Short: Through Struggle to the Stars
Simon licked his dry lips, becoming aware of his scorching thirst. “Jenny’s dead, I killed my wife long before she really died. And Ellen, she understands I never really had much choice.” His voice stuttered unexpectedly and his eyes moistened with tears. He looked up and it looked like his gaze wandered aimlessly through the small space of the attic before it rested on a large rectangular object in a far corner. “There, in that chest, lies the answer to it all – the past and the future.”
The silence that followed caught Simon off guard. He waited for the familiar voice to intervene but he no longer felt the presence of his doppelganger mind. The only sound he heard was of the rain drops crashing down on the iron ledge of the attic window. Suddenly, he felt how the fabric of the rope itches and bites into the soft flesh of his neck. He took the rope off and stepped down from the chair in a cautious manner that somehow suggested reluctance and deliberation. Now, it’s true to say that his mind was still mulling over the idea of suicide but his walk already hinted more of a fortitude than acceptance.
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