Written by Writer Pooja Warrier and Edited by Editor Mrinali Jadhav

One wouldn’t call him lifeless. The beeping cardiac monitor in the I.C.U authenticated his life’s existence through its display. But yes, he was burning the candle at both ends to keep that monitor ticking.

He was struggling to take each shallow breath.Life sometimes is a game of chess. And there comes a dire need to proactively plan every move. But, you can never anticipate the moves of your opponent. Not even of your destiny. Neither had Andrew Simmons (Andy) prophesied this unfortunate twist in the plot which had put in this very hospital bed.

Andy’s striking looks, eons ago was now replaced by a swollen face adorned with a web of assorted awful looking bruises all over. A guy with an otherwise well-built physique had revamped to a shriveled figure wrapped in a green hospital gown buried in a cacophony of tubes, wires and cables.He was slowly waking up to the pungent smell of the hospital disinfectant invading his nostrils as he let out a painful groan. He slowly tried lifting his eyelids attempting to sharpen the blurred mechanical chaos in the room.

Where am I? How long have I been here? He thought. It’s then the memories of the road crash hit him with a bang. He tried to fit in the puzzle pieces of his memories- a trailer that ran the red light, his own sedan swerving into the wrong lane, the sound of shattering glass, squealing tires, his car rolling over and then – BLANK! I made it.

I am still alive.

He flinched at the excruciating pain that still ran through his body. I wish I hadn’t.A warm human touch interrupted his thoughts which soon became a gorgeous face with a pair of mesmerizing hazel eyes.“Hey! Andy, how are you feeling? ”, came a voice.

It was Jessica Martin, the nurse-in-charge of the I.C.U. She gave a gleaming smile.Jessica had experienced a deep connection with Andy at the first sight of him. A sort of Deja Vu. She had felt an inexplicable compelling pull towards him. Some sort of energy compatibility. “I’ll…make…it…?”, somehow Andy managed to get the words out of his mouth.“Of course yes, Andy. I’ll make sure you do.” She kept her fingers crossed.

It was a lie.

He won’t make it. He is a total mess. It’s a miracle that this chap survived. Jessica remembered the doctor’s words.Andy managed to pass a weak smile in reply. She is faking it. He knew. Lying in this hospital bed in immense pain and his impending death hanging over him, he was prompted to reveal his grave secret.

It would have died with him, but there was this strong urge to confess as he felt his days were numbered. Perhaps the guilt that had been eating him his entire life was another strong motive.“I don’t know who you are but I’ve a confession to make on this deathbed. I need to get it off my chest. All these years I had spent my life trying to atone for the atrocities I had done. I…was… a… SERIAL KILLER. I brutally raped, killed and dismembered twelve young women and buried their remains in my own garden.

Everything – the screams, the anguish, and the blood- gave me some sort of psychological gratification. But… I was never charged. And I walked scot-free till date.” Jessica’s face was a deadpan after hearing Andy’s confession.

She inched closer to Andy and replied wryly, “Me too. I still am.” A confused look spread across Andy’s face.Then, she pulled the power plug of Andy’s life support system.  The beeping monitor went blank. Silence.

Andy was no more.

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