The legend says that the creepy and unsightly things crawl out of the darkest places at the deepest nights and it was the duty of the Midnight Squad to keep them out from reaching out to weak souls that call for them. Some say Midnight Squad and the creepy things are just a legend with no truth whatsoever but some genuinely believe in them like the kids who believe in Santa Claus and the elves.
Unlike the Santa story, I can say for sure that the Midnight Squad is not just a story but they are real. If you listen closely, you may hear their light footsteps and see their shadow pass by your windows as they jump over the buildings and run around the streets, trying to capture the creepy things. You may even hear the sound of their swards and the sniper's shots while trying to annihilate those scary soul-hungry things.
As a child, I used to stay up late at night with lights off just to listen to their battle. There were days when I mistook thieves for them, in the beginning, but later on, I became a pro at identifying them from their footsteps. I should, of course, thank that for my super-hearing skills. They had a special way of walking with light footsteps. I used to try at home my level best to walk with light steps but my mom always found me out in the middle of stealing cookies. Maybe that's where my hearing got inherited from.
Growing up I wanted to be recruited into the Midnight Squad to fight those creepy evil things. I even wrote that in my essay on ambition. And that day my teacher called me out to the teacher's room to give me a long lecture, "Maya, what is this? Midnight Squad? Are you mixing the legend with reality? There is nothing called Midnight Squad. And what is with the fighting part? You are a girl and we girls have limitations, unlike boys. Fighting and other athletics-related works are only for boys and not girls. Bring your parents tomorrow. I think I have to have a chat with them."
I wanted to tell her that she was wrong since I knew for sure that Midnight Squad wasn't a myth. But, I didn't want to, instead, I feel sorry for her for not knowing their existence and not knowing how cool they were. I also feel sorry for them that they have to do their work in hiding and without being acknowledged.
Sometimes I even wonder why they have to work in the hiding. They aren't thieves or criminals, they are doing whatever they are doing for these ignorant and ungrateful people. When I think like that, I do feel sorry for them.
I have decided the Midnight Squad is where I belong. When I became a high school student, I stayed out at night to look for them to document for my personal project. That was necessary since there was no other way to know about them. There was nothing about them on the internet or at any job-seeking places. It's almost as if they were non-existent or just as the others say, a legend. I can not just give up like that as I know for sure that they are real and not just my imagination. I have heard them, I trust my ears because they don't lie to me.
One day, two days, days just went like falling leaves in autumn winds. I made a statistical map of the places from where I heard their footsteps and slashing swords. I stayed at the place from where I heard footsteps most of the time. And when I checked the map I understood that they visited only once or twice in six months and sometimes they never came. Which means that they don't have a special pattern for visits. Maybe they visited only when it was required or when the disturbances caused by the creepy things were unbearable. Days turned months and I started to lose my patience. Maybe this was all in my head I thought, and reluctantly I said out loud, "This is the last time I am doing this. If I don't see them today either, congratulations to you Midnight Squad. You just lost a faithful supporter."
I stood there at my spot with my ears sharper than another night. I don't want to miss any sounds and be disappointed later on. And that day I was sensitive to even the flap of the moth-wings. As I was tired and about to return to my home was when I heard a familiar light footstep approach me. They were closing in fast leaving me no time to face them properly and down I fell on the ground losing consciousness.
Then next day I woke up on the verandah of my house. I had no remembrance of walking back home. I was stunned by what happened to me. My mind was so full of questions and my mother was going on and on about something. I think she was scolding me but I gave no mind to her words as I was busy trying to decipher what happened the night before.
Anyway, one thing was sure and that is The Midnight Squad was real and that was the start of every strange occurrence in my life.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
to be continued
