The Awakening

Damian, Douglas, and Mandrone found themselves sitting under a tree near a ditch during break time. Damian, eager to share some news, exclaimed, "Yo, D! I heard Aaron and the other guys are going to play Monkeys later today. We should totally join them!"

Douglas, intrigued, replied, "That sounds fun."

Damian, feeling confident, declared, "You know what? I can totally jump across this ditch!"

Douglas, not wanting to back down, challenged Damian, saying, "If you can do it, so can I!"

Damian, realizing he had created a situation, hesitated, "Go ahead, then!"

Douglas, not willing to be the first to jump, countered, "You're the one who claimed you can jump across, so you should do it!"

Damian retorted, "But you said you can do it too!"

Douglas, standing his ground, responded, "If you do it, then I will. And besides, it was your claim, so you should start!"

Damian, not wanting to back down either, insisted, "No, you dared me, so you go ahead and jump first."

Douglas, refusing to back down either, challenged back, "No, you first!"

Mandrone, who had been silently observing their argument, couldn't tolerate it anymore. Frustrated, he spoke up, "Will you both shut up! It's because of you fools that everyone is looking down on me."

Damian, trying to ease the tension, joked, "I thought it was because of your bad grades."

Mandrone, offended, asked, "What did you say?"

Douglas, stepping in to defuse the situation, said, "Hey, take it easy!"

Mandrone, holding Damian's head from the sides, tightened his grip and menacingly asked, "What did you say!?"

Damian, fearful, quickly responded, "Nothing. I didn't say anything!"

Douglas, growing concerned for his friends' safety, pleaded, "Let him go, man!"

Mandrone, not ready to let go of his anger, continued, "Or what? Are you going to gang up on me as brothers? Come on then! Come on!"

Douglas, trying to reason with Mandrone, said, "Just calm down, he was just joking around!"

Mandrone, fueled by his frustration, threatened, "What am I doing? Those who associate with foolish people become fools too. You morons are the dirt I need to scrape off to go into the inner circle again. Don't ever come near me again!"

With Mandrone storming off, Damian and Douglas were left worried, realizing they had lost their one and only friend. Despite Mandrone's rough edges, he had been their companion, standing alongside them through hardships and moments of ecstasy that came from other people's suffering.

One week later, during lunchtime, Mandrone found himself sitting under the same tree where he used to hang out with his friends. Sitting alone, he contemplated the terrifying nature of his pride. His academic performance had declined, and he worried that he might become the school's outcast. He realized that turbulent times often bring misfortune.

Meanwhile, a new student named Christine, who had a reputation as the most famous girl from her previous school in the big city, had just started at the school in Lightville. With a determined mindset, she aimed to climb the ladder of fame and popularity once again. She believed that she would soon dominate the school filled with what she perceived as dimwits.

In her previous school, Christine had achieved top grades in all subjects and quickly became the talk of the entire school. She was hailed as a genius by both students and teachers. However, as she settled into her new school, she noticed another student slowly approaching her lane of excellence—Tyson, who always came in second place.

Sensing competition, Christine decided to make a move on Tyson, someone she considered a distant acquaintance. She initiated a conversation with Mandrone, who had become a recluse, sitting alone under the tree.

Christine approached Mandrone, asking, "Hello! What are you doing here all alone?"

Mandrone, lost in his thoughts, replied, "I am just thinking."

Curious about Mandrone's absence from his friends, Christine continued, "Lately, I haven't been seeing you with your friends. What happened? Did you guys fight?"

Mandrone, feeling isolated, confessed, "They were never my friends."

Christine, intrigued, probed further, "When I first came here, you were the most popular boy at school. I heard you used to get straight A's in all subjects. What happened to that boy?"

Mandrone, his frustrations mounting, responded, "I don't mean to be rude, but I would appreciate it if you could please leave me alone."

Christine, smirking, continued to prod, "Mandrone the bully using 'please,' now that's new and surprising. Although I did hear that you were not as aggressive towards girls as you were towards your fellow boys. Let me let you in on a little secret: I ran a background check on you. I know what you are hiding!"

Mandrone, caught off guard, questioned, "What are you talking about?"

Christine, revealing her knowledge, said, "The real question is why did you hide it? Why would you brag about how rich you are when you live with your poor old grandma?"

Mandrone, taken aback, asked, "What exactly do you want from me?"

Christine, asserting her power, declared, "That boy Tyson."

Mandrone, confused, inquired, "What about him?"

Christine, her intentions becoming clear, explained, "I don't like the way he's following me around. It creeps me out."

Mandrone, surprised by Christine's request, questioned, "What exactly do you mean? Has he been stalking you at night or something?"

Christine dismissed his concerns, saying, "That would be far easier to deal with. I am talking about how he always comes in second place in class. He's seeking attention, and I want to nip that bud before it becomes a problem."

Mandrone, taken aback by Christine's manipulative plan, remarked, "Okay, so you're afraid of him!"

Christine, trying to mask her fear, responded, "I am not afraid of anyone. I just don't want to fight useless battles. Let's just say I'm kind of a genius."

Mandrone laughed, causing Christine to question his reaction, "What?"

Mandrone, now seeing through Christine's facade, stated, "You really think you've been beating him this whole time, don't you? I've known Tyson since the first grade, and I can assure you that no one at this school even comes close to his intelligence. From what I've observed, he deliberately made me score 70% in all my assignments back then. I don't even know why no one has noticed yet that he's been gradually adding 5% to his test scores since the fourth grade. He's someone who knows exactly when to hold back and when to excel. This has nothing to do with shame; I've just come to know my place."

Christine, realizing that her assumption was wrong, grew frustrated and defensive, "Just because you failed doesn't mean I'll fail too. Now here's what we're going to do: I'll keep your little secret, and you'll do something in return for me."

Mandrone, still processing the new perspective on Tyson, asked skeptically, "What do you want me to do?"

Christine outlined her plan, saying, "First, we need to find a way to shame Tyson in front of the whole school and make him lose his confidence..."

Mandrone, interrupting her, interjected, "I don't think he has any confidence to lose, though."

Christine, undeterred, continued, "Secondly, you'll hide some inappropriate magazines in his bag, and then we'll expose his perverted mind in front of the whole class. He'll have no choice but to change schools."

Mandrone, taken aback by Christine's deviousness, exclaimed, "Wow!"

Christine, reveling in her own plan, declared, "Fantastic, right?"

Mandrone, reflecting on his recent dream, realized the implications of Christine's proposal. He thought back to the dream he had.

Mandrone, gestured for her to take a seat beside him. They sat down together, and Mandrone remarked, "Quite impeccable timing you have! It just so happens that I had a really peculiar dream last night, and I couldn't quite decipher its meaning. Perhaps you can help me?"

Curious, Christine inquired, "What kind of dream did you have?"

Mandrone began recounting his dream, "I found myself walking alone in a vast desert, feeling utterly exhausted and parched. Everywhere I looked, all I could see was endless sand. I had no sense of direction, but I kept trudging forward. As I neared the point of collapsing from thirst, I spotted a hut in the distance. Determined, I approached it."

He continued, "Inside the hut, I encountered an old man who seemed stranded in this unfamiliar land, just like me. Desperate for water, I pleaded with him for assistance. The old man revealed that he had been sitting there, waiting for his own demise. But he noticed my strength and offered me a pick, suggesting that I dig for water to increase my chances of survival. However, overwhelmed by fatigue, I declined his offer."

Mandrone's voice filled with regret as he continued, "The old man advised me that if I sought any hope of survival, I should head east from there. He had roamed far and wide, searching for water in the north and west, to no avail. He insisted I take the pick with me, but I refused, claiming it appeared too heavy."

He went on, "Following the old man's guidance, I embarked on my journey, walking tirelessly until I lost all sense of direction. Suddenly, I stumbled upon a woman trapped in quicksand, struggling and pleading for help. Not far from her, I noticed a bottle of water. She implored me to rip my clothes, fashion a rope, and pull her out. However, consumed by my own thirst, I hesitated. I thought to myself, 'If I rescue her, I'll have to share the water.' So, I seized the bottle and fled the scene, quenching my own thirst while leaving her behind."

Regret tinged his voice as he continued, "For a while, the water sustained me, but before I knew it, I was once again on the brink of exhaustion and dehydration. At that moment, I encountered three men who were searching for the very woman I had abandoned. They explained that she was a meteorologist who possessed knowledge of where to find water. They only lacked a tool, such as a pick, to aid their search."

Reflecting on his dream, Mandrone made a connection, "Upon hearing their words, I suddenly remembered the pick offered by the old man. I wondered if I had truly lacked the strength to dig where he instructed me. I questioned whether I truly couldn't muster the strength to pick up that tool. I pondered the cost of that woman's life for the temporary relief of my own thirst. As these thoughts swirled in my mind, I felt myself losing consciousness, and just as I was about to succumb, I abruptly woke up from the dreadful dream."

Christine, seemingly dismissive, remarked, "Sounds like you just had a weird dream with no significant meaning behind it. You better just forget it."

Mandrone, his voice filled with newfound clarity, responded, "After hearing the devious plans you shared with me, I finally realized the true meaning of that dream I had. It taught me the value of time and the importance of using it wisely. I understood that resorting to bad deeds might offer an easier way out of our problems, but it inevitably leads to unfortunate outcomes. It starts with one wrong action, then turning a blind eye, and before we know it, we're trapped in a destructive cycle. That's a path I should have avoided, as it hinders growth and halts progress. Instead, taking the right path allows us to learn from our mistakes and become better individuals."

Christine, feeling defensive, retorted, "Are you trying to say that I'm an evil person?"

Mandrone quickly clarified, "No, that's not what I meant at all. What I'm trying to convey is that you're wasting your time fixating on others. Instead of obsessing over their flaws, why not channel that energy into focusing on your studies?"

Christine, challenging his authority, scoffed, "Look who's talking to me about studying! Who do you think you are?"

Mandrone, maintaining his composure, responded calmly, "Please, just consider my words."

Christine, unable to control her anger, lashed out, "I think you've hidden your secret so well for so long that you've actually forgotten who you are. You're a disgrace to our school, and I'm going to let everyone know."

Mandrone, hurt by her words, looked at her as she walked away, realizing that if she exposed his secret, he would lose the respect of his peers. He wondered why he had kept his living conditions a secret, but then he justified it, believing that people in his situation don't usually go around sharing such personal information. He also came to the realization that no one truly cared about him, and the feeling was mutual.

Mandrone sat there alone, contemplating the choices he had made and the consequences he would face. He realized that the path he had been walking was leading him down a dark and destructive road. With a newfound clarity, he understood that he needed to change his ways and make amends.

Little did he know that his encounter with Christine and his reflection on his actions would set him on a path of redemption and self-discovery. The game of life had just begun for him, and he would soon learn that true growth comes from acknowledging one's mistakes and striving to become a better person.