As I was covering up my deed, I had a weird sense of satisfaction that I will finally get rid of him and have my long needed peace. You might think I am a thief or a killer. But I was not after his little fortune nor did he cause me physical hurt. But that night I had made up my mind, that I will not see his dreaded face again. He was hideous. His skin was rough and marked with many cracks on his cheeks and forehead. His balding head had a few strands of gray hair on the sides. He hardly had any brows, but I was most troubled by his teeth. All of them were dark-toned at the sides and yellow with none of them touching each other even slightly. And there was a golden tooth beside his front teeth, which he was always proud of. And his laugh! His wicked laugh was more horrendous than the ugliest creature on earth. And he laughed so often everyday, sitting in his old chair in the hall, that I could not bear it. Because he laughed at every blunder of mine whenever he assigned me chores. I could not leave him nor could I defend myself.
Tonight I crept up through the door and sat near the bed. I looked upon his face in hate and horror. I cannot hear his cackle anymore for I am afraid I might go insane. The lighting from the window illuminated his golden tooth, and I still was able to hear his stupid laugh in my head. Then for a minute, I thought he woke up and started laughing at me with eyes wide open and pointing his thin rigid hand at me. But it was all in my head. His cruel laughter was growing louder, it grew so loud that I could not hear any sound but that. I know you might think that I am a mad man but its only my acute senses that you cannot understand. I am more sane than you and him. I decided at that opportune moment that I do not have to suffer this anymore. I raised the hammer which was clasped in my hand and for one moment stared at that face, which was at peace in my horror, and as the laugh in my head grew at its loudest, I lowered my hammer in briskness and power, gave a blow so hard that he had no time to react. You can tell with the absent reaction that he could well have been a wood I smashed. As blood sprinkled across my face, the bed and the floor, the sound in my head gave way to silence. I could finally hear the thunder and the howling of the dogs. I finally felt at peace.
Now he was gone and Death had taken him. Why should I be afraid now? Why should I not celebrate that I had got rid of his evil laughter which dreaded me to insanity? After all he never went well socially with neighbors. And his life of isolation was of no use to any living soul. He deserved the fate which I gave him.
As the wind was striking the rain and the trees, I finished up the hollow and kicked the body into the grave with all my strength. I shrieked out a loud roar into the night, letting out all my anger and frustration. I started pushing the soil onto the foul body, starting from the legs. I have murdered a sinner, so I cannot be guilty. I did not murder. I just had liberated my struggle and his soul. As I covered up the legs, I heard some faint commotion in the woods. I think I heard the cracking of branches, and footsteps approaching towards me. I ran as fast as I could from the woods and as I was running, I turned back and saw that the face was left uncovered, his bloody eyes directly staring into the sky with some liveliness which I did not like. I did not want to be caught, and I wanted him out of my mind and my thoughts.
I did not encounter anyone else that night as I reached home panting and huffing. I prepared my bed in the hall and laid down, and thought about the night's events. Did I sin? No. It was not a murder. It was a fix. A fix which I gave to him and myself. Yes, I never imagined that I would take somebody's life. But his laugh was so evil, I did not want him to live. He knew that, I wanted that. I closed my eyes and sank into peaceful thoughts.
After a few minutes, amidst the thunder, I heard a creaky noise across the hall. I sat up in my bed and noticed the roof. The rain drops were leaking inside and falling down. They fell down upon a balding head. The rocking chair below the leak creaked as he moved back and forth, his eyes fixed upon me. I saw the dreaded golden tooth and a smile, turning into a vicious laugh. I was startled and pondered how he could have come inside the house. He looked perfectly alive and without any injury to his cracked face. I stood up as horror flowed through my spine. I could hear my heart thumping in my chest. He did not die! He needs to die! I took up the hammer from under the bed and started moving towards him, he was still looking at me like a child looks at his father. Fear gripped him as I ignored his confusing look and moved towards him.
Right then, someone knocked on the door. I heard loud banging on the door. A group of people were shouting murder and asked me to open the door. How can they assume that I had committed a murder when he was still alive in front of me? Did he plan this conspiracy against me? I panicked as I saw that the door would break down any moment. I heard murmur about thrashing and sending me to the police. Well, if that was the case then I better kill him now as nothing can give me more peace than his death. If they think I have killed him then let me get rid of him once and for all. He escaped from death once but certainly not this time ! In a quick gesture I went near him and smashed his head with the hammer as it split up and his body fell in an instant. The people broke open the door and entered the house as I yelled looking at them. They stared at me with hate and they looked towards the body in shock and despair.
They ran to overpower me and caught hold of me even as I struggled. Then I saw the dead body again. My eyes must have been deceiving me. Extreme terror and dismay took control over me. It was not him! It was not him! A number of hands tried to pull me as I forced myself away from them and ran and fell near the severed body. I looked at it and laughed. And cried. And laughed. It was my son! My twelve year old son was sitting in the chair!
--------------------------------------------------------THE END----------------------------------------------------
Mohamed Jawad
(Inspired from : A Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe)
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