I was going to enjoy such a galore of the nature by going to a small town far away from the city, where people still follow the old fashioned life. Where there are fields, cows grazing and beautiful mountain tops covered with green belts. I had read about a quiet place called the "Silent Valley."

I guess the name says it all. So I decided to go camping with all the essential tools for survival and my fishing rod. Just to be completely in tune with nature, so no more canned foods for a while, only the best which nature provides.

The walk was on a steady narrow path away from the main highway. Enjoying the view through the mountain I saw the Silent Valley, magnificent as the book had stated. In the centre was the huge lake with houses all around, some areas very densely vegetated, rest barren. Well I was tired and needed a place to stay, or should I set up my camping gear? I thought.

I wanted to know if there was any fear of wild animals. But the strangest thing I noticed was the place was very quiet. "Of course it’s going to be quiet, it is called Silent Valley, how can I be so foolish?" I said to myself. But there was this stillness around me. I started walking fast with a bit of extra energy and PHEW !!!… I found a small inn, called……guess…? Silent Inn.

An old man standing in front of an old T V set and drinking. The transmission was poor but he stared at the screen very intently.

"Good Morning, my man. Got any place where I can stay. Pretty tired from the walk".

The man grinned " You are at the wrong time of the year, this is fishing season, no rooms here, all booked this season."

" Can I camp out by the lake? "

" Yes if don’t mind being eaten by the alligators, wild animals. And you should not be staying alone Sir, they are ghosts here."

" Oh ! I understand the wild beasts in this terrain but ghosts? That’s very strange. The travel guide did not say that there was a haunted house here."

"Only at night Sir, he grinned with all the yellowing in his teeth. "

"But you have to give me a place to stay, I am all prepared for a fishing trip, I don’t want to go back."

He scratched his grizzly head for a while and said you go and stay in my house. It’s not very good, but comfortable as a body in a coffin, very snug. It’s a mile down by the lake. Just follow the road you cannot miss it. But it will cost you extra".

It was fine by me, all I wanted was a holiday." Sure thing, No problem."

"You carry on, he said I will catch up with you later, I have lots of customers coming."

So I was on my way to this guy’s house. I did not catch his name, but hey no problem, he was a kind of a guy you can’t miss. I walked by the lake, selected a shady spot and relaxed in the afternoon sun. I wondered why I saw no one at the lake, I thought it was the fishing season? I guessed the fishing is at the crack of dawn. I was so tired that I fell asleep under the tree and woke up thirsty.

It was all dreary and bleak. The moon was hidden in the clouds, the lake looked magnificent. It was all silent and peaceful. I decided to be on my way to that inn keeper’s house. I followed the road behind the lake and found an old house. It was not illuminated, looked all deserted, I guess he wasn’t home yet. Maybe someone else at home would let me in. I knock and the door was opened by young lady. I was taken aback, the house illuminated, with a welcoming smile. "Yes, have you lost your way?" she said in a melodious voice. "The Inn keeper of Silent Inn said it was Ok for me to stay with him for a while."

"Please do, care for some soup? I am sorry that’s all I have."

I sat and hungrily ate all that was in the bowl. I could not make out what soup it was, peas or cabbage. But it was fine with me. It was a beautiful house, very old and dusty, but I wasn’t really going to complain about housekeeping services. I guess the lady was his wife. She did not speak much just kept staring at me. After the meal, she guided me to a room in the corner. Wished me good night and left. I just felt very drowsy and fell asleep on the bed.

All of sudden I woke up, someone was calling out. Who was it? I did not know but it was a sound of distress. I ran out of the room and rushed towards the sound. It led me through a room, then a passage, each turn into a darker hole with the voice growing louder. A sudden gust of wind blew, from the other side. Was there an open door ? But from where?

That voice of distress had now turned into a sinister laughter, I turned back and ran. I didn’t know in which direction, just ran as far as my legs would carry me. One wall to another, the voice was chasing me, I never looked back. Knocked down unknown objects, ran through the bushes, the shrubs, for how long I don’t remember, and fell into the lake.

I woke up at the edge of the lake, a group of campers were looking down at me. I described to them everything, the inn, the house. They said they had been in Silent Valley over a week but had not seen anything of what I had described. Maybe I was in that part of the Valley which had been closed to the tourists for a long time for reasons still unknown.

I don’t know what to gather from this. I know what I saw, I remember everything, the winding passage, the sinister laughter calling me towards a door. What was behind that open door? There was a gust of wind coming from there, was it a fall deep down? As I was pondering these questions in my mind, I reached the highway and saw a bus coming. I took a window seat. As I was adjusting the curtain I saw the inn keeper standing , gazing at me, smiling with all the yellowing in the teeth.