Chapter: 10 - In The Shadow

'In The Shadow' was a well-renowned expensive restaurant. Juwan know very little about its traditions. There was a huge reason for the place to only serve dinners.

About 45 years from then at that same place there existed a multi-cuisine restaurant. It was a very famous place in the 80s. The elite spent a luxurious time there. But one day everything changed. A raid from the Food Safety Department changed everything. The lead inspector with his team found dead human remains in the restaurant's basement-freezer. The news spread like wildfire and the people of the town were enraged. There was a massive riot and the building was burned down with its employees still inside. After a year when the gossips died out a new restaurant specialized only on dinners with dark traditions was started at the same place. The restaurant was advertised with negative gossips. When the 21st century emerged the whole incident was just a juicy-dark gossip that a person would enjoy talking over a dinner.

Jana blinked utterly surprised, looking at Juwan's stunning appearance. Juwan was all dressed in black. It was one of the diner's conditions. Juwan was surprised. There was a weird sensation in the air. When he had entered the restaurant. Jana and Riya were already waiting for him. There was a third person near Riya.

When Juwan was closer he saw that it was Jenny. Juwan was partially surprised. He knew that Jenny and Riya were close friends but he didn't expect Jenny to show up in his treat. What he would never have expected was that Jenny was actually invited by Jana. Riya at first was not ready to Jana's matchmaking plans but when she thought of her lonely friend, she had reconsidered.

'It might do some good for her too.' Riya had thought and invited her.

"You look awesome in black bro," Jana commented as Riya gave Juwan a friendly smile. Jenny felt alienated.

"I hope you don't mind Jenny joining us," Jana said.

"Not at all." He didn't know Jenny like he knew Riya at least. He sat next to Jana and looked around. The whole place was filled with rich people from the city. Though located outside the city, it was a hotspot for the city people.

It was the second time for Juwan in the restaurant. The first time was with Ms Susan. Suddenly a train of memories flooded his mind.

It was on a cold evening. When Juwan entered the bungalow, Ms Susan was already dressed in her best cloth. Juwan was surprised.

"Here you are! I have reserved a dinner. I am tired of home-made food. Are you ok with it?" Even though she was Juwan's boss, she had always shown him the kindness of a parent.

"It would be great, Ms Susan. Not that the food here is lame but it will be a nice change."

"Ok then go and get dressed." Ms Susan smiled enthusiastically as Juwan went to his room.

As the conversation replayed in his mind Juwan sighed. It seemed to be like a lifetime ago.

"So how do you feel man?" Jana asked.

"Better. A lot better." As he replied, a waiter came to their table.

"I will have.." everyone ordered their dishes and drinks.

"Drinks?" Jana asked.

"I will just have a little" Riya said and Jenny declined the offer adding the fact that she doesn't drink.

"I am not of age...." Juwan said awkwardly. Jana chuckled.

"Come on, man. No one will know." Jana tried to convince him.

"....and I have to be somewhere after the dinner," Juwan added.

"Your part-time job? I thought you took today off. You just got out of the hospital." Riya and Jenny didn't know that Jana was talking about Juwan's caretaker job. Fortunately, Juwan hadn't told him about Ms Susan's death or his jackpot inheritance.

"No, its something else," Juwan said fast and clear so Jana didn't question him further. Riya didn't allow Jana to have any since he had to drive. However Jana pleaded he knew it was a lost cause. They chatted about all things. Jenny was like an encyclopedia. She knew a lot of facts and Juwan was very impressed. Comparatively, Jenny was not as beautiful as Riya but she still had a fair amount of boys behind her. She had had a brown complexion and a well-featured face. Juwan sometimes found her beauty appealing though never gave much thought to it other than that. And given his current priorities he found nothing more appealing than a solution for his supernatural problems.

"I very recently found out about this place," Jana said. It was very natural since it had been only there for an year or so and that too he mostly spent his time inside the campus.

On the other hand, Riya and Jenny were born and raised there, knowing w all about the legends, short-cuts... and restaurants.

"Did you know that this place ones used to serve human meat," Riya said. A chill went through Juwan's spine. On his previous visit, Ms Susan hadn't said anything about cannibalism.

"It was in 1982 that they were caught," Jenny said precisely. "The whole building was burnt with the workers still inside. The scary part is that people say that in the shadows the dead lurk and have their meal watching us. Some have reported that they have sensed blood in one of the dishes." When she completed the food arrived. All four looked at each other. Jana and Riya suddenly burst out laughing.

"Seriously you believe that kind of stuff?" Jana asked. Jenny felt dumb. Unfortunately for her she did believe in the supernatural.

"You dont have to believe to fear. Real or not fear is just a precaution." Juwan said. Jenny kind of understood what he meant though the other two found it more puzzling than their mathematics assignment. Jenny softly smiled showing that she agreed and Juwab smiled back.

"Do you believe in the Devil and God and blah blah blah....." Riya asked. Juwan smiled

"Can't say I don't but until recently I never gave it much thought.. " Juwan said and fell into a pool of memories. They were the memories from his last visit. Ms Susan had told him a story about a taxi driver:

The taxi driver was a poor man. He had to work day and night to make a proper living for his family. One day he took a different route which he assumed would give him more late-night travellers than his usual route. He had his glasses down and was able to hear everything outside. Till 11 pm it was a busy area with lots of noise, but after that everything had become silent. The only sound that could be heard was his taxi. He drove randomly in the alien route searching for customers, when he heard the sound of horses galloping. It was not impossible for horses to be there since there was a race course. But it was rare and particularly at that time it was impossible for any horses to be around. The driver checked his side-view mirror but there was nothing behind. The road was empty yet the sound continued. The driver started sweating and was scared. He was not a godly person but he started praying for the sake of living. He turned at all direction trying his best to get out of that empty road. He was totally lost. He had no idea where he was. Slowly the sound reduced and was gone in no time. The driver sighed and tried to find a way home.

As he drove for a few minutes there was a man waiting for vehicles. The driver was relived. He stopped the car took the passenger. The man seemed to know the route very well and guided the driver. They talked casually and slowly the driver told the man about the invisible horses hoping that the passenger could give him a rational reason. The passenger laughed at the drivers irrational thoughts.

Casually he kept his own legs on the driver's seat and they were hairy blood-covered legs with dark hoves

When Ms Susan finished the story Juwan was pale. Juwan was sure that it was the passenger who had followed the driver. He asked, "what happened to the driver?"

"Guess we will never know kid." Ms Susan smirked.

Juwan got out of the memory and felt a need to share it with the other three. He proposed to tell them the story and they accepted immediately.

As he heard the story Jana took a mouthful of soup and for a second he thought he tasted blood. But the feeling was too light to consider. He brushed off the feeling and ate.

It was already 9 when they had finished. Jana and Juwan shared the bill even though Juwan was willing to pay for the full meal.

They parted and went their different ways. Jana and Riya left together. Jenny too left in her own car. Just when he was out of the restaurant, Jana remembered about his trip. He had totally forgotten to bring up the topic.

Juwan walked to the bus-stop which was nearby. He took a bus to the address in the visiting-card that lord Axile had given him. He had been thinking of visiting that place for quite some time and felt he had to do it tonight before he lost the need. Procrastination and postponement can bite back later. The bus dropped him in an empty street. He walked a few meters and took a few turns before he completely got lost. Unfortunately there was no one to ask for directions.

That's when he heard it - the sound of hooves. A chill ran through him. Is he imagining? He didn't drink. He couldn't possibly be having illusions.

'Maybe it is the eyes.' Juwan thought but it took moment to realizes what his intuition really meant. 'I am really being followed by a goat-man? Juwan's hands became cold and all blood rushed to his head. He didn't know what to do. Under the confusion, he ran. He ran like his life depended on it. Unfortunately it did depend on it. The galloping became faster but soon reduced and fainted.

Juwan didn't stop. He was all covered in sweat. Suddenly something caught his sight. A hearse. Juwan knew that he was near the funeral parlour. He looked around and saw the board. Wiping the sweat from his forehead, he went near the board. The funeral parlour office was closed but there was a house near it. It had its lights on and Juwan was relived. He knocked at the doorstep of the house and waited for an answer.

He heard footsteps on the other side. His mood lightened slowly when the door opened.

Seeing Jenny behind the door Juwan's jaws would have dropped if he hadnt become numb to surprise after his heavy week. On the other hand Jenny was way too surprised to see Juwan. Her jaws did drop.