"Sir, You have a post." I was about to take a nap when i heard the waiter's voice. I saw the envelope lying on the floor. My name and address were printed on it.
Allan Sandroff,
Room No: 113,
Hotel Bew Avenue,
New York.
I checked for the sender's address, but there was not even a name. I opened the envelope and found a piece of cloth. It looked like a handkerchief. The handkerchief was a weird one. It was black in color with seven white crosses stitched at the top.
It was getting late. So i kept the handkerchief in my drawer and set out to my office. On my way back from the office i met Aleena, a good friend of mine who helped me always in times of difficulties. After a little chat i said goodbye and began walking towards my hotel. Suddenly, the clouds turned black and it began to rain. I was sure that i would catch a cold. I ran the rest of the way to my hotel.
I went to my room. I was not feeling well. I took out the handkerchief from the drawer and sneezed "Achoo... achoo..." I stopped sneezing when i saw something weird on the handkerchief. Letters were appearing on the handkerchief, as if they were being written by an invisible pen. I stared at it. It was the address of an old schoolmate of mine.
Ralio Fujis,
House No: 23,
Straight Walk Street,
San Francisco.
I stared at it blankly. Then it clicked to me, "Ah! I should have guessed. Ralio must have sent this gift. He was always a witty guy who plays pranks, and he has written..." I stopped suddenly because Ralio's name disappeared and another name began to form.
Aleena Strokes,
House No: 44,
Liberty Street,
New York.
I didn't understand anything. "What has Aleena got to do with Ralio? They don't even know each other." I decided to ask Aleena. But, then something caught my attention.
Aleena's name disappeared and the seven crosses began to glow. The crosses were becoming brighter and were moving towards the center. As they neared the center, the crosses merged one over the other and became brighter and brighter. At last, all the crosses became one, which glowed brilliantly. Then suddenly the cross disappeared and appeared as seven crosses in their old positions.
"Knock, knock." There was someone at the door. It was 7 p.m. and the room-boy had come to clean the room. I put the handkerchief safely back inside the drawer and went to the restaurant for dinner. It was 7:30 when i returned to my room. I decided to call Ralio. All mysteries must come to an end, i thought. It was Ralio's P.A. who picked up the call. He said, "Sorry Sir, Mr. Ralio Fujis died in a plane crash half an hour ago." I hung up the phone. It was a sad news. Good old days with Ralio were coming over to my mind, but suddenly, a chill ran down my spine, "Aleena!!!, her name also appeared on that evil thing, "Oh No..." The telephone bell began to ring, i picked it up. The voice said, "Sir, this is from St. Albert's hospital. Miss Aleena Strokes met with an accident. We did our best to save her but she died." I froze there holding the phone.
I went to hospital to have a last look at her. This was more than i could bear. "All this happened because of that evil piece of cloth." i was furious and rushed back to my hotel room. It was raining heavily but i didn't care. I reached the hotel and rushed to my room. I took the handkerchief from the drawer and threw it into the fireplace, but it simply got repelled back. I was furious and threw it out of the window. But i realized my blunder and cursed myself. "Oh! I'm such an idiot, now the cloth will get wet in the rain. God knows whose all names are going to appear on it." I rushed out of the hotel and found the handkerchief in the mud. A name was just disappearing when i took it. I ran back to the hotel with the handkerchief. But, then i saw another name appearing on the handkerchief. I froze as my name and address formed on the handkerchief.
Suddenly, the crosses began to glow. I got back to my room, closed all windows and doors, lit the fireplace and sat on the couch facing the clock and with the handkerchief in my hand. "I am safe now, no one can kill me in here", i thought. But, the crosses in the handkerchief continued to come closer, and my heart began to beat faster. Suddenly, i found it hard to breathe. "Oh no! I closed all sources of air and lit the fireplace." I began to suffocate. I couldn't get up from the couch. I dragged myself to the closed window, and tried to reach and open it. Out of the corner of my eye, i saw the crosses merged together. I stretched my hand to open the window. Suddenly, there was a bright glow and i was dead.
