Sliver

I could feel that sharp shooting, irritating pain inside the top half of my index finger. Just below the cuticle. It pains a lot you know, when that sliver of wood pierces through the tender skin beneath his nail. I lift my finger and however hard I try, I just can’t take it out, even with a tweezer. It escapes my probing. That is because It isn’t in me. It’s lodged in him. He sometimes scrapes his nails on the trunk of that dead tree in our garden. Or he might be inside the store. Plenty of options to get yourself splintered. Fucking retard.

The doctor says we were joined at our heads when we were born and it took a twelve hour long operation before we could be separated. It was a rare operation. Reserved just for a few rare babies like us. Yeah I feel special alright. That left, the right half of his head, flattened out and mine, the left. Mathematicians call it the symmetry in nature. It’s supposed to be beautiful. Beautiful aliens.

The parents said goodbye, sayonara, our masterpiece is finished and we must leave. So they did eighteen long years ago. They say they couldn’t bear to bring us up and all. They died in poverty. Our uncle adopted us. Our lives look like a chapter from a freaking Dicken’s novel. I don’t have to emphasize that our childhood sucked big time, you could probably make it out from the background, you know. Yeah, you are intelligent.I and him have been admitted to a freak circus show for life. For free. People see us, some turn their eyes away or if their conscience steps in, might just choose to ignore us. Ugly things are hard to see. It makes begging easy. We dont have to try too hard, just walk up to the old man, turn our faces to the side and wail. Jingle Jingle. It’s time to eat. But not too much. Uncle would like to share some of ours with us. You guess what.

Its a pain to see your reflection walk along with you, especially if it ain’t so hot looking. I can’t even tolerate my own shadow. I repulse whenever I see his face cause I just hate to see my own. My body is a cauldron of boiling blood. My head is a sewer line for green filthy biley goo. I have had enough of this freaking life. I have had enough of him. I have had enough of everything. I had enough of Uncle too.

He’s lying in a pool of blood in the store.

That’s where that retard is hiding right now. That’s where I saw them do their stuff. That’s where I caught them in the act. Yeah. One clean blow is all it took. To split his head apart into two neat little wedgies. I told him the axe we stole from the hardware store was good. He had cut all the branches of that tree in the garden with it. Once it was green, now it is dead. I let the axe remain where it was. Lodged like a big sliver through his brains. Freak.

My mind is a howling gust of rage.

I had left him whimpering in the store. I was thirsty, had to drink some water. I had a job to finish too, so I deserved some refreshment. Honestly, I loved his whimpering, his cries, his frightful shrieks, so I was kinda buying my time. It would be fine, it would be satisfying, it would be peaceful. I told myself.

Thud.

The things before me go blood red and my head feels like it’s been hit by a railroad engine. I give out a huge scream. The retard has nailed me. I can feel the wooden handle jutting out from behind my head. He’s a weakling. Sucker. Couldn’t penetrate. I turn around and push him. With a clean motion, I jerk the axe out of my brain. The edge looks beautiful with a sprinkling of hair and dash of red. Cool. He lifts his hand as I bash his front face out. I lose strength. I drop the axe. I am collapsing.

We are lying in a pool of blood. We will die soon.

Heavenly Creatures

I just love heavenly creatures, the creatures of the night, those who stalk the dark alleys of my imagination. The wind howls, leaves rustles and shadows play hide and seek. Theres a lonely road and i am standing at the pavement leading up to my house, in pitch darkness, squinting in the dark, looking for things that i would not like to see. There is a shrill silence and the air is eerily cool, humming and say-shaying in my ear, sending a tingling sensation down my spine.Suddenly i see it..

I wake up on my bed with a start. Bolt upright. My forehead is decorated with tiny beads of perspiration, some of which roll down my cheeks and nose towards my lips. Salty. My heard is beating like a drum against my chest. Dum Duk Dum Duk. I take a long gulp of air. I almost saw it. It was real. Its late in the afternoon. I get up, go to my bedroom window and look down at the streets. The sky is overcast and theres a chill in the air. A sign of winter settling in too soon. Cold makes me restless and a little jittery.

Cold makes me nervous.

The apartment is silent, busy observing me, thinking about my next move or my next thougth maybe. Its silent to the point of being shrill. I am feeling hungry. There’s the kitchen, with the oily yellow door. I enter, take the lighter and turn on the gas. Bfurp. The moisture on the burner crackles as the flame comes alive. This knife looks shiny, too shiny to me. Hm. Do I have some work to do? Can’t remember. My hand shakes as I grab the bread and my nerves tingle. Something is wrong.

knock knock.

There’s someone at the door. I look at the watch, its Two’O'Clock. I wasn’t expecting anyone at this hour, and to tell you frankly, I dont expect anyone to come either. I dont have many friends. The wind-chimes hanging at the kitchen door jingle as a light gust of air comes in through the window. Who can that be? I walk to the door and take a right, towards the gallery that connects the drawing room. The room is dark, only dimly lit by the diffused afternoon sunlight. Pizza delivery boy? Maybe it’s the next door neighbour whom I haven’t seen in the past one year. My steps are light and firm as i walk to the door. I grab the handle, turn it and peep outside.

There’s nobody there.

The corridor leading to the staircase is pitched dark. Unsually dark. Wait, I haven’t seen this corridor before. It’s just different. I squeal out,’Hello?’. No answer. I try again,’Hello? is there anyone there?’. Still no answer. I step outside, go to the stairs and look up. Nobody’s there. I shift my gaze down, it’s so dark that I can’t see anything.

Wait. There’s something crouching in the corner down there. A dark shadow, much darker than its surroundings.

I try to look harder in that direction. Whatever it is, it’s very still. My heart has started to hum again and my forehead is hot. I look down at my feet, nimble red toes. I am getting a blood-rush to my feet. I look at it again. It’s not there. It’s moving towards me. Panic. I turn and bolt to the door. I grab the handle and turn it. The door doesnt budge. My hearts starts to beat like a drum again. Dum Duk Dum Duk. My knees are wobbly and hands are numb. I feel something on my shoulder.

NO!

It’s dark. I open my eyes. I am in my room sitting upright, sweat trickling down my forehead. Salty. There’s a long night ahead.