Chapter 1:
Runner's High
1
Fool not cool
Life is…
Written by beings who have such huge ego that stories they write often comes up as tragic, mania, or overpowered. Full of mystery and bullshit, that’s what they are.
“Hey Anne, stop bitching. You are a blessing, you are beautiful, you have people like me and my cousin who love you. You have been fighting every day to find happiness, you are getting there; you’ll find whatever it is that you are looking for, every uphill has a downhill. If you don’t believe in yourself, believe in the me that believes in you. I fucking love you, so you need to find a reason to love yourself.” I said, man streamers just get to you sometimes.
Fuu~
The cold wind of dawn blows gracefully with the dancing curtains under a full moon about to set, it was a slow-paced mornight. I lie… The wind was hot as fuck I ended up shirtless and wore boxers despite being so skinny as the fan at maximum power tilted and staring at my ass while prone on the bed.
Kids, these days. Think they’re born special; narcissistic bastards. Then… by the time and circumstance that they get absolutely shit on by life, they start to lose themselves that easily. Then they find someone to help them learn, and they get help from a specific person. But even then, they still go back to being proud narcissistic bitches as they reach adulthood.
I guess that’s why the world is fucked already.
It hurts my very soul that this dumb idiot of a person is one of those people.
God, I love this girl so much…
A sweet voice then calmed my volcanic train of thoughts
“Hey… Aren’t you going to sleep?”
“Guess I’ll try”
“Alright then, I will too” damn you.
“Goodnight…”
“Goodnight,” she said, following a cold wind all of the sudden tickling my right feet on the window. I shiver…
“I Love you…”
She said it…hehe
I quickly forget the thousands of little things that run on my mind as my skinny pale skin burning red ended up ironing the bed, rolling from such an embarrassing thought… Sorry bed bugs, you’ll have to hope to bite me another night, I typed.
I love you too :>>
A horizon-wide smile as the sun is starting to rise, the curtains flap over the very, very cold breeze; following an echo of scream from hell as if the entire underworld population was released bursting through the east wall.
“LISTEN HERE YOU LITTLE SHIT, I SWEAR. PLAY BETTER OR I’LL LOOK FOR YOUR ASS AND BEAT IT LIKE ANY POOR MOTHER WOULD TREAT HER 14 KIDS” An intense rap scream by my gamer neighbor smashing through the thin walls along with stomps and banging. Sounds never heard before were echoing throughout the neighborhood…
That poor desk…
My eyes went wide open and I was about to release judgment upon this wretched evil echoing throughout the damn house, I was interrupted… This eerie scream that breaks even the ears of trained astronauts. I sweat from the lack of air for my fan’s not working, I sigh.
Oh, power’s out.
Dying on the hallway as I walk towards hell, step by step I suffered walking to his door expecting nothing short of a disaster caused by mother nature on the other side. It was like the silent night that book told me about, I hear nothing… Nothing but the clock ticking, it was 4 AM. He’s slamming again…
That’s the 4th keyboard this week too…
I turn the knob and pushed the door as if I was a detective entering the victim’s bedroom… No shit this is truly a murder scene, eight unwashed cups used for coffee, stacks of uncleaned cooking pots, and a mountain of wrappers. Futon on the floor as the bed became a substitute desk, this room had the window missing, all that was left was a hole.
Wait a minute…
“Where’s your monitor?”
I never thought demons were real… Man those guys at the electric company must be casting a ritual or something, darn devils summoning a demon this early…
Well it is a popular belief that crazy shit happens at 3-4 am
“Put your shoes on, let’s go for a jog”
“At night?”
Glancing at the clock with a little bit of shock… It’s the keyboard, still in one piece. Morning jog’s a common thing for people my age especially where we live, it’s basically a social event for these people. Hangout? Morning jog, dates? Morning Jog, sessions? Morning jugs…
Nice…
Man people from my high school are weird…
Out of breath, I just could not keep up. He’s been jogging for an hour now, what the hell? Here he comes again for the fourth time now.
I couldn’t even finish one lap.
“Really dude, how can a guy who grinds games all night, do that much of a workout.” He scratches his head and bends as he starts his cooldown with stretches while I sit beside the road with a towel on my neck and an empty water bottle.
“I wouldn’t call that workout though, just a jog... Maybe warmup… Wanna play Volleyball with us this time around?”
“Nah, I’m going to do my dailies today before the bus comes.”
“ah, gacha… Anyways, volleyball’s in 20 minutes. Buy me breakfast later will ya?”
“Aight” I nodded as requested by the fitness fanatic roommate himself. Seriously, isn’t he supposed to be a nerd?
Tsk.
“You’ve been playing less lately; did she scold you?” He said as he grunts while trying to sit down on the sidewalk.
Yeah, you better sit down… Like I did like 50 minutes ago.
“You were on the phone with her last night, right? Is she okay?”
“I honestly don’t know; she won’t tell me anything. I guess that’s fair, I mean I shouldn’t even be getting involved in this. Wait, how did you know I was on the phone with her?”
“Aah Knee told me.”
Our landlord’s awake, looking for us one last time…
Not really
Gusts of the morning wind went by; this man has something important to tell me. What is it now? College stuff? Or is this what they call a lover’s quarrel advice? Of course not, I already know what this is about.
“Vii, why the hell can’t we sleep?”
“I don’t know, tell that to the government”
“It’s just… full of shit man... Is this depression?”
“You sure it’s not just the grind to Grandmaster?”
“I just never thought that it would be finally over soon”
“Listen to yourself dude… really? How about you, thought of the monitor in front of our apartment?”
“You really are full of shit huh?”
“Som, dude; Today’s the day, you really have to worry about that shit till the end?”
“Whatever Vi, I’ll be home and ready by the bus comes”
“Family friends?”
“Family friends”
A ray of light from sunrise still below the trees, it stings.
(Cat, who’s our landlord for 6 years is also moving out today. As we pay our rent one last time, he told us that like us; it’s time for him to follow a new path. That guy’s a lunatic,)
I mean, who the hell wants to become a writer these days anyway? Just do a film already.
“A pickup truck with no roof, nice Landlord”
“Hey Som, look at Vii; Do you see his pickup truck?”
“When we’re your age, you’ll see not only a pickup truck”
“Yeah sure, in two years Vii you better have more than just a bag of juicers then”
Degenerate
Vii pops out of confusion and asks “Wait, landlord, I thought you’re like in your 40s?”
“That was the past landlord I think…”
“Come to think of it, the landlord never really goes out. So why now? Wait, how old are you landlord?”
“Som, Vii’s 21. He said “Your age,” I said “in two years”
After seconds of silence thinking as hard as he can. He replied cluelessly, “So?”
“How old do you think degenerates are Som?” Vii interrupted.
Som, still having no idea continues thinking and says the wisest words of a lifetime.
“Don’t degenerate age?”
Cat with a wide smile shows in his eyes the lifetime of degeneracy he’s lived and says slowly.
“Exactly…”
As Vii’s filled with an embarrassment of how he ended up having a monkey as a cousin.
Third cousin is still technically a cousin
The bus they were waiting for arrived.
“You sure you don’t want to give us a ride Landlord?”
‘Fuck you, no’ is what his face’s obviously saying upfront
“No, I’m going to look for someone first. Have you guys seen a skinny guy who likes like he’s on drugs this morning?”
Oh hell no? He’s not talking about me, is he?
Shakingly, I answered his question without him even finishing it as reflex with no reason whatsoever. Definitely…
“Yep, Som was the one screaming at 3 am this morning; just thought you should know in case you thought it was some guy on drugs. Yep! Definitely not some skinny guy on drugs! It was this guy” I said to the confused landlord as I lock Som’s head on my arm and the other arm pointing at him.
Som as usual baffled asks “What are you talking about Vii?”
“Well, nice talking with ya kids but you gotta go”
The two said their farewell to their new friend. Half an hour passed as the shuttle bus they rode on crosses a bridge, Vii fell asleep.
“I should text Knee that we’ll be there in an hour”
Knee, I miss you so much baby
I, Som had the bright idea of looking at Vii, who’s a weirdo for hugging his own luggage for some reason.
“I’ll see you at school kid”
A harmless joke is what he meant…hehe
The master of mischief, Som left Vii and his luggage as he laughs like a gremlin who stole an ice-cream from a five-year old. But as the jokes and morning stars did not align; Som ate his bitter breakfast of egg and gourd and carefully stands up and walks to the bathroom.
Something’s wrong
I awoke from my nap as I felt my whole body being crushed; A long eerie noise dove into my earholes smashing through a straight line like a bullet screaming through my head… I shrank, where am I?
Walk and look straight…
Who the hell are these people?
Each step creaks the tiled floor as eyes of faceless people smile at every change. A path changing to wood, iron, tiles, dirt, grass, cement, and still water consecutively, yet it is just one row where I can walk on.
But they’re white?
White wood, white iron, white tiles, white dirt, white grass, white cement, and… Milk? As I walk my steps on milk, the next milk I stepped on turned into soggy milk, slowly turning to black…
My ribs slowly melt…calcium? Maybe.
Rippling the entire scene, the eyes that followed each step panicked glancing at my face and my soggy shoes back and forth consecutively, shaking, boiling, until another shot blew both of my hearing organs.
I hear nothing... Nothing but the breathing of my rib less body squeezing as I struggle to keep my sanity. A shapeless body stood from the soggy tile and took shape of a Goddess.
“Woah… Am I high?” I muttered as I watch every corner of my eye take shape because I just can’t not look at the beauty unravelling right before my very eyes. The soggy milk Goddess blew my eyes away, I blinked.
Week 1/8
I was awake, at the school hallway right in front of my neighboring classroom, and standing in front of me was my girlfriend… from months ago… Why are you here? What did I do? I was me, the me also from months ago. I sighed as I tunnel vision on this soggy but pretty face.
Ah, I missed you…and yet here I am still curious what you really said at this very moment.
Refusing to ever blink again, my vision blurs as I witness her crystal tears shining while for the first time ever, speaking her true feelings.
Denial…That was all it was…
Squeezing one last time, my balloon like lungs burst pushing me away from the world I once knew. After that, I awoke in the arms of the landlord for some reason who is now apparently our advisor now?
Week 2/8
Also, where am I?
Her leg bouncing like a sewing machine as her eyebrows twitch inwards, our batch supervisor, Vonn Suiza Montague, alias ‘Ma’am Moza’ listening to my apparently first semester exam. With the flow state I have as I confidently explain like an extravagant scientist speaking in a TED talk, I noticed only as I speak my final few words of conclusion. Sweat new or not tingles my entire body, I look at her notes and it was blank, I failed, didn’t I? Is that why I’m still not brought to the school?
Ofcourse not, I knew I aced this exam.
Moza sighed and putted her pen down slowly… She grasped my shirt, lifted me ever so slightly, and asked with spit. “ARE YOU SAYING OUR TREATMENT WAS LIKE HEROINE OR SOME SHIT?!” Putting me down gently, she changed gear and grabbed my left cheek that I felt was just a disciplinary action.
Oww… Aaahh, my tender face.
“Listen here, Vonn Civvi, do you know why you’re taking this exam in here?” she said with uneasiness on her tone. A grown woman in her mid-twenties sits on the ground and breathes slowly in front of someone absolutely clueless.
“Give me a minute” she said carefully as she struggles to breathe. She pressed the inhaler installed on her nose and muttered.
“For months you worried me while dealing with this shit” she said as medicine vapor exits her mouth like smoke.
Who is this girl?
She hands the papers with empty notes along with documents behind, and said as she exhaled another round of smoke.
“Read…”
Cool…
Of course I knew inhalers were a thing of the past but damn installed inhalers never get old. Completely avoiding eye contact she gets mad as she knew I was staring too much.
“Just read the damn thing already” she exclaimed.
Right before I was about to read, she muttered. “Dumb brother”
Oh no what the hell did I just do?!
The documents behind her blank notes contained information even I could not believe that is not bullshit.
Vonn Civvi Montague (21)
Severe body burns
Head trauma
Vision deficiency
Drug overdose
The diagnoses were only the tip of the iceberg, as I read across the doctor’s records and prescriptions; I have been diagnosed brain-dead for 3 months.
Week 3/8
What happened to me?
“You got into an accident and was presumed dead, and that soggy milk story you told me must’ve been the reason why you were uncontrollable a week before you actually gained consciousness. You gave me no choice but to inject it to you. Man, you caused me allot of trouble; Lucky for you I’m a government asset.” She explained, as I continued to read the rest of the documents.
‘The Government Global announces that the hospital is to appoint Doctor Vonn Suiza Montague, the head of the College Department of aimed to format lives of the 2400s in charge and take over the case of the brain-dead patient – Vonn Civvi Montague; who’s now declared a government asset’
“What does this mean exactly Ma’am Moza?”
“You little runt, call me Boss like you used to…” She shouted in a deep voice, beet red, five inches away from my face.
Looks like someone caught their breath back
“YES MA’AM!” I said in panic
“Just Boss please” she said as she looks away and sits on my hospital bed and leans towards me and kisses me on the forehead.
“Let’s get you home alright? You already going to miss a semester; I can’t keep you in here forever, right?” she looks at me with excitement in her eyes.
Week 4/8
Is she really my cousin though?
One month done and one more to go of physical therapy and I am able to have my limbs being controlled efficiently once again. A month since I last saw my cousin who I expected to accompany me during the days where I try to pick my life back up; But instead, I get my past landlord who gives life advice like it’s his job.
I’m not complaining though
“Listen kid whose two years younger than me. Since you keep very little memory of your past, this is technically your second life, right? Searching for your past life can cause you huge trouble, so stop asking!”
Although I would’ve preferred the hot girl who’s apparently my cousin in the past life
“Uuh landlord Cat?”
“Just Cat!”
“Cat, do you know someone named Vonn Suiza Montague?
“Madam Moza? Of course, she’s the school head. Wait she never told you about the school?”
Week 5/8
Madam? Really?
“Wait, but that school is boring though” he sighs with an exclusive boredom on his face and lies down following a pause for a minute.
Week 6/8
Is he asleep?
Nothing but my grunts of physical therapy are heard throughout the room, is this man really not going to tell me anything? As my expectations dwindle down, I decided to focus on my therapy as this man sleeps his beautiful little heart out. But he broke the silence with two words.
“Runner’s High” he said as if he’s sleep talking.
Week 7/8
Wait, I thought I’m going to college?
“‘Runner’s High of Southern Laboratory School, a school formed for the two-year mandatory college after the 4-year high school that offers rehabilitation where they take away your memory in an attempt to make the person who you want to be. Or whatever it says on the pamphlet’ Seriously, Runner’s High? It’s not even high school anymore, right? Vii, you seem close to madam why not tell her that?” he explained in detail as my face pummels to the ground. We exchange looks as he saw the bamboozled face of mine while his is half asleep.
“Why the hell are you surprised? You knew that when you signed the college papers at the apartment right? Ohh… Did she use the Pepega Juice on you already?” he explains again thoroughly in detail.
What in the degenerate fuck?
“Kid, it’s year 1999. One more month until year 2000! What the are you *inaudible*…” he mutters as he falls asleep. The skinny-poor 19-year-old who just recently awoke from a 3-month coma and who’s only 4 weeks into physical therapy falls flat on his face twice in the same minute.
Week 8/8
Foolish is back to Cool-ish
Alone at the cafeteria on a table next to the window with a great lunch dish as usual, I guess hospital food isn’t that bad after all. I thought to myself; It’s the final week here at the government hospital, I guess I’ll see both Boss and Cat when I get there. It would be nice though if one of them decided to take me there.
No, not one of them
It would be nice if my Boss takes me there…
Wait I sound like a child who’s going to school for the first time.
Both of them! Both of them to take me there would be nice, like a small happy family… I widely smile like the blue cat from wonderland.
I’m not nervous, am I?
“No you’re not nervous, pack your things” A high pitched voice came from the door whilst I still have an apple on my mouth. I glanced, there stood a man carrying all my luggage. A young skinny wise man with white hair whose spine could possibly break any moment now while carrying that luggage. It was Cat.
Really, how is he carrying that shit?
I swallowed one last bite of my hospital apple, and replied to the Cat’s remarks. “Later… I’m busy”
“Just pack your things already young man” he said in his deep and whole masculine voice deliberately.
10/10 points for effort…
“But… All my things are already packed inside that bag you’re carrying” I replied cautiously.
“Fine” he exclaimed as he dropped every last thing he carried.
“Then let’s leave already”
What is up with this guy? My stuff man…
Me, who’s stomach is stuffed and filled with joy asks the cool wise man with all due respect. “Five more minutes. Also weren’t we suppose to leave in a week?”
“I’m here to kidnap you”
Believing it was all an act from the first pose he did by the door I played along my cards and bluffed.
“Oh yeah? Do it! Carry me though, I’m stuffed…”
Ignoring my bluff, he answered his ringing phone and went silent for the next thirty seconds. He uttered once again in his deep manly voice.
“It’s the boss”
“What boss? The one who?”
“Yep”
“Moza or another boss?”
“Neither, it’s The Boss”
“Who is ‘The Boss’ then?” I asked the clearly lunatic of a man. He replied with a smile and wore sports sunglasses as he answered.
“You’re looking at him”
As the pointless conversation continues like a ballad with one note. I sat silently and pretended think whilst I wait for my stomach settling down; If he was sent by a kidnapper, he wouldn’t just stand there like Drax or John Cena; If he was sent by the guys at the laboratory school he wouldn’t have come until a week later. Either way the boss who sent this guy is clearly stupid, or…
Am I just that worthless of a cargo that a skinny guy like him is my escort? So much for a government asset
I sighed as I completely internalized the role play and forgot the real world; I looked at the skinny guy and said…
“I get it, you’re one of those bosses, right? I mean, kind of boss does his own dirty work?”
“Yeah you’re right, this is kind of getting annoying”
To my surprise he casually replies like it was a pain doing his job. He then furthers to walk away. This escort is about to ditch me, isn’t he?
Wait did he actually get offended?
As he was about to completely get out of my sight, the wise man looked back at me in the eye and asked “What you waiting for? Carry your shit and follow me already”
As I felt my stomach fully settling down, my body showed off its reflexes for the first time in months and acted as it said ‘fuck this hospital, I’m leaving’ in a matter of seconds and ran picking up and carrying all the bags that Cat dropped outside to what he calls his ‘car’.
No wonder his body didn’t break, these bags are light.
There he stated that a three-hour journey on what I thought was a proper vehicle would start.
“Why is it filled with paper? Why are the windows lowered? Why are boxes on the seats? And who is this girl on the back?
“Just be grateful I’m taking you to your cousin. Sit on the back next to her” he sighed with annoyance as he starts his so-called vehicle.
Who is this girl?
“You’re a semester late, this girl was your semester partner”
“Partner?!”
“Look, blame your cousin for not telling you. Now, be a good boy and shut up! We’re heading to Runner’s Isle…” He shouted at a man who just recently got out of a hospital and a clearly sleeping woman riding on the back of the so-called pickup truck.
This guy…
“Yes you both are that worthless of a cargo for me to bother and move the boxes for now shut up”
Is this guy a psychic or some shit?
“And yes, Moza’s definitely my type” He told me as he smiled at the rear-view mirror of the moving vehicle. I of course slowly and carefully looked at the right, and of course slowly and carefully to the left as well and remarked smiling on the rear-view mirror
“Uhm, who… asked?”
…
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