76 She enjoyed (1/2)

Laila pulled the first bucket with a blood-red rosebush over the forest floor. It grated and scratched. At first, Laila thought the bottom of the tub had stopped. She stared in disbelief at a flat spot that shimmered brightly. Loose earth and pine needles covered the material. Laila wiped the rest of the earth with her bare hands. A small piece of glass became visible.

She closed her eyes and pleaded to wake from this nightmare. She looked into a glass coffin. The sun's rays shone mercilessly on the glass window and the terrible contents. Laila stared into the face of a half-rotted woman's body. Dream or reality, the ramman had not lied.

Bucket after bucket dragged Laila across the floor and exposed the hidden truth underneath. The women had not died of natural causes. Often Laila saw brownish streaks on the glass surface. The suffocating women had desperately tried to break open the smooth surface with their bare hands. Even the progressing putrefaction could not wipe out the horrible despair from their pained faces.

The bucket with the white rosebush stood on the grave of a skeleton. By far the oldest act of Dick. Laila recognized the dress. Sandy had worn it on her prom. Laila knelt on Sandy's grave and cried bitter tears. To Sandy and to herself. Again fate had struck cruelly when Laila thought she was well on the way to normalcy. Shame and hate rose bitterly in her throat. Another man, who had lied and cheated on Laila, joined the queue of those she had encountered in her life.

And she seriously thought she could help him and herself a little bit. She had felt so noble, so well, when she had come to understand Dick and his situation. She had seriously believed that she was once in her life with a man who was truly devoted to her, who trusted her and whom she too could trust. Apparently she could only rely on two men. On Benedict and on the ram man. If it were not so sad,

Laila could have laughed loudly. Your personal freak show. A computer genius and - yes, and what? A hallucination? The devil? Laila slowly rose from Sandy's grave. She felt aged for decades. She went to the spot the ramman had shown her. In fact, the earth was wet and loose there. Someone had to have dug here recently. She ran back to Dick's hut.

Laila made sure Dick was still fast asleep. Then she showered extensively and got dressed. She chose long pants so he would not be suspicious of her nettled legs. Laila was hesitant in the kitchen when she heard him wake up on the floor in the living room. With wooden steps she went to the couch.

He beamed at her. ”Morning sunshine.” Laila wanted to cut his wrong grin out of his face. She forced her mouth upwards. Are you giving us your famous bachelor breakfast? ” He reached for her hand. ”Maybe later?” She withdrew her hand. ”You're insatiably.” He got up and touched her face. Laila had to muster all her strength so as not to flinch in front of him.

His thumb stroked her full lips. ”You are hungry too.” he whispered to her ambiguously. The lunatic already had a stand again. Laila looked at the bathroom. ”Go shower cold Dick. If your coffee gets better than the last time, maybe I can do something about your appetite.” Loose and elated, he went to the bathroom.

Laila waited until she heard the rushing of the water and spurted off. Hastily she entered the tool shed and tore the ax from its holder. The tool was heavy and reassuring in her hands. The edge looked blank and sharp. She remembered the words of the ram man.

”Kill him before he kills you.” Laila stood for a long time with her eyes closed, preparing for the inevitable. Laila entered the hut. Dick was already standing in the kitchen, beating eggs in a pan. He looked at her for a moment. ”What do you want with the ax?” Laila turned the handle in her hands.

”I thought we could beat some wood and love the roaring log fire.” Dick scraped the eggs into a bowl and carried them to the table. ”Very romantic, but unfortunately I do not have a fireplace.” He sat down at the table. Laila looked at the tanned skin on his neck. ”That's a pity.” She gripped the ax handle with both hands and pulled out. ”Pity, a pity.” With the first blow, the cutting edge penetrated deep into his flesh.