "please.... please just get my daughter out of there!"

"Wait. A bell?" the other cop asked "is that the bell you heard? He pointed to the ground just behind Diya.

Diya turned around and saw a small metallic bell. The kind that shepherds would tie around the necks of their goats or sheep. The bell was attached to a rope. And this rope was tangled with Diya's left foot.