IT DIDN'T END



  IT DIDN'T END

  Copyright ©Sundeep KP

  All rights reserved

  No part of this publication may be reproduced without the prior permission of the copyright owner.

  This short story is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author's imagination and not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities, is entirely coincidental.

  THANK YOU FOR RESPECTING THE HARD WORK OF THIS AUTHOR.

  'Gut-tickling layout. It really doesn't end. The laughter.'

  - Gemma, Editor, Moon's Boon

  'Unconventionally gripping.'

  - Steffie, Signature Muralist

  'It is the first time I have read something like this. The concept is very bohemian. But did I have a good time? The answer is YES.'

  - Karthik, Book Critic

  IT DIDN'T END

  By

  Sundeep K P

  'You know what we learnt today?' Funfully asked Diana. His beautiful wife. Her hand wore the yellow sink gloves. That is all they had for this purpose. They did not expect Avril, the 5 year old daughter of Francis' cousin to splatter their Eiffel Tower snow globe all over the floor from the fourth rack of the bookshelf. Apparently nothing is a tall order for kids. Absolutely nothing.

  'Not to have kids.' Francis said. The both of them had a hearty laugh.

  'Also, to never organise a party on Sunday.' She added as she stood up with the dustpan that boasted the broken pieces.

  Their son, Gary, turned one. It had to be an occasion.

  The top loading, white washing machine will have a tougher challenge tomorrow. Given, it does take out the stains as claimed - even in shirt collars, but getting rid of the wine and cheese scars on its own exterior will test its Gandhian principles.

  Three hours after the last couple, Francis' parents, left the flat, they hit the bed.

  At least Francis did.

  Cleaning up post a party for 32 was like waiting for a delayed train at a not-so-major train station in India. Exhausting. Irritating.

  Francis preferred sleeping on his back. Sleeping on sides or in any other style would kick the heroes off of his spine.

  Save, the advertised 'snow globe' mess undertaken by Diana, major credit for cleaning went to Francis. On that note, he passed out on the mattress before Diana could join in.

  Compulsorily, every evening, Diana made sure the room was incensed with dark chocolate-coffee aroma. It made them both sleep better.

  Their cot was lit from under. A red-coloured pamper of light. That was the only light they liked having during sleep. Night lights on ceiling or a wall was too much for the shut eyes. Besides lil' Gary seemed to approve of it. Apparently, the colour red would make him smile in a unique way.

  Gary slept in the corner. In a crib near the wardrobe. This crib was surrounded by a thick, fluffy couch.

  Francis wondered why Checkers, their cross-breed stray cat, won't ever sleep in the corner Gary's crib was in. In the beginning, Francis and Diana thought that it was the splendid darkness the corner entertained. Gary's crib was a good crawl away from their under-cot night light. Gary preferred darkness. Though the baby room was fully ready for lil' Gary to move in, Diana wanted him in their room, until he was at least 2. Something about omens and spirits. Anyway, they discovered that Checkers was actually scared of Gary.

  Diana, in her light blue pajamas came on the bed. Her black socks were warm. It promised her that it would make her sleep longer tonight. Before coming on to the bed, she had kissed Gary goodnight on his cheeks, head, stomach, and feet.

  Francis also was her baby. Her 'big baby' as she used to call him. He snored gently. He never knew that he snored. She would never tell him, either.

  Saying a small prayer, Diana pledged her body and soul to the gravity of the soft mattress.

  That didn't make her feel right.

  Diana anti-faced Francis.

  Something was not right still.

  Then she turned back and pressed herself against the blessing that had promised to love her until death and beyond. Her head couched on Francis' neck. Her hand on his cheek. She now felt complete.

  Chapter 2

  Francis and Diana were awakened. From a loud breaking sound. They were too far deep in sleep. Francis' disturbed morning eyes registered some military boots stomping hard on their bedroom floor. Diana saw someone taking her baby. Her eyes felt like they were being opened for the very first time. What was happening? Francis was up on his feet. He screamed for the intrusion to be stopped. Two men in military uniform held him back. Another military man swung the stock end of his machine gun on Francis' chin. That shut him up. Diana cried. Her body was reined. By two other military men.

  A tall, gigantic man carrying Gary in his big hands walked to Diana and said, 'You both need to come with us. Please don't do anything other than what we tell you. Your cooperation will enable us to end whatever this is about sooner than you can expect.'

  The gigantic man said what he had to and just kept walking. Like he were a messenger robot on a deadline.

  Francis and Diana protested. A bit. Before long, they came to understand that it would only be better for them if they cooperated.

  Containing the maddening explosions of one million questions from spilling out, Francis and Diana walked mutely in the middle of two teams of 8 escorts on each side. Each, armed to the teeth.

  As they stepped out of their building, they witnessed a long and extensive fleet of military vehicles. All shapes and sizes. Something was wrong. All that ammunition and military strength, yet, there was a feeling of great apprehension sighed in the air.

  Francis and Diana were taken to a helicopter. At the door of the helicopter was the President of The United States of America. The couple was shocked. What is the President of their country doing escorting them? Nothing made sense. How could it!

  The President smiled at the couple. More than a smile, it was an empathy. A feeling of great concern. It was one of those smiles that one gives when the world is on their shoulders, and yet they want to play it cool and seem like they are doing just okay.

  'Mr President?' Francis exclaimed.

  'What are you doing here? Where are you taking us? Where are you taking my child?' Diana had always more to say. She still kept asking, but she was pushed into the helicopter by the armed escorts.

  The President got in after them. It was just him and the couple in this chopper. His men were asked to follow him in the other fliers.

  'I am going to cooperate, but I need my child in this helicopter.' Diana demanded.

  The President sat across them and said, 'Mam', I can assure you that your child is safe.'

  Diana began to cry.

  Francis began to pry. He wanted to rip through all the manifestos about this ordeal.

  'Mam', please.' The President said. 'I am going to explain everything. But you need to stay calm. I request the both of you to listen to me carefully.'

  It is said that when a bear comes to attack, the best way to save grace would be to play dead. Stay calm. Play dead.

  Francis held Diana. He knew they were being attacked by bears. They would stay calm, play dead and see if that works out.

  'I don't know what is going on here.' Francis said. 'But let me just say one thing. I don't care if you are the President of the Underworld. If you hurt my wife or my child, I am going to personally make sure you are dead, before am killed.'

  Chapter 3

  The helicopter landed. Rotors kicked up the dust. Francis and Diana stepped out. To the lengths their eyes could see, it was empty and deserted. Sand filled.

  Dozens of military
men waiting for the helicopter stepped forward and covered the President from all sides. Dozen others from the other helicopters ran toward the distressed couple and besieged them, as if they were an unsuspecting insect in the compounds of a touch-me-not plant.

  Francis asked the military escort to his side, 'You do know that me or my wife is no scientist! We have no secret chemical mixtures of anything!' The guard simply looked at Francis and marched forward along with the couple, without saying a word.

  'Hey, you have got to tell me. I am a father. My child is being held by you guys. You can tell me something. I understand you've got orders.' Francis persisted in whisper.

  'The world could be in trouble. It is your child.'

  The image of Checkers, the couple's cat, jumping so far up, just a hair away from being sliced by the ceiling fan leapt in Francis' mind. He was teasing Checkers. Suddenly he made lil' Gary touch Checkers' ear. Checkers reacted stunningly crazy. Francis had not given much thought about it then.

  Everyone halted. Halted nowhere.

  Francis and Diana wondered hard about the next step. Diana was calm, because the moment she got down from the helicopter she saw the tall, gigantic man holding Gary in his big arms. Gary was asleep. Apparently, none of the commotion had seemed to bother him, the slightest bit.

  Out of nowhere, the sanded land in front of them slid open to a massive entry, underground. Sophisticated LEDs, CCTVs and other related paraphernalia told Francis that they were in some sort of ultra-classified facility. The President's team and the team holding the couple split in two directions.

  'Are you guys building a nuclear bomb and you picked up a random family to give an opinion on your stupid agendas?' Diana asked. It was sarcastic. Everybody who heard it knew. 'I don't think the world is in trouble. You freaks are in trouble. Why is it always underground? Your secret military places. You cowards. Come out and shit your experiments. How can you possibly say a child is going to put the world in trouble!' Diana lost it.

  There were no replies. There was no talking back. Time was not in favour. For anybody.

  Passing through a 100 feet long, state-of-the-art tunnel equipped with what seemed like a never-ending walkalator, the couple arrived at the second layer of the tunnel. From their side of the tunnel Francis and Diana could see what was happening on the other side; but, couldn't do anything about it.

  Diana fainted.

  The President stood over Gary and inspected his iris.

  Francis pounded on the glass that wouldn't budge. Even for a bomb.

  Chapter 4

  Francis and Diana were let inside the secure door.

  Francis almost got to the President's nose with his provoked fist. He was restrained.

  The President sat the couple down.

  'What am about to tell you will look crazy.' The President sighed.

  'We are already in the crazy, Mr President.' Francis said.

  'Just tell us what is happening! Why are we here?' Diana demanded.

  'Please pay attention to what am about to say.'

  Diana closed her eyes. She prayed. What she saw earlier from the other side of the secure door was not pleasant. Not for a mother. No mother would like to see her child on an examining table.

  'Last year, you got married. Correct?'

  Francis was not comfortable. But nodded.

  '20 December 2012, the both of you reached Paris.'

  'What? What does our honeymoon have to do with your political motives?' Diana said looking at her flip flops.

  'Mam', please. Let me explain.' The President persisted. 'The next day, on 21 December 2012, you, Francis, consumed a fish, a king fish at La Secret Restaurant in Rue de Charonne, Paris, correct?'

  Francis was shivering now.

  'I don't know what fish I had. But we were in Paris in December for our honeymoon, yes.' Francis said.

  'Well, the fish you consumed was not an ordinary fish.'

  Diana had turned herself off from the time they were dragged out of their flat. What was being said now, did not matter.

  'First of all, I don't know if I had any fish. Second of all, what do you mean "not a normal fish"! Mr President, I voted for you. What are you doing?'

  'Francis, please pay attention.'

  'The fish you consumed, belongs to a gene developed for Hitler.'

  Chapter 5

  'Is this some sort of angry Bruce Willis' Punk'd? A gene by Hitler? What? What! The fish belongs to Hitler? Before you know, you’d even say it is “for” Hitler. Which, I think you did. I see. Of Hitler! By Hitler! For Hitler! Are we bloody entering the era of The Hitler Democracy?’ Francis went nuts.

  The President did not get distracted.

  'Before he could take his life, he passed on his DNA to his best friend. A friend who knew biology and technology together like no other.'

  The President continued.

  'Hitler knew his end was coming. He also knew, the world then had softened. It would need machines like him to terminate the “unwanted” or “undesired”. So he secured his DNA in a capsule. A capsule that would hatch on the day the Mayans prophesied as the 'doomsday'. His capsule was formulated and kept in a secret location in France. Later, it was transferred to Paris. Last year, in a transportation incident, the capsule was lost in a river. Then a fish ate it. After that, you ate that fish.'

  Francis lost all the respect he had had for the President.

  The President went on.

  'The capsule was designed to hatch only on 21 December 2012. Why? Again, because it was the “doomsday”. So when the world ended, and few survived, he could develop and rule all over again. To put in other words, the capsule will have made no difference if it was consumed before the said date. Talking of which, the capsule was also designed to be invisible until it was the date for its maturity. Upon its maturity, if consumed, it would be transferred. So the fish actually ate the 'null' gene. What you ate was the mature one. If you want me to say it differently, here it is – When the fish ate the gene, it meant nothing. But when you ate the fish, it meant everything. You consumed the fish when the gene had matured in it.'

  'Mr President, are you telling me, I am Hitler – Part 2?'

  'No. Your son is.'

  Francis showed a clueless face.

  'Because it was your honeymoon that night. What you ate was transferred.'

  Francis wanted to say something. But felt he was too sane for the swelling insanity around him.

  'The gene Hitler's friend had made was meant to be “only” transferred. If a child consumed it, he or she would grow up to be a Hitler, then at an appropriate time, transfer it. Let's say an old man happened to consume it, then his body wouldn't take it. He would have to take it out. Wherever he takes it out, from there it is going to spread like wildfire through insects, cockroaches . . . like a virus. We all know how the sanitations in this world are interconnected! In our case, you consumed it. You were healthy. But you would grow old soon. So the best bet would be to pass it on. Which you did. Now your son will not only rule the world, but will also kill every little being on this planet, that even remotely smells human and would refuse to serve him. One other thing, Hitler's friend was very intelligent. He had designed Hitler's gene in such a manner that it was designated to be 5000 times more powerful than its original state, when consumed and transferred. This means, whoever grows up to be the one . . .'

  'Will be 5000 times badder than the original Hitler.' Diana concluded.

  The President was surprised. He did not expect Diana to be part of what he had to say.

  'You say child, man, old man . . . what about an adult woman? What if a woman consumed his gene?'

  'It would all be very simple then. You have watched Ridley Scott's 'Alien' right?'

  Francis and Diana, both nodded.

  'Well, you have seen the queen in the movie. She is eusocial. Uh, asexual. So the capsule, if consumed by a woman would make the womb asexual. The woman could go on reproducin
g. It was estimated that she could produce as many as 257 a day. That is 257 Hitlers a day.'

  'I cannot believe what am hearing.' Francis told himself.

  'Well, you know who it was that consumed the fish. You knew it was us. Why take this long to come get us? You have the most powerful military in the world. Were you scared of us? Or our little Gary – the ''Hitler in the making''?' Francis asked.

  'No. We just found out about who ate the fish only two days ago. It took us 8 months to just find out where the capsule matured. We had to create and follow a very sophisticated tracking system, you see.’

  'Mr President, you say I ate the fish, and then I transferred it. But you said, I ate the 'king fish', correct?