KNOCK! KNOCK! (A MESSAGE FROM THE GRAVE)
Copyright © 2017 Andre' Mwansa
PROLOGUE
Knock! Knock!
Perry heard a knock on the front door. Who could be visiting in the middle of the night? He thought. He arose from the couch leaving his coffee and laptop on the table. He opened the door, only to find no one there. Closing the door and walking back to the couch, he heard another knock. What the....., heck, who plays hide and seek unknowingly. He opened the door and no figure was there again. Just as he was about to close the door, he felt something grab him by his left leg, making his head to hit the ground heavily, causing him to pass out immediately.
***
With a slap on his right cheek, Perry opened his eyes. ''Where am I, who're you, what do you want from me?'' He tried to move, only to know that he was tied. Both his hands, and legs tied. But left un-gagged.
The thing that had dragged him to where he was now, couldn't say a thing. Perry looked at it closely, trying to make out the face or anything. The thing had a face for sure but why couldn't he see any. It was in human form but some features were missing on its face. Maybe it’s because it had no eyes, no nose, mouth or anything, the damn thing had a plain face.
''Hey! I asked you a question,'' Perry said with a trembling voice while looking around ''What are we doing in this graveyard? And why are you digging the ground?'' Perry felt a surge of fear rush through his spine as he realized what the thing was digging will soon be his final resting place.
It has finished now. It turned to face Perry with its plain face while it picked up an axe. Perry watched with terror in his eyes as he saw it raise the axe above its head, marking him the target.
''Why are you doing this?''
''You betrayed me, you bastard!'' The thing said, dropping the axe with force to hack Perry.
With a jump, Perry wakes up on a bed soaked with his sweat.....
PERRY
Perry sat on a chair of the cafe sipping his hot coffee while waiting for his friend Omar. After having those unfathomable dreams, Perry had thought maybe talking to someone will make him understand and know the whys. So he had called his best friend Omar, telling him that they should meet at their usual cafe.
Perry looked around and saw Omar walk in through the cafe's entrance.
''How is your new office coming along?'' Omar said to Perry sitting down.
''Everything’s up in the air at the moment; I haven’t got a clue what’s going on''
Omar looked at his friends face and noticed that something was bothering him. ''Man, are you okay?''
''Yeah sure... why?'' He brushed his cheek with his hand ''.....I don't know man, I don't know if I have to call it not good or call it good''
''Okay, I've been left out here, what are you talking about?''
''I have been having these weird dreams man. In the dream I'm sitting on a couch working on my computer when I hear a knock on the door. I leave my laptop on the table heading for the door, and when I open the door, surprise no one is there. Just as I'm about to walk back to the couch, I hear another knock on the door and again no one is there. Then turning my back on the door heading for the couch, I feel something grab my left leg, I lose balance, my head hits the ground and I pass out''
''I find myself in a graveyard with a plain face thing digging what looks like a grave and to my realization I know that's going to be mine. Immediately he finish up digging the grave, he walks to me and grabs an axe. He raises it above his head and I wake up before I'm chopped''
Perry looked at his friend, who was looking at the waitress that had just passed by their table swigging her arse. ''Hey man! Were you even listening?''
Omar turned to face his friend. ''Yeah, and I can say, those are strange dreams man, probably trying or warning you about something. Something that might happen to a degree''
''You think so?''
Omar nodded. ''Yeah, you're in real danger man''
Perry lifted up his cup of coffee, draining it empty, hoping the caffeine will probably relax his nerves. But it wasn't helping, so he called out for the waiter to bring another cup for him.
''I wish, I could stay and have another cup with you, only I have to meet up with someone'' Omar said, standing up.
''Yeah, thanks for coming man''
''Hey, next time you have one of those dreams again, see a psychic''
Perry smiled as he watched his friend exit the cafe.
OMAR
''How could you!'' Omar said to his wife (Felicity) who was nothing but the opposite of her name to him now.
With her hands above her head she said: ''C'mon babe, what are you talking about, lower your gun for Christ sake''
''Lower my gun? You mean you don't recognize these photos?'' He showed her the photos on his phone with the other hand ''you want me to show you the video as well? Of you two shagging''
She looked at him and knew that this was serious. But how did he get to find out. ''Oh my God Omar, were you spying on me'' she said oblivious that she just confessed and made things worse.
''Yeah, I was... if that's what you what to hear, and hell I despise you Felicity''
''Hey, it hasn't come to that Perry''
''Shut up! How dare you telling me how I should feel.'' he looked at her belly ''And the baby, the pregnancy, it's not mine is it?''
She knew lying in situations like this was hopeless. So she nodded her head. ''But I can explain, please don't do this Omar''
''Oh hell...'' without any warning, he pulled the trigger.
PERRY
Knock! Knock!
Perry heard a knock from the front door. Leaving his laptop on the table, he walked to the door. He opened the door, and Omar walked in.
Omar walked straight to the couch sitting down, head buried in his hands.
Closing the door behind him, Perry watched as his friend stood, sat, stood, sat again and now pacing the room.
''Are you okay?''
Omar ignored him, clenching his fingers into a fist.
''Hey, is everything alright?''
Omar turned looking at him, his eyes bloodshot. ''Now tell me, does fucking my wife seem alright to you''
''What're you talking about?’’
''Dammit Perry, I know the truth, how about that, I know you have been fucking my wife behind my back’’ Omar said, his eyes dancing with anger ''How could you...Your best friend''
Perry brushed a finger through his hair. ''I'm sorry man, alright''
''Sorry? Sorry? Since when did sorry make anything better'' He said pointing a pistol at him now.
''C'mon man, it hasn't come to this. Think of our friendship''
Omar laughed. ''Did you think of our friendship, when you were on top of her, asking her who does it better, huh, did you?
''
''She came to me alright. I tried to talk her into not doing it, but you know how she is. She was crying, saying how much she loves you and how she didn't want you to know that you couldn't...., I mean you can't father''
''Shut up! Stop lying!''
''But...''
''Shut up! Just shut up! I don't want to hear your lame excuses''
''I told you that you were in danger didn't I? Now you know from whom''
''I'm so sorry man, I was.....''
''You betrayed me, you bastard!'' Just as he was about to pull the trigger, the front door burst open and the police rushed in, commanding Omar to drop the gun down.
But before Omar puts his gun down, he shoots Perry on the shoulder.
EPILOGUE
Perry wakes up on a hospital bed with the nurse and two police officers standing by his side.
The nurse tells him to lie down as he tries to sit up. ''Your wound hasn't healed yet''
''What happened to me?''
''You were shot sir'' one of the officers replies.
Perry looks at the bandages on his right shoulder, and makes sense of it. ''Omar, did you arrest him?''
The police nods and Perry lets out a phew in relief. ''But we're going to need you to answer some questions for us''
''Can you come back some other time, I don't think I'm ready to say anything right now...you know the pain and everything''
The two police officers nod and one says ''When you are ready''
As they are about to exit the room, Perry calls out to them. ''Hey officer, how did you know? How did you know that I was in danger''
''Well, it turns out someone heard a gunshot in the neighborhood of Omar's. And when she rushed to where the sound was coming from, she saw Omar leaving his house in a hurry. She rushed in Omar's house after he left and found his wife bleeding to death....''
''....So she called 911’’ The officer continued.
Perry nods, thanking the officer for their quick response that saved his life.
Better stop, he thought as he watched the two officers leave the room, next time I might not be lucky......
THE END….