Vetala

Creepy Cemetery. (May 31, 2014)

Luke Price. Source: Flickr.

The Road to Mom

As Sanjay started to drive the car away from the cave, Mehul asked, “Alright. Now someone please tell me what Vetala is and where we can find it.”

Sanjay said, “I will defer this question to Saira.”

Saira turned to Mehul and said, “Vetala is something of a spirit. It is someone long dead who inhabits the body of another dead person to use for their own gain, whether good or evil. The people in America would like to think of it as a zombie.”

Mehul nodded but then he remembered something from the pictures that Sanjay had shown him. His mother was nowhere to be found inside the house.

He looked up from his phone in the back seat and said, “Guys, I know where my mother is…I think Vetala has her body."

Sanjay screeched the car to a halt and took his phone out as well. He studied the same pictures and his face dropped and became pale.

He said to Mehul, “I think you are right but how will we find her…”

All of a sudden Mehul felt pain in his head and all of a sudden saw his mother, or what he thought was his mother standing in a cemetery. Once again pain pierced Mehul's head and he heard something.

A deep raspy voice said, “You may have beaten Bakasura, but my second minion will destroy you and your friends. Go to the cemetery overlooking your home Kailashahar. There you will find your mom.”

As soon as the pain appeared it was gone. Once Mehul came out of his trance-like state he saw Sanjay and Saira staring at him with concerned expressions. Mehul then proceeded to tell them what had happened and where they were heading next. Sanjay put the car in drive and started heading to the cemetery.

As the town of Ekachakra grew smaller in the distance, Mehul said out loud, “I fear that the worst is yet to come. I have a feeling we will see the puppet master soon, guys.”

After he said this, an eerie silence overtook the car as they all understood that Mehul was right. Even still they needed to focus on the fight at hand, which, at the moment, was going to the Vetala in Mehul's mom.

The Cemetary of Kailashahar

By the time they reached the cemetery it was dark and late at night. All that lit up the cemetery were a couple of lanterns that were situated oddly throughout the place.

As Sanjay put the car into park he said, “Guys, this may be a bad time to tell you but we really need to get gas if we are going to be slaying demons. I am almost on empty.”

Everyone broke out into laughter and relief washed over them during this trying time.

As Sanjay and Mehul were getting out of the car with their glasses and knives Saira said, “We won’t need the glasses. Since Vetala inhabits Mehul mother’s body we can see her in the flesh.”

They both nodded and tossed their glasses on their seats.

As all three of them crept into the cemetary, Mehul whispered, “So where the heck is Vetala? There is like nowhere to hide besides hiding behind the big oak tree.”

Almost as if Vetala could hear him it stepped from behind the tree and said, “Well well, so this is the offspring of the famous Aarav and Kiara. Not much to look at really.”

All three of them stopped in their tracks shocked because before them was standing Mehul's mom Kiara and she looked the exact same. Her long brown hair flowing in the wind with her piercing blue eyes. Yet, what used to be Mehul's mother now carried a sinister energy around her.

Mehul asked, “What do you mean famous?”

Vetala answered, “Your family has long been the main oppressors of us demons. Your mother killed one of my best friends, so it seemed only right that I repay the favor. By the way your mother’s body is young and athletic. I think I might keep it.”

Unable to take any more and letting rage consume him, Mehul rushed at Vetala. He tried to slash at Vetala to hurt the spirit into leaving his mother, but it was too fast for him. Eventually, Sanjay and Saira joined in to try to help. None of them were able to catch Vetala as it was too fast for them.

Vetala kept saying, “Too slow. Oh come on, that’s the best that you have?” She taunted them to no end.

As soon as they started to get tired Vetala pounced. With great strength and speed, she disarmed both Sanjay and Saira and threw them against the tree.

Vetala turned to them and snarled, “This is between me and Kiara’s son.”

In Kiara’s body Vetala turned to Mehul and smirked. She said, “The only way I’m leaving your mother is if you kill me. While you may have killed that big ogre Basakura, I will not go away easily, so bring it on.”

After fighting for a while both started to get worn out.

Vetala stood up straight and stared at Mehul and proceeded to say, “Enough of this nonsense! Time for you and your friends to die!”

It lunged at Mehul and he managed to duck low and with a thrust of his knife plunge it into the heart of Kiara’s body. Blood started to gush from the wound, and soon the ground was drenched in black blood.

As Vetala started to die it said, “Oh lord Hidimba, I have failed you.”

With those last words the body dropped to the ground.

Two Down, One To Go

Mehul fell to his knees next to his mother’s body and cradled her head. He started to sob uncontrollably. Saira rushed over to be with Mehul.

She consoled him and whispered into his ear, “This might not be the best time, but I’ve always loved you, Mehul.”

Mehul looked at her and said, “I’ve always loved you too, Saira.”

After consoling each other they all stood up and grouped together.

Mehul told them, “This is almost over. Now let’s go get that fucker Hidimba whoever he is.”

Little did they know what awaited them.

Continued next in Hidimba...

Author's Note:

Vetala is described as many different things. In one piece of literature it is a goblin, in another it is a spirit, and in American culture it is considered a zombie. For the purpose of this story I wanted it to be a spirit who's friend had been killed by Mehul's mother. Some people have been asking about what has happened to his mother and this is why I never mentioned her. I thought having her being inhabited by an evil demon would an intriguing plot twist. Even though Mehul's mom is dead and her body is just a vessel it gives him some closure about what happened to her. Also, the introduction of his parents being famous demon slayers would give a reason about why his family was targeted. From what I have written it is easy to discern that they had been very good at their jobs and the demons weren’t too happy.

I also wanted to introduce an emotional side of him to show that while this journey is not really affecting Sanjay or Saira, it is taking a toll on him. We are able to see this through the fear shown in his eyes, his sobbing, and his colorful language at the end of the story. Sanjay and Saira seem to be very well composed, probably because they have been killing demons for a long time. For Mehul, this is all new and while, in the first story he seems rather stoic, this one presents a different challenge because he is having to kill a spirit that has taken his mom's body. I felt that by vanquishing Vetala from his mother’s body it gave him a sort of closure that his family is now resting in peace.

I thought that I would give the reader a taste of what is to come with Hidimba. While I don’t talk about who he is, hopefully everyone can see that he is the one who has been pulling the strings.

The last note I wanted to input was the love connection between Saira and Mehul. This connection has been there for a long time, but no one has ever acted until this crucial time. It also adds a new dynamic to make the reader wonder what will happen to this new found love. Will it work out or is it destined for destruction?

Bibliography:

Twenty-Two Goblins, translated by Arthur W. Ryder, with illustrations by Perham W. Nahl (1917).