MY VIRTUAL REALITY

"I don't understand. How did I end up like this? Where did I go wrong? I'm a good boy, I obey all the rules and regulations whether in school, at home, in the town and everywhere. I can't remember the last time I missed a service in church be it Sunday services, Wednesday services and even Saturday gatherings, I'm always present. Everyone has always said that I'm an epitome of the word- good and that's the truth. I don't do wrongs even trivial things like lying is far from me so why then did all these things happen to me?", Richard couldn't control the tears forming in his eyes. Those brown, crystal-like, charming eyes that could charm even the most hardened heart, had seen things that it never even thought was possible to see.

The night sky was darker than usual which didn't help matters as the path leading to the next town was a Haven for varieties of venomous creatures. Sounds made by crickets could be heard, the frogs croaked although they stopped when he got close to the sound, then the branches made sounds as they danced rhythmically to the night breeze. Richard could see dark figures moving in the shadows however he just forced himself to believe that they were the trees moving via the influence of the wind. Despite the eerieness of the night, Richard didn't feel frightened. In fact he didn't feel anything asides hopelessness.

Richard would have swore that he was being followed by someone but the dehydration, pangs of hunger and tiredness he felt made him flag off the thought of him being trailed. The distance to the next town was still too much and every step Richard took was excruciating. He felt as though he was going to collapse on the next step.

"where there's life, there's hope, does this also mean that where there's no hope then there's no life?", Richard thought to himself

"if that's the case then I'll probably become extinct from this world soon", who knew the thought of passing away would be this satisfying to the soul.

Why didn't he give up? Richard asked himself. Yes, he was tired but why was he still walking?

"just one step. Another one", that's what his mind was saying .

Maybe he was eager to go to the other world, maybe that's why he was overworking himself. Just so he could go to the other world fast. He was already dehydrated and his muscles were aching probably from the build up of lactic acid.

So he continued pushing himself.

He moved from the somewhat flat, grassy terrain of the forest to the mountainous, slightly topographic terrain between the two towns.

At this point, Richard felt like he couldn't go on anymore. The ground was slippery and thus easy movement was hindered, plus the darkness made it difficult to see.

"I give up. I can't do this anymore. But why me?", The feeling that had been suppressed burst out again.

"everyone has always been proud of me, in church was I not the one that was prophesied to have a great destiny? Whether I like it or not I'll succeed in whatever I do. Were those prophecies wrong? Prophecy asides, weren't we taught that when we do good, we'll be rewarded with good? So why am I facing these things now?", Richard asked no one in particular knowing fully well that he wasn't going to get an answer. However, deep down he wished that someone would answer him.

He kept on asking rhetorical questions till tears started coming out of his eyes again. He didn't know how it started neither could he stop it. Richard went from just tears to sobs and from sobs he let out a loud cry. At least that's what he thought. At his weakened state what anyone would see was a beggar (in torn grey shirt with patches of brown and a faded black trousers torn at the knee and left lap) with a wide open mouth. Miming.

Richard cried and cried with every part of him. Cursing everything and everyone but stopped when the sound of running water caught his attention. He was thirsty, and despite his attempts to be sucidal he still wanted to drink water. He felt attracted to the water in a way that he couldn't understand and in seconds he found himself staring at running water. It was hard to see as only few stars offered illumination that night. The water seemed to arise from different locations and then converge to form a moving stream of water moving in a direction unknown to him. The moving water was shiny which peaked Richards interest. It was so beautiful and it seemed as if shiny little crystals were arising from the stream of water

Richard felt his heart calm down a bit. For just a moment he forgot about everything that had transpired three days earlier.

If anything one had told him earlier that he'd be the only surviving member of his family, he wouldn't have believed. If anyone had told him that he'd become an outcast, he wouldn't have believed.

After what seemed like minutes, he snapped back to reality. He just dipped his hand into the flowing water, drew water to his mouth and drank. He repeated it till he was satisfied.

It was then he realized that he wasn't wrong when he saw something moving in the forest. He was trying his best to think of what it was.

"It was dark and the trees all looked like shadow but there was a particular figure smaller than the trees. And I'm sure I saw that figure even after leaving the forest but why didn't I...…"

• • •

The whole world became silent. I couldn't hear the sound of the running stream of water. And I was sweating and even soaked in my sweat at that. What's this weird feeling? And where this pain on the back of my head coming from? Why does this feel like a deja vu?

It's because it has already happened before. The night when I lost everything. How on earth did I forget that a male shadow hit the back of my head with what I didn't know. I thought I had tripped, hit my head on the ground and passed out. When I woke up I found out that everyone was dead. My mother, my father, my aunty and my 3 years old sister . That shadow.. that shadow ruined my life.