Hello again, everyone. Sorry for being away for a very long time. Recently, I have participated in short story writing competitions for many publishers, so I sincerely apologize for not continuously releasing new chapters for you to read. Thank you very much to those of you who still follow and comment. I really thank you very much for still following.
I guarantee that the next episodes will definitely not disappoint you. This short story is another story that I have written to compete. How do you read it and what do you like or dislike? You can talk with me in the comments.
The Monstra
ByD.O.V.
Monsters are a part of every one of us. It's just who can overcome them and use them in the right way or let them control us.
“You weirdo, you weirdo, you weirdo, you idiot.” A voice suddenly sounded into his ears as he napped with his face pressed against his study table. He slowly raised his head, rubbed his eyes and stretched his body before looking at the source of the sound he heard.
“You guys can stop teasing him and you know that Kwan is suffering from anemia! Why do you have to make fun of him?!” I shouted loudly to drown out the voices of my bully classmates who were teasing me as usual.
“Look at Kwanmandi sitting there and falling asleep in the air. Sometimes I can't hear what you say. It's like teasing him like that!” The bully's roommates yelled back, but still they continued to tease Kwan, sometimes by poking him, stealing him from his hand, and twisting him around to make him dizzy. Naha.
“He didn't pretend it was a side effect of his. You guys are cruel, stop teasing him, if something happens to him, who will be responsible! You guys?” I still haven't stopped acting like a hero. Shouting across the room, trying to stop the rascals once and for all. But actually I just feel sorry for Kwan. He is just very sick and tries to live a normal life like the rest of us. I don't understand why they have to bully him so hard.
Fortunately, the teacher came in first. Otherwise, Kwan would probably pass out or have to go home first as his condition was getting worse and worse. And Kwan walked slowly and unsteadily to sit at the study table next to me. As I hurried in to help him sit and help him sweep away the table and chairs. And the bottom of his cabinet was filled with scraps of candy that his mischievous classmates teased him about.
Even the teachers can't help or don't pay much attention because they think it's just kids teasing each other. Sometimes the bullying goes too far and if the teacher finds out, the most they can do is give a warning. Those mischievous children were indifferent and didn't even give them more punishment or warning.
No matter how many times Kwan was teased, if I was there I always tried to help stop him, separate him, and help console him. But it was good that my bully roommates didn't tease me any harder than they had before. Never used force until blood came out. But for me, Kwan's illness was just a little teasing like this. It is considered heavy.
One semester passed smoothly, and morale was able to pass marginally in terms of physical health. But the mind is hard to understand. When I observed his expression, I could see how weak and exhausted he was mentally. But he seemed like a strong person from what I could see. And help him.
On Saturday afternoon, the weekend when the weather was cool in the rainy season, the sky was overcast and there was no sun, I took a nap at Grandma's house, which is a house made of cement mixed with wood. The mezzanine of the house, with the floor covered with parquet, was cool, not too hot and not too cold. I suddenly felt something and a strange dream woke me up.
While I was still trembling, a black cat from nowhere leaped down from the top of the stairs and landed next to me. It slowly walked over and turned its head to stare intently at me, as if it wanted to communicate something that I couldn't understand from its eyes. We were both in a trance for a while, and the cat quietly walked away as if nothing had happened.
Or because he couldn't communicate to us so he left, I'm not sure. But not long after the cat walked away, the phone next to me that I had placed on the floor rang.
“Guys, it's me, Tai,” my friend Tai said.
“Um, what do you have? I just woke up from a nap.” I said, feeling a bit sleepy and confused about what had just happened.
"You bastard Kwan, you're dead. Kwan is not well with anemia," Tai said in a trembling voice and in a hurry.
“What is it? Are you demoralized? Hey, how is that possible? The other day was fine. When did it break?” I was quite shocked to hear that and spoke at such a fast pace. Because he could hardly believe his ears and the goosebumps that were happening. Right now everything seems to be out of my control even my own body and emotions right now.
“Kaka, I have something to tell you. It's like it's fresh and hot. Just now, I suddenly had a nightmare and woke up. Then suddenly a black cat came out of nowhere. He jumped down from the top of the stairs and stared at me like he wanted to tell me something. We stared at each other for a while and then it went away, but at that time I felt a strange feeling of fear in my heart.
It was like something bad had happened and then he called to say that he was in a bad mood. Right now I'm getting goosebumps. You know that I have experience with these kinds of things.” I said it all in one go, as if I was afraid someone would steal the line, but actually everything flowed smoothly. From my mouth without even thinking about the words.
“That's enough. I'm getting goosebumps now. Are you going to Kwan's funeral or not? I saw that it was being held tomorrow and it would be for 3 days and 3 nights." Tai began to try to give out details to change the subject.
“Of course you must go. Don't forget that our group is the only group that welcomes you into the group. Our group is the closest to Kwan, don't forget him.” I replied and reminded my friend Tai that we were considered the closest friends in the room and would have to attend Kwan's funeral.
The evening of the next day, I went to attend Khwan's funeral together with my entire group of 5 friends. But what was beyond my expectations was that the group that liked to tease him also came to the event. “Because I really didn't think that they would dare to come even though they were harassing Kwan like that. Even though it might not be the direct reason for Kwan's departure, there was a reason for it.”
I really thought that at the time. Their faces looked sadder than I could have ever imagined because I never thought that these people would feel guilty as well.
It's time to see the corpse's face one last time. I and a group of friends, including those who like to tease Kwan, are also waiting to see the corpse's face one last time.
“We're sorry, we didn't intend for this to happen. We just thought we were playing for fun. We are truly sorry. Forgive and forgive us. We are sorry, rest in peace and may you rest in peace, Kwan.” One of the men in the group whispered rather softly so that others, especially Kwan's family and relatives, could not hear, but I accidentally overheard it because of my group. I had just finished expressing my condolences and walked a few steps away from the coffin, which made me have tears streaming down my face without realizing it and turned my head to look at them and nodded once.”
To say that you guys did a good job.” When they finished speaking they turned their heads to look at me.
The next day at school, my classroom advisor made an announcement about the passing of the gift and invited one person from the group to speak in condolences, but did not specify who would speak and because of my position in the group, I am always the one chosen to report to the front of the class when doing group work. This time it was no exception. When I turned to look at the group and the room, all eyes were staring at me as if trying to say, “
You go, you are the closest group to Kwan.” I turned my head to look at the people in my group, which were not much different since every eye in the group turned to look at me with the same eyes and nodded. To leave as usual, I was helpless and had to speak in front of the flagpole in front of thousands of teachers and students without a script.
I admit that it was my first time having to speak in front of the flagpole in front of the whole school like this, and there was no script. I was shaking all over and my head was very empty. I couldn't think of anything, I was sweating until my shirt was wet, my face was pale, and my mouth was shaking.
“Don't worry, you just need to think about the feelings and relationship that you and Kwan have for each other, for yourself and your group, that's enough, and say it honestly like you always have, sincere to yourself and your feelings. Your own feelings are enough. You can do it, I know.” The teacher gently touched my shoulder and whispered in my ear so as not to enter the microphone, which gave me a lot of encouragement because my advisor and I were quite close even though I will not be very good at studying.
“Hello, I am Mr. Prasit. Anant Prasert I am in Mathayom 2, Room 5. This morning I was invited to speak in front of the flagpole to express my condolences to our friend who has lost Kwan. Kwan is a new student who just transferred at the beginning of the second semester of Mathayom 1. Khwan is a quiet person and is not well due to his anemia.
And even though the side effects of the disease or the medicine made him sometimes fall asleep or even be distracted, he was a studious person. A good friend ever. And Kwan is a friend who is in the same group as me. Even though he sometimes can't keep up with the lessons, we always help tutor him.
Including group work, Kwan is a very diligent person. He always comes to ask if he can help with anything. Even though he is not that well, he is never lazy and tries his best in his way. He would help with group work or room activities. We are very saddened by his passing and wish Kwan to rest in peace and rest in peace.”
As I spoke, tears streamed down my face, even though I tried to hold back the tears but it was no use. After I finished speaking, the teacher walked in front of the microphone and grabbed my shoulder and nodded as a sign that he understood and allowed me to move to the side. Said, “Let's all mourn our departed friend for one minute before retiring to class.”
As I was standing in mourning with everyone, with tears in my heart, I thought back to the first day that Kwan came into our classroom with the teacher and thought back to yesterday at the funeral of Khwan, where a group of people who always teased him, repented and apologized in front of corpse Kwan It made me unable to hold back my tears any longer and sobbed while thinking of an expression that said, “I don't see a coffin. No tears will be shed.”
Even though they had no tears, it made me think that the hand inside each of us is similar. There are definitely monsters even within me if I try to conquer and rise above them. Even if that group of people cannot defeat the monsters of abuse and self-indulgence, in the end, They still had remorse and eventually defeated the monster in the dark corners of their own minds.