Stepping out after sunset has become as dangerous as signing a death warrant for the people of Anand Nagar. Parents forbid their children to play outside and shopkeepers closed their business regardless of their income. And the terror was obvious. Since the last two months, the residents of Anand Nagar have been witnessing a horror show. Every Thursday at 7:30 in the evening, someone has been forcing people to commit suicide at the crossroad of the colony. Till now, there were eight murders. The victims’ eyes were found wide open and they had made a quick cut across the neck and on the wrists, forcing the blood to scatter in every direction.



The identity of the killer was a mystery. The police failed miserably. There were no leads, no suspects, no fingerprints, no unknown traces of DNA, not even evidence of a strand of hair. Moreover, there was no pattern in the selection of the victims. The killer was unstoppable.

Kayra, who was barely fifteen-year-old was more restless this evening. It was her friend Ananya, who was the last victim and tonight was another Thursday. She couldn’t take her eyes off of the crossroad. The clock read 7:00. Another half-hour and the killer would force someone to slit their neck, she thought to herself.

The street carried an utter silence, even the rustling of leaves was stopped as if the trees have held their breaths and are bracing themselves for the horrifying evening. At 7:15, a man walked down toward the crossroad. He stood in the middle of the road where the two streets met and kept watching the sky embracing the darkness. After a minute or so, he held up his hand and looked at his watch. “It’s time,” he murmured and brought out a long knife from the back pocket of his jeans. Before anyone could make a move, he slit his both wrists and then gave a quick cut across his neck. The blood came rushing out of his veins and when the road drenched from another victim’s blood, he fell on his knees. When police checked his pockets, they found a note, stating, “Did you see how fascinating it is to watch the blood flow?” The dead man was Kayra’s father.

For the next two months, there were no more suicides. People believed that the killer simply changed mind and the vicious cycle has ended with the death of Kayra’s father. She was recovering from the shock of losing a parent. People sent their condolences and visited her home over the last two months. She had too started to move on with her life.

It was Thursday and now people dared to go out on the streets, parents allowed their children to play outside. The bungalow of Dr. Ajit Paralikar was the last house of the road. He was a single parent with a beautiful daughter, Lily. The six-year-old girl was very busy in her bedroom, throwing a grand tea party for her dolls. The clock made a sound when it struck seven.

A shadow entered the bungalow. Dr. Paralikar was sitting on the chair. He had poured himself a glass of whiskey and turned on the TV to fill the silence. He sensed someone’s presence behind him and turned around.

“Oh, it’s you. You scared this old man. You’re here for Lily, I suppose. She is upstairs, playing with her dolls.”

“No, she isn’t there.”

“No? You already checked? I didn’t hear your footsteps at all, I must say. Let’s look for her, shall we? She must be here somewhere.”

“No need. She is exactly where she is supposed to be. And you will be where I need you to be in another 10 minutes.”

The figure offered Dr. Paralikar a long knife and he instantly knew what his fate was.

“It’s quite simple, isn’t it? You or her. You must know what to do. You have seen what others did. I’m quite tired of repeating every rule; you are smart enough. Remember, one swift blow. You are a doctor. I don’t have to tell you how to make the blood flow out of the veins. You have eight minutes. Or Lily dies.”

A tear dropped from his eye. He took a deep breath and accepted his fate. He pleaded, “Please, don’t harm her. I’ll do exactly as you want. Let her live. Just let her live.”

Dr. Paralikar walked out of the house and headed toward the crossroad.

Kayra became restless. She felt the rush that she was missing for two months. She couldn’t take her eyes off the crossroad. It was 7:20. Another 10 minutes and she would get to watch the most satisfying thing in the world. There is something soothing yet addictive to look at the blood flowing out of the veins, she thought.