The aftermath

Ravi joined the group study session but his mind was wandering. It kept repeating the events that occurred on that dark mysterious road. Everything he saw was beyond his comprehension.

He tried to focus on studies but was unable to do so. He was having a sharp pain across his temples. That pain was making his vision blurry, making him unable to tolerate the light too. Sagar noticed his discomfort. While the group took a short break to relax, Sagar asked Ravi, "I noticed that you are not feeling well. What is bothering you?"
"I am having severe headache. This feels like an unusual episode. I rarely get headache. Also, my back is burning. Maybe some insect stung me on the way. Will you please check," Ravi answered and raised his shirt.
Sagar was in complete disbelief when he saw Ravi's back, "Oh my god. That is scary". Sagar was loud enough to be heard by the group. Everybody gathered to see if there was some trouble.
"What happened? Is there a rash developing? It is burning a lot. Tell me," Ravi said.
What Sagar and other friends saw was terrifying. They were unable to speak. A friend quickly took a picture. While showing to Ravi he said, "you better see this for yourself. It was definely not an insect".
Ravi took the phone out of his friend's hand. He looked at the photo and realised why his friends had been shocked.

Ravi's back had scratches. There were not deep, they looked superficial. But they had been bleeding. They looked fresh as if someone or something scratched him a few minutes ago. They looked as if an animal had scratched. But he was not attacked by an animal. Those scratches were wide enough to resemble the palms of a human. But he had not been attacked by a human too. The sight had been scary enough to make him dizzy.
"I have no idea about this. I don't know who scratched me," Ravi said in disbelief.
"Ravi, what happened when you took the shortcut? Tell me everything in detail," Sagar requested.
Ravi narrated his experience. He told the group how the events unfolded without skipping a single detail, "nothing had happened that could result in these scratches".
"That is what you think. That shortcut is haunted Ravi. That is why I told you not to take it. We do not know if that street is a home to a malevolent force. But nothing good ever happens on that street at night. The scratches on your back could be a result of your encounter with that force. Maybe that entity made you lose the track of time and directions. Maybe what you felt at the backseat of your bike was that sinister force. We may never know," Sagar revealed.

Ravi felt nauseous at the thought that he had been so close to the malevolent entity, that it had made a mark on him. Ravi still decided to not let his fear overpower him and continued to study.

But it did not end here. Ravi still had a long way for his recovery.