The Voice
When I flipped on the radio that night, I couldn’t believe the voice I heard coming through the speakers. I nearly let go of the steering wheel of the car. The voice seemed like one of my old friends, John. It used my name and said, “Aadarsh, DO not drive any further.”
I was spooked and pulled my car to an abrupt halt. With sweat shining on my forehead, memories of my dead friend came floating back to me in a big rush.
John, my Best Friend
John was my best friend and we had known each other since kindergarten. After we graduated high school, we decided that we would see the world together.
It had been three years since high school and we had already toured through the alleys of America, the streets of France, the magnificent temples of India and the great Kremlin in Russia. All the trips had been memorable and there hadn’t been many challenges. This time we were traversing the narrow winding paths along the Himalayas. It was our first high adventure trip and we were both on our individual bikes. What the mountains had in store for us, we couldn’t but anticipate.
We were biking across a ridged road when John, biking in front of me, came to an abrupt halt. The fog marred my view. Unfortunately, I was blindly following John’s lead and my bike was going slightly fast for that road. I failed to apply the brakes timely and the front of my bike bumped into the back of his bike. I watched in bewilderment as my beloved friend disappeared the next instant. It was only when I got down to look, I saw that there was a steep drop straight ahead. I could hear John falling to his demise.
The Escape
After that incident, I knew that I couldn’t trust myself any longer. As the memories of John haunted me every now and then, I sold my house and all my personal belongings and got into my car. I simply had to escape from the town where I had so many memories with John.
Afterwards, it’s just been traveling for me. To drive the guilt away, I haven’t lived in a proper house for 3 years. It’s just been me and my car, and the occasional animal that stops by.
The Present
A screech blasted into my ears. A black crow was perched on the windowsill of my car. I snapped back to the present. John’s words, “Aadarsh, DO not drive any further” had me break into goosebumps all over again and I decided to get out and see what was so up ahead.
The fog was so thick, I couldn’t even see myself. I brought my flashlight out and shone it into the distance. I walked up further and then I suddenly stopped. A huge ravine with a fast current was right there, merely a step ahead of me. I freaked out and jumped with dismay. I quickly retraced my steps to the car, turned it around and drove away from the spot as fast as I could in that blinding fog.
I parked my car in a petrol station and slept in it, suspending my night travel. When I woke up at early dawn, the fog had disappeared and I could see everything clearly once again. As I got out of the car and stretched myself, up in the sky, one of the stars winked at me.
At once, I knew that my old friend John must have forgiven me and I knew he would be always watching over me.
Writer : Aadarsh Nair
Grade : 9 (Year 2024)
Place : Melbourne, Australia
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