The End Didn't Justify The Means

The sky turned the color of an old bruise. Ignoring the dark and puffy clouds that were about to veil the sky, Elizabeth got off the car and walked into the motel. She stood shifting her weight from one foot to the other and tapped on the desk twice. Her diamond ring shone under the dim light as it stroked against the wood. The receptionist lifted her head that was buried in her palms and looked at Elizabeth. Her eyes were groggy, and Elizabeth assumed that she had just disrupted her powernap. Elizabeth spoke in a hushed tone and the receptionist handed her the key. She thanked her and frantically paced up the stairs.

A few seconds later, a guy probably in his forties entered the motel and the sound made by his shoes against the wooden flooring garnered the receptionist's attention. He darted in the direction her finger pointed. He made his way through the stairs and bent forwards, gasping for breath. His eyes searched for room number 206. He twisted the doorknob and entered. The light flickered as though the universe was trying to convey something. Tiny beads of rain trickled down the windowpane. On the bed sat Elizabeth with her knees pulled towards her chest. The closer he inched towards her, the clearer the view became. Her eyes were swollen, and her face was crimson with fear and rage. If her eyes had the ability to shoot arrows, he would have been dead. Masking the anxious look on his face, he sat by her side and wrapped his hand around her shoulder. The light flickered so fast that he could almost see stars at the brim of his eyes.

She stared at the floral paper stuck on the wall like she wanted to bring the flowers to life. His eyes travelled across the room, and he flinched. He tried to take a closer look at it and sprung to his feet. A shadow danced in the flickering light. The hands fluttered in the breeze and rivulets of sweat coursed down his face. He almost choked when he saw the shadow move. It felt like the shadow was coming after him with the aim to strangulate him. He crashed to the floor, with his fingers dug deep into the carpet. The shadow inched closer, and he shrieked. The shriek pierced through Elizabeth's eardrums and ripped her brain tissue apart. She closed her ears with her hands and looked at him. Her gaze was then diverted in the direction where his eyes were fixed. 

"An evil spirit," she heard him mutter. "Cut the crap Louis. It's not a spirit. It is just a spider," she said pointing to the insect resting on the wall. He took a deep breath and managed to smile. "Your mind is shrouded with vile thoughts, and it wouldn't let you rest," said Elizabeth. 

"I did what I did keeping the greater good of our family in mind," Louis sounded defensive. The flickering light shone brightly one last time before it went off. Elizabeth got off the bed and trotted across the room. The sound made by her pump heels against the wooden floor was clearly heard. He sat fidgeting with his fingers, trying to figure a way to convince her that he was not guilty. He didn't want to waste even a single minute.

He walked to her and enveloped his hand around her waist. His fingers crawled upwards and tried to unbutton her blouse. She pushed him away with all her might and he almost fell. "I'm not in mood for this," she said with her hair caressing her bloodshot eyes. Elizabeth was a benevolent woman who believed in living an honest life. She worked in a quaint cafe in her neighborhood and was happy and grateful for the few extra pennies she earned as tips. A few years back, Louis had visited her cafe and she was attracted to him. His brown eyes, curly hair and chiseled physique made her go weak in her knees. Her smile bewitched him, and it didn't take much longer before they went for their first date. The number of dates multiplied, and the casual fling slowly transformed into something more important and profound. They were in love. She was happy to be the center of his life. Despite being a busy lab assistant Louis managed to take time for her. She was just seventeen back then and he was in his late thirties. They decided to tie the knot.

Elizabeth's father had refrained from walking her down the aisle. They got married in an obscure church amid near and dear, mostly Louis's. Their life was all rosy and after two years Elizabeth conceived. She gave birth to a baby boy and Louis became a doting father. Their son became the cynosure of the eyes, and they were happy in the little world they created. But even good things come to an end.

Elizabeth felt a hand curling around hers and she was back to the present. Two drops of tears rested on her hands, and she saw that Louis was kneeling on the floor with his gaze lowered. "I did what I had to. I had no option," said Louis.

"There is always another option,' said Elizabeth. "Our son was dying, and we needed the money to save him," his hands shivered as he spoke.

The knock on the door interrupted their exchange of words. Louis opened the door and received the bottle from the bell boy. He closed the door and poured two glasses of wine and handed it to Elizabeth. "Is this a way of burying your guilt?" she snapped at him and threw the glass. The glass smashed against the wall and broke into pieces. The wine was all over the floral design and a few drops of it discolored the carpet. 

Louis paced up and down the room, taking a deep breath and his fingers curled into a fist. He took a swing at the wall and winced. "That money is smeared with blood. The blood of innocent souls. It is smudged with the wrath of their families. We cannot escape. We will pay for our sins. But I want to leave our son out of it. You must surrender," she choked on her tears.

The words surrender rang in his ears like a thousand bells and it deafened him. "You have lost it, woman," his voice was louder than ever. His mind meandered through the lanes of the past. Their life was once a concoction of blessings and happiness. On their son's first birthday his body had turned blue. With his trembling hands, he carried him and had rushed to the hospital. The cake which Elizabeth had meticulously baked and decorated slipped from her hands, fell on the floor and never saw the light of the day. The doctor had diagnosed that a medical condition was squeezing the life out of their son and said that a surgery needed to be performed. The world had come crashing in front of them.

Their savings weren't enough to fund for the surgery. Their next of kin had shut the doors on their faces when they approached them for money. As a last resort, Louis accepted the offer he had received in the recent past. He had become a part of a heinous crime and the blood of many lay on his hands. Soon, he received the money needed for the surgery. He had informed Elizabeth that an old friend of his had loaned him the money and she couldn't thank his friend enough. The date of the surgery was fixed, and they stood outside the operation theatre with bated breath and stared through the glass door. After a few hours, the doctors had informed them that the surgery was successful, and their son was responding well to the treatment. They heaved a sigh of relief and thanked the doctor. 

A few years passed. Louis tried to get out of the nasty business he was involved in. But the more he tried to get out of it, the deeper he dove into the rabbit hole. There was no coming back. One afternoon, while they were having lunch his phone rang. His face turned ashen, and his limbs trembled.

The thought about the events that were about to ensue made his mind explode into a million pieces. He approached Elizabeth and confided in her with the truth. "You are a part of an organ trafficking racket," Elizabeth couldn't believe the words she uttered. "I don't want to get caught," he said and rushed out of the house. There was no sign of him for almost a week. That morning, he sent her a text. He had shared the location of the motel. She left her son with her mother and accompanied him. 

"You can cut a deal," her voice broke his dreadful reverie. Louis walked to her and said, "There is no way I can get out of this without serving a term. I don't want to go to prison." "In that case I'm leaving you," she said and began to walk. "But if you change your mind, I'll wait for you to return from the prison, as a changed man," she said and left the room without looking back even once. He crashed on the bed and buried his head in the pillow. On her way out, she noticed that two men entered the motel and walked in the direction of their room. Was Louis in danger? Should she contact the police? Muddled in these thoughts, she walked towards the car. She knew that he would come around and began to drive. A few minutes later, two gunshots were heard. Elizabeth was long gone, and Louis lay in a pool of blood withering in pain.

His sin had got to him. He felt that he should have listened to Elizabeth. With every passing second, breathing became more difficult. His hands turned blue, and pictures of their son cascaded before him. His son was alive and that's what mattered. He hoped that he would remember him as a good man and a responsible father if not a great one. With that thought, he breathed his last with his eyes wide open.