The clock struck five in the morning. A light mist wrapped around the school grounds like a sleepy blanket, and a cool breeze rustled through the trees. Parked outside the gates of Starlight Public School was a big yellow bus, its engine humming softly like it too was waiting for the adventure to begin.
Teachers moved around briskly, checking off final preparations—first-aid kits, extra water bottles, attendance registers, and permission slips. One by one, students started arriving. Some clung sleepily to their parents, some rubbed their eyes as they dragged their backpacks along, and some looked like they’d been up all night in excitement.
Among them were four faces shining with anticipation — Aarav, Siya, Kabir, and Naina.
Aarav had his camera hanging proudly around his neck, as if on a secret filming mission. Siya clutched her history book as though she was headed to a battlefield. Kabir came armed with a joke book and a stack of riddles, while Naina, ever thoughtful, carried a small pouch packed with chocolates, tissues, and hand sanitizer.
“In case someone pukes,” she said earnestly, making them all laugh.
“Everyone, line up!” called out Ms. Anupama.
The students quickly stood in line. Names were called, bags were checked, and sleepy parents waved goodbye as the children boarded the bus. The trip had officially begun.
“Who gets the window seat?” Kabir called out loudly.
“Whoever shares their chips,” Siya retorted with a grin.
---
As the bus slowly pulled out of the school gates, a buzz of energy filled the air. Kids wrestled over seats, swapped snacks, and peered eagerly out the windows as the city gave way to the open highway. The sun had begun to rise, painting the sky in warm shades of pink and gold.
Aarav pointed his camera out the window, already capturing shots of the winding roads and sleepy trees.
“I’m going to document everything,” he said to Naina, who sat beside him. “Our laughter, our stories, and of course, every creepy shadow we see in that fort.”
“And if a ghost shows up?” Kabir asked from behind, making a spooky face over their seats.
“Then you go make friends with it,” Naina replied dryly.
“You should audition for a horror movie,” Siya teased Kabir.
“Yes,” said Aarav, “The Ghost and the Goofball. Starring Kabir Sharma.”
They all burst into laughter.
---
After an hour or so, Ms. Anupama took the mic.
“Alright, children! Time for a little activity to pass the time. Let’s play a game. Each of you will share either a riddle or a spooky story — but it must be about forts or haunted places!”
Kabir stood up dramatically. “I’ll go first!”
He cleared his throat and said,
“Riddle time:
A house with no doors, no windows,
Yet inside, a king and queen live. What is it?”
“Aha! An egg!” Aarav and Siya shouted together.
“Correct!” Kabir gave them a dramatic bow. “Your turn now.”
Siya stood up, book in hand. Her eyes gleamed as she read aloud from a section titled Legends of Indian Forts.
“They say, once upon a time, a soldier was on night watch at Raigarh Fort. It was a full moon night. As he patrolled the corridor, he saw the edge of a red sari fluttering around the corner. But when he turned the corner, no one was there. Then a voice called out behind him, ‘Don’t leave me alone…’ He fainted on the spot. Since then, no guard agrees to patrol that wing at night.”
A cold silence fell over the bus. Even Kabir looked a little less cheerful.
Just then, the bus hit a pothole and everyone jumped, bursting into laughter once again.
“Wonderful story!” praised Ms. Anupama.
---
The road had now narrowed, twisting through the hills. On one side were dense trees, and on the other, steep drops covered in mist. The further they drove, the more the light dimmed under thick clouds.
Naina looked out nervously. “Are we going very far?”
“Sometimes, the best mysteries are hidden in the most distant places,” said Aarav, filming the trees outside.
Siya flipped to another page in her book. “It says here that Raigarh Fort has an underground chamber — still unexplored. People have heard whispers from within, but no one who entered ever came out.”
Kabir shifted uncomfortably. “What if we go in… and can’t find our way back?”
“Then we’ll go in together,” Siya replied confidently. “Fear only wins when we’re alone.”
The bus was now climbing a steep slope. Suddenly, through the gaps in the trees, an enormous silhouette began to appear — a black stone structure, towering over the hill like a sleeping beast. The Raigarh Fort.
“Is that… it?” Naina whispered.
Ms. Anupama smiled. “Yes, children. That is Raigarh Fort — or, as some call it, The Haunted Fort.”
---
As the bus came to a halt outside the entrance, the children craned their necks to look up at the looming structure. Its massive gates were rusted, its walls covered in moss, and the watchtowers stood like silent guardians of a forgotten time.
Two guides waited near the gate. One of them was an elderly man, dressed in white with a long beard and a wooden walking stick. He looked at the children with a grave expression.
“I am your guide,” he said in a slow, raspy voice. “Inside these walls, every stone has a story. But some stories… are better left untold.”
The children exchanged nervous glances.
Aarav slowly turned on his camera.
Siya closed her book and adjusted her glasses.
Kabir took off his joke hat and shoved it in his bag.
And Naina… clutched her water bottle a little tighter.
The heavy iron gates creaked open.
And thus began the real adventure.
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