A great thinker once opined that evil is no faceless stranger that lurks in a dark corner. Evil is in you and I. We are evil, the devil's anvil. Since creation, human history has been filled with bloodshed, corruption and wickedness. All human efforts to purge the world of all iniquities can be compared to pouring water into a basket. Fruitless! Why?... Because evil is inherent in us. All the two Abrahamic religions told us of a cunning and seductive woman and a foolish and disobedient man. We heard their first son murdered his younger brother and then ran away with one of his younger sisters. They told us of the destruction of previous civilizations because they committed grave atrocities. We heard about those who are punished by water, by fire or those who turn to pillars of salt. It was all a horrible beginning of human history. In as much as we may take those stories with a pinch of doubt, nevertheless, one thing is certain, humans will only dominate humans for human dest
'"Where am I?' The bed was as soft as the bed in his room in his villa, and the room was even more splashy than his room. Andrew's eyes darted around the strange room and he suddenly looked horrified when he heard some soft snore beside him. 'Who slept beside me?' The exposed flesh shows it's a naked woman, 'Oh, my goodness!... What am I doing here?' Andrew halted his breathing and froze when she opened her eyes, and he immediately leapt out of bed as she raised her head. "Andrew!" "Simpson!" "What are you doing on my bed?" "I have no idea how I got here… Did anything happen between us?" "What?... Oh my goodness! Am wet down there, Andrew. You had sex with me, didn't you?" "I don't remember anything, Simpson. Not how I got here or what transpired between us over the night. Andrew felt like throwing up. He clutched his stomach, leaned over and placed his hand on the mattress. "Are you okay?" "Yeah... Where are my clothes? I need to -. " Words froze in Andre
Jackson was placing his children's luggage into the boot of a chartered Uber when he heard someone calling his name. He turned and the frown on his face became more visible as Simpson stepped closer. "Did you hate me so much that you are taking the kids away without informing me?" "They are my kids, and I have the right to take them wherever I want." "Of course, Darling Jackson. I know they were your children and you are free to take them whenever you like. But courtesy demands you at least inform me because they are under my care." Jackson smiled dryly and exclaimed, "Courtesy! Did you even have any courtesy in you?" "I am so sorry for hurting you, Jackson. But I want you to know that it was a stupid mistake and I will forever regret it." "Liar! Jackson screamed. He looked at the shocked face of his twins and smiled to reassure them and then resumed his speech, "You have a crush on Andrew, and that is the reason you have been rejecting my love proposal. At least you owe me the
For days, Andrew didn't hear from Jackson and Simpson. Even though he pretended to be fine, he knew deep inside that he could never be fine until he cleared the mess he created. When the chance to visit Arkansas City presented itself, he was more than happy to go. He will be going to represent his father in an important meeting that involves the future of their business empire. This is the opportunity he has been waiting for. 'I must find Jackson and settle with him. I wrong him dearly, ' Andrew muttered to himself as he stepped into the awaiting chopper.As usual, his pilot was Henry, and both men chatted through the flight. "Why don't you call them?" Henry asked when Andrew voiced out his desire to make amends."I guess I was too ashamed to. Besides, talking this over the phone seemed awkward to me.""What about Andrea?" "What about her?" Andrew asked back. Henry giggled dryly and said, "Don't you think she would have heard about the sex escapades and probably be
"Argh!""Keep your mouth shut and call him now.""Hello, Andrew. Are you on your way coming?""Yes, bro. Are you still at the location you sent to me?""Yes. Be quick."Jackson disconnected the call and gave the phone to one of the horrible-looking men who ambushed him and then brought him down to this unknown location. "Are you sure he is coming?""Yes. But I hope you are not going to hurt me or him. We haven't done anything wrong. Why are you doing all this to innocent people like us?""Innocent!" A voice filled with indignation exclaimed. "You may be innocent, but Andrew isn't. We have some score to settle, and I am sorry that you are caught up in the web."Jackson glared at the tall and aristocratic-looking man. Though he looked familiar, he still found it difficult to pinpoint where they had met before. "What was his offence?" Jackson asked. "That's none of your business. Keep shut and you may be allowed to live."Jackson chuckled in response. Of course, he knew
The address led them out of the busy side to the deserted side of the city. Hours later, they arrived in front of a weather-beaten, grey-painted bungalow with an overgrown lawn. And with the presence of crows that hovered over the dying building, the shack looked like a haunted place as the two men approached."Park over there," Andrew let out as he pointed at a space in between two black-painted trucks. "I have a bad feeling over this," Henry announced. He hopped down the car and stared at the wooden door in their front. Just like the building, the door had seen better days. What now remained was its gory state. "Why did Jackson rent a place like this?" Andrew asked, feeling guilty as it crossed his mind that he may be the reason for his decision. "To think his sons were here with him inside these shacks! That's so unwise of him, " Henry said. Andrew nodded in agreement. He pushed the door and the creaking sound sent shivers down his throat. He suddenly felt a hand on
Andrew was in pain for days. Luckily for him, the bullet missed his right leg femur in just a few inches. Nevertheless, the pain was unbearable and made him sick with a fever that almost killed him. He asked for Andrea as soon as consciousness dawned on him and he was informed that she had been transferred to a specialist hospital. Jackson had been discharged, Meghan and Stevenson were confirmed dead, and Ajay was in police custody. The hospital was clumsy and filled with reporters who had been banned from interviewing him since he was admitted. And multitudes of masses gathered to catch a glimpse of the famous prince. As expected, Elisabethan was more furious than a mad bull when he heard about the assault on his son. And he was seen pulling the crowd off his front as he marched towards the gloom-looking man in a wheelchair. "I am sure you will take your life seriously after this assault," Elizabethan announced when he stepped closer to Andrew. "I am sorry, Dad. I ac
Lonely and sad, Andrew devoted his time to work, and to his project. With some money given to him by some of his family and the little money remaining in his account, he was able to build the first section of one hundred bungalows. The project will be commissioned in two days. Because of the infamous surrounding the royal forest, having buildings inside the forbidden forest generated enough publicity that soon attracted the attention of developers and investors. Dressed in a blue suit and pants, Andrew was seen accompanied by his assistant as they strolled among hundreds of busy construction workers. "Which among the companies did you suggest we work with?" Andrew asked the delighted-looking lady beside him. She was dressed in a body-hugging gown and high-heeled shoes, and all the male eyes gawked at her protruding buttocks as she stepped beside her boss. After being promoted from the position of security to a secretary, the timid and pale-looking lady suddenly changed to a s