Keith DaCosta

Photo Story

1/15/07

The last laugh

Have you ever wondered what it’s like to kill someone? It’s not like everyone says. It’s actually not a terrible feeling. You get a rush of excitement as you watch their eyes go dead. Well, the first time is no picnic, but once you get used to it, you just might keep doing it. After my last kill though, the cops put me away. I guess someone walked by and called them. Oh well, what I needed to do was done. Here, let me start from the beginning.

It started during the summer of 1987. I lived in Cape Cod with my daughter, Angela. Her mother passed away when she was born, so I was raising her alone. She was all I had left in my life. We lived in a beach house, right on the water. The land was worth quite a lot of money, but the house wasn’t exactly in the best shape. The paint peeled, and it was pretty much covered with dirt on the sides. You could hardly tell the house was white anymore. We lived a simple life. We could have lived better if we sold the land but it was the last place I had been with her mother therefore I refused to sell it.

When Angela was 17 she came home late one afternoon around the same time the sun was starting to set behind the bay except she wasn’t alone. She had a “friend” as she called him. Now we had been through this before. I could tell just by looking at him that he was just in this for some action or perhaps seeing if we had any money he could pick off us. I didn’t buy his act. His name was Jake, Jake Callahan. He had green eyes. I always thought that was weird. He had dark brown hair and his nose looked a little too big for his face. He looked like a prick. He started off with the whole “Hello sir, it’s a great pleasure to meet you.” Bull shit, I know exactly what he’s after. Trust me it ain’t no mystery that this house is worth some money.

Months later, they were still together and I was still watchin him. Then one day the spark that lit the fire appeared. I was sitting outside on my porch watching the sunset as I usually did alone and Callahan walked up the steps and sat next to me, uninvited. He said “Sir, I have a question for you.” I didn’t answer at first, just continued looking out at the sunset. Then I finally turned to him and asked “What might that be Jake?” He looked startled and a little nervous and finally blurted out “I want to marry your daughter.”

I admit I could have handled the situation a little better than I did but what’s done is done. I looked at him in the eyes without saying a word and I punched his big nose as hard as I could. I yelled “She’s only 17! She’s still just a kid. You couldn’t handle the responsibility of marriage if you gave it your all!” He finally got to his feet and without saying a word he ran off. I shook my hand off and walked inside.

I approached Angela’s room, knocked twice, and went inside. She was sitting on her bed crying. I assumed she had seen what happened and I sat beside her. “He’s no good for you Angela. I can tell by the way he acts. What guy in his right mind would try to get married after only four months of dating?” She looked up at me and said “I love you Dad. I was planning on breaking up with him soon. He acts different when we’re alone.” I looked into her eyes and said “Don’t you ever let a man force you to do anything.” I hugged her and left her alone to think.

That night I woke up to yelling. I could hear Jake. “You’re breaking up with me?! You stupid, bitch.” I ran out immediately. He had a gun. He pointed it at me. I asked “What the hell is going on here?” he replied “Shut up old man. I refuse to be abandoned by your daughter.” I don’t really remember what happened next. Probably because I try not to think about it too much, but before I knew it he pointed the gun from me to Angela and said “I’ll see you in hell.” He fired the gun before I even had a chance to think.

I ran and tackled him. We rolled down the stairs and hit the ground hard, or at least I did. I started beating the hell out of him. I finally I got the gun from his tight grip and threw it on the ground. I had him pinned to the floor. He looked up at me and smiled as he glanced over to his hands. He was wearing gloves so now only my finger prints were on that gun. He looked up at me and said “I told my friend to call the cops if I was in here more than 15 minutes.”

“You little shit…” I let go of him and ran up the stairs to Angela. She was on the floor in a puddle of her own blood. She wasn’t breathing, she was dead. The only thing I had left in my life had been taken from me. Jake was still on the floor. I could tell he was injured since he was breathing very abnormally. Then I did all I could think to do. I could hear the cops coming so I ran.

I went into my basement. Unlocked a door I hoped I’d never have to use. My grandfather had built this house and had made a passage way to the outside. It had the thickest hinges you could imagine and a two inch thick dead bolt. It’d be a while before anyone could follow me. I ran through the dark and moist passage. I finally came to another door way that led to the outside.

It took me some time to think of a plan. Then I decided, I have nothing left in this world. The one person I had left was now gone. The fact that I’ll never look into my daughter’s eyes forced me to avenge her. I knew just how I’d do it. He’d often go swimming near our beach house. I figured if he goes again I’ll meet him in the water and end his life in a terrible way. I wonder what it’s like to drown. I suppose he can tell me when I see him in hell.

I waited several weeks before doing this. I had lived in some woods for that time. Every night I’d steal food from people. I found some gardens in someone’s yard near the woods. Then my night finally came. I snuck back through my Grandfather’s passage way. When I reached the door it looked as though no one ever tried getting through it. The key was under a rock right where I had left it on my way out. I walked slowly through the door.

The lights were off and police tape was everywhere. I walked slowly into the bathroom. I looked at my aged face and then into my dark brown eyes. I’ve only been gone for a couple weeks. You’d think I had been gone for months. I needed a shave, but there’s no time or reason for that. I saw a disgusting man, a man who has lost everything, including his mind. A man who had nothing left, a man who couldn’t be saved. “I love you, Angela” I muttered as I sighed and walked out of the bathroom. I crept out the back door and headed for the beach.

I walked slowly on the sand. I could hear splashes from where I was standing. I saw a car and his friend talking on the phone leaning against it. From what I could tell he was wearing a sleeveless shirt and some shorts. I walked up slowly behind him. I stood right behind him and said “No callin the cops this time mate.” By the time I had finished saying that I had already taken his neck and snapped it like a tree branch. It hit me for a while after I killed the kid. I just ended someone’s life.

This kid had his whole life ahead of him and I just ruined it…then again, Angela had a life to look forward to. I walked slowly towards the water. I could hear the son of a bitch from where I was. Splashing around like a moron. I slowly crept into the water. I swam near him. At one point he called out “who’s there? Jason, is that you?” If it wasn’t for the moon being out he would have never noticed that Jason was lying next to car.

“Oh my god…” The second he spoke I came up from under the water and grabbed his neck and shoved him under the water. Bubbles shot up rapidly from under the water. He struggled with me for a while. He even managed to get up out of the water a couple times to yell “Help me!” It was no use. I could feel the life coming out of him. Right as he died I pulled him up so I could see his eyes as they faded into darkness. I was satisfied and didn’t care what happened next. That’s when the cops came. I guess someone took a walk down to the beach and noticed me killing Jake. I kind of feel bad about getting a life sentence for killing Jake, I mean this way it seems like he got the last laugh.