I tilted my head, a cold smile tugging at my lips. “Insane?” I echoed, my tone light, almost mocking. Slowly, I stepped toward the kitchen. I picked up a knife from the counter, its blade gleaming under the fluorescent light.
***
I returned to the dining room and approached Tom and Sarah first. Their faces, so kind and warm in life, were now frozen in expressions of shock. My grip on the knife tightened as I stood over them, my chest heaving with a mixture of exhilaration and cold determination.
Without hesitation, I plunged the blade into Tom’s chest. The knife sank deep, the resistance of flesh and bone giving way to the metallic tang of blood filling the air. My vision blurred with crimson, but I didn’t stop. I moved to Sarah, the blade descending again with unyielding force.
When I was certain they had stopped breathing, I turned to Anne. She had always been so kind, so thoughtful. I couldn’t let her suffer.
Kneeling beside her, I whispered, “Thank you, Anne.” Then, I ended it swiftly.
David was the last. His eyes, filled with raw hatred and betrayal, burned into me as I approached. The tension between us was palpable, an unspoken battle raging in the silence.
***
I set the knife down momentarily and walked to the bedroom, retrieving the book he had gifted me years ago. Sitting cross-legged in front of him, I flipped through its pages, the rustle of paper a strange counterpoint to the carnage around us.
“David,” I said softly, my voice almost tender. “Thank you for this book. It’s been very useful. The book says if a person’s spine is injured, they’ll be paralyzed for life, never able to stand again.”
Standing, I moved behind him, my hand trailing lightly along his neck. “It seems to be... just right here,” I murmured.
Before he could respond, I pressed the knife’s tip against the base of his spine and drove it in. His scream tore through the room, a piercing sound that echoed endlessly. His body collapsed, lifelessly limp, a heap of flesh and shattered nerves.
But it wasn’t enough. Ten years of pain, eight years of torment demanded more. Raising the knife again, I slashed at his legs, severing his tendons with a brutal finality. Blood poured from the wound, soaking the floor in a gruesome tableau.
***
The faint sound of voices outside snapped me back to reality. Neighbors, drawn by the noise, were gathering. My time was running out.