All the World is a Stage ! This is mine !

Standing on the edge of water, bundled inside a worn out shawl, tears running down his cheeks which was hidden behind a cheap clown mask, The Cripple was spending the last minutes of his life. The naked full moon was staring at him with a blush. But for its light, there was darkness everywhere around. If not for the sound, anyone standing near where he was now, would not have believed the stream makes a waterfall half a kilometre ahead. The shadow of the cripple with the roaring sound of the waterfalls made the place ghostly. And then the clouds decided to play their part as well. It started drizzling. The cripple removed his mask and threw it into the water face upward. The cheap mask smiled at him. He smiled back at the drifting mask. 12 Years and peace was close. His spine might find a sharp rock.

It was dawning. Like any other beggar, our friend was surveying the bus stand for the best place to sit. He found one at the footsteps of the public toilet. Most travellers would use it as long as they dont smell it a mile away. He inspected his belongings. A water bottle(it was tied to our friend's hand by a thread.) which was older than he was, for it was more opaque than transparent. Even Pepsi would find it difficult to know that it was manufactured by them. A wornout towel, a change shirt and dhoti which was no whiter than the one he was wearing. A comb with less teeth than originally made, a tooth brush and a cloth bag to carry them all. And of course oil in a coke bottle(Most of hogenakkal carries one). He sat on his throne, kness folded and arranged his belongings around him. With 9 years experience in the field the first 50 came

in no time(Well, I forgot to tell you. Our friend takes a quick break every 50 rupees he earns). He knew little that the break would change his life forever. He asked his neighbour to take care of his things while he went for the break(not the 50 though). His neighbour had a lucky day.

Muthu's leg started bleeding.

The ropes around his ankles had been in work for 3 hours and were showing what they could do. But right now the ropes were not Muthu's concern. What had seemed to be an ordinary day at work had all gone wrong. The travellers who had wanted a ride on his boat, had instead taken him for a bad ride. His face will need a plastic surgery, all his bones would have to be repaired if not replaced, his left leg is gonna stay broken and it is gonna be years before his mind gets straight and well, the four weren't finished yet. Muthu did not want to die at 18. But that idea looked far with these four around him and they were getting ready to damage his genitals. Even if he lives all this, he will need someone to find him in the midst of a forest to get him back to aid. Muthu prepared for the worst and that's what he got. By the time police found his naked soul less body 2 days later, he was in coma. When he came out of his vegetated state three months later, all he remembered was four faces and that did not include his father, mother and him. 2 years and he wouldn't need to know them.

George, Kidnapping him was easy. He was the oldest and the weakest. It was amazing, at 55 he was still walking without a stick and still had the heart to come to his Sin city. George had ventured out on the first day of their trip to get some booze and his mates wouldnt be worried if he was gone for hours as he was known for getting drunk and staying lost for hours. Our friend had all the time he needed. George's death will not be hard. After all he just wanted a hand job all those years ago. Our friend tied him to a tree. And then removed his pants to look at his small dick which was getting harder each passing second. "How about a hand job from a beggar, my old friend? "."Please don't do this. Who are you ? What do you want ? Please let me go. I will give you whatever you want". Our friend picked a broken branch and was aiming an underarm swing between sweet George's legs. "See you in hell soon !" And Splash. Homerun! Bingo ! Some one has to search or George's balls when his body is found. Bye-Bye George.

"Are you a virgin ?", Kannan laughed over the naked body of Muthu."I hope so and I haven't done a virgin in years and this is my first time with a guy. So be a good boy or you might visit your dead grandma soon". Kannan had 20 minutes with Muthu and by the time he was done, he knew Muthu will be having troule's peeing then on. Sex was never the reason for abduction, but it came as an added advantage. Free of cost dudes. And then the blowjob. It doesn't happen much in your real life unless you are a porn star. So Kannan got his first that day. But, Well, Justice has too be delivered even after all those years. Kannan wanted to get him a whore and ended up getting into our friend's hand. He didnot have much to say as the first thing our friend did to him was to cut his tongue. But he had all those crazy sounds. When our friend brought

him to his final resting place, Kannan could not miss recognising it and then recognising our friend. After all the blowjob has been fucking awesome. Without much left to discuss with a dumb man, our friend started chopping Kannan's penis with a butcher's knife like it was some goat's guts. "How does it feel now?" Kannan watched in horror. He will be bird food soon.

Our friend did not bother burying his body.

Muthu let out a cry in pain when the boat's oar found his left knee. Ropes were tied around his ankles and a dirty cloth was stuffed into his mouth. George and Kannan carried him through the forest. Nanda carried the oar behind them. He was still able to hear the sound of Muthu's bone cruching when he hit him. A small sickening sound which he has come to enjoy. When they are finished he would do the same with Muthu's neck and enjoy the sound once more. And When Muthu was just a dead body he would paint its face with its blood. The knife in his backpack would see to that. Nanda marched looking forward to this amazing experience. "So you enjoy sounds? Let's see what your bones sound like". Our friend hit Nanda with a boat oar on his left knee. "A crunch, not bad for an old man. Let's see if you can walk". Muthu helped Nanda

to his feet and dragged him. Nanda shrieked in horror. "Now I like it when you limp like me you old bastard"."Now how do you want to die ? I will let you choose between breaking your neck and spine. Three count. One, Two, Three. Times up dude". Muthu hit Nanda's head repeatedly against a tree. Then he broke his neck with a swift turn of the head. A bite to the throat ended it. "Now my friend my face is painted. With your blood".

The idea was his. Guna. He wanted more than a boat ride and a suicide point view. After all they had come to have some fun. They had picked up a whore on the way here. But even she could not live through four pounding dogs. She did not make it to hogenakkal. Instead, she ended up in a mortuary in a small town. And then Guna had come up with his master idea. Abduct the boatman and have all fun they wanted to have. He was no maniac like Nanda or a sexist like Kannan. He was an artist. He loved to make people beg for their lives and with money on his side, he has had more than many experiences with it. But this was different. After 2 hours with them, Muthu realised that Guna was the man in charge and fell on his feet to let him go. Guna would do anything to see that sight again. An 18 year old boy naked to his butt, raped several times, wounded everywhere, tears on his eyes, saliva spilling out of his mouth, begging for life at his feet. He had enjoyed every bit of it. He had enjoyed standing on Muthu's penis. He had enjoyed driving a drill through his face. He had enjoyed inserting a tree branch into his ass. He had enjoyed cutting his hair uneven. He had enjoyed abusing his mother. And he enjoyed peeing on him the most. What an ecstatic feeling it had been. And now the kid was begging him. Wow.

What a dream come true. He instead had ashed off his cigar on the boy's face and the boy had gone tumbling backwards. Guna's death will be horrible. His death will be made a lesson. Our friend made sure Guna suffered till the end. All bones of his body were broken, head has been sheared from the body, Liver and Intestine were cut opened and were spilling on the ground, the penis and the left leg were gone, his skin had a lot of burns, his asshole was torn and they were a lot of pokings on his skin probably with a knife, 9 of his 10 fingers were cut till the first joint and the Guna was a total mess. But for an identity card, It was hard to tell even it were human remains. Muthu has had his retribution. And then he had to pay.

Muthu's body washed up 3 days later 58 kms from where he drowned. A wild dog was chewing his fingers when the police found it. There was no notes, no motives for a suicide and no evidence he murdered all those men. To the poice he was just a poor beggar who no one cared about, slipped into water by mistake. He will not be cremated with celebration. Just one more body to dispose.

But the mask was still smiling. Now at me !

(I still could not believe a forgotten mask made me write a story like this. May be it was lying around there for me to find it.)