Saar

Chapter 5

The driver kept on honking. I covered my eyes with my arm whilst looking at the sky. Then it hit me Heinrich took every working creature from this mansion. I was alone. I stood and rushed towards the gate. It was the first time I ever did it, the weight of it was too heavy to push. The driver got down and aided me open the gate. He went back and the car rolled up to me. The door opened and Hilbert stepped out. The wagon was too big to be called a normal car. It was more like a truck. One more gentleman stepped out of the wagon on the other end.

"Meet my colleague Mr Vizag" Hilbert introduced me to the gentleman. I shook hands with him and brought the two inside. "I hope you are equipped with everything you need Doctor?" Vizag grabbed my shoulders and smirked. "Don't worry Vizag, Doctor here is a real expert in this. Believe me" Hilbert assured him. I lightly shrugged Vizag's off my shoulders. I made the two men seated in the main hall and went up to fetch my tools.

When I came down. I saw Vizag snooping around my father's collectables. "You have quite specimens collected here doctor, too bad they are just collecting dust here. I know a handful of people who will pay good bills for this" Vizag passed an offer. "They are not for sale, they hold sentimental value to me" I denied the offer. "Sentiments? ahhh.... The S word. Wonderful isn't it? When we can't put a price on something we say it is sentimental because sentiments are priceless" Vizag said with a grin. I gave him a puzzled look. "Nothing just saying the sentiments are what matters. Religion itself is long dead, what now remains are sentiments related to it. Therefore they are priceless" He explained. "I am sorry doctor, my friend Vizag, one of those thinker types" Hilbert laughed, sitting at a distance on the couch.

I barely understood what Vizag meant. I ignored him and moved towards Hilbert. "Everything is ready, when do you wish to proceed?" I asked him. "Well, we will start when the weather is doing being so nice and when night has fallen" He said and looked towards the window. "Would you mind taking a seat in your porch doctor? I hope it doesn't hurt your sentiments" Vizag asked and both men burst into laughter. I just nodded my hand and pointed my hands in a welcoming manner towards the porch.

We spent the next 20-30 minutes on the porch smoking cigarettes. Both men kept talking in their thick German accent, I on the other hand just sat there. Suddenly we heard a loud banging on the front door. "Do we have a guest doctor?" Hilbert asked in a disappointed manner. "No" I said and went to the door.

It was Heinrich on the door. "Sire, I have come to beg for the one last time not to open the study..." He was speaking but I cut him in the middle and said "Heinrich out of all the people I expected you to be a bit sensible. I don't know what my father left for me in that study and I care to see it". "Oh stop pretending young Arzt. You are a liar you are just pretending to be so sullen and guilty gutted upon your father's death. Again I just beg you, please don't open that study or your father's cursed spirit will get to you" he rained on me. By this point, I couldn't hold his arrogance. I just slammed the door on his face and went back to the company.

"I think it is the right time to start our business," Hilbert said. We all went inside. "Do you have a place in your eye for the procedure?" He asked. I didn't think of a room till now. "Follow me, gentleman" I said and took them to my father's study. I cracked open the humongous lock on its door. Vizag went out. The driver and he brought in two wounded soldiers probably from the war and laid them on the table. "So you know your deed, do it now" said Vizag. I took my surgical knife and began the procedure. Hilbert was a resilient man. Gore didn't move him but Vizag seemed faint-hearted he was looking out the window. "The storm is getting heavier it pouring cats and dogs out there" He mentioned

I was fairly half done with the procedure. The lights went out. Vizag lit the nearby candles with his lighter and Hilbert touched my shoulder and singled me to keep going. If this wasn't enough of a problem soon the main door was rang again. "Quite a footfall your mansion receives Doctor? I hope there is no problem" I could sense the threat in Hilbert's tone. I cleaned my hands and went to the door with a candle stand in my hand.

To my surprise it was Chari. "What are you doing here at this ungodly hour?" I asked. As the light reflected from her face I could see she was drenched and worried. "Leave this house as soon as possible. Heinrich and the whole village is coming here to torch this cursed mansion, I can't be seen here so I am leaving but you please take care" Chari took off. Heinrich must have informed the villagers about me opening the study and now they are furious. I turned and almost died when I saw the Vizag standing at the distance. He went back before I could approach him. I made my way through the dark hall and as soon as I turned towards the study. I was overwhelmed by the jousting armour, I was so terrified that I tripped and fell over the dining table.

There was a sudden rush of warmth to my right cheek only to be followed by deep pain. I touched my face and to my horror I discovered my punctured cheek. As I reached the room both men were terror-stricken to the sight of my bloody face. Hilbert by this time was informed of the mob and he wasn't pleased with what was happening. "Doctor, I don't care what you are going through! You do your work or the ending won't be tidy" He roughed me up.

I took a clean cotton bandaid and wrapped it around my head to stop the blood. The pain and the bandaid barred me from speaking. Struggling through the agony I carried on with the procedure. The storm got lighter by the time. Both the men stood on my head pushing me to do it faster. The lack of light made it difficult for me to proceed.

On the spur of the moment, there was a boisterous cacophony of people outside the mansion. They were here!. Pure dread fancied your faces. "Enough this is a lost cause, we need to escape" Hilbert panicked. We all rushed towards the porch. Hilbert stopped abruptly in the middle and grabbed Vizag. "We can't have this blighted soul with us Vizag!" He said and looked at me "We can't go outside with you doctor the mob won't let us out alive. They are hungry for you and we don't want to perish alongside you!" Hilbert said and both the men pouched on me. "Tie him and throw him in the room" Vizag suggested. I at this point was horrified to the point that even though my blood felt cold I struggled but all in vain. They tied me down and threw in the corner. I wanted to scream but my wound chained me. I struggled but nothing changed.

I saw light on the other end. The house was on fire. The warmth was getting to me. I at this point gave up and accepted my fate. Every moment of my life did a circle in front of me. In the end, Heinrich was right, my father's curse did get me. I was pretending. Pretending to be guilty, pretending to be remorseful, pretending that I wasn't greedy and pretending I didn't come to Saar just to find a safe haven for my organ harvesting trade. I was and am greedy and malicious. How diabolical can I be to steal organs of the bodies of dead people and soldiers?

All this self-realisation is of no use now. The only thing that I can do now is pretend.

THE END