James was sobbing for nearly an hour, alone and heartbroken in his cabin. He was holding the monkey's paw and turning it over slowly, examining it and thinking about the pain it had caused. He hated that monkey's paw. In fact, he loathed it with all his heart. Just then, none other than Iris came in. As soon as she spotted him, she was at his side with concern showing clear as day on her pale face.
"Honey, what's wrong?" she questioned. "Where's Morgan?"
That brought on fresh tears for James, and she could do nothing except for pat him on the back, and bring him a box of tissues.
"She -" James tried to make out, his voice breaking through the tears. "M-Morgie's... sh-she's... gone. My Mor-Morgan's g-gone f-forev-ver, and it-it's all my f-fault."
"What are you talking about, sweetie?" James could see the pain in those blue eyes.
He simply handed her the letter he found on Morgan's bedside table, too devastated and tear-soaked to speak.
Iris gasped when she read the last part and began to weep herself. "I- I can't believe that sweet little girl is..." she trailed off. "Is there anything I can do to make you feel better, James?"
"N-no. If I hadn't wished for you in the first place, none of this would have happened."
James was still holding the monkey's paw, and upon seeing it, he started crying once again.
"Are you sure? I know a great lemon cake recipe. If a slice of that doesn't cheer you up, I don't know what will." She smiled again.
"How can you be smiling at a time like this?"
"Oh, cinnamon roll, I'm just trying to make you feel better. I'm sorry."
James only retorted, "And stop calling me those stupid nicknames."
"But sweet- I mean, James, you used to love-"
"I'm not who I used to be, Iris. I made a very bad choice."
"Well, is there still anything I can do-" Iris tried.
"No."
"Not even the cake?"
"No!"
"Please? I hate to see you-"
"Iris! I wish you would just leave me alone!" James yelled.
Something seemed to change suddenly in Iris's expression, and she walked out of his cabin, closing the door behind her with a solid click.
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Fiddling With Fate ✓
रहस्य / थ्रिलरA prequel to the original heart-pounding thriller "The Monkey's Paw" by W. W. Jacobs. James Wester is taking a cruise liner from India back to London. He was given a mysterious monkey's paw by a fakir there, and will soon discover that there is more...
