Soul cleanse
Lies twist your mouth, contort your face, and stain your soul. “Thou shalt not bear false witness”, I kept repeating like a mantra.
Lies sully, defile, and taint the person that is fooled by your treachery. Tears stained my cheeks as I continued: “Thou shalt not bear false witness!”
Lies should burn a mark on your forehead for the world to see, branding you to remind the world of your deception. But they don’t. Not in this world.
Lies are nothing but a mere inconvenience. Everyone seems to get away with it. It is brushed over with astonishing indifference.
“I will mark the beginning of a new era, in which lies are punished in a manner that reflects the grave act committed by the sinner”, I say, turning to face the man behind me. His eyes were frozen open in terror, and I could not help but feel elated. “You will be my first. I will cleanse you from the evil root of sin.” His whimpers echoed in the dimly lit room.
The blade of my Bowie knife caught the light as I approached him. I made sure his shackles were tight around his limbs and continued “You and I, we will create a masterpiece.”
His long, piercing cries accompanied me through my work, but I did not mind. Once I was done, peaceful and deathly silence filled the room. There is a beautiful contrast between the loud and dirty sin that I had dismantled and the quiet, pure innocence I had created.
The work-of-art I had conceived expunged the last bits of worry from my mind. I was called deranged, but sanity emanated from my art.
Lies will never stain another soul.
By Meriem Terzi
