Tragedy?

The greater the love, the greater the tragedy when it's over.

-Nicholas Sparks

"Let's go to my house today.", Lucas asked Raj.

Raj tried convincing him that he couldn't go to his house as Ishan(Raj's brother) would be alone and worried about him if he got late. But Lucas wouldn't listen to Raj and kept nagging him to come along with him to his house to play video games. Raj couldn't win against Lucas's argument and agreed to go to his house with him.

They played the game many times and to Raj's surprise, he won all of them!

"Have you played this game before?"'Lucas asked Raj scratching his head with frustration.

"Of course not, who would even pay for such an expensive game when I am running so low on budget", Raj replied with a slight smirk on his face and a sense of superiority.

He immediately shouted at him saying that he was lying and has played this game before.

"Yeah, you are free to think whatever you want and believe whatever you want.", Raj said and got ready to go back to his own house. He packed the books that he had scattered in his room to complete his homework in case Lucas would get bored and wouldn't want to play the game anymore.

"Well then, Bye NOOB"

"Bye! Let's play tomorrow too and be sure it's going to be your loss tomorrow so come prepared to not cry when you lose.", he screamed from his windows down to the road to Raj.

Lucas was Raj's only true friend who would not judge him for being a total loser in everything besides video games. Raj enjoyed his time being with Lucas.

On his way back home Raj bought some ingredients required for dinner from a grocery store and just when he got out of the grocery store he saw John and his annoying bunch of friends smoking in the parking lot. He tried to get out of there unespied but John noticed Raj immediately.

"Oh! look who is here with some lame vegetable bag in his hand"

"Didn't your bosom buddy gave you anything to eat, huh?", John shouted.

"That's none of your business, I don't want to spend my time arguing with you."

He tried to slip through John and his delinquent friends but one of them grabbed his hand and tried to take away the grocery bag off of his hand but the haste made waste as all the items in the bag rolled down the road into the drain.

"What the hell did you guys do?", Raj screamed and grabbed the collar of John's friend.

"Leave it, Raj."

John grabbed Raj's hand and tried to stop him.

"Huh?...., I am not supposed to rage when this sh*t threw away my dinner.", Raj seethed and an eerie feeling radiated around the atmosphere as if John had stepped on a quagmire.

John's face turned somber. He immediately pulled his hand as if he touched a hot iron and tried to reconcile with Raj.

"Please leave him, Raj"

His pugnacious tone changed instantaneously into a humble one. Raj kept staring at John while he started hastily searching his belongings. After about a minute he took his dark black colored purse out of his side bag.

"Here take this money! Is it worth your groceries?", he asked Raj with an agitated look all over his face.

Raj snatched the money off of his hand and left without saying a word.

After Raj went back John felt as if a great disaster was avoided but he was not the type to easily forget someone who hurt his pride. Simply, he was arrogant.

"Why did you let him get away without beating up his a*s? And instead, you even compensated him!", one of his friends popped the question which was harboring inside everyone. Everyone looked at the guy who questioned hysterically. John turned around with a frightening gaze and just when he was about to utter some words another of his friend told everyone to go home.

Everyone knowing the situation immediately ran away. John also slowly regaining his temper went back to his home.

***

Raj was walking back to his home. He picked up the pace as the sun was slowly getting down the hill. He was feeling uncomfortable on the road as it got dark and he was the only one walking on the road and couldn't see anyone up to his eyes could gaze upon.

He reached home after about a ten-minute walk.

"KNOCK...KNOCK"

Nobody answered.

"Ishan open up. It's me."

Still, nobody responded. He moved slightly and put his ears on the door but couldn't hear a noise. Raj then tried to push open the door and luckily the door was open. A slight breeze carrying a foul stench hit his nose just when he opened the door. He instinctively covered his nose with a handkerchief and went inside yelling.

"What are you doing Ishan?"

"Did you brought some rotten fruits?"

' ...'

Raj furiously got up while taking out his shoes and slammed the kitchen door shouting what was this foul smell from.

When he got inside the kitchen he realized there was no one inside. He got out of the kitchen and went to the bedroom. Just when he slid the door of the bedroom the stench multiplied as he gaged. Raj slid open the door and even in the bedroom, he couldn't find Ishan. He then realized even the pet rabbit was missing. He tried to uncover the source of the stench but couldn't. He guessed that the stench was from the dead body of some random animals from within the forest as it was very close to their house and the window inside the bedroom was open.

"First of all, I will change my dress and then search for Ishan."

"He may have gone downstairs in the basement to show off the rabbit to his friends.", Raj thought.

Just when he tried to open the closet to change clothes he discovered some sort of liquid flowing through the closet. He at once opened the door and saw a horrendous scene that almost made him throw out.

"What is this creature inside my closet?", he screamed.

He panicked but quickly gained consciousness and closely inspected the body. He thought of calling cops but seeing the creature he couldn't dare to. It was not human and Raj had never seen it before anywhere. The creature had long furry ears and instead of hands, it had paws!!

Raj hastily tried to run away and stomped on the desk. He was panicking again. When he got back on his foot he heard the creature talking!!

"Ishan has been ...", the creature uttered these words and fainted out.

"What did you say?"

"What Ishan?"' Raj yelled out as he gripped the creature to get an answer but couldn't.