LABYRINTH : The final journey

Bonjour friends,

LABYRINTH : The final journey

This is the 3rd and the final part, which is in continuation to the other two parts :

Part 1 : http://ishikagupta99.blogspot.in/2014/06/labyrinth-short-fiction.html

Part 2 : http://ishikagupta99.blogspot.in/2014/06/labyrinth-continues.html


Please bear with this part as well :P



THE FINAL JOURNEY

As Mr. Anderson was approaching the 14^th floor, he immediately stopped.

He remembered the words of his mother – 

“Andy, as you know u got a wonderful gift; you should understand that a huge responsibility is also involved. Plus god forbidden if ever you sense any danger to your life, never ever follow your mind, instead follow your heart, your sixth sense.

Also remember, in order to diverge the future set of events, intervention of someone special might be required. As today you were present to protect me from getting smashed under this huge chandelier.”  

Anderson felt a chill of air, defying what is logical, he stood still on the stair, approximately at the middle of the staircase.

 He could feel someone approaching but he did not move, instead closed his eyes, tight.

After a while he opened his eyes, there was a cat, just a CAT.

He took a deep breath. He could feel the fresh air in his lungs.

Without wasting further any time, Anderson started rushing down towards the 13^th floor.

He passed the same passage, where smith accidently shot himself.

But now, there was NOBODY!

Anderson could now feel Goosebumps.

“Am I still dreaming?”

Then he saw the stains of blood. He felt a bit relieved.

“Smith might shot himself in him arm and is probably still alive.”- Anderson murmured.

He rushed towards his room 131 and the blood stains followed the same route.

On reaching, he found the door was unlocked. He pulled out the pistol from the inner pocket of his well stitched suit.

He entered the room with caution. There were blood stains everywhere; all his things were messed up with the briefcase lying on the floor, cracked.

“May be Smith is still here.”

He carefully checked each and every corner of the room. There was no one.

Anderson locked the door. He was sitting on the bed thinking – “Why the hell I stopped by at this place. I could have called someone for help. Even I could have stayed in my car.”

As he was thinking, a phone rang up – TRIN! TRIN!

He looked around. It was the phone lying on a small table, kept in a corner of the room, by the bedside.

He checked his rolex watch – 2.00 a.m.

“NOW WHAT!”

Anderson picked up the phone.

“I am extremely sorry to disturb you sir at this hour. But, this is for your safety.

 We have just now received information regarding the glitch in the wiring of 13^th floor. Lights can go out at any moment. We request you to shift to the 14^th floor carrying all your important things. Your other things can be left on the 13^th floor. We assure you they’ll remain safe.”

Phone hung up.

Anderson could felt the shiver in his voice as he said – “This 14^th FLOOR is too determined to kill me tonight.”

 Anderson grabbed his briefcase, gathered up all his things. He rushed down the stairs, to the main hall, in the reception.

Without paying any attention to what the receptionist was saying he hurriedly marched towards the exit.

Now he was out of the LABYRINTH, he thought.

Anderson reached his car parked on the other side of the street, unlocked it and got in.

He inserted the key into ignition and tried to start the car. No use.

Anderson decided to spend the rest of the night in the car itself. He was cursing the moment he got into LABYRINTH HOTEL.

After a while he heard some sound. Someone was climbing the roof of his car.

He loaded his pistol and got out of the car to saw a half wit beggar, sitting on the rooftop.

The next moment Anderson heard someone calling his name. As soon as he turned, a gunshot fired.

A bullet pierced through his flesh, near his heart. Rushing towards him came the 2nd bullet, then the 3^rd, 4^th, 5^th and 6^th. All the six shots were loaded in his body and in front of him was standing, Smith.

Anderson was startled by a loud noise. He was sitting in his car. Someone was trying to climb the car.

Anderson started shouting- “That’s it, That’s it, I cannot take any more. I just want to be out of this Labyrinth.” He started shouting with the tears rolling down his eyes.

Remembering the words of his mother, he searched for some hint from within.

“MARGRET!”

He rushed to take out the phone from his pocket and dialed a number.

Margret was the daughter of Anderson. After his mother, it was Margret who knew everything about him. About his dreams. About his sixth sense.

“Hello, Margret this is Anderson. Today I am in a situation that your grandmother always feared of. Please come and pick me up. I am in my car, parked in front of Labyrinth hotel, in the backside of The Hudson Street. Please come as soon as possible.” 

Now, there was no noise. Probably the beggar had left.

Anderson was waiting impatiently for Margret.

After about 15minutes Anderson received a phone call from Margret- “ Hello daddy, I am almost here and will try and park my car as close to yours as possible.”

Moments later a car was standing beside Anderson’s.

He carefully opened the door and swiftly got into the other car.

As soon as he closed the door he heard a gunshot, but fortunately the bullet bounced back by the car’s bullet proof shield.

That was Smith, who was now sitting in Anderson’s car.

He probably got in when Anderson opened the door to get into Margret’s car.

Anderson took a deep breath of relief.

Margret drove her father to her apartment, which was at a distance of about 15 to 20 minutes.

They reached her apartment.

Anderson explained his daughter all the set of events in detail and that if she was not there, he would have died.

It was morning now. Anderson woke up as the rays of the sun fell on his face.

He looked around; he was at Margret’s house. Anderson felt like watching television, so, he grabbed the remote control and switched on the T.V.

He saw the breaking news flashing on the television screen:

“Today, Mr. Anderson, the Ex. Military Official was found dead in his car. His car was found crushed, probably by a bulldozer at the back side of Hudson Street, in front of a hotel named LABYRINTH!”

Anderson felt numb and a cold sweat drenched from his forehead.

This time he was not in a situation to take the pressure anymore. Anderson started shouting and weeping madly, simultaneously.

Hearing his voice, Margret enters the room and asked him what the matter was.

 Anderson looking through the vision blurred by his tears and asked – “Can you see me Margret? Am I not dreaming? Please pinch me and tell me I am not dreaming” and Anderson once again started crying like a baby.

“Of course not daddy.  What happened to you? Why are you crying”, Margret rushed to hug his father.

Anderson wiping off his tears pointed at the T.V. screen.

“Oh! Daddy, I did not tell you this as you were sleeping. But in the morning police found a crushed car with a man lying dead in it. From the car documents they presumed it’s you. But now, it has been cleared that the body found was not yours.

I have just made a call to the news channel’s office and they will be taking that news off at any moment.”

Anderson felt relieved and blessed.

The body found in Anderson’s car was of Smith and the postmortem report confirmed that.

That night, seconds after Anderson left with Margret, a bulldozer crashed into the car along with Smith.

Smith was bound to die that night, so did Anderson, as indicated by Anderson’s Sixth sense. But, the advice of Anderson’s mother and the intervention of Margret saved him.

Anderson and Margret thanked god for saving Anderson’s life as they sipped the morning tea.

                                                                    THE END

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I hope you liked LABYRINTH, my first attempt to write a short fiction.

Thanks for bearing it.

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THANKS AND HAPPY READING, ADIEU.

ISHIKA GUPTA