We all know about this game called Chinese Whispers in which one person whispers a message to another, which is passed through a line of people until the last player announces the message to the entire group. We at Write Tribe are doing just that but with stories on our blog. One person tells a short story on his/her blog, the next Blogger will continue the story, till it finishes on Blogger no. 9.
Chapter 2… read on…
The Dream I Dream…
Rohan pursed his lips, furrowed his brow and slowly shook his head from side-to-side.
‘I want you in my cabin with the ABC project report NOW’. He gave me one last disgusted look before leaving me alone.
Oh, but I am not alone. It is Sid, the Mr-Know-It-All, again. I know, he means good for me and is always there to protect me. His uneasy but spot-on questions irk me but what really gets me is his domineering attitude.
‘Aha! The bossy can’t stand you too’, I heard his voice mocking me. 
‘Why is he always difficult and snappy with you?’. This time I could see his eyes bright with mischief.
Ignoring him, I went back to my workstation and woke up my laptop from its deep slumber. As I navigated through various folders to locate the updated ABC project report, I saw Sanket enter Rohan’s cabin.
Mr Chauhan, the man of my dreams, like a hero bashed my boss, verbally. I could see Rohan with his sullen face looking down. I could sense the glow of a smile rise up through my whole being.
* * *
No matter how hard I tried, sleep never came easily to me. Every time I closed my eyes images of my father’s face flooded my mind. The memories which I wanted to bury would come closer and closer to the surface. Some secret part of me remembers the dirty things done to me as a child, every night.
Like every night, the little boy, who calls me ‘Shish’ comes and calms me.
I know, Shishir must be a tongue twister for him.
“Shish, stay calm”, he said in his child-like voice which was paired with mature wisdom.
Yes, stay calm. I have become an expert on that. Because, that’s what I have been doing since ages. Yes, stay calm and let go of the pain and get over with it quickly. The more you resist, the more the pig enjoys. By pig, I mean the real pig in my life as well as the one George Bernard Shaw referred to.
To tell you the truth this little boy’s soothing words have a calming and a comforting effect on me and his presence lulls me to sleep.
But not for long, as the demons of the dreams visit and awaken me.
It is the same dream again. But it is a bit different this time.
The knife is not pointed at me like how I have seen it earlier in my dreams.
As I toss and turn to shake that nightmare away, I hear Sid’s urgent voice, jolting me up from sleep.
‘Wake up you fool. See, what you have done!’ I see him sneer with contempt.
I feel something hard in my hand. I sit up in my bed with a start. I am holding a big knife. With a shriek, I throw it away and cover my mouth with my hands.
My hands are sticky. Why? I look down. Why are my clothes stained? Am I bleeding? Did I cut myself?
Am I still dreaming? Is all this a part of the dream?
Tribe whispers is an idea proposed by Ayush Chauhan in the Write Tribe Facebook Group. Members of the group are working together to create a story. Read more here: Tribe Whispers at Hundred Works.
The story of the Tribe Whispers (Group 2) now moves to Pixie for Chapter 3.
Stay tuned…
36 Responses
Don’t you dare say you are not that great with fiction! I loved it. Thanks a lot Shilpa for giving my first chapter a next I would have myself not been able to written but desired 🙂 Kudos! Loved it way too much. I really want to see what next now!
LOL 😀 Thanks for kick starting the story with a very different plot! 🙂
Turning out to be an eerie but fascinating tale! Looks like a multiple personality disorder, huh?!
Yessss 🙂
There’s no telling where this story will lead, Shilpa. 🙂 There are dark demons at work here. Biting my nails – oh no, wait, I’ve already bitten them off. Can’t wait to see what Hema does to the story!
You have done a great job, though.
This is one story which will have a lot of twists and turns. Thanks Vidya! Glad you liked the effort! 🙂
Wow Shilpa… You have picked up the threads an sewn them beautifully… A great next… demons of the past … disturbed childhood… and self made defence mechanisms… This is going great!!!
Thank you so much, Shiva! Your comment has made my day! 🙂
Wah,Shilpa this a very great idea of taking forward the story written by a previous writer. Your story is complete in itself. It arouses a sort of suspense,with bleeding fingers,
Thanks Ma’am 🙂
So, it looks like Shishir’s personalities are not harmless…now things get interesting….Kudos Shilpa…
You never know!! Lets see… Thanks Ayush 🙂
Wow. That was quite a gripping chapter two. So many intricate details woven in, so the writers who come in at the later stage can pick, choose and thank you for adding so much detail into these characters.
Thank you, Bhavya! Thanks for observing the details too 🙂
Great job! A very good continuation from the first part.. 🙂
Thank you Vaisakh 🙂
I am shaking in my shoes now..not because this story left me at the edge and wanting for more but because I don’t know what this will lead to by the time t reaches me. A super fiction, Shilpa and I am so glad the character is detailed so much. Like Bhavya says, it would be interesting to pick from a lot here. Let’s see what Hema brings, now…I am eager!!
Thanks a lot, for the encouraging words. But Kajal dearest, if I am not mistaken, you have to weave the story with Kara, Trishoo, Muthu, Mr Singh, Aiyana…. isnt it? 😀
Hawwww!! an all this while I was thinking I was in this group…khikhikhi….am seriously so clumsy…opsie now…I need to get back to that story..thanks Shilpa
Happens!! 😉 Hurry up and start dreaming about Kara, Trishoo, Muthu, Mr Singh, Aiyana… All the very best!! 🙂
I read all three of those stories and I am completely lost, I am going to be the one to draw it to a close…How, I am thinking 🙁
Love the twist in the tale….multiple personality disorder? I didn’t see that coming! Has a ‘writer’ taken over your blog? 😉
LOL 😀 Thanks Corinne. Glad you enjoyed this first attempt at writing a 500 word fiction 🙂
Woman!!!!! What a Continuation!!! Phew!!!! I want to know more…Pssst tell me na chupke se 😀
Dee!! 😀 You are a sweetheart! 🙂
While Richa’s story began the multiple-personality thread on a mild note, you have taken it to the next level with the violent streak and suspense Shilpa…Cant wait to see the twists and turns the tribe whispers add to this tale 🙂
Thanks Reshma!! Even I am keenly waiting for the twists and turns that will happen in subsequent chapters! Stay tuned…
I liked the twists you gave! I hope I have done a decent job with Chapter 3…
Thanks Pixie! And you have taken it to the next level!! Kudos! 🙂
Lovely, I enjoyed your run with it. You stayed with the structure Richa had set, and did your own personal variations. the story grew, but didn’t deviate. Lovely
Thanks a lot for your observations and feedback, Hrishikesh! You made my day 🙂
Never occured to me that one can take a story forward
9 Bloggers will take the story ahead in their own way to complete one story! 🙂
Woah! And I thought I was intrigued enough at Richa’s. This is goosebumps stuff. Oh my! More interesting yet! Great work!
Thank you so much, Usha. Glad you liked this attempt 🙂