Pawn In The Game

By Jeffy John

At the Casper Hospital, Laura sat in her room, looking outside, at the raindrops falling on the glass of the window. This was not what she had expected three months ago, when she had arrived in the city of DISTAN. Laura had high expectations from life, from the city which, was completely alien to her. An aspiring actress, she had left her job as a sales executive, with a desire to strike gold. All seemed to fulfil, if only, she hadn’t helped that stranger. Laura started to recall, “If only I could rewind that night, things would have been different.”

A YEAR AGO-

With all the savings she had from her previous job, Laura had decided to look for modelling assignments, as she felt, it was the first step to enter the showbiz. She had a lot of calculations in her mind. As a part of her strategy, Laura decided to meet the most eminent and influential fashion designer, Henry Reed, a person responsible for launching so many faces into the showbiz. It was not an easy appointment to get, for the guy was too preoccupied with multiple engagements and assignments, because of his fame. Nevertheless, Laura decided not to give up.

After 3 months, she managed to get an appointment with Henry, at the Fascino Hotel on a Sunday night. With an aspiration to look pleasing, Laura decided to put on an expensive dress, an exquisite rare collection of Italian gown, which almost took her savings. As she arrived, she caught Henry’s eye. To Henry’s eyes, her glittering eyes and slender body didn’t seem less than a goddess. He took her hands, and gently led her to his room. Laura didn’t knew, she was about to fall into a trap.

They both had a great dinner, followed by drinks. As they were talking, Laura’s head started to get dizzy.

A few seconds later, she felt somebody overpowering her. It was none other than Henry. Her hands and feet got numb. This was not what, she had expected from a gentleman. She knew, she had to escape but she couldn’t. Laura wanted to scream, but she couldn’t. Laura wanted to run, but she couldn’t. But then, she had to, somehow gather courage and push the devil over. She closed her eyes...............................................

After a few hours, sirens were heard at the Fascino Hotel. The girl in the expensive, elite gown, envied over by the men a few minutes ago, was handcuffed and taken by the police. Laura was arrested for MURDER OF HENRY REED.

Laura was admitted in the Caritas Hospital, though by the police, as she had suffered bruises and injured her right arm, in her defence to Henry. This admission was on the basis of the prison doctor, who had visited her in the prison, just before her trial. This was the moment when she had a reflection of her expectations being crushed by DISTAN, a city that she now hated more, than ever having loved it. The false glitters of the showbiz and the glamorous lifestyles of the celebrities had blinded her eyes as well as robbed her of her happiness. Laura had no money, no place and above all, no hope that she would ever see the outside world.

After a week of her admission and recovery, she was taken for trial, where all the evidences stood against her- fingerprints on the knife with which she had stabbed Henry, eye-witnesses and traces of her hair on the victim’s body. Laura was sentenced to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment. As she was taken out of the court, and as she saw the crowd that had gathered, from the nearby electrical post, she saw someone with a black hood, suddenly waving at her and smiling. Laura screamed in shock, it was none other than.........................HENRY.

“How is that possible? How? I saw his body being taken, his lifeless body being taken from the hotel to the hospital. I had killed him with my own hands”, Laura was shaken, she had no answer, and she knew nobody would believe her. She was a killer according to the law. As Laura pondered, the vehicle left for prison.

However, the man in the black hood, stood at a distance. Yes, it was Henry Reed. Dead in the eyes of the law.

He was not dead. But, then WHO WAS THE PAWN USED BY HARRY? Who was actually dead? Questions remain unanswered.

Can you guess???..............................................................

By Jeffy John