The Never Ending Quest For Sanity

CHAPTER 10

As he lay there, his slumber deep, he could feel something breathing on his cheek.  It was an ice cold breath and he was startled awake.  He saw a figure standing next to his bed, staring at him.  There was no guess about how long he had been there.  Had he been there the entire night?  He would have reached for his gun but it was tucked underneath him, making it impossible to reach at the moment.  He didn’t know what to do or what this person wanted.

“Take what you want, I have money, jewelry, valuables--please, just spare my life.”    Sergey waited for death, which he was sure would come, but nothing happened.  As his eye adjusted, he could finally identify the intruder.  

Ed Pritchard.

How was this possible?  Ed was a severe schizophrenic who had constantly claimed suicidal tendencies since Sergey knew him.  How could he have been beside the bed when he had conveniently died in Sergey’s office by “suicide”?  He had grown tired of him, Plotting to poison the man every time they met.  He was crafty, always offering a bottle of water.  He had always poured it in a glass as Ed preferred it that way.  As he filled the glass, which would be his last, he emptied the entire cyanide capsule into the water, the substance dissolving.

It had been a very interesting acquisition, the same cyanide that had killed Hitler was in his hands, a gift from his grandfather who had acquired it from a friend who was, somehow, able to access anything he desired.  He had connections that were very illegal, therefore hard to find.  Black market dealings were always a joy.  

As Ed drank the water, he began to recall a part of his childhood.  This was purposely brought into discussion since it always triggered Ed to be incredibly depressed.  It was an extremely painful memory and all he could think about was the death of his friend as he had watched.  As he recounted the events, he drank the water slowly and then increased his pace, finishing it in an instant.  Sergey simply sat in his chair, observing the next event that he anticipated would occur.  It was not long before he began to sense something had happened and didn’t feel very well, feeling faint.

“What’s happening to me?  I feel so...I’m scared!”   He dropped the glass on the floor and it came to rest by his feet.  Sergey lit a cigarette to celebrate his victory over this man who had trusted in him to remedy his brokenness but instead was a victim of a murderer that had been among him the entire time he had sought help.  Sergey simply smiled as Ed began to panic, the anxiety rising within him.

“Well, Ed, it seems you have your death wish, since you are dying.  It’s funny how Cyanide works and, in fact, it’s quite interesting.  You see, I put Cyanide in your water.  To put it bluntly, I  poisoned you.  I have to admit, months ago, I finally grew tired of your depression.  You should have been dead long ago.  In fact, that would have been a relief.  Honestly, though, it’s hard to find this unless you have the right connections.  Trust me, it wasn’t hard when I know who I could turn to for such a delightful tool that eliminated someone who brought me down for quite a while.  You always wanted to travel far into the next life, so I became the genie that granted the wish you had wanted--that ultimate wish.  I am certain the police are going to come and probably ask questions.  When they do, I will tell them you put the Cyanide that was in this vial that I never saw you take from your pocket and, pouring it in your water, began to fade away.  It’s a beautifully fabricated story, don’t you think?  Now, as you are dying in front of me, I have to honestly say that I feel my depression being cured that you caused.  I hated you so much and, in the face of your death, I don’t pity you.  You should have done what you said you wanted to do long ago instead of burdening someone who wasted their time trying to help a lost cause.  

“To think, something as simple as a glass of water killed you and gave me the ticket to peace.  It looks like we both are benefitting from it at this point.  You have no idea how liberating this is, but also the joy I have is, by no means, ill gotten.  So, your final words should come about now since you are breathing your final breaths.”  He offered Ed a cigarette, which he refused.  “Oh, come now Ed’s not going to kill you! Have one last cigarette.”  Ed was now close to death and couldn't respond.  Sergey shrugged and, blowing a puff of smoke in Ed’s face, watched as Ed was on the floor,  He smiled for a moment and spoke his farewell:  “Rest in peace.  You were pathetic in life as well as death.”

Questions were sure to come buergey was completely prepared on all levels.  He had covered his prints with latex gloves and there were no traces of his prints on the container that had contained his ticket to freedom.  

He pressed Ed’s thumb and index finger against the container, placing the blame on Ed via prints from his hand.  He then planted it on Ed via his right hip pocket and fetched Ed’s wallet from his back pocket.  He opened it and saw 2 bills in his wallet, which were in denominations of 100.  He smiled and pocketed the money, returning the wallet to its rightful place to avoid any suspicion of foul play.  After all, a missing wallet was the largest part of suspicion of such a thing.

Sergey extinguished his cigarette and updated the file, falsifying the document in a way that would influence the verdict of suicide.  He then called 911 and acted frantic as he described the sudden collapse of his patient.  Upon termination of the call, he removed the gloves and pocketed them, awaiting the help to arrive. 

The police began to search Ed’s pockets, finding the empty capsule.  Sergey, being an excellent actor, expressed shock at the situation that was quite convincing.  No one suspected this man who was on a mission to help others through the darkest valleys they encountered.  It was absurd to suspect a man who was in such a position and, upon surrendering the file to the police so they could examine the evidence.  It was already evident that it was a suicide, or so it seemed.  As they took Ed from the room via body bag, Sergey shook his head.

“Such a tragedy.  I’m just shocked but judging from his lack of progress, I always suspected it.  I just don’t know how on Earth I could have missed such a thing.”

“People are secretive when they’re desperate.  Did you notice any odd activity that he may have displayed?”  Sergey pondered a moment and shook his head. 

“He was just so incredibly depressed.  I should have known he was in trouble, I don’t know how I could have not seen the warning signs today.  He was acting a little odd but I thought he had a bad day from the last time I saw him and was confident he would talk about it openly, as he always did.  Such a sad case, I just hate that this happened.”  

“Try to take it easy Sergey.  There was nothing you could have done when it comes to a case of desperation.  We’re going to get out of here, have a good day if you can.”

“Thank you officers.”  Sergey said his farewells and was soon alone.  He was smiling as he rejoiced inside at the absence of the pest that had plagued his mental wellbeing for a while.  Now that he was gone, he was happiest.

Yet, here he was, mere inches away from his bedside, rendering him at the mercy of his past transgression.  He assumed Ed was here to exact his revenge on the one who had taken his life.

Struggling to find the words, he was completely at a loss and soon gave up trying, his mind weary with the task of thinking in the face of this crippling fear he now felt.  Ed was completely apathetic to Sergey’s state at this point and simply smiled, which sent a chill through Sergey.

“Well,, if it isn’t the man who ended my life.”  Sergey was not sure what would happen next but was confident that it was a fitting punishment. He lacked detail in the visage that was now before Sergey, the face of the one who would kill him concealed..  

“You are dead, how is this possible?”  Sergey was now able to put a sentence to his lips and found this was a question that he was quite sure was better left unanswered.

“Dead?  Perhaps in your realm.  However, I have come back to finish what you started.  Only this time, the roles are reversed and you will surely join the ranks of the dead.  Imagine, an eternity of torment, never to see the light of day.  The mere thought of the Karma that will be dealt is such a wonderful justice.  After all, that’s the fate of those who are truly evil yet are deceitful enough to hide it.  Life is short and you’re about to see how true that statement is.”  He smiled.  “It’s quite ironic that I am here to prove to you that your unbelief in Hell, Heaven and God are just deceptions placed into your mind by your peers.  It’s time, Sergey.” 

“This isn’t happening and you are NOT real!  It’s impossible!”

Ed approached him and soon Sergey was able to see the horrific reality that spawned nightmares.  At the sight of this, he was convinced death was beyond imminent, seeing Ed’s worm eaten face full of rotting flesh.  The smell was worse than any other smell he had ever encountered, the odor of pure death and sulphur emitting from his presence merely inches closer than before.  As he saw the face of the one who had come to haunt but ultimately kill.  

As he watched in horror, the razor sharp claws of this entity began to s***h violently on his torso and turn his attention to Sergey’s face, slashing deeply and in an instant it was over as Sergey sat up in bed, dumbfounded with the blood pouring like a waterfall onto his white quilt, the razor thin pieces of flesh falling before his eyes, sadistic laughter the final sound he would encounter before falling dead, justice had been executed on the executer.