A Rainy Day Nightmare

It was a rainy day when we were on our school bus, the school bus of “Doon International School”. My friends were also with me. Soon, the school bus stop arrived and we started getting off the bus. Then, we entered the school campus. Inside the school premises, there were two ways to reach our classrooms.

The first way was through the reception, which led past the Examination Room and the Principal’s Office. The second way was directly through the second gate of the school, which passed by the school playground, the children’s swimming pool, and the Maths Park-cum-Badminton Court where there was a huge fountain.

Now, let’s get back to the two ways. My friends Druvika, Harshit, and Ishaan and I chose the first way, while our other friends Divyanshi, Kaashvi, Swastika, and Nityam chose the second way. We thought that we would reach the classroom faster than them, but who knew that anything could happen on that path?

So, we started walking. First, we reached the Principal’s Office. Then, we climbed the stairs. After reaching the corridor that finally led to our classroom, we noticed that a lot of water had spilled there because of the rain.

Then, we met a boy whose nickname was “Kaju Katli” (name changed, not his real name to avoid offending anyone). He was sitting on a chair and blocking our way. He was from 6th A, while we were all from 6th B. He was one of those boys who always loved studying — studying during the fruit break, studying during lunch break, studying during recess, and even studying on the bus.

Anyway, let’s get back to the point.

He was blocking our way, but Why? This was the first question that came to our minds. I can tell you the reason now, but I actually love suspense and wanted to create suspense in this situation so that the fun of reading gets doubled.

Suddenly, we saw an old woman. She told us to come into the room because it would take a long time for the staff to clean the mess created by the rainwater. At that moment, we thought she was right, but at the same time, a strange thought entered our minds — what if she tried to do something bad to us?

Still, we finally decided to go into the room with her because we believed that schools are safe places and the people inside the school campus are good. But little did we know that this was the beginning of major trouble.

She showed us a huge bed. It was so large that five people could easily sleep on it. She said, “You can rest here until the mess gets cleaned up.” She was smiling while saying this. We thought that she was happy to help us, but hidden behind her smile was a terrifying secret.

She remained kind only for a short time. Suddenly, she locked the door and we were trapped inside the room. We tried many times to open the door, but we failed.

“Kaju Katli”, the student from 6th A, had been given money to make sure nobody passed through that way so that nobody would notice what had happened.

After several attempts, we realised that we could not escape. Then, the old woman gave water to my friends Aarush and Aarchi. The water contained special medicines that could make a child fall asleep instantly.

She also tried to give the water to me, but I spilt the bucket of water onto her face before she could make me drink it. She was lucky that it did not go into her mouth. Secretly, I wished it had.

Soon, Aarush and Aarchi started falling into a deep sleep. After they became unconscious, the scary old woman injected something into their backs. I kept wondering what the injection was for, but there was nobody to answer my questions.

After giving the injection, she immediately made a phone call.

She said to the other woman on the phone, “I have injected two children.”

The other woman asked, “But how did you get the children?”

She replied, “Shhh… Don’t speak so loudly. I will tell you the story later.”

The other woman then asked, “What is the injection for?”

The old woman answered, “Nowadays, adults have a deficiency of a special fibre that can only be obtained from children. This process is known as ‘Inheiliation’.”

Then, the phone call ended.

Don’t get too excited, because I also thought that I had discovered a secret scientific term. I even searched for it on GOOGLE, but the only result that appeared was:

“No Such Results Found. Try Again Or Change The Topic.”

Now, let’s get back to the story.Her phone call had ended, and now her next step was to inject me too. However, she knew that I was strong and that she would not be able to fight me easily.

Before she could think of anything else, I pulled her hair, tickled her, and forced her to give me the keys to the door. I quickly unlocked the door and ran straight into my classroom.

I told my teacher and classmates everything that had happened and explained how I escaped. At first, they were shocked, but when they went to the room, they realised that I was telling the truth. They also saw Aarush and Aarchi lying asleep.

The teacher immediately gave them medicines, and thankfully, my friends became fine again. All of us were furious with the old woman.

But before we could do anything, a voice suddenly said,

“Naksh, it’s time to wake up. You also have to go to school.”

I woke up immediately and realised that the entire story had only been a dream.

“Just a dream… I thought this fantasy story was real.”

The End

FAQs : A Rainy Day Nightmare

What is A Rainy Day Nightmare about?
It is a suspense-filled school story about a student named Naksh who experiences a frightening adventure that turns out to be a dream.

Where does the story take place?
The story takes place in a school on a rainy day, beginning with students arriving on their school bus.

Why do Naksh and his friends take a different route to class?
They choose one of the two available paths to their classroom, hoping to reach there faster than their friends.

Who is “Kaju Katli” in the story?
“Kaju Katli” is the nickname of a student from another class who appears to be blocking the corridor.

What makes the old woman suspicious?
She initially appears helpful, but later traps the children inside a room, making the situation mysterious and frightening.

How does Naksh escape?
Naksh bravely outsmarts the old woman, gets the room key, unlocks the door, and runs to inform his teacher.

Were the events in the story real?
No. At the end of the story, Naksh wakes up and realizes that everything was only a dream.

What is the main message of the story?
The story highlights imagination, courage, quick thinking, and how dreams can sometimes feel incredibly real.

Where can you buy the books?
You can buy the books at Bookosmia and Amazon.

https://www.amazon.in/dp/816855552X
Voices of Play: A National Play Manifesto By Children, Of Children and For Every Caring Adult is a Bachpan Manao Collabaction by REACH India Collective, Shiksharth, and EkStep Foundation. Published by Bookosmia. Contributors: Deepika Mogilishetty, Ashish Shrivastava, Archana Mohan, Keren Sam, Samyuktha Udupa. Made possible by 22 partner organisations who captured the voices of over 4,000 children across 10 states. Does Play have a voice? What does Voices of Play mean? Across ten states and shaped by over 4,000 children, Voices of Play is a joyful window into the world of play told by children themselves. Brought to life with the support of 22 organisations, achored by Ek Step Foundation’s Bachpan Manao program, it gathers stories, games, and memories from anganwadis, community spaces, preschools, and classrooms—capturing a rich tapestry of childhoods and the worlds of play around us we may have never noticed before. With artwork recreated from children’s own drawings and moments captured from the field, this book, published proudly by Bookosmia (smell of books) is made with children, not just about them. Built on their trust, it celebrates play as imagination, memory, and a language that belongs to every child.

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This article is published by Bookosmia, India’s #1 publisher for and by young people. Bookosmia publishes stories, books, podcasts, events, TED-Ed talks, workshops, bedtime stories and more related to kids and young adults.
Photo Credit – AI generated images from Chat GPT and Magic Media from Canva .
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