"Well, I officially grant you permission to go to Meghpur. A lot of sacrifices can be made as a journalist. Welcome again to the New Age Bangladesh, son" said Mr. Chowdhury.

Mr. Chowdhury shook hands with Wahid in a friendly demeanor.

However, Wahid was pretty impressive with his work. He took his own broken scooter at his apartment that's old-ish on the outside, whereas aesthetically luxurious at the inside. In his room, there were paper-cuts based on his achievements, especially with capturing a terrorist as an undercover gangster, exposing a film mafia that got cancelled by the people in Bangladesh and arresting a murderer of the family who wanted the head member's property. There were more-then lastly, a picture of him with his wife and his beautiful mother with himself as a child.

A wooden globe in the study table, a world map in the wooden board that has been tied along with photographs, taken by wife and himself. Along with it, the only country that he went with his mom was India. Therefore, he was mourning a bit, looking at the window full of joyous neighborhood, except for an old man who was upset, sitting at the rocking chair and looking at the rest of the area, worse than Wahid's condition.

There was no one to talk to. Only a poster of his wife, smiling as the top flight attendant would do. Without these two women in his life, he wouldn't have become a big shot journalist. Time has passed-nighttime it was! Suddenly, someone rang the bell. When he opened the door, the same old neighbor hoped in to his house. Whereas, two hours ago, he was just sitting in his wooden rocking chair, looking at the sunset. His back ached, used his walking stick and hoped in, which was normal for him. He had been a neighbor since 40 years but didn't beg anything, except for love and support. After Wahid's mother's passing, he was the one to finance his education and recruited him as the former chief editor of New Age Bangladesh.

"Mr. Sharif?" said the astonished Wahid.

"Hello, my dear boy, how's your office?" said Mr. Sharif, the friendly and lonely old man.

"It was alright but...I am considering, going to Meghpur for an assignment" said Wahid.

Mr. Sharif was shock, reminded of the last wishes of Wahid's mother. However, it was more than what he would imagine. In the hospital bed, his mother was lying down and talked to Mr. and Mrs. Sharif about her past. She was dying, requesting to forbid Wahid to go to Meghpur. Why? What was the reason behind it? What was her past?

"Don't go!" panicked Mr. Sharif.

"I'm bound to go to this place! I cannot help it, however, it's for an assignment that had to be made" defended Wahid.

"For an assignment? Well, then, I think, it's time to know the truth. Even what I heard from your mom, was terrible! Terrible indeed!" said Mr. Sharif, sighed and sat on the sofa.

Wahid offered him some tea. He drank it a bit fast, even if it was hot. But after a few moments, he calmed down, while he noticed Wahid's calmness towards the situation. If he was young, he would have been outright angry and screaming loud, but in contrast, he's defending it calmly. Mr. Sharif opened his mouth to unleash certain parts that were untold to Wahid, for several years.

Until,

"Your mom told me about the ghost haunting and moreover, the village only closes at 6..." said Mr. Sharif.

"We all know it," said Wahid.

"There's more than what you've heard. Your mom, once was a beautiful lady, but an evil eye stroke on her. A demon was attracted to and had lust over her. It killed your dad and it literally tried to molest the hell out to your mom, when she tried to escape from the village! Then, I was the one who saw her, staggering in the highway. Out of humanity, my wife and I were on the way home from the trip to Bandarban. As she was quite ill, we immediately rushed into the hospital. You were born a cat-like baby. Your mom raised you but wasn't that overprotective, until or unless you mentioned about Meghpur! Now, the ghost is looking for you" said Mr. Sharif.

Wahid was shocked, even though he knew only the parts of it.

"It's a crazy thing, I've ever heard! But I haven't ever been to Meghpur, ever in my life! The ghost story is all rumored but my mom, raped by a ghost? I can't buy that. I think, there's more to it!" said Wahid excitedly.

"You may not believe in superstition, but there are so many evidences regarding that. Like it or not, I think, you have to be careful with your choices. I won't stop you, but if the monster doesn't recognize you, then you're safe," said Mr. Sharif.

"I think, you are right..." said Wahid.

Mr. Sharif smiled.

Changing a topic, they spoke their everyday or else, mundane lives. After the tea break and dinner, Mr. Sharif left. Then Wahid just laid over the bed. After few hours, his unconscious mind hops into a strange aura inside an old cruise of resembled to that of the 1920s, smaller than the size of a ship.

He was walking into the corridors of the ship and met an aged man sitting at the wooden chair. They had seemingly gibberish conversation that, cannot be remembered even for Wahid's standards. All of a sudden, sea waves turned large and the cruise almost turned wet and the elevator was broken due to that.

Then he slowly walked into the staircase in the empty internal cruise corridor. Until the third floor, he looked at the signboard 'FOR CANNIBALS ONLY, HUMAN MEAT AVAILABLE'. Wahid rushed down the stairs, but a group of four bare naked men made a creepy and unsettling noise that he was quite disgusted. They approached him as they were about to suck blood or else, eat Wahid's flesh. As he was suffocated, he pushed the undressed men and they fell off to the slippery ground. He ran like a thunder and took another stair to the hotel room. After that, he met a beautiful lady with a child. Wahid hid himself behind the lady's bed.

Suddenly, someone knocked the door. When the lady opened, the room service man asked "have you seen any passenger who ran away from the forbidden corridor?"

"Sorry, nope, thank you" answered the lady.

The room service man left.

Wahid came out of the bed and explained the lady the whole situation. Good heavens! The ship reached its destination and then, they escaped from the bare naked zombies.

The dream ends. Wahid woke up, huffing. Henceforth, the nightmare was a bit meaningless. What's to come? Is there any resemblance to the dream? It may not be the cruise, would that be in the village? Most of the random thoughts were coming from his minds. It was dawn and a call for the prayer begun. He woke up and drank tea. Also that, he was gazing at the pictures of his mom and wife. All of a sudden, Mr. Sharif arrived at his house, just like every day-after all, he was a family member. He was also one of the former members of the army force. That's why he was stoned, but mellowed down. He sat down and said "Have you made the decision, yet?"

"Yes, Mr. Sharif...actually, I was about to buy some tickets-," said Wahid, in a rush.

"No need," interrupted Mr. Sharif.

Wahid was astonished and he put his head down with anxiety. Until, Mr. Sharif took out a ticket. Wahid's eyes and mouth were wide open with surprises. Also, he wept with joy.

Until, Mr. Sharif took out a locket made of gold and bronze chains and a ying-yang made of stones.

"Thank you so much! But why this ying-yang?" asked Wahid with joy.

"Your mom gave me as your will. She told me that, if you are older, this ying yang will be passed the moment you would go to Meghpur. It will protect you from evil" said Mr. Sharif in a mysterious tone.

Wahid got a confused face because he was conflicted between his beliefs regarding the paranormal events.

"I know, it sounds superstitious and contradictory. But you're too lucky to be dead. Plus, I pray for your protection every day, in the masjid where mysterious blessings happen every moment and lastly, looking at the ying yang, I always feel that you're ready" said Mr. Sharif.

Wahid hugged Mr. Sharif like a young boy with tears of joy. The old man smiled and realized how much both the men missed the joy, even for a smaller moment. Then, he saw the ticket and time. As it was today, he realized that it would be two hours for the train's arrival. He quickly packed his bags and took the gift from Mr. Sharif.