THE PUZZLE

PLUS ONE

Alex took the last turn to his apartment on Alanna street block 2 apartment 526.He kept looking back as if he feared someone or something was following.For the last few days he seemed restless.He was scared all the time.He was getting jumpy from time to time and kept telling his friends at work that he could feel death creeping up to him.

He opened the door tossed the keys across the room into a bowl on the table ,bolted the door then locked it with the chain lock ,swept around the room from corner to corner as if he expected someone.He then went on ahead to check the kitchen and the bedroom.When he was satisfied their was no one apart from him, he went on ahead to shower.

He was still drying himself when he noticed the paper on his bed he looked around he was alone.He walked shaking towards the bed picked up the paper and stared at it for a while. The words "I STILL HAVE GOT TIME TONIGHT," were written in red.He dropped the paper and turned to walk to the wardrobe .

Then came the voice."Don't be afraid its gonna be over before you can count to two".He knew that voice and he knew those words but from Where? that he couldn't answer then he felt it .The voice ,the same very voice had been talking to him for the last two weeks now.Every time giving him a phrase he knew or so he thought.

Their was no one every time he checked but the voice sounded very real.It was a girls voice soft and soothing almost singing.His friends thought he was loosing it every time he told them about the voice ringing inside his mind.He never told them it was a girls voice though.

There was a knock on the door .Slowly he reached for his bedside drawer and took out a pistol .He walked towards the door with measured steps .He then waited for a while before opening. When he finally opened, there was no one he looked on the corridor but there was no one .Maybe it was just his mind playing tricks on him he concluded and headed back to the bedroom.

He heard a squeak on the ceiling then another.He jolted off the bed and switched on the lights . Again, there was nothing he lay back on the bed this time without turning off the lights .He faded off to sleep.

He was having his second dream when he felt it.A sharp pain in his back .He tried to raise but he couldn't ."Remember me," Came the sweet voice again "Don't worry it will be all over soon," she concluded.Now everything was clear he remembered the words.They were his words about 18 years ago which also explained why he thought he knew whoever was talking to him."Ma...," he tried to call out but his voice failed him.He just lay there wishing and hoping he could get a chance to look her in the eye ,tell her he was sorry and he had been sorry ever since that crazy day.

He wished he could give her a piece of his mind.Make her understand that he was young and stupid back then, but wishes aren't horses.As he faded away ,swept off with the inevitable flow of death ,all he had in his thoughts were memories ,memories he would never share with anyone ,ever.