THE STROMPLERS

VARAD BHUTDA

Copyright © Varad Bhutda All Rights Reserved. This book has been published with all efforts taken to make the material errorfree after the consent of the author. However, the author and the publisher do not assume and hereby disclaim any liability to any party for any loss, damage, or disruption caused by errors or omissions, whether such errors or omissions result from negligence, accident, or any other cause. While every effort has been made to avoid any mistake or omission, this publication is being sold on the condition and understanding that neither the author nor the publishers or printers would be liable in any manner to any person by reason of any mistake or omission in this publication or for any action taken or omitted to be taken or advice rendered or accepted on the basis of this work. For any defect in printing or binding the publishers will be liable only to replace the defective copy by another copy of this work then available.

Contents Preface

v

Acknowledgements

vii

1. 1860

1

2. 1884

4

3. 1932 - The Real Story Begins

6

4. Into The Forest

11

5. The Darker Way

18

6. The Running Girl

25

7. The Superpower

35

8. The Initial Kidnappings (evelina's Story)

42

9. Dr Trallor Shannon

47

10. Not Returned Yet (alberto’s Story)

53

11. A Wierd Prediction

58

12. A Discussion With The Teacher

67

13. The Right Decision?

71

14. Overhearing

77

15. Suspicions

82

16. Evelina’s Warning

89

17. First Time Killed

94

18. Stories Of Appearances

100

19. Goodbye, My Friend (haynes’ Story)

104

20. Rising Doubt

108

21. The Beeping Chamber

116

22. Who Are They?

123

23. A Hint

131

24. Gotzon, Cruljake And The Secrets Revealed

139

25. The Final Things

145

26. Forming A Committee

152

iii

Contents 27. Suspecting Two At Once

158

28. Organizing Everything

165

29. A Surprise

171

30. Ready

178

31. The Betrayer

186

32. The End Of The Cheater

192

33. War

197

34. The Group On Rescue

204

35. Escape

211

36. Gone Finally

216

Epilogue

219

iv

Preface It was a great experience for me to write this book. With inspiration from my family, I developed a hunger for consuming new words and imagining the fictional world provided. Over time, I became so engrossed, that I forgot everything, even my daily chores. During the month of June in 2021, my ninth grade had just begun, and my mom knew that if I went on reading for hours on end, it would affect my studies. She gave me a condition: If I complete my daily studies, I can read as many books as I want. But my habit made it difficult for me to do so. I stopped reading books myself and began focusing on my studies. I don’t quite remember it well, but something came to my mind around September. If I can’t read books because I could never keep one down, why don’t I write one? It was kind of stupidity, because I had to keep on working my mind. Luckily, it did not interfere my studies much. After completing my studies, I used to sit idle with a paper in my hand and work on a plot for the book. I let my imagination run. There were about three drafts of my book. I forgot the encryption key for the first one. The second one was going pretty well, but on December 23, I reread the entire draft and I was not satisfied with it. It was missing something which made the draft a piece of useless waste. Again, I began designing another plot from the base and wrote it down. This one was distinctive from the original one. This was the thing I was looking for. I modified it multiple times and worked on it for more than five months. And now, finally, it is done. I got a full boost from my family all the time. Anyway, I was ecstatic that I kept on racing my mind...

v

Acknowledgements I would like to thank a few people who supported me in the writing of this book. My sister, Vedika, who was always there for me, reading all the drafts and suggesting new ideas. My mom and dad, who were my backbone, travelling with me throughout the book’s journey and encouraging me. Pooja Didi, who was the first reviewer of the book. Aditi Jaju, who inspired me to read books since childhood. Thank you for making the required changes. A big thanks to my friends and teachers.

vii

CHAPTER I

1860 Benson Graver was a young boy, with thick, blond hair. He was lean, around five and a half feet. He was mischievous and someone always had an earful to give him. The only thing he was scared of on the face of the entire planet was his mother, Elena. He lived in a house near the bay on an island, a small city-like island right in the middle of the Indian Ocean. He was having a wonderful time, untilThis one day, Benson was getting along with his daily routine. He went to his best friend, Zachary’s house. It was the twelfth of February, and the day was fresh. Since it was Sunday, a holiday, they decided to hang out in the nearby street. “Why? Why? And why?” “Nope. It will be risky.” replied Zachary. “Why think that? It will be fun. See. Here we go to the forest, climb up that Banyan tree, and then, we can see this part of the island. And it would be fun to see Andy’s face.” “No. The forest is dangerous. And climbing a tree is nothing but stupidity. You’ll understand once you fall and break some bones.” “You are being a baby. Let’s go.” “Firstly, DON’T ACT LIKE ANDY. He is a horrible bully. And what if Mrs. Graver sees you?” Benson stopped. His mother’s name was enough for him to not do anything. “I don’t think she will…” “What’s up fellas? Was I being mentioned just now? Bully. Didn’t you call me that? At least I am grown up. You babies must be having problems climbing up trees. Your mother must never have allowed you, right. Poor dear Benson, my son, would get hurt if he fells.” mocked Andy, a boy in Benson’s class. Andy had three best friends; who always agreed with him. They at once laughed at Benson and Zachary. Benson always wanted to pay Andy back. He had a long urge to do so. But he couldn’t. Zachary prevented doing that. Zachary tried to be as long as possible from trouble. Especially, he had seen how Elena was! 1

THE STROMPLERS

“At least we haven’t got puny little tails on our back!” Benson teased. “WHOM ARE YOU CALLING TAILS?” shouted Andy. “The ones who are always stuck behind you! Oh Andy, wouldn’t you like your tail to carry along? Don’t leave us alone, we are scared without any bully on our side!” mimicked Benson. Now it was their time to laugh, and both Zachary and Benson undoubtedly did. Andy’s face went red, his lips curling. “Trying to be smart, eh? What if you are climbing the tree in the forest, and Elena Graver watches you? Oh! What fun it would be,” He chuckled. “Don’t you dare to speak like that about my mom!” Benson threatened. He was flushed. Why on the earth my mom is so strict? He thought. Why? “Wouldn’t it be amusing for baby Benson to climb a tree?” Chocked one of Andy’s friends. “Don’t try to be over smart Miguel. I openly challenge you to climb a tree. I will be faster and swifter than you.” Benson proclaimed. “Noooo! That’s what they want you to do,” Zachary whispered. “Why do you want to get into more trouble every time?” But of course, Benson ignored it. “Alright. Let’s go to the forest right now,” said Andy. “After you.”

All six of them were in the forest. Benson and Miguel were getting ready. “Why don’t you understand?” asked Zachary urgently. “It would be pleasurable once I reach the top and see Andy’s expression,” Benson said. He was looking at a pair of people sitting on the ground next to their tree. They were observing the area with amazement and uttering a word or two to each other once in a while. Benson had seen them on their part of the island for the first time. Wonder who they are… “Alright. Are you ready to fall from a tree? Baby Benson Graver.” teased Andy, bringing Benson back to the challenge. Benson didn’t reply, he didn’t want to. He just got ready in front of the huge banyan tree near the bay of the island. Miguel too got prepared. “On the count of three… One, two, three!” shouted another friend of Andy’s. Benson began climbing. It was difficult for him to get a grip. He somehow grabbed onto an aerial root and crossed his legs for some grip. It is more challenging than it seemed, he told himself. He slowly climbed halfway 2

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up the magnificent tree. He sat on a branch to take a breather. He turned and saw Miguel crouching on another branch, struggling to keep still. Right then, Benson turned, he saw something, something he wished he had never laid his eyes upon, and cried at the top of his lungs. Horror struck. He felt his heart beating violently against his chest. He saw the couple he saw earlier near the tree run away. “Oh! Baby Benson, don’t cr-!” before Andy’s friend finished his sentence, the thing grabbed him. It grabbed Zachary in another hand. And when Benson saw more distantly, there were more creatures on the beach, capturing frightened people. A creature, not very long, with three hands and a pair of unusually red eyes with sparkling blue veins. It was bulky. And awfully weird.

3

CHAPTER II

1884 “Happy Birthday to You, Poldis!” all of his friends shouted together. It was a great and very happy day for Poldis Haynes. It was his 17th birthday. Poldis Haynes was a humble boy. He was small but had a good heart. He always had this joyous smile stuck to his face. He loved his mother more than anything. With blue hair and maroon eyes, he looked pretty stunning. He lived near the school. Everyone on the island loved him. The Stromplin island was an island in the middle of the Indian Ocean. The island came to be known as ‘ The Stromplin island’ because the horrendous creatures, named the Stromplers had captured the island around twenty-four years ago. The people on the island were kind of trapped. They couldn’t get out of the island. And converse with the outside world. But anyways, Poldis didn’t want to think about that now. It was a special day for him. His best friend, Sonack Castro, entered his house. “As usual, you are late, aren’t you?” Poldis spoke, a bit disappointed. “Happy Birthday Poldy. Sorry, I was-” started Sonack. “No need for any explanation. You’re never on time. Anyways, come and have some chips.” invited Poldis. “You know which day is it?” asked one of Poldis’ friends when everyone was settled. “Monday.” Replied another. “Not that, idiot. It is the twelfth of February.” “So?” “Man! Why do you even stay here on this island?” After a few seconds, Sonack murmured between munching chips, “No! Not that….You aren’t talking about…. the time when they came here….. twenty-four years ago.” “Yes, I am. At least someone knows about it.” “There hasn’t been any sign of them for a long time.” “Yeah, I know.” “Why are you discussing such a topic on my birthday?” asked Poldis irritated and angry, when the discussion continued for a few minutes.

4

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“Exactly. There is no point in talking about such things now.” supported Sonack. Just then, Mrs. Haynes came into the living room with a cake. The interesting conversation was broken at the sight of a delicious looking chocolate cake. Poldis rushed toward his mom to help her take the cake. “Hey, Polly! Come and enjoy your day. I’ll help Mrs. Haynes.” “No Omron, I got this. Thanks dude.” “Poldis. Sit down. I can handle it”, said Mrs. Haynes with a loving smile. “Alright, mom.” and he went back. After the cake was cut, Poldis’ friends grabbed him and began giving him birthday swings. “One…Two…Three…” More fourteen to go. He thought. I will definitely puke my stomach out. And surely Poldis’ stomach began making weird noises. His world started spinning. He felt like an oscillating pendulum. Suddenly, a stiff, high-pitched, cruel voice was heard. “WE’RE HERE. BE AWARE. THE HISTORY OF THE STROMPLIN ISLAND IS ABOUT TO REPEAT FOR ANOTHER TIME. SHUT YOURSELVES IN YOUR HOUSES.” It was followed by a peal of laughter. There was a murmur of confusion. And a shriek was heard. A loud and horrified yell. Mrs. Haynes. Poldis went rushing towards the kitchen. And he saw it. A creature, not-so-big, bald, with bloody swollen red eyes, three unusual hands and blue veins throbbing in the eyes. It was taking Poldis’ mom away. It was a Strompler.

5

CHAPTER III

1932 - The Real Story Begins Robinet Sheltron was a tall boy with blue eyes. His head adorned a messy bunch of pitch-black hair. He had friends, a family, stuff he liked and disliked, and enemies too. But there was one thing, he didn’t know what was in the store for him. On the twelfth of February, 1932, Robinet was sleeping peacefully in his bed. At around 3 o’clock he woke up with a shock. He had heard something. A soft voice. Mom or dad probably, he thought. He closed his eyes and went back to sleep. Not much later, Robinet heard something again. It was the clicking of a lock. The lock on his front door. What is going on? Having no option left, he decided to inspect. He tip-toed to the front door, passing the creaky stairs, and finally made his way to the yard. He could hear the rushing of waves near the Stromplin bay. The Stromplin island was divided into two parts. The western and the eastern part. The people from one side rarely met the other. They there had their own theories about the Strompler’s curse. They used to blame each other. On the island, Robinet lived next to the forest on the western part. A fresh gush of breeze caresses his cheek. He unexpectedly started walking towards the forest in search of the fresh breeze he felt moments ago. Robinet walked a few steps towards the woods when he was shot with an extreme pressure from a bright white light. He sheltered his eyes from the light with his hands. Trying to adjust his eyes as he blinked rapidly, he walked ahead. He was trying to locate the source of the light as he saw directly into the light. Immediately, intense pain filled his head. He was in anguish. He felt as if the light was drilling into his head. He sat down and tried to shout for help but no words came out of his mouth. A single tear slipped from his right eye. He held his head in his hands and kneeled, trying the get the pain to stop. He felt lightheaded. Within a moment, he was on the floor with his eyes rolled back, passed out.

6

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When Robinet woke up, he felt normal. He didn’t feel like he was ever in agony. The light was gone. Beads of sweat covered his forehead. He stood up slowly, wiping the sweat of with his shirt. What had happened to me? What was that light? He wondered. But he felt thirsty. Exactly when he decided to return, he heard a faint sound of crunching dry leaves. He turned and saw a monstrous shadow. It was far away from him. Robinet stopped dead in his track. He felt as if the thing too was watching him. His curiosity led him to start approaching the thing. The inhumane figure saw Robinet coming near and ran away. Robinet sprinted behind it. The leaves crumbled under their feet with each step. The thing was way faster than him. Robinet tried to match his speed but he couldn’t. He couldn’t keep up. He stopped and caught his breath while he hunched low with the support of his knees. His throat had gone extremely dry. He needed water. He decided to go back home. Everything near him was rather normal, except for himself. He made it to his house. He sat down with a huge bottle of chilled water. The water soaked the tiredness out of him. He felt better and bushed at the same time. He went to his room and parked himself on his bed hoping to sleep. That night, Robinet wasn’t able to sleep at first. But later, his tired body gave in. Robinet was standing in the forest. He was surrounded by strange creatures. He couldn’t see them, only their shadows. The shadows made the hair on the back of his neck stand up. His spine tingled. Suddenly, a beam of light caught him. The next thing he knew, the creatures were capturing him, coming more and more close. “ROBIN! ROBIN! Do you hear me? GET UP! It’s getting late. Come down.” Came a voice disturbing his sleep. Robinet woke up with a jerk. Oh! It was just a dream, only a dream. Robinet thought. The sound of the banging of the door made him come back to his senses. “COME DOWN.” “Coming, Mom!” An hour later Robinet was all set to go to his school. It was a wonderful morning. He went to his best friend, Alberto’s house. But when he went there, he found that Alberto’s parents were going to drop him at school. All the way to the school, Robinet thought about the incident that happened the night before. He didn’t sleep well that night thinking about the same. 7