But I Shall Tell

Chapter 8 - The Hacksaw.

Dec 13, 2019

He stood nursing her till the water was out of her wind pipe. It took him moments to realize that she was okay now. The worried look on his face was replaced with a gentle and calm one. He put a hand on his neck and gave out a sigh.

The wall clock ticked away every second, but the sound went unheard. The sofa held the chair like a promise which was unbreakable.

He walks near Simon and crosses his arms over his chest, "this was supposed to be fun, Rain." He stares at the Hacksaw which was resting on top of Simon. Stands there for a few seconds and then moves towards the door beside the stairs/steps.

What was she going to do now? How was she going to save Simon and why wasn't he moving? As soon as Maan was out sight, she started pushing herself even harder than before. She heard a sound, and suddenly brought herself to rest. She looked at the door where he vanished. Nothing, the door was closed. There was that sound again. It came from above the table, from the phone. The phone was ringing. The name on the screen was familiar to her. It was Ashley calling him. Why was she calling him, was it to talk about the a new pearl that she found, may be a bigger one this time? Seconds seemed like hours, she wanted to picked up the call and talk to her once best friend, let he know what was happening to her, to Simon, but then would she even respond to her words? With a disappointment she saw that the music had stopped.

And the phone rang again.

She looked from the phone to Simon to the door and back to the phone. What could she do? This was her only chance to be rescued. The clock was ticking even after now. And it happened again, with a disappointment she saw that the music had stopped. She sat there and tried to catch her breath.

The basement door opened and Maan stepped out. A new body this time. He dragged and dropped it just beside Simon. The blood that was already on the floor spread like a wrap but not in a circle. He stretched himself again and took out a pair of gloves from his suit inner pocket and wore it. He heard Josea calling a name, "Bruce," out loud.

"The basement," Maan said. He bent over and sat down near Bruce's left leg. The hacksaw blade looked scary in his hand.

"Maan.., no please no,,  don't kill him." Josea said, pleading and crying.

"One wish a day, miss."

"You cannot live with his blood on your hands. Don't do it, Maan, please don't do it." Josea said.

Blood cuddling, it came from the big toe. The entire toe fell on the floor. It did not start with a scream, as he lay motionless. The blood moved faster than a toddler, painting whatever came in it's contact. Scarlet at few places at first, then more. Followed by the long toe and the middle toe, the ring toe and finally the little toe.

What was the normal reaction to something like this? Hide under the bed until the cruelty was over or run til you found someone to hold onto? Both the options were not available for the girl tied up to a chair with her legs and hands. Not only she was witnessing an attempted murder but the person who was about to die wasn't even able to feel the things that was being done to him.

He pushed an entire set of five fingers aside with his left hand while holding the hacksaw in his right hand, "I heard somewhere," blood dripped from the blade's teeth. "When you venture into a crowd of people that could easily be hiding mass murderers, serial killers and knife wielding maniacs," he wiped the teeth of the blade on the pant of the person waiting to be butchered, "you still got to say, excuse me."

He is going to kill him, he is going to kill him, the thought hit her brain in every corner. Though she had stopped crying now, her breathing was still heavy, heavy with passing time. There were scratches on her arms and legs where the rope was tied. Her dress matched the view on the floor, a few of it.

The hacksaw was back to work, it started were it had left earlier like on a command. If the hacksaw had it's own thoughts, what would those thoughts be? Would it resist the thirst for blood or would it rank the person holding it with full score?

"Am I going to kill you?" The entire foot was served on the floor. "Or am I going to kill you?" Maan said, touching his forehead, swiping the sweat with his left arm.

The time on her small watch was 6:47. She looked at the man sitting on the floor carrying the hacksaw, enjoying his work. A talent he must have acquired a long time ago. Was it that easy to cut someone into pieces? People cut goats, cows, hens and other animals everyday without a second thought. Was it the same now?

"Alright, go to wherever you came from, Bruce." He placed toes, foots, entire leg(legs), 4 portions of the upper body, fingers, wrist, entire hand(hands), and finally placing the head from neck above to complete the collection. "A world where souls are born, I would surely like to visit it before I die, hope scientists

"Ah!" Looking at her. "My so called ex-loony neighbor, Mr. Gandhi's words" Maan said, showcasing a smile below the rectangular glasses.