EDDIE
By: Arjun Prasannan
Tags: Thriller Suspense, Horror, Suspense, Thriller, Short Story

Kalpana made plans to Goa over the weekend with a rock-hard mind to take a break from her professional routine in Bangalore. She works as an associate with an advisory firm and is a pretty independent and strong woman. When she decided to plan yet another Goa trip, her idea was to travel freely without any companions nor friends, as she aspired for a reasonable personal space. With a backpack, sunscreen lotion, and sunglasses, she onboarded into an Indigo flight from Indiranagar to Panaji Airport. She desired the 3-day trip to be a raw and impromptu one. Upon landing in Panaji airport, she asked the pre-booking cab service to drop her at a lively, less crowded place to relax for the next three days. The assigned driver diagnosed his customer on parameters of lifestyle, her propensity to spend, and interests. His years of experience of interacting with the Goan tourists has equipped him to distribute tourists to different places as; excited beginners to “Baga”, confused amateurs to “Calangute”, pricey ones to “Candolim”, free-spirited hippies to “Arambol”, prosperous affluents to “Morjim” and the adventurers to the “Anjuna-Vagator belt” among the beaches of North Goa.

Driver: Okay, Ma’am, done! The driver decided on a place after the diagnosis.

Kalpana: Amazing! She didn’t bother to ask for any details from the driver and trusted him.

She looked outside of the window, closely watching the landscape. They first crossed the old Vasco da Gama town from the airport, followed by the capital city of Panaji, and moved further north towards the coastal beaches. After crossing the left signboards of Candolim, Calangute and Baga, he drove towards the Anjuna-Vagator belt. Finally, the driver dropped her in one of the resorts close to the Vagator beach.

Kalpana: Thank you! This place looks lovely.

Driver: Have a fantastic stay, Ma’am. Here is my card, call me for your return travel to the airport and any other needs. He passed on a gentle smile.

Kalpana: Sure, will do that.

It was 6:30 pm on a Friday, and she could sense that the sunset was nearer. After placing all her luggage in the resort reception, she hurried to the nearby beach to witness her first sunset in Goa. With a clear and brilliant red and orange sun intersecting the pristine waters of the Arabian sea, the view was surreal. Kalpana decided to spend few more minutes there before checking into the hotel. In the meantime, she spotted a little girl enjoying the post-sunset moments on the lap of her father sitting on the beach. The dying sun, along with a lovely father-daughter combo in the frame, Kalpana couldn’t resist capturing it on her DSLR. She went onto grab her camera from the luggage parked in the reception. Upon returning, she could sense that they were engaged in an exciting conversation. She moved closer to overhear them.

Father: Honey, can you see the star formation in the sky?

Little girl: Yes, Papa.

Father: Are you sure?

Little girl: Yeah, I can see them.

Father: Okay, I can also see them. But let me tell you something. Those stars which you see in the sky may not exist. It takes millions of years for the light to travel and reach our eyes from that distance, so by the time you see those lights with your naked eyes, the stars may have been extinguished. Hence, out of the millions of stars, you see now, at least one might be cheating you! Similarly, don’t trust everyone you see in your lives; one out of the millions you meet might be a….

Kalpana couldn’t hear more as the father whispered into her ears. The little girl hardly understood what her father told, but she burst into laughter. Both of them got up quickly and ran towards the waves to get their legs drenched in the blue waters.

What an impressive thought that was! Kalpana bewildered.

She witnessed the beautiful father-daughter combo playing in the seas for a while and returned to the reception to collect her luggage and finally check in to her room. Meanwhile, a poster on the notice board caught her attention

“If you are unsure of what to do in Goa on this Friday night, join me, join Eddie at Shiva place, Vagator beach 10 pm.”

Eddie

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Kalpana had no plans for the night, and the poster aroused her curiosity. She googled about Shiva place and Eddie to know more. Shiva place was known for “notorious rave parties” conducted every Friday, and “Eddie in Goa” only gave references to a famous American hippie called Eight finger Eddie who cherished his life in Goa. Whatsoever, she decided to attend the party irrespective of whether she meets Mr Eddie there or not.

At around 9:45 pm, she got dressed up in a beautiful red gown to walk towards the Shiva place, 15 minutes by walking. It was the same beach belt and could reach Shiva place by just walking on the beach straight towards the South. The area was very lit; numerous outlets conducted parties or sold flea products like handicrafts, beach clothes, dream catchers, and exquisite Goan souvenirs. Kalpana continued walking, capturing all these images through her eyes, despite holding a DSLR. As she moved closer to Shiva place, it became emptier; the shacks in those areas appeared to be inactive on that Friday night. Out of curiosity, she decided to check if Eddie was available on WhatsApp on the same number, and he appeared online with a reasonably good-looking display picture. Kalpana dropped a “Hey” message that surprisingly received a prompt reply.

Eddie: Hi Kalpana, can spot me underneath the giant red star ahead of Shiva Place.

She kept on walking. She could spot a giant red star and a few other signs of a party happening behind it, which should be the Shiva place. And yes, someone was sitting underneath the star. His face became more evident as she moved further, who looked similar to the WhatsApp display picture, Mr Eddie.

Even before she could speak, Eddie woke up and greeted her with a firm handshake

Eddie: Hi Kalpana, I am Eddie.

Kalpana: Hi Eddie, nice meeting you!

Eddie: Same, how are you?

Kalpana: How do you know my name?

Eddie: Thanks to True caller notification. Eddie smirked.

Kalpana: Yeah, got it. And am I the only one who contacted you from the poster at the resort?

Eddie: Unfortunately, or fortunately, YES.

Kalpana: Woah, interesting! Let’s walk further to Shiva Place for the party.

Eddie: Haan, we can. But I doubt if you would like the party.

Kalpana: How do you know about my interests? We just met now!

Eddie: Yeah, my bad! Let’s check it out

They continued walking to Shiva place, and the rave, psychedelic and loud music started bumping on their ears.

Kalpana: So yeah, tell me more about you.

Eddie. Yes. So, I am originally a sand artist exploring Goa’s native handicrafts and pottery from a research perspective. I stay nearby Chapora.

Kalpana: That’s pretty interesting. My turn now. I am a boring software engineer from Bangalore who is on a weekend getaway in Goa

Eddie: Nice. But why is your job boring?

Kalpana: What is your passion?

Eddie: Art, I am an artist.

Kalpana: Yeah, so your passion meets your profession, and hence you don’t find it boring

Eddie: Okay. What is your passion, then?

Kalpana: This is my passion, explorations, travelling and so on.

Eddie: Then why don’t you make it your profession?

“It’s not as simple as you told,” Kalpana mocked Eddie, but Eddie stuck onto what he told.

Kalpana: Come on, let’s get inside the party. Is there an entry fee?

Eddie: Yes, Rs. 2000.

Kalpana: That’s a lot!

Eddie: But it’s free entry for ladies. Do one thing, you go inside and check the party out. If you find it interesting, I will join.

Kalpana: That sounds nice. Let me do that. I will return in 5 minutes

The party was loud, and the crowd was unappealing to Kalpana. She retrospected her Goan plans, and clearly, this was not part of the bucket list at any stage. With no second thoughts, she decided to exit the party. But Eddie was not found anywhere nearby the vicinity.

Kalpana: Where did he vanish?

Kalpana noticed an unusual calmness in the sea, which breezed peacefully to her ears. Kalpana texted Eddie.

Kalpana: Where are you?

Eddie: Where else?

Kalpana smiled and started walking towards the giant red star. Yes, Eddie was at his usual place.

Kalpana: You are strange!

Eddie: What’s the plan? Are you asking me to shed 2k from my pocket?

Kalpana: No. This place is not my taste

Eddie: I knew.

Kalpana: That was a bad pickup line, buddy!

Eddie: Come on, that was never a pickup line.

Kalpana: Okay, relax, dude! Wait, you had promised something on your poster. What was the original plan?

Eddie: My plan? Yeah. My plan! What do you see right now?

Kalpana: Beaches, ocean, water, sand…. She continued

Eddie: Wait, that’s a lot. I will show you a breathtaking view of the same.

Kalpana: That’s interesting. Where is it?

Eddie: If I tell you everything, what’s the surprise?

Kalpana: Agreed. Let’s head-on.

Eddie: You are always in a hurry. Don’t you feel like relaxing at the beach for a while?

Kalpana: Okay. Kalpana smiled and continued. “Let’s chill and then leave in a while.”

Eddie pulled off a bottle from his bag along with two glasses; he poured the liquid into a glass and passed it on to Kalpana.

Kalpana: How can I be sure that it is safe to drink from a stranger?

Eddie drank from the glass he poured onto Kalpana and commented, “Wine is bottled poetry.”

Kalpana: Agreed, let’s have a drink together. She drank hers

Kalpana: Wow, which wine is it? The wine tasted divine.

Eddie: It’s an Eddie special drink, part of the poster promise. Eddie smirked again.

Kalpana was impressed, but she didn’t express. Both of them lay on the beach and gazed into the enigmatic stars. Kalpana got reminded of the father-daughter conversations at the beach in this euphoric state. She decided to narrate the same thought to Eddie. Eddie was excited by what she told and woke up all of a sudden.

Eddie: Let’s go!

Kalpana: What happened now?

Eddie: Even if you see something with your naked eyes, does that mean it exists? Does that mean it is true? If not, then what is reality? What is truth? Excellent thoughts. I think you are now qualified to enjoy the breathtaking view that I have saved for you for the night!

Kalpana couldn’t be more thrilled. They continued walking through the beaches as the view was on the upper side of the farther end of the beach, which is a 20 minutes’ walk from Shiva place. They discussed life, philosophy, music, art, dance, sports, handicrafts, software engineering and almost everything under the sun on a full moon night before reaching the entrance of W hotel.

Kalpana: Are we heading to this hotel?

Eddie: No. This road takes you towards the Chapora Fort. Have you heard of Chapora fort?

Kalpana: Wait, is this the fort shown in “Dil Chahta Hai movie?

Eddie: Yes, it is.

Kalpana: Come on, are you going to show me this cliched view?

Eddie: Still, you don’t believe me?

Kalpana: Okay, I am sorry. I believe in you!

They continued walking before the road split onto two; the left lane was towards Chapora fort and the right to a road not taken much. Eddie shifted towards the right, and Kalpana followed.

They saw a rusted locked gate with a large arch on top of it. There were many holy crosses inside that reminded Kalpana of an old cemetery. Kalpana noticed some inscriptions on the wall which looked like a European language and maybe the Portuguese.

Kalpana: Are you sure that this is the path?

Eddie: I guess.

Kalpana: So, you have been not here before?

Eddie: No

Kalpana: Interesting, very interesting; I am now doubtful if the Shiva place party would have been a better choice

Eddie turned back with a lack of confidence

Kalpana: Just kidding, buddy! I am all in for your adventure.

Eddie: I am sorry, Kalpana, I think we should return. I am not getting any positive vibes from this place.

Kalpana: What do you mean? I see everything normal here.

Eddie: I have explored many hidden places in Goa alone, but no other place has given me this dubious feel yet. Now, this looks very spooky, and I am slightly scared. Let’s get down once and ask some locals about this route?

Kalpana: Come on, man! I thought you are more courageous than me.

Eddie: Let’s not take any unwanted risks. I am not necessarily citing any supernatural presence here; it can be any anti-social elements in action at this place that can pose a threat to us.

Kalpana agreed with him. They noticed a security guard at the backside gate of W Hotel, which was the closest building to the Chapora Fort road. Both of them decided to enquire with the security guard

Eddie: Hi Sir, is it safe to go to the fort through the right-side road now?

The guard firmly stood from his chair and moved closer to them

Guard: Where are you from?

Kalpana: I am from Bangalore, and he is from? She looked at Eddie

Eddie: I stay nearby

Guard: Okay. Do you know the story behind this fort?

Kalpana: No. We just know about the “Dil Chahta Hai” movie reference.

The security guard laughed loudly unusually.

His laugh is scarier than the cemetery. Kalpana whispered to Eddie’s ears.

Guard: Your Bollywood movie reference is applicable only during the daytime. But you are planning to enter the fort at 11:40 in the night. The guard checked his watch and replied

Kalpana: So, what?

Guard: Let me tell you a story? The original story of Chapora fort. The Portuguese built this fort, who ruled Goa for centuries, to safeguard the state from the attack of pirates and other enemies. Over centuries, this place has witnessed bloodshed, victories, defeats, betrayal, and failure, which are still not entirely washed by the heavy Goan monsoon. The warriors who lost the battle on this fort were cremated without any protocols in the nearby cemetery. The same cemetery that you want to enter. On some night shifts, I sense something unusual and attempt to walk towards the graveyard out of curiosity but in vain.

Eddie: What stops you?

Guard: Maybe this older man is not physically and mentally fit enough to reach the top. In each attempt, I sense an external force acting upon me, and then my body freezes. That doesn’t mean you should feel the same; after all, you are a younger generation.

Kalpana and Eddie stared at each other

Kalpana: Dude, now you have some surprise on board. We should try this out

Eddie was not still confident.

Guard: I am not stopping your adventure. But the advice of this older man would be to come back tomorrow daytime and enjoy the Chapora fort view

Eddie: I am sorry, Kalpana. I think we should listen to the advice of him and explore safely tomorrow.

Kalpana: Come on, you promised me an exhilarating night, took me till here, and now we can’t go back. The older man is in a mood to time pass a story with us. Who would believe all these in this 21st century?

Guard: Kalpana, there are good and bad human beings. Similarly, you will see good and bad spirits. My only prayer is that you see only good spirits who would be nice to you.

Kalpana: Sure, Sir. I am good and would meet only good people on the way ahead. Come, let’s go. Meanwhile, What’s your name, Sir?

Guard: My name? He laughed aloud as before

Kalpana: Yes, Sir, your name?

Guard: My name is Roy, Byomkin Roy

Kalpana: What a name! It suits your mysterious story well, Sir

Kalpana dragged Eddie to the pathway, who was still not confident. Eddie continued to sense something odd through sounds, and imageries but Kalpana was ignorant. They climbed over the locked cemetery gate to see more crosses at the tombstones of the unlucky pirates and other warriors.

Kalpana: The old chap has weaved a story perfectly into the mood of the place.

“Please don’t harm”, Eddie whispered.

Kalpana: You told something?

Eddie: No

Kalpana: Are you still thinking about the plot which Roy the guard has told?

Eddie: Hmm yeah, kind off

Kalpana: Let’s hike for 10 minutes, and I am sure we will witness the view then. I can sense the waves nearby.

Eddie: Who is standing there?

Kalpana: Where?

Eddie: Nearby, the gate over there? Eddie pointed ahead with his index finger

Kalpana: Ohh, might be another freak like us

Eddie: What if it is??

Kalpana laughed at Eddie’s fear.

Kalpana: I will show you now; let me speak to him. Kalpana walked vigorously towards the gate, leaving Eddie behind.

Kalpana: Excuse me, Sir.

The man didn’t reply; he didn’t turn back. He was tall, with long hair and a beard and wore an old military uniform. Kalpana attempted to converse in between, but the man in green uniform pulled the revolver’s trigger, aiming someone ahead of him. Kalpana climbed one more step, and she noticed him turning back at her. She couldn’t resist further and ran backwards with a loud scream toward Eddie.

Eddie: What happened?

Kalpana: He just killed someone. She gasped

Eddie: I warned you! Come, let’s leave this place now!

They rushed downstairs and continued running. Roy, the guard, saw them running down, stood from his chair and shouted.

What happened? All good?

They ignored the guard with a hand wave and continued running towards Kalpana’s stay.

Kalpana: I am sorry. I should have listened to you earlier. Kalpana told Eddie after reaching her place.

Eddie: Never mind. I am glad that you reached back safe.

Kalpana: I am sorry again; I think I need some rest. We will meet tomorrow. Also, we should inform the police.

Eddie: Yes, we should. Don’t worry; I will do that right away. I live nearby the Anjuna police station.

Kalpana: Are you sure?

Eddie: Yes, I know the Sub Inspector personally.

Kalpana: Okay, I will call you tomorrow. Good night! Take care.

Eddie replied Good night with no other choice. He wanted to spend the night with her, but he didn’t express his feelings.

Kalpana went back to her room and started rewinding everything that happened in the span of the last few hours. She met a mystic stranger Eddie at the party place, or instead, he drove her to meet him. Later she decided to skip the Shiva place party and accompany Eddie to witness a breathtaking view from the Chapora fort. Meanwhile, they met another stranger in W Hotel security guard who narrated a cliched horror fable. They ignored all the warnings and went ahead again, prompted by Kalpana to witness a cold-blooded murder on top of the fort. Before all these, she listened to a father’s story to his 6-year-old daughter where the moral was not just to believe everything you see with your eyes!

She felt something strange; all these didn’t occur by chance. Was it all staged? She decided to ring Eddie and see if he has informed the cops regarding the case.

“The number doesn’t exist”, Kalpana tried again.

Kalpana was confused; she decided to enquire at the reception about the details of Eddie. She couldn’t find the poster on the notice board and went towards the receptionist.

Kalpana: Hi, did you take away the Eddie poster?

Receptionist: Sorry, Ma’am, which poster you are talking about?

Kalpana: There was a poster by Eddie inviting people to Shiva place today in the evening here. I am talking about that poster

Receptionist: I am afraid, Ma’am. We never had any poster like that, and all posters have to be reviewed by our team before putting it up on the notice board.

Kalpana was shocked. How did she see the poster if it was not there? Why did Eddie meet her? And most importantly, who is Eddie?

Kalpana contacted Anjuna Police station to inform everything that happened. In contrast, the Sub Inspector replies that none named Eddie has met him so far.

Where did Eddie go then? Kalpana wondered.