This was the
Day. Steve had been waiting for this day for his entire life. He had his share
of sorrow all through his life but now the moment waited him which would change
his life forever. He was 22 and had seen so much in these years. He never knew
what a mother's warmth was. She died giving birth to
him. Soon after her death his Dad started seeing other women. Steve hailed from
a very rich and prestigious family with generations
having served the poor through the medical fraternity. Everyone was a doctor or
a PHD but not his dad. His dad didn't take up the medical profession, in fact
never tried to earn a penny.
Steve had a lonely childhood until Pebble entered his life. He could still remember the day when Pebble moved to his born hood. He had found a true friend in her. Pebble's company covered all his sorrows, he started smiling, laughing and more importantly enjoying his life. And now he was going to ask her to marry him. This was his last day of college and he had been preparing for this moment for a while now. He had visualized the scene a hundred times in his dreams." Will you marry me Miss Pebble?" He had memorized this simple plain line. As he was waiting for Pebble in his garden he heard Uncle Jack calling him. Uncle Jack was the one who looked after him for all these years. Mr. Jack was a Psychologist. He was very dear to Steve.
Steve had a lonely childhood until Pebble entered his life. He could still remember the day when Pebble moved to his born hood. He had found a true friend in her. Pebble's company covered all his sorrows, he started smiling, laughing and more importantly enjoying his life. And now he was going to ask her to marry him. This was his last day of college and he had been preparing for this moment for a while now. He had visualized the scene a hundred times in his dreams." Will you marry me Miss Pebble?" He had memorized this simple plain line. As he was waiting for Pebble in his garden he heard Uncle Jack calling him. Uncle Jack was the one who looked after him for all these years. Mr. Jack was a Psychologist. He was very dear to Steve.
"Can I
speak to you for some time, Steve?"
"Now? Actually
Uncle ...", before Steve could complete his statement uncle jack said
"Steve this is really very important. I always wanted to speak to you
about this but was afraid. Now you are older and you will be able to
understand..." "What is it all about…?” Steve asked with a tensed
voice. "Not here... Let's go inside the living room
and will have a talk there"
Steve followed Uncle Jack into the cottage. Steve was very anxious and nervous. He had never seen his Uncle this way. "Steve before I talk to u about it please promise me you won't panic and whatever happens always remember that I am with you." “God, you are making me too nervous. Tell me uncle jack what is it about". Steve wanted to get through this as early as possible. "Pebble must be waiting for me" he thought. "Steve you need to keep your calm. Know it will be very tough for you to understand…Steve, remember the day when you told me about Pebble moving to the cottage next to ours?"
"Is it about Pebble...?" he shrieked, his heart was pumping fast... "Listen Steve There is no one living in that cottage for years now..." "Whhhat?? How's that possible I have been there myself so many times.....what are you talking about? I just can't understand" "Please listen Steve. You were alone those days and were very upset with life. You didn't have friends then...You went through lot of things...You wanted to be happy but were unable to you didn't had anyone to talk to" Uncle jack moved closer to Steve and put his hand on Steve's shoulder. "And in such situations your brain plays bad games with you. You started imagining Pebble as your friend...There is no Pebble; Steve you are just imagining her..." "Just…just… just imagining her...how can you say that ...I have touched her even kissed her cheeks. It's you who are crazy and not me..."
"Steve I know it's hard to believe this. But it's the truth. I always wanted to tell you this but you were too small to understand.. ." "No that's not possible.....you are lying ..." "No son it's your own mind lying you...please Steve keep your cool everything will be fine ....just trust me"
Steve rushed away from the living room. He ran to meet Pebble in the Garden. But no one was there. He went to Pebble's house hoping to find her there...he tried ringing the door bell but it didn't rang and how would it? The place was locked for 17 years now. He entered the Cottage through a broken window..Everything was deserted. The sofa on which he and Pebble sat chatting for hours was covered with layers of dust... He was almost crying now...he moved to the terrace to find the rose plant they planted together. There was nothing only some rusted furniture and dust. He went back Uncle Jack. "Son, I am sorry but you need to get out of this..." Steve couldn't believe what had happened to him. The girl who he loved the most and wanted to marry didn't exist. She was fake, a thought, and a piece of imagination...
It took around a month for him to digest his fate. He was finally recovering. And that day before going to sleep he took those tablets which he took for last 15 years. He always wondered why Uncle Jack kept giving him those tablets. Now he knew the answer. He was sick. Sick mentally. As he was about to sleep he heard a knock on his door. It was Pebble. "Pebble you cant be here...you don't exist..." "What's that? Is this some kind of Joke, Steve? I came here to say sorry. I had to leave that day without informing you because my mom died in a car accident...I tried to reach you but somehow I was not able to..."
"Noooo! This is not true" said Steve. "There is no one called Pebble in my life...I know that now...Just get away from me... “, “What’s the matter with you Steve? I am Pebble your sweetheart your love....", "No that's not true...." Steve closed his eyes for a moment hoping his dream would end.... Pebble held his hand....Steve was shivering he could feel the touch. His brain was playing Bad games with him he knew it. "Come here my baby you are not well...you need some rest" "Go away from me ...just go..." Steve was breathing high now...He tried keeping his cool and took a deep breath. He knew this would be over once he convinced himself that there was no Pebble. "Pebble you are my imagination...I made you..." "Steve you can't hurt me ...you love me so much ...we had such a great time together" "No Pebble, I had a great time with myself..." What am I talking! I am going nuts..
He rushed into the kitchen. He came back with water all over his shirt... He could still see Pebble standing there...weeping. He was well aware of the bad games of the Brain now. He went closer to her... "Pebble i made you ...now i will destroy you..." Zap…zap…zap... three stabs...Pebble was bleeding... Steve could feel the red liquid ....bad brain games he thought... "Uncle Jack. Where are you? I am cured now. There will be no Pebble from now on...where are you Uncle Jack?" "There is no Uncle Jack. I wanted to tell you this... All these days..." Pebble gasped, breathing her last breath.
Steve followed Uncle Jack into the cottage. Steve was very anxious and nervous. He had never seen his Uncle this way. "Steve before I talk to u about it please promise me you won't panic and whatever happens always remember that I am with you." “God, you are making me too nervous. Tell me uncle jack what is it about". Steve wanted to get through this as early as possible. "Pebble must be waiting for me" he thought. "Steve you need to keep your calm. Know it will be very tough for you to understand…Steve, remember the day when you told me about Pebble moving to the cottage next to ours?"
"Is it about Pebble...?" he shrieked, his heart was pumping fast... "Listen Steve There is no one living in that cottage for years now..." "Whhhat?? How's that possible I have been there myself so many times.....what are you talking about? I just can't understand" "Please listen Steve. You were alone those days and were very upset with life. You didn't have friends then...You went through lot of things...You wanted to be happy but were unable to you didn't had anyone to talk to" Uncle jack moved closer to Steve and put his hand on Steve's shoulder. "And in such situations your brain plays bad games with you. You started imagining Pebble as your friend...There is no Pebble; Steve you are just imagining her..." "Just…just… just imagining her...how can you say that ...I have touched her even kissed her cheeks. It's you who are crazy and not me..."
"Steve I know it's hard to believe this. But it's the truth. I always wanted to tell you this but you were too small to understand.. ." "No that's not possible.....you are lying ..." "No son it's your own mind lying you...please Steve keep your cool everything will be fine ....just trust me"
Steve rushed away from the living room. He ran to meet Pebble in the Garden. But no one was there. He went to Pebble's house hoping to find her there...he tried ringing the door bell but it didn't rang and how would it? The place was locked for 17 years now. He entered the Cottage through a broken window..Everything was deserted. The sofa on which he and Pebble sat chatting for hours was covered with layers of dust... He was almost crying now...he moved to the terrace to find the rose plant they planted together. There was nothing only some rusted furniture and dust. He went back Uncle Jack. "Son, I am sorry but you need to get out of this..." Steve couldn't believe what had happened to him. The girl who he loved the most and wanted to marry didn't exist. She was fake, a thought, and a piece of imagination...
It took around a month for him to digest his fate. He was finally recovering. And that day before going to sleep he took those tablets which he took for last 15 years. He always wondered why Uncle Jack kept giving him those tablets. Now he knew the answer. He was sick. Sick mentally. As he was about to sleep he heard a knock on his door. It was Pebble. "Pebble you cant be here...you don't exist..." "What's that? Is this some kind of Joke, Steve? I came here to say sorry. I had to leave that day without informing you because my mom died in a car accident...I tried to reach you but somehow I was not able to..."
"Noooo! This is not true" said Steve. "There is no one called Pebble in my life...I know that now...Just get away from me... “, “What’s the matter with you Steve? I am Pebble your sweetheart your love....", "No that's not true...." Steve closed his eyes for a moment hoping his dream would end.... Pebble held his hand....Steve was shivering he could feel the touch. His brain was playing Bad games with him he knew it. "Come here my baby you are not well...you need some rest" "Go away from me ...just go..." Steve was breathing high now...He tried keeping his cool and took a deep breath. He knew this would be over once he convinced himself that there was no Pebble. "Pebble you are my imagination...I made you..." "Steve you can't hurt me ...you love me so much ...we had such a great time together" "No Pebble, I had a great time with myself..." What am I talking! I am going nuts..
He rushed into the kitchen. He came back with water all over his shirt... He could still see Pebble standing there...weeping. He was well aware of the bad games of the Brain now. He went closer to her... "Pebble i made you ...now i will destroy you..." Zap…zap…zap... three stabs...Pebble was bleeding... Steve could feel the red liquid ....bad brain games he thought... "Uncle Jack. Where are you? I am cured now. There will be no Pebble from now on...where are you Uncle Jack?" "There is no Uncle Jack. I wanted to tell you this... All these days..." Pebble gasped, breathing her last breath.
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