Short Stories Before Bed (Horror)
The leaves dried that night
In a remote village surrounded by wilderness lies an old house known as the "Angker House". That said, in the house lived an old grandmother who was always seen carrying dry leaves every night.
The villagers believe that the grandmother was a supernatural being living between the afterlife and this world. They warned their children not to dare to approach the house, especially at night.
One night, a group of young people full of courage and curiosity decide to find out what exactly is going on inside the house. They chose a dark and haunted night, when the moon was hidden behind the clouds.
The moment they reached the Angker House, they saw a tall shadow looming from behind the window. The faint glow of the candle lit inside the house gave it a more sinister appearance. However, their curiosity forced them to go ahead.
They knocked on the door carefully, and the door opened on its own. They were astonished to see a ripped-clothed old grandmother with tangled white hair who greeted them with a faint smile.
"Welcome, kids. You are the first people who dared to come here in so many years," said the grandmother in a soft voice.
The children looked at each other, trying to gather their courage. One of them finally spoke, "We want to know why you always carry dried leaves every night."
The grandmother smiled and nodded. "The story is long, but you are rare guests. Come on, sit down."
They sat around an old wooden table. The grandmother began to tell me about her dark past. In the past, he was a witch who lived peacefully in the forest. However, his happiness is shattered when the surrounding village accuses him of being the cause of all the misfortunes they experience.
They set fire to his house and drove him out of the forest. From then on, he was forced to live in the House of Angker, a place where he felt safe from human judgment.
The kids are silent. They never imagined that behind this terrifying apparition was a heart touching story. They began to understand how lonely and heartbroken the grandmother was.
As the story continues, they hear the sound of heavy footsteps outside the house. The door suddenly opened, and a cold wind entered, extinguishing the burning candles. A terrifying shadow stood in the doorway.
They saw a group of villagers armed with torches and sharp tools. They look angry and ready to attack. The grandmother stood quietly, her dry leaves still in her grasp.
"You're not allowed here! We want our lives back!" yell at one of them.
The children feel trapped between two worlds that are hostile to each other. They don't know what to do.
However, the granny looked at them firmly and said, "You guys should leave now. I don't want you guys involved in this fight."
They knew they had to follow Grandma's words. They jumped over the window and ran through the dark forest towards the village.
A few days later, news spread about the event. The villagers decided to leave the grandmother alone, realizing that they had misjudged her. The grandmother finally got her peace and life back.
The children always carry the grandmother's story in their hearts as a reminder that courage does not always mean facing danger, but it can also mean understanding and honoring stories larger than our own lives. The dried leaves that were once considered creepy by villagers are now valued as a symbol of friendship and understanding.
