Road to Home

The educational institute is located at the bottom of the hill, facing the eastern direction. Most of the settlements are uphill, in the north. A straight sloping road led the people, from the bottom in the upward direction, and another road - along the western to the northern direction in the curved arc. The eastern side of the hill is almost vertical, making it difficult for any humanitarian work.

At the bottom of the eastern face, the ground is more or less, even. Forests covered most of the areas, while some plain patches of land can be seen, making it in stark contrast to the greenery.

Noke looked in the western direction road, along which Shirley made her way home.

A small sigh escaped from his lips. He moved his right hand, moving it closer to his lips, and gave it a gentle kiss. His nose tip touches the area of his hand where Shirley's skin touches his, trying to remember the lingering sensation of Shirley's touch, but with a deep breath, he let go of any of his wild thoughts.

'It isn't the right time yet...'

Noke looked back. Keller and other of his friends were already gone. When he sees no one, he starts moving in the upward northern direction.

Without any of his belongings, 'thanks to Rony', he knows his journey back home, going to be smooth.

' This day is going to be remembered. Rony, you wait, if I don't f...k you tomorrow.'

'It doesn't matter. Maybe Shirley knows, but she didn't say...Keller is right; - ' She is, one of a kind.' Different from other girls. ....'

'Ah... why is there a crowd?'

On the small journey, he walks from the bottom to the middle of the hill. He sometimes takes glances at people walking with him, but most of the time, he thinks of Shirley. When he sees the crowd on one of the passing places onto the hill, an ominous feeling arouses in his heart. He moved closer to the crowd, pushing some side and coming front to the cliff.

Moved his gaze toward the direction, the crowd around him looking. The sight at the bottom, in those plain patches, seeing it he stumbled a little backward, almost dropping himself. A seed of fear sows in the deepest part of the heart. His legs tremble, his heart thumping faster and faster. The eerie feeling makes him think to himself that, instead of the girl; he is there.

...

In one of the patches, a girl's blue clothing remained. Small slices of flesh lingered around that blue clothing. The blue frock appears in different contrast with the meaty paste of the girl's flesh, making it disgusting yet a beautiful display.

Two to three meters away from the red, blue, and brown with some white colored scenery, made both by the flesh and nature's effort, a small 3-4 meters lizard with a long tail and legs, drags his body with two frontal legs. The rear right leg of the lizard was injured. It seems the girl hit first with the lizard and then embraced Mother Earth to make a heavenly scenery using her alluring dead body flesh.

The crowd is getting bigger and bigger with each passing minute. The Chit-chat of different people makes it more difficult to understand. Some conversations are going on about the details of the dead girl. Some told others; how they saw her trumpet over the edge, and then, with a burst of a sound, she smashed with the lizard and then ground.

Everyone carried a frown on their faces. Girls in the crowd cried, seeing the dead body. Small children who took some glances- unknown to most of the crowd, fainted at first sight. It seems a little chaotic. Mature or, some other workers starting to handle the situation- putting the coming visitors back. A sealed space appears at the hill edge.

Soon, the rescue team came and started their routine work.

…

Noke; Moving back with hollow steps, away from the gathering crowd. Not to be captured by lingering eyes, his face carried the frightened look as seed of fear in his heart still lingers.

Imagining him at the girl place; - falling from the sky, hitting wind with his face, the adrenaline rush running in all of his veins. Slowly-slowly, the ground started to appear bigger and bigger, filling almost all of his eye-sight. Coming closer to the ground, Noke lips curved upward.

 Smash...

"Ah...." he tried to speak. Gasping for air, filling his lungs. Somehow, he regained some of his human sanity.

Soon, his mind is covered with a thick mist white fog.

An unnatural calm expression takes place in exchange for the frightening smiling look he had before.

...

Noke walked, without thinking. His legs moved, like a lost person. Soon, he found himself at the shop front.

Around 12×14 feet, without any roofing and frontal barrier, the shop devoid of any of its; customers and owner. Some shelves carry different products while some of them are empty. There're no leading roads to the shop entrance or, may be lost in the white mist covering the entirety of the shop. A small road can be seen; - moving along the back of the shop, where different shelves are. For a fleeting moment he felt a faint connection. As he concentrated on the road, the white mist surrounding started to churns - moving closer to the road making it to fade. Noke, through his memories, knew it was the northern road leading to his hometown.

Noke remained there - Lost.

 But when he wants to see in a particular direction, the mist moves, showing him the exact details. He can make the in and out of the scenery. The mist somehow enhances every bit of his perception.

With the little use of the brain, and using the function of how the mist works, confirms the shop base area is carved out of the hill's eastern vertical face. Noke can't see much of the shop, a thick mist covering his eyesight, which didn't move. The frontal part empty on the right side, while the left serving as a counter. Shelves on both the left and right wall, most of obscured in the fog. The back wall empty; only at the center the thick fog converse, where he first seen the road. With no person serving, the counter remains empty. Noke find himself a seat as his gaze turned to the corner of the left wall on the shelves. A bottle of alcohol is placed there, not obscured by the fog. Setting himself in unknown territory, he moved closer toward the hanging shelf, extending right hand, grabbed the bottle, opened it, and poured it into the glass. He takes a small sip of the alcohol, making himself comfortable. He gazes at the sky, seeing the white mist. Remembering the scene with the girl. All the emotions he felt first disappeared, making that scene indifferent to his reality.

Relax... Relax... word's echoed in the shop

Noke soul relaxed. With a small sip of alcohol, head tilted upward, reflecting the mist with some starry sky in between those carpet of mist.

...

Noke remained in that position, for quite a long time. He drinks only one cup of alcohol, most remained in the bottle. While drinking, his gaze drift from the starry sky. Different star moving at different speed, some big, some small, some look like tiny practical – a beautiful spectral, in-contrast where he is.

He relaxes there, seated for some more time.

…

'Home. ' Looking downward direction, taking some last glances before thinking to find a way to back home. The white mist moved, showing the girl's body. It can't be said a body. It looks almost smashed to the ground. You can't discern it with someone's body unless you see the blue frock.

'Beautiful....' Words echoed again, but he oblivious to its. As if his mind comprehends a sec ago and then let it go. 

His sight landed on the two silhouettes in the white mist, sitting around the table.

'Friends, Brother. Brother...'

He doesn't know who those two people are, but the bewitching sound in the white mist kept telling him - 'Friends... Friend.'

...

"Gone?"

"Hmm"

"Master is ferocious"

"hmm"

…

"Wake up... Wake up, Noke...If you don't wake up by the time I put breakfast on the table, I am literally going to throw water this time. This time it's going to be Cold... cold water... ha-ha... "

"Mom... just go, and switch off those lights."

" Tell your God yourself. Fool, it's the sun's rays, not your damm disco lights. I am waiting. Come fast."

"OH. And wash your teeth before coming, or wait for me with cold water... "

Bam...

With a loud sound, the door shut.

" Ah... Mom, at least, speak slowly in the morning."

"You dimmed wick. It's 8 a.m." Another loud shout came from the living room.

"But it's still 8," Noke responds through the shut-door room. He removed the quilt from his upper body, sitting on his butt, back straight, anger flamed through his voice.

"You want me to come?"

"Coming, wait 5 minutes." Moving his hands on his bedsheets, he got hold of his handset. The handset screen shows it's still one minute to exactly 8 am. Recounting the things he goes through, Noke can't believe it.

This made him doubt more; whether the last day he went through is it in a dream or reality. Many things don't make up. Noke can't believe it. What happened to him on the last day was real or not.

'What to do... 'Noke covered his face with his hands, rubbing his eyes.

...

"Noke, are you still in your bed?" Another shout from her mother disturbs him, making him angrier.

"I am already moving. You can come and see yourself."

"Coming."

"Ah... don't "

"Hehe ... kiddo, you are still a child. Don't fight with me, ... The heavenly queen Trissy."

Haha...

The laughs of Noke's mother not only be heard in their house, the house surrounding theirs aren't free either.

Getting out of the comfortable warmth of his bed, he let go of all the thoughts in the back of his head.

...

After 5-7 minutes, Noke walked down the leading steps - to the living room. Trissy placed their breakfast not too long ago, as she waited for him.

Seeing Noke coming down with an angry face, Trissy smiled.

"Look, your favorite breakfast. "

Noke glanced at the dishes placed on the table. The aroma of his favorite tea rose from his cup, replacing any other fragrance in the living room. His mouth twitched a little.

"Like it? How could you don't? You know the magic of these hands." Trissy artistically moved her hand, trying to make Noke a little angry.

Coming closer, he takes a seat in front of her mother.

"Muh." She gives a loud kiss to her hand, " Soft-soft hand; looked tired, you need some moisturizer. Noke, what do you think?"

He almost spits his tea. Looking at him in that embarrassed state, she moved and laughed loud.

He and his mother are the only two occupants who lived in their house. Due to his less-talking personality, most of the time, his mother makes a joke to lift their environment.

" Mom. Can't you stop while we eat our breakfast?"

"Nope," a swift reply.

Noke shook his head at her mother's response.

...

After eating for a while, Trissy stared at Noke seriously and said-"Kiddo, I am letting you go this time. Remember, this is the last time."

"What?"

"I know most of the kids are traumatized, but you shouldn't drink because of that."

"What are you talking about? "Noke looked confused.

"What? Didn't you drink last night? " Trissy made a sound statement.

"Yeah, but it isn't in." 'I do drink, but isn't it in the dream. Or?' still amidst his thoughts he heard her mother again; didn't let him complete conjure his thoughts.

"I know; that's why I am letting you go walk free. Remember, etched it, in those - your puny bones. It's the last time. Remember it clearly. "

"Mom. Wait, listen to me."

"Hmm." Trissy looked him in the eyes.

"What exactly happened?" He asked to at least know the full details.

"You didn't know?" This time, his mother looks confused.

"So, why you think I am asking you?"

Thinking about last night, 'he indeed came completely drunk, must have forget already. Why drinks? when not able to handle it.'

"You came last night drunk. No, you were carried by Rony"

"Really?" He asked unassured.

"Poor soul, if I am in your place, maybe I can't handle it too. That's why, this time, I let it go as if nothing happened."

" Who the poor soul?" bread stuffed in his mouth, Noke asked nonchalantly.

"The girl who is dead the last day. Poor soul, I heard their parents hadn't gotten up from the time they looked at her daughter. Eh..." goosebumps aroused on her skin. She can't imagine herself in those parents' shoes. A drop of a tear makes to her cheek, which is soon brushed off by Trissy. Noke didn't see her mother teary-eyed, and neither did Trissy want him to see her in that look.

"Noke, you had to be careful more. OK."

"Why? Can't you see me dead?" The words left his mouth without any of his thinking. The bread still in his mouth, he froze. Cup of tea shaking in his hand, spilling some of it. Remembering the words, he just blurted out, he glances at his mother. Noke knows his mother more than he knows of himself. He knew that his words slashed her heart more than she hurt by the difficulty they faced in their living.

"Mom. I.."

"What?" Noke can see her fumbling. Trissy knew herself. She adjusted her tone to make it more natural. She didn't want her son to look at her in a sorry state. " Kiddo, you knew, who I am? The queen of this house. What do people think if I haven't a decadence? How should I carry my legacy to the future? If you are dead, I have to remarry someone. It is too tiring to make another baby. You knew how baby born? "

"Stop, mom."

" Look first, I have to marry someone, and… it's going to be a man. Then the man whom I married, he needs to see me naked, so ..."

" Mom. If you didn't stop. I swear I not going to talk with you. For the rest of my life."

"Hee-hee .... you can't win with me. Undefeated queen. Hahaha. "

The last word of Noke didn't take seriously either by him or by Trissy. They both know this isn't going to happen.

The environment again lifted, both laughed, but Trissy laughs - are in more, uncontrolled manner. Making her less queen, more like animals out of the zoo.

Noke smiled, knowing his mother; he knew that she will forgives him. She knows it too, Noke didn't intentionally say. She knew how much he cares for her.

....

After breakfast, Trissy moved to the kitchen to do the dishes, and Noke moved to the living space. Set on the sofa, turning the tv on, but his thoughts were in a different direction.

Arranging all the info he gathered from her mother, Noke thought

' So, things happen for real. The girl... I'm sorry. Mom said I came drunk home. But that shop isn't in reality. It's all dream …or I am already drunk at that time and imagining the whole thing. Maybe it all started after I looked the first time at the girl's body. A trauma??... ah... I have to start mediation. Week, too week Noke... '