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1 Year Ago...

"Sometimes, I wonder what a son they think Tuk is. I'm worried from the people they think about his behavior.". Mom assumed downstairs while I'm sitting on creeping them. I hid from them talking about me. "Let's just deal with him, it's what God gave us."

"And it's a part of the Lib that listen to their parents. And Tuk should listen to us, no matter what. We are right from what we are doing this to him." Dad said while creeping on him, sipping his coffee.

"We need to fix his attitude. Sometimes, I can't understand this kid."

"He needs discipline, honey."

"Discipline? He's already at the age of understanding himself. He should help himself."

"Hon, Tuk is a good kid. He's smart but he failed most of the subject."

"Then, he should've fixed from the start! If he's so smart then he wouldn't have failed. He's making my career as a preacher much more of an embarrassment."

This is the first time I heard those true words from them but I heard those words when I was younger and I don't take those seriously but now, I can't ignore or bypass those words any longer. And I never felt so emotionally hurt and betrayed. I never felt so guilty about myself.

I thought that be whoever you want to be, as long as people see the part of you are happy and not hurting people. That's a good part, no matter how different you are. However, the closest ones to you are the ones who are letting you down. Now, I'm like this, letting myself down. I can hardly speak.

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"Tuk! What's wrong? You should eat." Mom said, placing the plate closer to me while I continued to stare at it for a half-hour.

"What's wrong Tuk?" Dad asks. "Nothing," I answered.

"Then, can you stop doing that?!" Dad hit the table showing off his anger. "If you continue to look like that you're gonna get sick!" Dad said loudly with an angry tone.

I'm fine with that.

"You should know most kids like you outside haven't eaten and you're wasting your food!" I continued to stare at it while listening to my dad's rant. I don't know if I'm supposed to feel better or make me motivated to eat. I haven't eaten much. I weighed about 40 and now I'm 32 or below. Can't focus on eating.

"What's wrong with you?! There's nothing wrong and you are acting like that?!" Dad shouted. "We haven't done anything wrong to you?! Why are you acting like that?!"

I took a spoonful bite of my food because I got scared of him. I'm really scared of him. Scarier than mom. After I ate the food and I got up. "I'm full, I'm going up," I said lowly with an unpleasant tone. "Where do you think you are going?! Sit down! You haven't eaten for days now! And you're full?! I'm not an idiot Tuk! SIT AND EAT YOUR FOOD!" Dad demanded.

I got scared, I sat again on the chair and ate the food half-empty. My dad accepted it even if it was half-eaten, all he wants was for me to eat. I got a little skinnier

===°===

"Woah! Tuk! You got thinner!" Emil got surprised by my appearance. "Haha, yeah. I did a little exercise." I smiled at her pretending to be proud of my achievement. Achievement sounds so wrong. "Exercise huh?" Emil questioned while looking at me thoroughly, unsure of what she would suspect or think of me.

===°===

After, I ate. I got upstairs and stayed on the bed for a long time.

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At midnight and that's the time I go to the kitchen alone while everyone is asleep. Especially Lia, sleeping with mom and dad because she's 6.

I sat at the table and placed my head on it. Every night I go downstairs alone staring at the kitchen knife. Imagining scenarios of how I can kill myself because I felt so worthless.

If I'm so useless at anything, then, what's the point of me?

If my effort weren't much appreciated then what's the point of living?

I continue to stare at the knife. I, myself imagine getting closer to the knife. Touching. Holding. Menacing the white silver color that is a little shiny and got a lot of scratches used it for cooking. My courage to stab me in the neck. Through the muscles. It's gonna hurt like hell. Having trouble breathing.

Inhaling slowly. Exhaling slowly. Dealing with the agonizing pain while my blood continued to splatter on the floor and wall.

It's gonna be so painful. So painful.

I stand up. Picking up the knife carefully and pointing at my throat.

Wishing things just end.

Wishing I don't wanna feel pain.

Wishing myself to be eradicated. Just vanished and be forgotten.

I breathe very deeply. Trying to have the courage to do it. I kept saying that I can.

I just want to end this.

"I can do it..." I kept breathing and exhaling. Feeling very nervous and also scared at the same time.

"I can't do it..." I stopped. Placed the knife back where it belonged.

I can't do it.

I flopped on the floor and napped. I couldn't think of anything other than letting my mixed emotion be released. Tears came out. I held my mouth to resist any loud noises I make while they are asleep.

God? Are you there? I pray my parents would just understand me.

That's all I ask.

Please.

===°===

CHAPTER 2

"Is another planet?"

We both answered at the same time. Emil jumps happily, splashing water. "Haha! I'm so happy!" Emil released a victory laugh. "Now that they can't find us here!"

"Well..." I began to doubt her. "What's the matter Tuk? Aren't you happy that you are away from your family?" Emil gets closer to me and bends down to look at me, face down.

"Family huh?"

"I-I mean away from those people." Emil corrected. "Yeah," I said with a calmly sad tone. "You don't look so happy, Tuk?" Emil got concerned. I look away from the long distant swamp water. I don't know how far is this place but it's not entirely my focus.

"Your kid was a good boy then he turned against you. He must be disciplined, your child might be got corrupted by those indisciplined children."

"Tuk ran away? How selfish is he? Leaving his parents behind then who'll take care of them? Who'll take care of them when they get old?"

"Your son might not be saved. That's why he turned against you. He's still so immature so many things to learn. He got school and he just wasted his future."

These voices are in my head. They're the same voices at the church. They don't reveal if they are in front of me. They'll backstab me, once I'm not with them, they're gonna gossip about me, behind. All people have a mask, not revealing their true nature unless that person left.

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

My inside feels like burning, my mouth felt so heavy to move like I can't produce words that I want worse than before.

"Tuk?" Emil held my hand calming me down. "Are you worried about them?" Emil said with a very concerned look at me when I look at her. I look very unassertive. I can't answer that question and I don't know if I was or not.

I felt happy that I left but I left feeling the heavy guilt on me. Carrying the heavy weight on me. I'm afraid if I let go of all of those and let them fall, I might fall as well.

"Don't worry Tuk, we're far from them." Emil grasped my hand tightly. "They're not gonna come. You don't have to worry." Emil got closer to me with a serious look on her face. "O-okay," I answered.

Before we could make a move, we heard someone yawning from behind. The voice sounds like a young man. "Oh? I didn't expect someone would be here?" The suspicious person said from behind.

Emil and I looked our backs, encountering a strange guy wearing a white cloak around his waist and nothing else. His skin is so unnaturally white, like the color pale or the color of a dead body but his body is so gorgeous. His tall about 5'8, I think? He's wearing an earring shaped like a blue diamond. The color of his eyes is lime. Hair is very luxurious in the color gray. "Are you guys travelers? You guys are too young to be travelers."

"W-We're not from here," I answered.

"Yeah, I can tell." The guy scratches his head. Very confused. "Did you see that strange glowing light? People here just vanished because of it."

"Wait, you're from here?" I unsurely ask. "Yeah, what did I say?" He said with a sarcastic tone. "You didn't say anything you're from here." Emil suspected. "Oh, yeah. Sorry. I'm from here."

"This is the Poseria's Swamp Valley." He welcomed us with open arms. "Such a pretty name." Emil got fascinated by the name and me too. He chuckled a little. "Haha, you think it's a pretty name?" He gave us a malicious smirk to us. "Yeah, is something the matter?" I asked.

"It's better that you didn't know." He turned and walk away from us. "Hey! Aren't you supposed to be showing us the way out of here?!" Emil shouts to the guy. "Well, it's not my problem." He continues to walk away.

"He might be hot or handsome but an asshole!" Emil said. "Well, we'll figure something out," I said and patted her shoulder to ease her anger. "Hmph! Such an asshole." She looks away with a timid expression.

"We don't know how far is this place. We can never know the way out or might be a dead end." Emil protested and I can't deny the fact that she's right. "Yeah, you're right." I agreed with her.

"Hey, asshole! We need your help!" Emil screamed and echoed throughout the swamp area. "Did he really left us here?" Emil began to feel scared. "H-How about we follow this path! That guy just passed here right? How about we followed it?"

"O-okay." She straightened her stand and both of us walk in the direction of the mysterious person who just went. "I w-wondered what kind of place is this?" Emil stuttered while looking around. "Maybe magic?" I guessed.

"Magic?" She raised an eyebrow at me.

"Well, what else did we saw that glowing light?"

"Good point."

While walking in the swamp area, the water is getting too deep up to our knees. I unnoticed stepped onto something and tripped on the water. "PFF!! BLBLBLLBB!!" I overreacted when I got tripped on fours in the water and raised my head from getting wet, but I already am wet.

"What the hell is this?" I got pissed and Emil is just laughing at me. "Haha. Sorry," she apologized.

I tried to pick it up but it was heavy and tried both of my arms, raising in the swamp water. I, somehow, wish I ignored it.

I instantly saw a carcass female on her half body. Due to the shock, we both began to scream in fear and I instantly released it from my hands. It was very terrifying. We saw the half-body cut, the inside, the reddish veins, and the bones. I felt sick and dizzy all of a sudden, I couldn't resist my mouth vomiting. Emil got frightened, shaking. She breathes rapidly and can't move because of the disturbing experience.

I started standing up straight and looking at the front, there were many bodies. Humans that have been carcass very brutally. A lot of bodies are afloat on the water and some are hanging on the dead trees. All of them are adults, especially women. All of the bodies are naked. All of them are brutally skinned out.

It gave us chills. It frightened us.

I couldn't move. No matter how much I want to, this was a very terrifying experience.

When I heard a splash, I thought a body fell in but it was from my behind. Emil got out conscious. I got close to her and carried her, laying on my lap. "Emil!" I called her.

"Emil wake up!" I shook her body but she was not responding. She passed out to this. I could pass out as well but it didn't.

"Well, well, well." The familiar voice. "You shouldn't follow someone, especially a stranger." I turned around. It was that guy again. He was smirking and grinning at me, I could feel the dark vibe of his facial expression that he was not concerned about those bodies behind me. It was scary.

My heart beats rapidly, continually staring at him. Hoping he wouldn't do something like those bodies behind me.

He walked toward us while grinning at me, his smile stretches more, and his jaw and teeth are completely shown. I'm scared. I could've run but I don't want to leave Emil behind and even if I ran away I might still die. I don't know how this world works. It could be more dangerous than this.

I want to run but fear stopped me from moving.

Before he got closer to us, he got interrupted when an instant fireball just hit his core. I looked from where it came from. I saw a woman with shoulder-length dark bronze brown wavy curly hair. Has blue eyes. Wearing a dark brown waist-length robe, lace-up brown leather pants, and a pair of captain lace-up dark brown leather boots.

"Don't just stand there! Run!" She commanded. I began to move very quickly while carrying Emil. "Leave her!" She commanded. "What?"

"I said leave her, we can't escape if she's unconscious!" She furiously commanded me with a serious look on her face. "No!" I declined. "Why people can't just do as I say?" She assumed.

"Fine! Just ran straight ahead! There's a way out there and be fast!" She pointed the way and I nodded her order, then proceed to walk faster while carrying Emil. I walk fast as I could. Using my limit to escape from this place.

"Straight ahead! I'll take care of this!"

===°===

It took an hour for us to get what that lady told us. I began to keep panting. Walking faster on the flooded swamp water, although I realized the water is getting little and little lower with each step.

I'm close. Probably.

I'm panting a lot. My body kept sweating so much. I'm tired. "Emil..." I called her, panting, hoping she would wake up, but she was still unconscious.

I began to look straight on the path. Then, I saw a fog in the direction. The fog kept getting closer as I walk closer. When I entered the mist, still walking straight while carrying Emil. Can't see a thing, only the fog covering my sight.

This is so tiring, but we need to be safe, I must hurry.

"I hope, I'm not gonna get attacked behind," I said, but then I began to feel scared of what I just said. I intensely look at my surroundings but not a single sight, only fogs.

Just keep walking. Just keep walking. I said to myself to keep going. Then, I continued to walk until I heard some chattering and people walking like crowds in the fog. "Am I here?" I ask myself, the fog started to fade away very slowly.

After the fog disappeared, my world view started to change. I'm in a city, witnessing this spectacular scenario, a cleansed cobblestone road in a circular pattern with different colors; most of the rocks are grey rocks but with emerald and gold in between. Terraced houses built with red and grey bricks with green flags raising with symbols that I can't see clearly from afar.

"Hey, kid! Would you mind?" A man yelled at me wearing adventure clothes made of brown animal skin and brown fur that look like it use for winter and he got a group wearing the same outfit, but some has a bow, and two of them had swords. They seem like they formed a party. "Sorry, mister." I let them by moving away, but the man in front of me raised an eyebrow at me, looked confused then moves along.

I turned my head and witnessed a large mysterious rune, two line squared-shape, and some long writing symbols in between the squares that are carved on and I'm not familiar with. The adventurer's party stepped on the large rune, then the rune began to glow like sky blue and the adventurers started to glow in light blue patterns.

The fog suddenly started to reappear and surrounds the party, then fades away after that the party vanished. "Wow." I'm surprised. Now, I'll call this the teleportation path or I could ask someone from here. "Emil, wake up." She's still unconscious at a time like this.

But back at that place, I won't be able to forget how traumatizing that was. It was scary. The feeling was dark, it felt like I got sunk into the darkness of the water and can't breathe. That creepy smile, I remembered it. I visualized it. I imagined it. It was very terrifying and disturbing too. I'll try to forget it. Time will pass.

I got shocked and anxiety injects when someone just smack my back. I jumbled out of fear. "Hey, relax. It's me." The girl with curly hair is back."So, how's your girlfriend?" She asks. "She's not my girlfriend but she's okay now, thanks to you." I smiled when I look at Emil.

"By thanking back. Hold this." She presented me with a sack that she was holding. It looks full because the sack is bloated with some stuff that I don't know what's inside. "You know my hands are full right?" I hesitate only because I'm carrying Emil. "And you're a man. You should do the heavy lifting." She countered. "And you're an adult, shouldn't you be put in the most responsible jobs here?" I countered as well.

"You sure are tough with words, kid." She smiled maliciously. She bents closer and whisper to my ear. "But be careful of who are you talking to." She warns.

"It could be someone that could end your life."

I remain quiet after hearing her advice, but the problem is how will I apply it to this world.

"Thanks for the advice." I appreciated her warning. I noticed some other crowds are very loud, especially parents, and children are asking altogether to the other crowds. "What's going on?" I asked her. "After that glowing light, people began to vanish. It may be half of the population in this city has vanished, so, people began asking their closest ones." She explained.

"May I ask something."

"Sure."

"How come you're not concerned?"

"What do you mean by that?" She raised an eyebrow at me. "It looks like you don't have loved ones. And you're not concern about the others." I assumed and I realized how rude I was. "I'm sorry!" I said in an apologetic tone.

Somehow, she gave me a soft calm smile. I'm confused right now. "Do you want to know what's inside this sack?" She whispered to me so softly. I felt her warm breath pass on my skin. It tingles me a bit but I control myself from doing it. "I-i don't know." I looked away feeling nervous.

Curiosity strikes of wanting to know what's inside of the sack, but this gut feeling. It made me hesitate. "But no thanks." I ended.

"If that's what you desired then." She moved the sack away from me. "Thank you for helping us!" I bow to her showing my greatest gratitude towards her. "It's not a big deal, honey." She chuckles then walks away as a farewell.

I want to say something but my mouth felt heavy, I keep breathing very deeply. Palms getting sweety. My chest felt heavy. "Can you help us?" I gather my emotional strength to say these exact words but in the end, I still feel the anxiety in me.

"I'm sorry?" She asks to clarify.

"C-can you help us?..." I looked at her pleadingly. "We're not from here and we don't know what are we doing here," I explained but not the entirety. Although, my mind is not quite right to process and I can't control my anxious thoughts.

I knew in my mind the lady is gonna declined, but she softly smiles at me, "Of course." She turned.

"Follow me."

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THINGS DON'T ALWAYS

GO IN YOUR WAY