The Twisted Obsession-Chapter 272: Final day

James couldn’t understand how his life had fallen apart in the blink of an eye. He sat at the counter bar, the place where visitors could talk to prisoners. The cold metal and Plexiglas barrier felt like a cruel reminder of how far he had fallen. He had been informed that he had a visitor, and his curiosity was piqued. He had been trying to piece together what had gone so terribly wrong.

When Otis walked in, James immediately knew something was amiss. His old friend looked worn out, his usual commanding presence diminished. Otis sat down heavily, and the policeman gave them a modicum of privacy, stepping away but remaining within sight.

"Why did you do it?" Otis asked, his voice eerily calm.

James was taken aback. Otis knew everything he had been doing. In fact, Otis had been the one to plant many of the ideas in James’ head, so why was he asking questions now?

"What?" James asked, genuinely confused.

"My son, James. Why did you kill him?" Otis asked, his calm facade cracking slightly, a tremor of emotion edging into his voice.

James frowned, his confusion deepening. "Son? Who? Alex?"

Otis laughed, a harsh, bitter sound. "Don’t play dumb with me, James. I did my investigation, and everything points to you!" His voice rose with anger, his fists clenching on the table. "You fucking bastard!"

James recoiled, the accusation hitting him like a physical blow. "Otis, I didn’t kill Alex! I would never—"

"Save it!" Otis interrupted, his eyes blazing with fury. "You had motive, you had means, and you had the opportunity. Everything points to you. You think I wouldn’t find out?"

James shook his head, struggling to process the accusation. "Otis, listen to me. I didn’t kill your son. You know me. We’ve been through too much together for you to believe this."

Otis’s face twisted with rage and betrayal. "Don’t you dare use our friendship as a shield. I trusted you, James. I let you into my family’s life, and this is how you repay me?"

James felt a desperate need to make Otis see the truth. "I swear to you, Otis, I didn’t do it. Someone is setting me up. Think about it. Why would I want to kill Alex?"

Otis slammed his fist on the table, the sound echoing through the room. "Because you’re a jealous, greedy bastard! You’ve always wanted what I had, and you couldn’t stand that Alex was going to take over everything."

James felt the frustration boiling over. "That’s not true! Yes, I wanted more, but I would never hurt your family. You have to believe me!"

But Otis was beyond reasoning. His eyes were cold and hard, his face a mask of unyielding anger. "The evidence is clear, James. You’re going to rot in prison for what you’ve done. And I will make sure of it."

Before James could say anything more, the policeman approached. "Time’s up," he said, his tone curt and indifferent.

Otis stood up, his eyes never leaving James’s. "See you in hell, James," he spat, his voice dripping with venom.

James watched as Otis turned and walked away, leaving him behind the glass, confusion and fear swirling in his mind. The door closed with a finality that felt like a death knell. He was left alone, staring at the empty space where his friend had stood, trying to understand how everything had gone so wrong.

The walk back to his cell was a blur. James’s mind was racing, trying to piece together the puzzle. He knew Otis had always been a man who valued control and power above all else, but he never thought that same man would turn on him so ruthlessly.

****

The journey to the court wasn’t easy. James sat in the back of the police transport van, his wrists bound by cold metal handcuffs, his mind racing with Otis’s accusations. The repetitive sound of the engine and the bumpy ride did little to distract him from the gnawing dread that had settled in his stomach. How had everything gone so wrong?

As the van rolled along the highway, a sudden jolt pulled James out of his thoughts. The vehicle shook violently, and he felt a cold spike of fear shoot through him. "W-what’s going on?" he asked, his voice trembling for the first time. The officers in the front didn’t respond, their attention focused on the road.

The van swerved sharply, the tires screeching against the asphalt. James’s heart pounded in his chest, each beat echoing the growing terror in his mind. The world outside the barred windows spun in a dizzying blur as the van skidded uncontrollably.

Before he could process what was happening, the van hit something—maybe a barrier or another vehicle—hard. The impact sent James crashing against the side of the van, the metal biting into his flesh. He gasped, pain mingling with fear. frёewebηovel.cѳm

Then the world turned upside down. The van somersaulted, rolling over and over. James was tossed around like a rag doll, the sound of metal crunching and glass shattering filling his ears. He felt his head slam against the wall, the force nearly knocking him unconscious.

When the van finally came to a stop, it was upside down, and the silence that followed was eerie. James groaned, his body aching, his head spinning. He tried to move but found himself pinned. Panic set in as he realized he couldn’t free himself.

Smoke began to fill the cabin, the acrid smell stinging his nose and throat. "Help! Somebody, please help!" he shouted, his voice cracking with desperation. He could hear the faint sounds of the officers outside, but their voices were distant and frantic.

A spark ignited somewhere near the front of the van, and within moments, flames began to lick at the wreckage. James’s eyes widened in terror as he saw the fire spreading, the heat intensifying. The realization that he was trapped in a burning vehicle hit him like a punch to the gut.

"No, no, no!" he screamed, struggling against his restraints. The metal cuffs cut into his wrists, but he didn’t care. He had to get out. He had to survive. The flames grew closer, the heat becoming unbearable. Sweat poured down his face, mingling with tears of fear and pain.

"Help me! Please, help me!" he cried, his voice raw and desperate. But the fire roared louder, drowning out his pleas. The smoke thickened, making it hard to breathe. James coughed violently, his lungs burning with each ragged breath.

As the fire crept closer, he felt the searing heat on his legs. His clothes began to smolder, the fabric catching fire. Pain shot through him, more intense than anything he had ever felt. He screamed, the sound echoing in the confined space of the van.

In his final moments, James’s mind raced through a whirlwind of memories and regrets. He thought of his family, of the choices he had made, and of Otis’s betrayal. The fear of death, of the unknown, consumed him.

The flames engulfed him, the agony overwhelming. His screams turned into choked sobs as the smoke filled his lungs. His vision blurred, darkness creeping in at the edges. The last thing he saw was the orange glow of the fire, the world fading into a haze of pain and fear.

And then, mercifully, everything went black. The fire raged on, the van a twisted, burning wreck on the side of the road. By the time the emergency responders arrived, it was too late. The inferno had claimed James, his final moments marked by terror and despair.

The news of the accident spread quickly, adding another layer of tragedy to an already convoluted story

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