"Haahhh… what time is it now, I wonder?"
I muttered in a low voice, while I stared at the computer screen in front of him. I extended my hand as I searched for his mobile phone, before I finally found it. I frowned a little as I looked at the black screen… then I threw it aside without care.
"Cheap junk… why do I forget every time to charge it?
All of this falls on the shoulders of this nonsense that I'm reading, damn it!" I said that out loud, while I was trying with difficulty to resist the urge to smash this lousy computer.
Even though I knew very well that if I smashed it… I wouldn't be able to buy a new one.
So I resisted that urge. Something bad… is better than nothing. As for the nonsense that I was reading, it was "for depth of hearing" in novels — if this type even exists in the first place.
What I was reading now was — in my view — just nonsense written by a lazy author.
And how did I know that? The matter is extremely simple.
All he has to do… is read this stupid title:
[ Heroes are males… and heroines are girls ]
Every time I read this title, I felt an immediate urge to hit myself. And I start blaming myself.
"How did I read this novel in the first place, damn it?
Was I not in my right mind during that period?" I sighed slowly, "I think I should go to a mental hospital… just to make sure my mind is sound."
"But… why am I still continuing to read it until this moment? Ah… I think the reason is simple. Because it was free."
This was one of the reasons that pushed me to continue reading. As for the other reason, it was that the computer had frozen on that damned page, I could no longer change the screen. Every time I restart it… this same novel appears in front of me.
Even when I forced myself to take some of my savings — which I gathered with great hardship — and went to repair it, they said to me with complete coldness:
"You have to give it up… it can no longer be repaired.
It has died."
After that I asked them to return my money, but what did they say?
"If something enters the pocket… it stays in the pocket."
They robbed me in broad daylight. At that moment I started to think that I might actually be cursed, and all of this is because of that stupid novel.
First: the computer broke. Second: I was robbed.
And third — and worst of all — I found myself drowning in countless debts.
I sighed bitterly.
"The father abandons his son… and when he dies, I bear his debts. What a truly fair life."
I closed my eyes for a moment, and imagined him there… that drunkard. Laughing in hell with his friends, raising his glass and saying:
"Look at my son… I have made his life miserable. Am I not the best father?"
I exhaled slowly, "Ah… what is this now?"
"Fasatnion, don't go! I know that I am a vile and despicable devil, but I love you from the depths of my miserable heart.
I will do anything for you, I will bring down the sky beneath your feet, and I will make the world yours. For all that I seek… is one goal: to touch your blessed feet. I do not understand, and I do not know what to say… for the flames have ignited my heart!"
"…"
I stared in disbelief at what I read, I put my finger inside my ear, just to make sure it was still working. And after a moment of silence…
"Hahaha… idiot." I shook my head. "Wasn't I reading when the two main characters were fighting, so how did I suddenly reach this scene? It must be a typographical glitch… yes, it must be so."
But even so… I couldn't believe that it was just an editing mistake, because this was happening every time. And every time I pointed it out to the writer to fix it, he would reply to me with the same sentence:
"It is a hint… you must understand the essence of writing,
and taste its depth."
I could no longer تحمل this nonsense anymore.
So I started typing quickly on the keyboard.
[ Knox ] Hey writer… what the hell is this?
Please, don't spout empty talk about "deep hinting."
I am about to lose my mind here.
[ Fish Head ] My dear reader, I will give you a simple hint this time only, after all you are the only reader. Fasatnion is said to indicate loyalty, and the devil is said to indicate betrayal, and fire is said to indicate determination. And when these symbols come together… they form a deeper meaning. "To wake up from the dream " this is all I can say now. Goodbye… the next chapter will be released after two hours.
"Oh my God… I might kill myself. It's over, I will stop reading this story before I lose what remains of my mind."
I stood up from the chair with difficulty, then stretched a little to loosen the stiffness of my body. I had been sitting like this for about two hours probably. I extended my hand toward the light switch and pressed it, but the light did not work. I tried again…
And fortunately, it worked this time.
I looked around me in the room. It was more like an abandoned warehouse than a home for a human.
Trash everywhere, and since I am lazy… I did not bother myself to clean it, and I did not want that in the first place.
I headed to the bathroom, and it was so narrow that one person could barely stand in it.
I washed my face a little, then returned to the room,
and headed toward the bed. I threw myself onto it in exhaustion,
and started staring at the worn-out ceiling.
I muttered in a faint voice:
"The dog life that I live… is not bad, and not good either. But at least… I can practice my own hobbies, without anyone caring about me."
— knock… knock… knock —
I raised my head slowly, and looked toward the door that was being knocked violently. I frowned a little, and got up from the bed after I was about to sleep.
I approached the door, and looked through the small opening.
At that moment… I saw who was outside, there were two policemen, one of them tall as it seemed,
and the other fat-bodied.
"Who is there?"
"Police… open the door."
"Police at this time? What is happening I wonder…"
I muttered that while I opened the door slowly.
The two policemen looked at me for a moment, then the fat man said in an official tone:
"Nothing important… just a routine procedure. We are investigating the death of someone."
"Death?" My eyes widened automatically, "Who would that be?
And what is my relation to him? And don't say that my mother has also died… I am really fed up with this. I have enough debts."
The two policemen exchanged a quick glance, then the tall policeman stepped a little closer to me.
"No, no… it is not like that. It concerns Mr. Al-Mutrifen. He died two weeks ago."
"Al-Mutrifen? Who is that?"
The fat policeman stared at my face for a moment, then went toward the window and opened it.
"It is hot here… Al-Mutrifen is the man you went to two weeks ago to repair the computer."
"Ah… and what is my relation to that?"
I said that while I headed toward the kitchen slowly, but I did not raise my eyes from them.
Then the tall policeman spoke in a more serious tone:
"Can you tell us… what happened between you? The owner of the nearby shop said that you left there very angry. Can you explain that?"
"Ah…" I placed my finger on my temple, and closed my eyes trying to remember. "According to what I last remember… he could not fix the computer, so I left angry. That is all I remember. That happened two weeks ago."
"Hmm… is that so." The fat policeman paused for a moment,
"Do you not know Mr. Al-Harfen, or Clara? Both of them disappeared a week ago, and both of them you were seen in their shop before each one of them disappeared. What is the reason for all these coincidences, I wonder?"
I furrowed my brows tightly.
"All of this is because of the bad luck that has been accompanying me recently…
But wait— why do I feel like you are trying to accuse me like this?
I did not kill anyone."
The two policemen looked at me with a strange look, and stepped back a small step. The tall policeman said slowly:
"When did we say it was a murder? We only said that they disappeared, and we did not mention the reason."
At that moment… I realized that I had made a mistake.
A fatal mistake. Without hesitation, I pulled the knife that I was hiding behind my back, and threw it toward the tall policeman.
— stab! —
The knife hit his foot directly. He screamed in pain,
and fell onto one knee. At the same moment,
I rushed toward the fat policeman, and delivered a strong punch to his face.
— boom! —
His body staggered backward. I pulled his gun quickly,
and pointed it at him.
— boom! —
The bullet hit his foot as well, so he fell to the ground while screaming. I turned toward the tall policeman, who was trying to pick up his weapon with a trembling hand.
I approached him with calm steps, then raised my leg…
and delivered a crushing kick to his face.
— crash —
His head slammed into the ground violently, and a heavy silence filled the room. I stood between them, looking at their bodies lying on the ground.
Then… a wide smile formed on my face.
"Do you want to know, what happened to them?"
"I killed them all… hahaha. But I am not the one who really did that. They brought it upon themselves. They angered me…
they robbed me… and they hit me. I did not do anything, believe me you two policemen. I will not kill you, because you did not do anything to me.
I am innocent… but recently I was going through a bad situation.
I will just make you unable to walk for some time, so… send them my regards "
The two policemen were looking at me with clear fear, while I approached more toward the fat one, who was crawling slowly toward the window. I raised the gun, and pointed it at him.
— boom —
I felt something piercing my chest.
"Ah… what happened?"
The last words came out of my mouth with difficulty,
while I stared at the bullet that settled in my chest.
I raised my head with difficulty, and saw the shadow of a person standing on the roof of the opposite building, holding a rifle and pointing its muzzle toward me.
A sniper. I fell to the ground, and blood flowed from my mouth slowly.
At that moment… I understood. These are my final moments.
Strangely, I did not feel anything.
No pain… and no fear. Only emptiness.
"Damn… why don't I feel regret, what the hell?"
I paused for a second, then smiled a faint smile.
"Ah… I knew it. After all… there is no longer a reason to continue. Because I was living a miserable life from the beginning."
The darkness began to increase slowly, swallowing everything around me.
Until… the last glimmer in my eyes went out. I died.