THE GAME OF
DEATH
My brother, Mike, and I always used to play the game of death when we were young. We were very close until we got into jobs. I got into a software company but my brother got into a small-scale industry. He was paid one tenth of my salary. That brought a big gap in our relationship. Since then he never came back to meet me.
Today I received a letter that juts made my blood cease for a
while. The sender’s column said: Mr.Mike Nicholas, San Jose.
I had not received a letter for about 15 years from my brother. And
now a letter from Mike did shock me. The matter in it seemed to be very
concerning. I felt very happy when I went through it. When I turned over the
letter, I was dumbstruck. Written on it was, I am coming on 26th at
9 PM, in bold letters. Following it was written, “to play the game of death. Be
ready to lose. Love Mike”.
Today was 23rd, 3 days to go for the game to start.
When we were young, we were very affectionate to each other. I was
always
afraid that this affection would be lost one day because Mike was
always one step behind me. Our father died when I was 2 years old and our
mother when I was 12. Mike was 2 years elder to me. So he took care of me.
In studies, I always got ‘A’ grade and Mike ‘B’. Mother gave more
attention towards me, as I was the younger one. When it came to the game of
death, I was the victorious every time. But he never minded. He was always
impressed by the way I defeated him and the tricks I used. He had a diary in
which he used to write down the tricks and plots I used and he planned his
moves accordingly. But still he could never defeat me as I used new plans each
and every time and he was aware of it.
He was the best brother in the whole world. He was very sportive
and he never felt bad his loss.
The game of death was a very popular game during our days. No one
knew where the other is before the start of the game. It had five rounds. The
first one was ‘THE PLOT’. The game would start at a particular time and the
players had to plan their moves within ten minutes. No one was allowed to plan
it before the start of the game.
The second one was ‘TRAP’. One player was trapped by the other and
he was told that he has been spotted.
The third round was ‘SUDDEN DEATH’. It was all about scaring the
other person (to death) by any means.
The fourth round was ‘TIED UP’ which was to tie the opponent and
give a time limit to untie himself.
In the fifth round ‘DOOM’, one player had to disarm the other
person and act as if he were killing him. The player who remains unharmed was
the victorious.
It was 25th morning and I was having my breakfast when
some one rang the doorbell. I went to open the door just to find know one at
the door except for an envelope at the doorstep. There was a woman going past
my house. I ran outside to stop her.
“ Excuse me ma’am. Did you see any one coming through that gate?”
said I pointing towards my house’s gate.
“Yes, I think I saw a man dressed in gray,” said the smartly
dressed woman.
“Thank you ma’am”.
I went back to my house, closed the door and then opened the
envelope. Inside it was a letter saying” At 9 PM TOMORROW”.
His style had changed and his handwriting too. Still one day to go
but I had already sensed Mike’s victory. I had never ever seen him in a mood of
vengeance. He was surely here to win, for the first time.
I couldn’t sleep the whole night. Something ran down my spine. I
had never been so tensed in my lifetime. I slept late that night.
I got up at 10 next morning and found myself stabbed with a knife.
I cried at my highest pitch and tried to pull off the knife. To my surprise I
found that it was a fake knife that I used in the game of death. In front of me
was a crumbled paper, which said: “Today is 26th. Be ready. Mike”
I had never thought that we would meet the next time like this.
Something told me that it wasn’t the same old Mike.
He is going to strike back after 15 years.
It was nine now, time to go to the office. I got dressed up and
locked the front door. I found the car tyres punctured. On the side mirror was
written,”10PM”, in red.
‘He was here somewhere alright,’I thought.
I took a taxicab for my office. I never knew how time went by. It
was 7 PM.
For the first time I did not want to play the game.
I reached home at eight. With every second, I could hear my heart
thumping faster.
I told myself,” John, you need to be confident. You are ready for
it”.
That boosted up my confidence. Yes, I was ready for it.
Time went by. It was 9:59. …55…56…57…58…59…the needle struck 10.
Just then the lights went off. The game had begun.
The plot
I couldn’t plan my moves as the lights had gone off. I immediately went to the kitchen to search for a candle. I got one and lighted it with the help of a lighter.
I looked at the clock. Three out of the ten minutes were gone. Seven minutes left and I had not even started yet. I then to plan my moves carefully.
I was about to plan my last move when an arrow flew past me barely missing my neck. It got stuck on the cupboard beside me. Sticking out of it was a paper, which said: ‘First round over. Now its time to get trapped.’
Trap……………………………………sudden death
I never knew when Mike had learned Archery.
“15 years is a long time”, I told myself, “ it is enough for
anything”.
I immediately tried to find my way out before I get trapped. I knew
that Mike was constantly watching me.
To my surprise I found the front door locked. I sensed that I was
in for a big trouble. Just then I heard a splash-sound coming from outside.
Something was happening at the pool.
I went into the kitchen to have a closer look at the pool, as it
was the nearest room to the pool. Just then I felt someone’s hand. I gave a
sigh of relief and turned to see who he was. It was a severed hand. I cried
with horror. It indeed wasn’t a dummy. Afraid, I broke the window and made for
the exterior and went towards the pool. I found a body floating in the pool. I
swam to it. It was Mr. Chang’s body with his right hand cut. He had also been
stabbed by an arrow on his chest.
Mike was indeed here to take his revenge.
I immediately ran outside and made for my neighbor’s house. The
door was open and the lights were on. I went inside and just then it struck me
that it was Mr.Chang’s house who was already dead. Before I could escape I
found myself locked inside the house.
Tied up
I felt someone coming from behind. Before I could look back, he struck me with a club. I regained consciousness and found myself tied to a chair. In front of me stood a masked man dressed in black.
“Mike, listen to me. Why are you doing this to me?”
“I am not Mike”.
I was stunned. It was a girl’s voice.
“I am Julian Nicolas”; she said removing her mask.
“Nicolas?”
“Yes, I am Mike’s wife”
“I have seen you somewhere…. Yes, on 25th morning. I saw
you passing my house when I received the letter.”
“ I planted those letters”, said she.
“I knew it. Mike won’t do such a thing. Where is Mike after all?”
“He’s no more. He is dead and you are the cause for it”
It struck me as a thunder bolt.
“When did it happen?”, I asked with a sinking voice.
“Six years before. He married me when he was 21. We were together
for only 4 years”
“Why are you doing this to me? I never harmed him”
“You never did any thing for him”
She was right here. I had done nothing for him.
“How could I have done? I never knew where he was”, said I.
“You never tried to find it out”
“He could never succeed you in any field”, she continued.
“ How am I responsible for all this?”
“You are”, she shouted, “you never helped him. We never had money.
He still liked you but you didn’t. He suffered a cardiac arrest and died
leaving me and his son Charles alone. You also got most of your father’s will.”
“I…”, I tried to speak but was interrupted by her.
“ He had a diary in which he wrote everything about you and now I
am here to defeat you and bring peace to his soul”.
“Mike would have never done this”, said I.
“You have only five minutes. Make your escape within that”.
While she spoke I managed to free my hands without even letting her
know. Now I wondered how I was going to free my legs.
Just then someone rang the doorbell. It was like gods answer to my
prayer. She threatened me not to shout. She went to receive at the door. I
could hear a guy’s voice followed noise of struggle. I could only free one leg
by the time she came back dragging a fellow who seemed to be a cop. Ofcourse he
was dead.
“ He wanted to see someone called Mr.Chang. I told him there wasn’t
any Mr.Chang but he forced in. So I had to kill him”, she spoke, “You have only
half a minute to go”.
Just then the untied ropes caught her eyes and she made for me with
the arrow.
I gave her a kick and she fell two meters away from me. I loosened
the other rope and untied it too.
She struck back with the arrow, which pierced through my shoulder. I
punched her jaw. She fell down crying with pain. I went towards the dead cop
and grabbed his revolver and turned back.
Julian stood in front of me and she stabbed me with the arrow. I pulled
the trigger and I shot her again and there she lay dead on the floor. I made
myself stand with supports. I was in immense pain. I somehow managed to get out
of the house and stopped a motorist. He called the ambulance and the cops.
Police got the bodies of Mr.Charles, Julian and the cop.
I was in a critical state and recovered after three months in the
hospital. My colleagues looked after me. They took me home after getting
discharged. I thanked my colleagues. I was happy to be back home.
Years went by and I built an orphanage on my brother’s memory.
TWELVE YEARS LATER: 23RD JUNE
It was 5 in the evening. I came back from my office.
I found a letter at the doorstep. I unlocked the door and went in. I
opened the envelope. Written on it was:
-----------WRITTEN
BY SRIRAM KRISHNAN----------------------------------