The Game Of Death

The tragedy of a heedless man, a thrilling story of a lesson

Comfort is the need and the right of every human being. Every person works hard to achieve this goal and as much as he dares, he gets his share of comfort.
  But some people forget these things, and others also have the right to comfort. In social life, one has to bear the injustices of the people around. Mainly, it is essential to ignore the mischief of children. Because childhood is a time of turmoil and mischief, but some people are very weak in terms of endurance even though they are powerful.

 Each link of the chain was 40 mm long and 22 mm wide. Strong stainless steel wire was used for this.

 Dick Marshall stopped his work and assessed the link with tired eyes. Although the pace of work was very slow, he was not disappointed. It was a very hopeful thing that the link of the chain was being cut. After seven months of continuous effort, he had succeeded in cutting the cord in half. He was doing this work with a teaspoon. If he had found any tools, surely he would have been free by now.

 By the way, the teaspoon was also a prize. He had stolen this spoon from the breakfast dishes. Perhaps Mrs. Anthony had put the spoon in the dishes by mistake because she always served food in plastic dishes and kept the dishes by counting.

 The stem of the spoon would also penetrate a little. However, the speed of its penetration was significantly lower than the speed of cutting the chain. Marshall thought that if he continued to work at the same speed, he would be able to cut the link from both sides in another twenty-one months. 

He was determined that after his release, he would first chain Mr. Anthony and his wife in the same chain in which he had been chained for the past nine months. During the last nine months, he had lost about sixty pounds and he would start panting after rubbing the chain for three hours.

 During these thoughts, he started rubbing the link again. After a few moments, footsteps were heard on the basement stairs. He quickly pocketed the spoon and tucked the chain under his knee so that the cut link was not visible.

 After a moment Mrs. Anthony appeared in the open doorway. She looked like a middle-aged, cheerful lady. Her blonde curly hair was neatly styled and she looked very dignified in a white dress. Seeing her, no one could have imagined that she had chained a human being with the help of her husband.

  Carrying a tray in both hands, she entered through the door and took two steps forward, and sat on the floor. Then she placed a mug of tea and a plate, containing only two toasts, on the green line on the floor. In the second tray, there was roast meat, fried fish, omelet, toast baked in butter and jam jelly, etc. She placed this tray on the red line. This line was about four feet away from the green line.

  The appetizing.....smell of these delicious foods permeated the room. Marshall came forward sitting on the floor and fell on his knees like a starving man. Two toes were two bites for him. 

Then he emptied the tea mug and started staring at the other tray while running his tongue over the nuts. The appetizing aroma wafting from the tray whetted his appetite.

   Then what happened every day happened. He lay down on the floor and like a madman tried to grab the food on the tray.

 Disgusting snoring sounds started coming from his throat. Due to the chain on his feet, his fingers were a few millimeters away from the tray. Sometimes his fingers touched the tray but could not pick it up.

During this attempt, his left arm, which had a strong bracelet, received the most shocks. Eventually, he started whimpering and crying.

  "Mrs. Anthony, please..." he said. "Put this tray forward a little. I am hungry. Have mercy on me... otherwise, I will starve to death. I am very hungry."

  Mrs. Anthony remained silent. Meanwhile, she moved the tea mug and the empty plate towards her with a stick. Then she picked up the second tray and left the room. Marshall began to cry, beating both his hands on the floor.

  In this spacious room, every convenience of life was present, but it was beyond the reach of Marshall. On one side there was a nice double bed and there was a telephone on the side table. Marshall could only see the bed, or lay on the floor and touch it, but not sleep on it. 

There was also an air conditioner in the room but it was installed upside down. When it started, it used to blow hot air inside. There were cold and hot water lines in the bathroom, but they were also inverted. 

They had hot water in summer and cold water in winter. A ceiling fan was on in the winter and off in the summer. The water tub in the bathroom was usually full. It had a sticker on it that said.

  "Drowning is not so easy, but a person who is disappointed with life can drown."

Clearly, this was a suicide motivation for Marshall.

                                                    ………….

 Mrs. Anthony placed the breakfast tray on the dining table and called her husband.

"John...breakfast is ready." A few moments later, a tall man wearing white pajamas and a white shirt entered the room, wiping his hands with a towel. 

His forehead was wide and his facial expressions showed that he was a mild-mannered person and that was the truth.

  "What about Marshall?" He asked, sitting on the chair.

  "As usual." His wife Vera Anthony replied.

"You've put him to good work. Rubbing the chain with the spoon all his spare time. That's what he thinks we don't know about the spoon. If he's going at the same speed

If he keeps working, he will eventually succeed in cutting the chain."

"Yes." Anthony agreed with his wife's idea.

"But it will take about two years."

  "If he survives it's because the food we're giving him is very inadequate. Nine months ago he weighed about two hundred pounds. Now he's not even a hundred and fifty pounds."

  "This diet is enough to survive anyway," Anthony said.

  "I want to get him under a hundred pounds. After that, we'll consider increasing his diet."

  "If it dies in the meantime...?

Anthony shrugged. "His luck!"

  "If he succeeds in cutting the chain within two years, will we let him go?"

  "This question is too early," Anthony said. Then the idea increased.

"So is the bathtub. It's possible he took the easy way out to avoid prolonged exposure."

  "That spoon idea was great. He's stopped making noise since he got the spoon."

  Anthony slowly began to shake his head. He took out breakfast for himself and started thinking about the day when he first came to this area.

                                                ...................

It was a pleasant day. Anthony and his wife, along with an estate agent, were looking at a beach cottage that was being sold very cheaply.

  Along the coast, there were many such cottages built. The area of each cottage was about an acre. And their rear part had gone to the coast.

  "Sir this cottage is selling for almost the price of the land." said the estate agent.

"You will never get a chance like this again in your life."

  The cottage was beautiful and spacious. The rooms were airy and there was a cellar. There was a beautiful garden in the front. Anthony and his wife loved it at first sight. The price was really low.

Vera asked. "Why is its price low? Isn't it evil?"

  "There is no such thing." The estate agent stopped and said.

"Actually...Mr. Anderson doesn't like the atmosphere here. So should I take it as a done deal for you?"

"Won't you give us a chance to think?"

"Why not, why not." The agent cheerfully said, "You must think, but I feel it is my duty to tell you that some other parties are also interested in this cottage."

  Vera Anthony took her husband aside and spoke.

"I think we should make a deal."

"That's what I think too," Anthony said. "But it bothers me why the cottage for such a low price has not been sold yet. There must be something wrong with it."

  "I did not see any fault. If there is any, we will fix it.”

"You talk to the agent, I'll go to the neighbors and ask about the cottage."

The gate of the cottage on the right was locked.

Anthony crossed the street to the door on the left and rang the bell. Two cottages were joined together and after every two cottages, there was a spacious street.

  A young woman opened the door and looked at Anthony questioningly. Anthony said after introducing himself.

"We are thinking about buying the cottage over there. But the agent has quoted the price so low that we are confused. Is there anything wrong with this cottage?"

  "There is no problem in the cottage..." The woman answered hesitantly.

"You take a good look at the environment."

  "Atmosphere! I don't understand what you mean."

  "Sorry". The woman said as she stepped back. "I am very busy at the moment. You should go and ask someone else."

  Anthony guessed. That the woman was somewhat disturbed. He inquired about this from a few other houses in the vicinity but no one gave a clear answer. 

One person only said that Anderson's neighbor was a very angry man. It also said that Anderson's nine-year-old son had drowned in the sea. Maybe because of this, those people consider the cottage ugly. Anthony told this to his wife. Both were enlightened and well-mannered people. 

They thought that they would win over the angry neighbor with their good manners. So they bought a cottage.

Fifteen to twenty days were spent cleaning and decorating the cottage. After a few days, some noises were heard from the neighboring cottage, which indicated that its occupants had returned. 

Vera Anthony looked over the fence two or three times to the other side but no one was seen. A fence was built between the rear yards of the two houses which served as a boundary.

  In the evening, Mr. Anthony's seven-year-old son Timmy came in crying and said he had been scolded by a horrible man.

  "Horrible man," Vera said in surprise. "We haven't seen any scary men here.

"He lives in the cottage next door," Timmy said.

"I was playing near the fence when he scolded me. He also had a big gun. He said he would shoot me if I touched the fence again."

  The next day, Vera put a homemade cake on a plate and rang the bell for the neighbor. 

After a while, she rang the bell again. It was morning and the cottage was quiet. After a long pause, the middle door of the gate opened and a heavy-set man looked at Vera with angry eyes.

 His face was telling that he had just got up from the bed. His complexion was red and white, and his neck and chin were getting stuck together due to obesity.

  "Sorry." Vera said apologetically, "I think I disturbed your sleep. I didn't know that you ...."

  "You have done that." There was a grunt in the heavy person's voice.

"Speak of the mean."

"I'm Vera Anthony. We recently bought the cottage next to yours. I . . ."

"Have you disturbed my sleep to tell me this nonsense?"

  Vera took a step back, startled by his echoing voice. Then speak.

"I brought you a homemade cake as a goodwill gesture." She passed the plate.

  "As goodwill!" said the fat man in a sarcastic tone. Then he threw aside the napkin on top of the cake, lifted the cake with his heavy hand, and laughed wildly.

"As goodwill." He threw the cake in the air and said while looking into Vera's eyes.

"Look, old woman! I value my comfort more than anything else. I don't need cake. I don't need goodwill.

 Next time, take care and listen, that fence is within my land. Tell your boy to Stay away from it. My name is Dick Marshall, I don't like to be interrupted." 

As soon as he finished speaking, he closed the door with a loud noise

When Vera came back, her hands were shaking and her face was not white.

  "What happened?" Anthony looked at his wife in surprise. You haven't seen a ghost?"

... Maybe that's the point, Vera said harshly. "That person is no less than a ghost."

  "Who are you talking about?"

"I am talking about our neighbor. I have never seen such a bad-tempered person in my entire life." Vera's voice was shaking. Do you know what he did to me?

 He took the cake from the plate and threw it in the air and scolded me very rudely. Said, old woman! I value my comfort above all else. I don't need that. Oh my God! "

  "Don't worry, I'll talk to him myself."

 "I hope he understands what I'm saying," said Anthony.

  "No, no. No need to meet him." Vera said.

 “He is a very brutal person. He also said that the median fence is on his land and Timmy should stay away from that fence."

  "The fence is in his land!" said Anthony in surprise. "How can this be? The estate agent did not tell us any such thing. We can measure our land with the help of a map."

  "Half a yard of ground won't make a difference," Vera said.

"I think we should build a wall on our side."

  "No, we cannot accept his illegitimate claim. In this way, the way will be opened. If one evil of a bad man is accepted, then he gets permission for more evils.

We will definitely build the wall, but we will not leave even an inch of our land.

  "Don't forget we decided to go easy on Mr. Marshall."

  "Mr. Marshall!"

  "Yes, that's our neighbor's name. Dick Marshall!"

I think the first owner sold this cottage cheaply because of this person. Otherwise, we have to run away from here."

"Don't worry, I'll talk rationally."

  The next day he looked at the map and measured his backyard and found that the fence was built into his land and it was visible without measuring. Anthony thought that he would invite Mr. Marshall to tea one day and explain everything to him in a friendly atmosphere.

   But there was no friendly atmosphere. After two or three days, Timmy was breaking the juice bars on the fence when suddenly Marshall arrived there. He had a shotgun in his hand.

  "You boy..!," he scolded Timmy in his booming voice. "If I see you near the fence again, I'll shoot you. This fence is mine. Do you understand?"

  Anthony, hearing Marshall's voice, approached the fence and said in a soft tone, Hello, Mr. Marshall! I'm your new neighbor Anthony. John Anthony, I have been thinking about meeting you for several days.

  "Mr. Anthony! I have no desire to meet anyone. If you have already bought this cottage, I would advise you not to try to intrude on my boundaries.

 I have already given that naughty child of yours a warning." Make him understand that he should stay away from this fence. This fence is within my limits."

   Anthony said, trying to stay calm.

"Mr. Marshall! I was measuring my yard a few days ago and I believe the fence is within our boundaries according to the map, but I may have made a measurement mistake.

So, if you don't have any urgent work, take the measurements now, I have a tape."

  "Listen, mister, this fence is within my boundaries and I own it. I cursed your tape and map. Do you understand?" Anthony's face turned red with anger. There was no rationality in this man.

  "Mr. Marshall! There is nothing to be angry about." Anthony said, suppressing his anger.

 "I can also approach the Land Department to demarcate the land."

  Marshall straightened his gun and turned towards the fence and fired. Anthony grabbed the child by the shoulders and jumped back.

"If a man tries to intrude on my boundaries, I will shoot him," shouted Marshall.

I know well how to protect my comfort and my property. You understand, Mr. Anthony!" As soon as he finished speaking, he went back with a quick step.

   As soon as she heard the sound of fire, Vera ran out. She grabbed Timmy in her arms and started pulling her husband towards her.

  Anthony did not understand what to do. His entire body was shaking due to a mixture of anger and fear.

  A few days later, in the evening, Anthony looked out of the cottage window towards the beach and saw a small crowd of people there. A few policemen were also seen among them. From their movements, it was assumed that there had been an accident. 

  "There seems to be something wrong there. Anthony said to his wife.

 "Maybe someone has drowned. I'll go and see. "

  The spot where they were seen was right in front of Dick Marshall's cottage. It was foggy at that time and distant objects were not visible. On this part, there was a flat rock along which a broken jetty could be seen.

 The piers of the jetty were broken and its front part submerged in the water during the flux. As this place was in front of Marshall's cottage, the said jetty was probably built by him.

  Anthony also noted one more thing. The other cottagers had their boundaries twenty-five to thirty feet from the shore, but Marshall's boundaries went underwater. He built a stone wall at the end of the embankment which went under the water. 

The wall wasn't very high and even a child could jump over it, but it was clear that Marshall didn't like anyone coming that way. He had also put up a signboard there, on which it was written. Private property - not public.

  Anthony had seen Marshall yelling at the kids two or three times. Some children used to come there to hunt fish or have fun. Once, Anthony even saw Marshall fire in the air.

Lost in these thoughts, Anthony reached the spot. There, the body of a ten-twelve-year-old child was placed on a rock covered with a sheet. People said that the child drowned in the sea and died. The child's parents were also present there. 

They came there to have fun. The child had gone to this side due to the negligence of the parents. After some time, the parents became worried about the child. When they reached there while searching, they saw that the child's P-cap was floating on the surface of the water. They immediately called the police, who recovered the child's body with the help of divers.

  "This is a dangerous place," said the sergeant. This is the third case in the last three months. Before this, two children drowned in this place.

  "Anthony involuntarily looked towards Marshall's cottage. The cottage was dark and there was no sign of anyone's presence there.

 An apparition rose in Anthony's mind. Somewhere in the child's death, Mr. Marshall was not there. He decided to inform the sergeant of his concern but changed his mind after thinking of the marshal's anger. It was better to stay out of the bad neighbor's affairs. 

The sergeant believed that the accident was due to the child's carelessness. But the child's mother was not ready to admit it. She said that the child had been murdered. Someone had deliberately pushed him into the water.

  Some other people who lived there had also reached there but no one mentioned Mr. Marshall's name. Clearly, everyone was afraid of him because no one could provide proof of his point.

  The police completed the formalities and sent the child's body for post-mortem.

  A month later, another child drowned at the said place. Many aspects of this tragedy were similar to the previous tragedy. For example, the incident happened after sunset, there was fog around the beach at that time and the boy was alone at the time of the accident. 

His colleagues said that the boy had gone to the jetty without their knowledge. This tragedy forced Anthony and his wife to think a lot. They started taking special care of their son Timmy. 

Because the first resident's child also drowned near the broken jetty.

They strongly urge Timmy to stay away from Mr. Marshall's precincts and especially not to go to the jetty at all. One day, Timmy called some of his school friends home and went to the beach with them to have fun. 

Sometime before evening, all the children came to the cottage and started listening to pop music. The voice was a bit loud and they themselves were making noise.

  After some time there was a loud knock at the gate. Anthony went outside and found Dick Marshall standing there. As usual, he was holding a shotgun in his armpit and his face showed signs of anger.

  "Mr. Anthony! Have you opened a music school?" he asked angrily.

  Anthony was very confused after hearing Marshall's question, he always came to the door with a complaint. Anthony said, trying to look good-natured.

  "Some of my son Timmy's classmates are visiting and you know what kind of entertainment kids like these days. How about a cup of coffee by the way?"

  Marshall said, ignoring his offer.

"Mr. Anthony! I can't bear to disturb my peace. If your naughty boy wants to listen to music, tell him to keep it low. The noise of your house must not reach my house.

 Do you understand? The law would say the same. If this voice does not stop, I will have to take a step myself and tell your child not to bring stray boys here."

  Hearing his words, Anthony could not control his anger and said.

"Mr. Marshall! This is our house, we can invite whoever we want. As for the music, I turn it down."

   Marshall slammed the gate and fired in the air.

 "Don't talk nonsense. I know how to straighten out evil neighbors like you. If I see your naughty child friends here again, I'll shoot him."

  Hearing the sound of fire, many doors opened but no one came forward. At the same time, Vera also reached the gate and started pulling her husband by the arm.

"Mr . . . Mr. Marshall, this . . . this is sheer bullying," Anthony said in a trembling voice.

You give us…

"If you say one more word out of your mouth, I will shoot you. Stop the music within a minute and get these stray children out of the house."

  "I... I'm going to turn off the music now." Vera said pulling her husband. "All ... I also expel the children. Now .... there will be no noise anymore.

  Anthony was speechless. Dick Marshall marched like a victorious general toward his home.

  Anthony walked in and collapsed on the couch. He was more sorry for his humiliation. 

Marshall had humiliated him in front of the neighbors. That person did not know how to speak rationally.

  Vera turned off the music, dismissed the children, and sat next to her husband. There was silence in the cottage as the music suddenly stopped. It seemed that there was a sudden terror in the air.

  "Anthony! We must sell this cottage," said Vera after a long pause. 

"We cannot live in this terror."

No, Anthony said slowly. "It would not be fair to put another family through this agony."

  "We have to do something." Vera said, "I can't bear this pain anymore."

  Anthony said nothing. No one could bear that situation. It was foolish to stay there any longer. Anthony also began to think about leaving the cottage.

   But after fifteen days, a tragedy happened which broke the back of both the husband and wife.

  In the evening, seven-year-old Timmy drowned in the sea. He drowned in the sea under almost the same circumstances as other children.

  Vera had seen him playing in the back garden at around seven o'clock. At that time there was fog around the coast. And the weather was a bit cold.

Vera instructs Timmy to end the game and goes inside to work in the kitchen. After half an hour she went outside and saw that Timmy was nowhere to be seen. Seeing this, she was upset. She tells her husband about Timmy's disappearance and the two run to the beach.

  Timmy's shoes were placed on the broken jetty and he himself was missing. Divers recovered his body from the sea after an hour of searching. The post-mortem report was plain and clear. Timmy's death was due to drowning. There were no marks found on his body to indicate that he had been killed or tortured before drowning.

  According to the police observations, the boy had entered the water of his own accord. His shoes were neatly placed on the jetty, which indicated that the boy had entered the water on purpose in search of something and perhaps for some reason. His foot slipped from the stone.

  The police refused to believe Mrs. Anthony's idea that her child had been pushed into the sea out of enmity. As far as Marshall was concerned, he told the police that he was not at home at the time of the accident.

  Vera cried and made a bad situation. She told the police about Marshall's threats and suspected him of murder. 

Not only did Marshall admit to the threats, but he also made more threats to Anthony and his wife in front of the police.

  The police arrested him on the charge of threats and kept him in custody for a day. But the next day he bailed from the court. And threatened Anthony once again.

Even Anthony had to withdraw the charges against him.

  After the death of Timmy, there was always a mournful look in the house. Vera often used to look at the sea with desolate eyes. Maybe one day her Timmy will come home walking on the waves.

  As for Anthony, he would lock himself in his room in the evenings and watch the beach through binoculars. He had only one thought in his mind. Where five children had drowned, a sixth could drown.

  A few months later, one evening, he saw a 10-11-year-old boy going toward the lake with a fishing rod. He was completely alone.

By this time the sun had set and there was fog around the coast. Anthony turned the binoculars toward the beach. Far away some human shadows were visible around the shore. Because of the fog, they looked like shadows.

  The boy came from the same direction. His parents or companions were usually engaged in some hobby of theirs.

  Anthony turned the binoculars back to the boy and thought he should hurry over to the boy. It may happen that he also meets with an accident, but immediately he is worried. The boy had disappeared from the scene.

 Focusing on the binoculars, he looked at different parts, and only then he saw a heavy man. He was sitting on the edge of a flat rock with his feet dangling in the water, and both his hands also dipped in the water.

  A cold wave of fear spread through Anthony's body. The man had obviously drowned something in the water. Perhaps he had drowned the boy who had been seen heading towards the jetty a short while ago. 

Anthony tried to make out the face of the bulky man but couldn't, but it was definitely Marshall.

   Anthony got up quickly, opened the door and went out, and called loudly to his wife. 

“Vera ... Vera where are you?”

   "Vera, who was working in the kitchen, came out with her hand on the apron and said, 

"What happened? Why are you so worried? "

  "Quickly call the police. Tell them there's been an incident. . . . I think Marshall drowned another kid. I'm going to the beach. You call the police right away." make a call."

Vera panicked and hugged Anthony. I will not let you go there. That bloodthirsty murderer will kill you too."

  "Vera, please let me go. This is a matter of life and death for a child. I will proceed carefully."

  "No, I don't want you to witness Marshall's murder. He carries a gun with him all the time.

 Do you want me to lose you after Timmy?" Anthony's shoulders slumped. He said, "If I had reached there on time, this child's life might have been saved."

  "If we could not save the life of our child, how can we save the life of the child of others."

  At that moment they heard a noise from the shore. Anthony quickly picked up the binoculars to look in that direction. Many people were running towards the jetty.

  Anthony separates Vera and runs to the beach. At that moment two shots were heard. Anthony looked over the fence to the other side and saw Marshall running.

 A few people were running behind him. A police officer was also among them, who returned fire. Marshall entered the cottage and disappeared from sight.

  It turned out that Marshall was actually trying to drown a child, but the parents had come to know about the child's disappearance in time and had rushed to the jetty in search of him. They shouted to the others and ran towards the jetty. A police officer was also present nearby. He also rushed to help.

  The boy's life was saved due to timely intervention. He was rushed to the hospital after being given first aid.

  Within a few minutes, more police arrived and broke down the door of the house, but Marshall was not there. He probably entered through one door and exited through another.

  It was clear from the statement of the eyewitnesses that Dick Marshall wanted to drown the child in the sea. This also led to the conclusion that Marshall was responsible for the deaths of the five children who died earlier.

  The police operation continued till late at night. Before leaving, they sealed Marshall's cottage and put two policemen on duty there.

At 11:30 p.m., Anthony heard a knock from his basement. He casually reached down and was about to turn on the light when he felt something press against his back and heard Marshall's voice.

  "Don't move Mr. Anthony," he said. "Don't make a sound, or the bullet will go through, breaking your ribs. Call your wife downstairs and tell her to bring me some food." 

He tugged at his collar and led him downstairs into the darkness. 

Anthony called out to his wife in a trembling voice. Vera reached down nervously.

  "Mrs. Anthony! It's me, Dick Marshall. I think the police have got something wrong with me. 

That's why I came here cautiously. If you want your husband's safety, go up quietly and get me some food." 

The umbilical cord of my gun is attached to your husband. Don't try to be clever by going up or your husband won't go up alive."

  "I will bring food now." Vera turned around nervously. "I'll bring it now. Don't say anything to Anthony."

  "And listen, keep the outside doors locked," Marshall said, 

"If anyone asks about Anthony, say he's asleep. And yes, turn off the bedroom light so the questioner doesn't get suspicious." Vera's hands and feet were shaking.

Panting, she reached, took out the food from the fridge, heated it and put it in a tray, and reached downstairs. Nothing was dearer to her than the safety of her husband.

  Now the basement light was on and the giant Dick Marshall was sitting in front of the door with his gun on his knees. Anthony was sitting in a chair in the other corner, worried.

  Vera placed the tray of food on the table and placed it in front of Marshall. Then she said. "Is Anthony allowed to go upstairs?"

  " No." Marshall's heavy voice echoed in the basement.

"I'm not that stupid. As long as I'm your guest, Anthony will stay in my sight." He examined the food and began to put big mouthfuls in his mouth.

"You go up and fetch the best wine in your house, and listen, what is the position of my cottage?"

"There are two policemen standing guard," Vera replied.

 "They have sealed your cottage."

  Marshall said while putting a piece of fried fish in his mouth.

 "That means the situation is not favorable. Police dogs must be sniffing me all around.”

   Anthony said in a subdued language. 

“Mr. Marshall! Instead of running around, it would be better if you hand yourself over to the police.”

  "Shut up, stop bullshitting," Marshall growled.

"I don't like to give myself to dogs."

   Vera went upstairs and after about fifteen minutes brought a bottle of wine and a glass. Anthony noticed that this time there was a different kind of panic on her face. Seeing this, he also got nervous and started avoiding looking at Vera. 

If his guess was correct, Vera had taken a huge risk. No mercy could be expected from a savage like Marshall.

  Vera placed the empty dish in the tray and headed for the stairs. Marshall took a long belch and reached for the bottle. Anthony looked the other way. His knees would tremble. If the marshal comes to know that there is something mixed in the liquor, he will shoot him in a blink of an eye.

  Marshall filled the glass and finished it in a few breaths. Then he filled another glass and started drinking it slowly. 

After a moment he got up from the chair and sat on the bed. He did not forget to keep the gun with him.

  "It's a very strong wine," he said, swaying slightly.

  Anthony said nothing. Obviously, there was something intoxicating in the wine. And it had started showing effect.

  Suddenly the glass dropped from Marshall's hands. He swayed back and forth for a few moments, then tried to straighten the gun and said,

 "Mr. Anthony... your wife... has... .has given me something.......I will leave you alive.....not alive.......

  He tried to get up but fell back on the bed.

  Vera, who was waiting at the top of the stairs, hurried down a strong rope in her hand.

  "Take this..." She gave the rope to her husband. "Quickly tie his hands and feet."

Marshall tried to get up once again but could not. Vera quickly grabbed the gun. Anthony tied him to a rope and stuffed a cloth in his mouth.

  That night, both the husband and wife consulted for a long time about Marshall.

  The next morning Anthony brought a kind of chain, pulley, and bracelets. He was a mechanical engineer. After three days of hard work, he installed the chain and the wheel in the basement. 

The spinning wheel was powered by an electric motor and was on the other side of the wall. The chain reached the room through a pipe. The length of the chain could be shortened by turning the wheel.

  Marshall was tied with ropes until the task was completed, and the couple continued to give him very little food, which they fed him with their own hands.

                                                  ……………..  

  It had been nine months and the giant Marshall had dropped from two hundred pounds to one hundred and forty pounds. He was losing weight rapidly. The main reason was that he had very little food and the second reason was the spoon, which he considered his savior. Because of this spoon, he slept less and spent more time chainsawing.

 Over the next few months, he lost several more pounds. His height was six feet two inches and his weight was hardly one hundred pounds. All the extra fat from his body had disappeared. And he seemed to be a moving skeleton.

One morning Mrs. Anthony gave him breakfast as usual and she herself sat down to breakfast there along with her husband.

  Marshall was no longer in the first rush. He was content with the food he got and did not clamor for more. He ate his share of two toasts, drank coffee, and sat leaning against the wall. His eyes were hollow and his cheeks were sunken. At one time there was no difference between his neck and chin, but now the neck was narrowed and his veins were visible.

  Anthony examined it and said, "It has become very weak. Now, even if its chain is untied, it will not be able to escape."

  "Even if a snake is weak, it remains a snake," Vera said.

  "He will first bite his liberator."

  "Marshall, what do you think?" Anthony asked. Marshall said looking at the food with tempted eyes.

"I am not a snake, I am a human being. A snake remains a snake in every situation. But a human being also changes."

  "Yes, it is." Anthony agreed with him.

"I see a significant change in you. The physical change has also created a change in your thoughts and character."

  A light ray of hope lit up on Marshall's face. He said.

"Shall I hope that you will release me?"

Anthony shook his head in the negative, saying that is impossible, your crime is very serious. You are the murderer of five children, including our child."

  Marshall's face drooped once more.

  Vera Anthony said, "Mr. Marshall! You are a barbaric person. Every sound in the world disturbed your peace. I don't know how many people you have killed in the name of peace. If you confess all your crimes. ..”

  "...so will you set me free?"

  "No, we will not release you, but we will definitely think about handing you over to the police."

  "Doing this will also harm you. The police will arrest you for taking the law into your own hands and keeping a human being like this. If you release me, I will not take any action against you and leave this area. I will go somewhere else. In this situation, no one will even recognize me."

"For now you will definitely leave here," said Anthony. "But when your health is restored and your brain is once again covered with fat, you will be the first to kill us."

   "If I die in your custody, you both will be charged with murder. It would be better for you to release me. I promise . . ."

  "Do not worry." Anthony interrupted him. "We have already prepared your grave."

   Marshall said in his heart, "Don't worry. That grave will be useful for both of you. Within a few months, the chain will be broken."

  One side of the link was cut and the other was cut more than half. Marshall hoped that after a few weeks, he would be able to break the rest by blowing it up into something. Now he started spending more time rubbing the link.

 After two weeks, he estimated that the link was reduced to the size of a hair. It could break at any time.

  But he didn't know what serious game Anthony was playing with him. When he saw that the link was close to breaking, he mixed sleeping pills with Marshall's dinner and changed his chain when he fell asleep.

  When Marshall woke up the next morning, he was shocked to find a new chain on his foot. At first, he could not believe that his chain had been changed overnight. He used to look like a madman and touch each link of the chain with his trembling fingers. Finally, he was convinced that the chain had been changed. 

Then he heaved a sigh and died there.

  If he looked around, he would have seen a saw lying near him. Anthony deliberately placed a saw there after changing the chain.

                                                       THE END