House No-25

 

Hey, can I sit here?"

"No."

" Please."

" No."

" You see there is no other seat vacant.

"Okay."

"Thanks."

   There was an awkward silence for a few minutes. The girl was busy reading her book and sipping her coffee. While the guy was quietly observing the surroundings. To break that uneasy quietness, the tall, broad-shouldered , sharp faced guy initiated a conversation.

" You see I am new to this city. I don't know a lot about this place. Can you tell me something about this place?"

   The girl didn't even bother to look up towards her fellow seater. Giving an answer to his question was also irrelevant. But the guy was determined to talk. So he made another attempt.

" What should I order? Which is the best coffee of this cafe?"

" Cappuccino."

Following her advice, he ordered a cappuccino for himself and continued with his attempt.

" By the way, I am John Carle." 

   This time she shifted her eyes from the book to his face and gave him a hard stare and looked away. But suddenly something bothered her and she rushed out of the cafe in a hurry. John was confused. He thought maybe he irritated her.

    The doorbell of House No.25, Avenue Street rang. A middle - aged man got up from the couch and opened the door.

" Hey honey."

" Hi Dad."

" Who was He?", asked a voice from behind the man.

" Who?"

" Don't act smart Lily. You saw me outside the cafe."

" Rose I don't know him. He was just-"

" No more boys Lily.You've already done a lot. "

    Lily went upstairs without saying a word.

" Rose you should have not-"

" Please Dad."

    George Martin was left alone in the living room. He was helpless. Lily and Rose were grow up girls and his interference in their conversations was not right. So he overlooked the matter thinking that the Martin sisters would sort it out by themselves like they always did. But why was Rose warning Lily from talking to boys? What did Lily Martin do? Maybe Rose was just fulfilling the duties of an elder sister. Maybe things were not the way they looked.

     George Martin was a professor of human psychology in Greenwood college of Commerce and Arts. Lily and Rose were the students of the same college. Lily Martin was a student of History while her elder sister studied commerce. From far, Martin's were a small and happy family. But was it really so?

" Hey."

" Sorry do we know you??", asked Rose.

" Not you but she knows me."

"Hi", said Lily.

"Yesterday you left suddenly. Was I that irritating?"

" No. I just recalled some work."

" Okay. By the way I am John Carle and you both are?"

" I am Rose Martin and she is my younger sister Lily. "

" I see. Well, I am new to this place so will you guys be my friends? I need a company here."

" Why not?", said Rose.

     John Carle was new in that city. He was the son of a wealthy jeweller. He got admission in Greenwood college in economics stream. He was glad with the company Martin sisters offered him. Maybe good days were coming in his life. Maybe things were not the way they looked.

    Lily Martin was a mystery. She was an unsolved puzzle. No one was ever able to know much about her. People called her weird. John wanted to know Lily. Asking Rose about her was an option but not that good. So,he decided to talk to Lily directly. 

" I need to talk to you."

" I am busy."

" But I want to talk. You can read your novel later."

" Go away."

" No I won't ."

" John please."

" Why don't you talk to people? You know everyone calls you weird. "

" I don't care. Just go away."

"Lily please, I want to know you. I want to know the Lily no one has ever seen. I just want-"

" Don't you ever try to know me again. Just don't."

      Was Lily just an introvert? Or Was she seriously weird? Maybe she was just shy. Maybe things were not the way they looked.

      Already John was confused about the behavior of Lily. He had no idea why Lily was so shy and introvert. His confusion was about to increase even more. He was about to have a brief conversation with Charlie.

" Are you John?"

"Yes."

" Hi. I am Charlie. "

" Do I know you?"

" No. Neither you know me nor you know the Martin Sisters. "

"I didn't get you."

" Just stay away from them. They are witches. Any guy who ever share friendly terms with them suddenly disappears. Keep yourself safe.", saying so Charlie left.

   John was now frustrated. Who the hell was Charlie? How he know Martin sisters? Why he said that those who talk to them disappears? Was he just an insane person? Maybe Charlie was saying all nonsense. Maybe things were not the way they looked.

    It was George Martin's birthday. The family organised a dinner for close friends. All the colleagues of Professor George were invited. Rose invited John. She was excited to introduce him to her father.

" Dad, he is John and John this my dad."

" Nice to meet you Sir. HappyBirthday!", said John.

" Thank you John. "

" Where is Lily? ", he asked.

" She's in the kitchen."

      The dinner was over and the guests were gone. Rose requested John to stay so that they all can have some fun. John agreed. He always enjoyed her company. They played cards and had light conversations. But around 3am Rose slept. John was an insomniac. This was something he had never told to anyone. To pass his time, he started roaming around in that house. While observing and exploring the house, he found something different. A door. Usually, inside the house, doors are made of wood. But that door was metalic with a big and heavy lock hanging on it. What was behind that door? Was it a treasure? Was it a secret? That door was a mystery and John wanted to solve it. He was eager to know what was behind that door.

  John used the flashlight of his phone and tried to find the keys of that heavy lock. He tired to maintain silence so that nither of the Martins gets up. Wait, he thought. I could wake up Rose and ask her about this door. But within a few seconds, he dropped the idea. He was sure that something was behind that metalic barrier which the Martin family doesn't want to bring in limelight. Unfortunately, he didn't find  the keys. But John was not going to leave this question unanswered. He went into the kitchen and picked a thin, sharp knife. He was going to break the lock. After a few failed attempts he finally succeeded. The door opened.

     It was a basement. His dobut grew even stronger. Why would someone use a metalic door and heavy lock for a basement. With the help of the flashlight of his phone, he went downstairs. There was no light. Not even a bulb. The basement was weird. It had old motor parts, a broken piano, two rustic trunks and 16 coffins. 16 coffins? What the hell was that? Why would Martins have coffins in their basement? John was clueless. There were many questions in his head. He finally decided to open those coffins. What he saw was shocking. He was unable breathe. Inside those 16 coffins were the dead bodies of 16 people. 16 guys were lying there, lifeless. They were dead. There bodies were having blood stains and was all in a bad state. John could not bear the site. He rushed out and went home.

    " Hey John?"called Rose.

    This time John ignored her. What he saw last night was so horrific that he was unable to forget it. The poor guy could not even console himself thinking that it was a bad dream. 

" Where did you go? We looked for you in the morning. "

" I need to go Rose. Bye."

" Wait. You broke the basement lock, right?"

     John looked at her but didn't utter a word.

" You don't know the complete truth."

" What truth? "

"Come with me John."

    Rose took John back to the basement of House no.25.

" Why are we here Rose?"

" Just come."

    She opened a black coffin. Inside it was a stinky and deteriorated body. It had blood stains and brutal wounds on it.

" Close it."

" You need to know the truth."

" This is the truth. You guys are murderers. "

" No we are not."

" Really? Then why are these dead bodies here?"

"Because of Lily."

" Lily?"

" This guy, his name was David. He was with us in high school. David was our best friend. But Lily had feelings for him. Lily tried to convince David but he didn't agree. Lily got frustrated. She was so traumatized by that heart break that she killed David."

" She killed him?"

" Not only him but all those who are lying here, dead were killed by her."

" Why?"

" Don't judge her John. She is a sensitive girl. She loved all of them soo much. But they ignored her feelings and beauty. They broke her heart. She killed them so that she could keep them with her. You understand, right? "

"Are you crazy? You are defending a killer. She is a pyscho."

" No she is not ", Rose shouted with rage and anger " Can't you understand her. She had feelings for them and they just neglected her. She wasn't able to afford the loss of letting them go from her life. This was the only way to keep them with her forever."

" You know what Rose? You guys are mad. I am leaving."

     For about two weeks, the Martins didn't hear from John. On a Friday night, someone came into Lily's bedroom through a window. 

" Lily?"

" Who? John? "

"Yes."

" What are you doing here?"

" I need to talk to you."

" John just go away."

"No."

"John please."

" Lily listen to me, I know everything about your past."

" past? What past?"

" That day,on professor George's birthday, I saw those 16 dead bodies."

" What? "

" Yes. Rose told me everything. She told me why you did those 16 murders. Lily, I love you. I don't care about what you did. I will give you the love you always wanted."

"But I-"

   Before Lily could speak further, someone stabbed John from behind. By Gods grace, only the side of his shoulder got wounded. Lily got terrified and went downstairs to summon the others living in the house. Something clicked in the mind of the person with the knife that he ran behind Lily. Maybe Lily was his target. Unfortunately, John was not able to see the face of the attacker because of the mask.

  John rushed downstairs to save Lily. Lily who was miserably looking for help was grabbed by the masked killer. 

" Leave me."

"Leave her. Who are you? Why do you want to kill her??", asked John.

" Who am I?"

" Leave me please" , cried Lily.

" No way sister", said the one behind the mask.

" Rose?", asked John.

" You recognized me John. That's wonderful", Rose said removing the mask from her face.

" Why are you doing this?"

"Why am I doing this? Because she is my enemy. She can never see me happy. What do you think? Those 16 dead bodies, she killed them? She is nothing but a soft and useless creature who only knows how to steal others love by acting innocent.", Rose shouted while tightening her grip on Lily's wrist and placing the knife on her neck.

" So you are the murderer? You are a psycho."

" Noooo",she shouted " I am not mad. I liked David. He liked Lily. I killed David. I liked them all, I loved them all but either they were not interested in me or like you, had feelings for her. So I killed them all. "

" Rose stop it child", urged George.

" Dad, glad you are here. We have to keep two more dead bodies down there. You'll help me like always, right? "

" Like always? Professor were you with Rose in all this?" asked John.

"Yes. I did this for her. I would have lost my daughter otherwise."

    John was disgusted. It was hard for him to believe the reality. The reality that Rose Martin and George Martin were actually killers. They killed 16 people. But it was not the right time to think all that. Lily was in danger. Before John could focus back on Lily and Rose, he heard a scream. Rose was lying on the floor and blood was shedding from her skull. Behind her was Professor George with a hard wood vase in his hand. The vase was all bloody. Rose died.

" Lily are you alright? ",asked John.

" Yes."

" I am sorry Honey. I have been a bad father. I forgot about you and just focused on Rose. But, I was helpless", said George.

Lily hugged her father," I love you Dad. You are a fantastic father. You don't need to explain things to me. I know why you helped Rose. But today you saved me."

    George Martin surrendered himself to the police and confessed that he and only he killed Rose Martin. He further gave a statement that the 16 dead bodies found in House no.25 were murdered by him and Rose Martin and Lily Martin had no role in it. George was sentenced imprisonment but he was glad that Lily would be living a happier and better life.

 " So, you like me?"

" Maybe."

" Common Ms.Lily Martin, You do, right? "

" Yes."