《Chapter#9: Corrupted Dream》

  The night was serene. There was a vast field. As far as someone can see, there is no houses or human habitants can be seen. Just a single house made out of wood was standing beside that field. It was small in size. Simple,realistic and nothing fancy. Just an ordinary house. Beside that house there was a big beautiful flamboyant Royal Poinciana.

  Under the tree there was a boy with nothing special moderate physic. His hair is wavy and deep black. If looked carefully the thing can be known that at some point in past his skin was fair but by passing time it got tanned and looks browny white now. His height was average. Face was by modern beauty standards can be called diamond shape. There is a calm composer that can be seen in his closed eyes. Like it had seen and analysed many things despite the young age. He was wearing a plain T-shirt of blue colour and normal trousers. He was of average height.

  Cold breeze was flowing. The wind was tickling on the boy's skin.

  As if his sleep has completed the boy finally started sign of moving a little.

  Kai opened his eyes. The view infront of him reflected on his eyes. He didn't react as if he was living here for years. He slowly stood up. Slowly walked to the small house. Inside the house, there was a bed and some other small furnitures. He peacefully went to the bed and slept.

  {Chirp chirp}

  At morning Kai woke up. He ate some bread and spent rest of the day sitting under the Royal Poinciana tree.

  The beautiful fallen scarlet petals were fling about infront of the tree. A nice breeze was flowing. There was no humans nearby, neither any intelligent life form. Some birds can be seen faraway. Just a vast field, a small house, a big tree and under it sitting a normal boy.

  (...)

  Bota was studying something hardly. The expression in his eyes was serious. He had to study. He had to study for his survival. He had to study for a job. He had to study for his life. He is spending his days doing something related to getting job. He doesn't smile that much now. He doesn't read novels or comics. Neither does he watch anime. He need to survive. He have to survive.

  There is no wishful thinking in his mind anymore. As if nowadays he has completed forgotten his usual self. He just wants a job to survive........

  As if every colour has banished and a deep shed of grey has darkened his entire life. Its now completely one dimensional . It is the reality of an average real person living in that so called reality of society.

  (...)

  Stan was working in his room as always. Trying to solve hardest math problems. Pausing time to time to think about something. There was nothing special. His usual life.

  He don't attend family parties, he eats in his room never joining family members for dinner. His younger siblings try to approach him time to time but never heeding them any mind. At least that was what can be seen.

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  It was not that he wasn't social. But it was more like he don't expose his emotions at all. As if there was big boulder set on the face of his well that blocks the seeker from getting the water.

  There was something there between him and his parents and some relatives. So he normally didn't want interact with them at all.

  But even when it comes to others he has always been at the muted side when it comes to emotions. He never had someone that can be called his romantic partner.

  He only had his two friends. They were like his most important people. It was different when he is with them. Even the boulder of the well slightly even though its really slightly, still its like it moves a little. He shows his emotions quarrelling with Bota or lecturing Kai or sharing his insights with both of them even though most of the time they didn't understand anything because that wasn't there interest. They both listened to Stan.

  But now they were not here. The boulder now completely sealing the well. He don't know where they were. But they are not here.

  After someday, it was like he was just exhausted of all of it.

  He was resting on a chair. His skin is getting purple in some parts and some parts are getting blue.

  (...)

  Kai was completely isolated. His life of isolation was just going by. Even though the place was peaceful and there was no problem in his life, there was always an emptiness on his heart. As if he is loosing his humanity day by day. He was bondless. He may be the freest person, deprive of any bond or connection with anyone. There was speck of darkness in his chest that was growing with passing days in this isolation. But now the darkness is flowing out. Out of the chest. It is forcing its way into reality. Slowly darkening Kai's body.

  (...)

  Bota has completely accepted the reality. He doesn't live in his fantasis like before. He is now being a so called realist that rather than the meaning suggests, its taking of the colourful glasses out of Bota's eyes. His body has lost it colour and now its almost colourless.

  {Huff Huff}

  His breathing has started to get louder. There was an enormous pain in his brain. His mind was going crazy. His eyes had already rolled back and become null. It was as if someone hitting with a hammer and trying to insert nails on his brain.

  (...)

  Kai was coughing. Blood is coming out of his mouth. The beautiful Royal Poinciana tree got dried up when the black blood touched it. The small house just collapsed and the vast field started burning with crimson flames.

  Kai was running out of his breath. It was as if he just gulped molten lava. His interior was burning even though the fire was outside. He was rolling like an insect with severed head breathing his last breath before death and he can't feel his heart at all.

  {Dong}

  Sound of bell ringing could be heard.

  {Huff Huff huff}

  Kai's breathing getting heavier and heavier. The intense mental pressure was so intense that his mind was almost out of control.

  He slowly looked infront of him.

  "You again!"

  A person akin to his reflection was standing infront of him. In this vast white place the person was standing alone.

  A smile slowly shaped itself on the face of that reflection.

  "Don't be isolated. Always keep your bond with someone. Don't unbind yourself otherwise you will get lost in the void of The Singular River."

  (...)

  I reflexively sit up from sleeping. I can't catch my breath. I am suffocating.

  {Splash splash}

  Someone splashed me with a type of clean liquid. It was like water but not water. Black smoke was coming out of my body. It had a smell like rubber burning. But the smell was so intense that I almost threw out my stomach.

  My breathing was getting normal. The emptiness of my heart that I experienced before was filling a little by little.

  Bota has also waken up. He was also struggling. His eyes were of a fearful person. As if he got extremely traumatised by something.

  (But where is Stan. Hasn't he woke up yet?)

  I looked in the direction of Stan's bed. There was a figure whose skin was pitch blackl like there was crude petroleum flowing under his skin. His eyes were closed but his breathing was abnormal.

  Due to my fuzziness I didn't understand at first what was happening. When I gained some lucidity I understood it was none other than Stan. I jumped out of my bed. When I was almost infront of Stan.

  There was a deep voice that can be heard. It was familiar but it is creating immense pressure now.

  "Don't touch him", it was old man's voice.

  Old man walked over there. He had a big vessel. It was almost human size. Dark smokey substance with gleaming dots like it was a starry night sky flowing like liquid was coming out of the old man's body. The shimmering Darkness slowly picked up Stan from his bed and inserted him in the vessel full of that pure liquid. It was a vessel made out of glass like substance so. Stan can be seen through it.

  "Can he breath in there"

  Old man nodded.

  "Why his condition like this?"

  Old man replied,

  "It happens when someone is already following his inate desire so much"

  Stans skin was shedding from someplaces. But his body was slowly healing. After around 40 minutes Stan's body got his colours back.

  I calm down after a while. Bota has recovered too.

  "Stan will be sleeping for someday there", The old man said.

  We nodded .

  We need to recover. So we rested and hoped for the recovery of Stan. Neither could we do anything other than this.