The front door creaked open, releasing a gust of frigid air that carried the scent of rain and damp earth. Arun's father, his face flushed from the cold, entered with grocery bags straining in his arms. He barely registered Arun standing motionless in the center of the room, a glint of something sharp and metallic clutched in his trembling hand. Then, his gaze fell upon his wife, sprawled on the floor, a crimson pool blooming around her like a grotesque flower. The grocery bags tumbled from his numb fingers, oranges and onions scattering across the blood-slicked tiles. A strangled sob ripped from his throat, a sound of pure, unadulterated agony.
"Arun! What in God's name...?" His voice failed him. He stumbled towards his wife, his heart a leaden weight in his chest. He frantically searched for a pulse, his fingers clumsy and trembling, but found only the chilling stillness of death.
Arun staggered back, his breath coming in ragged gasps. "Father, I swear... I didn't do this!" he choked out, his voice thin and reedy.
"Don't lie to me!" His father's voice was thick with disbelief and burgeoning rage. He snatched his phone from his pocket, his fingers fumbling as he dialed for emergency services. "B3 Road... house number 44! Please, hurry! My wife..." He turned to Arun, his face contorted with a grief so profound it bordered on madness. He raised his hand and slapped Arun hard across the face, the sound echoing in the sudden silence.
A voice, insidious and cold, slithered into Arun's mind. Kill him too. He's seen too much. Kill him, kill him!
Arun clutched his head, his fingernails digging into his scalp. "Why me?" he moaned, his voice raw with despair. "What have I done to deserve this?"
"You dare ask me that?" his father spat, his eyes blazing with accusation. "After what you've done to your mother?"
Arun's hand, as if guided by an unseen force, reached for the knife. He lunged towards his father, a guttural cry escaping his lips. "Run, Dad! Please, run! I can't... I can't control it!"
His father, momentarily stunned, reacted just in time. He punched Arun in the stomach, sending him reeling back. The knife clattered to the floor. He kicked it away, his heart pounding a frantic rhythm against his ribs.
The voice in Arun's head cackled with sadistic glee. Ha ha ha! This is even better! He'll kill himself now, and you'll be free!
Arun's body, no longer under his command, lurched forward, crawling towards the knife with a terrifying single-mindedness. He snatched it up and pressed the cold blade against his own neck. "I told you," he rasped, his voice a stranger's, "kill them or be killed!"
"Arun, no!" his father screamed, his voice cracking with panic. "Don't do this! Why?" He lunged forward, grappling with his son, desperately trying to wrest the knife away.
"Give it back!" Arun shrieked, his eyes wild with a desperate, manic energy. "Give it back, or I'll hurt you too!"
"Arun, you're my son! Have you lost your mind?" His father stared at him in horror, his grip on the knife slipping.
Arun lunged again, his fingers closing around the hilt. In the struggle, the blade plunged into his father's chest. A look of shock and disbelief spread across his father's face as he crumpled to the floor, his blood mingling with his wife's.
"Why...?" he whispered, his voice fading into a gurgle.
"Dad, I'm so sorry!" Arun cried, tears streaming down his face. "I didn't want to do this! I can't control my body! There's something inside me..."
The voice sneered. Don't try to shift the blame. I gave you options. You made the choice.
"Arun," his father gasped, his breath rattling in his chest. "Try... to save yourself... run... the police..."
"Dad!" Arun sobbed, his voice choked with anguish.
The wail of sirens pierced the air, growing louder with every passing second. Panic surged through Arun. He scrambled to his feet, his eyes darting around frantically. He had to escape. He had to get away from this blood-soaked nightmare.
He clambered out the window, his hands slick with blood, and fled towards the woods, the darkness offering a temporary sanctuary. But his escape was short-lived. A police car screeched to a halt, blocking his path. The blinding beam of a flashlight pinned him in place.
"Police! You're under arrest!" an officer barked through a loudspeaker. "Raise your arms and lie down on the ground!"