“I tell you, he’s going to crack up”

“No, he won’t. I don’t think so”

“Yes, he will. It won’t be long now”

“He will not, he is tough, you know that”

“And that toughness is what’s going to betray him”

Roy looked around him. He’s sure he heard voices talking, but there’s nobody around. His kids have all left for school, he’s all alone in his house now.

Dismissing the voices he heard as some passersby who might be talking too loud, Roy looked at the clock. Seeing that it’s almost 8 o’clock, he hurriedly took a bath, get dressed and went off to work. Just another day of being late at work.

“Look at him, he seems to have no cares at all”

“He doesn’t, and you know that”

“I hope so… I hope so”

Roy went in his daily routine in the office. Doing some paperwork, checking some documents, reading and responding to emails, and other stuff that he seem to perform in a “mechanical” sort of way.

After work, he went straight home. It was almost 7 p.m. when he reached their house, where his three kids are already waiting.

Fortunately for Roy, his son can already cook, that is why dinner was already prepared. After changing clothes, he called on the kids so they can take their dinner.

“A picture of a happy family!”

“Yes, they are. That’s why I can’t understand where you’re getting your idea about Roy”

“Like I said, a picture of a happy family… only, there’s something lacking in the picture… someone, rather”

Roy looks at his kids, they were all conversing. Happily talking about the day that just passed. They all seem to be happy.

Roy wonders… it seems his kids don’t even hear a whisper…. only he is hearing the voices…

After dinner, the kids took care of the dishes. Roy checked on his email for a while, and then went to bed.

The kids also went to bed early. Such is their routine.

It’s more than two years since Roy’s wife passed away. He was left with their three kids – Ralph, Edgar, and Angel. He is thankful though that his wife raised them well. Young as they are, the kids are already responsible, they took the death of their mother quite bravely… they were able to move on.

Roy also went on with his life. Attending to the needs of the kids, trying to do his best to continue where his wife left off in guiding their children. He wasn’t really much of a good role model, but he’s trying.

His friends sometimes can’t help but admire Roy for his strong faith, like he can handle any storm that come in his life… and there were many of them. The passing of his wife seemed to be the biggest blow of all.

Roy wasn’t used to being alone… much more, being in charge. Nobody knew it, but it was his wife who would always push Roy to give his best… she alone knows how to encourage him… she alone understands him.

But now, Roy has to continue… he has three kids to take care of. He can’t wait for anybody to push him, he needs to push himself… he is all alone.

Sometimes, he would take the kids out… either to eat, see a movie, or just spend time in the mall. He wants his kids to be close to each other when they grow up. So that when he’s gone, they would look after one another.

His daily routine would be like that… work… home… work. He never really had a social life. He never wanted any.

“It’s a good thing I did not take you on your bet, otherwise, you could have loss”

“Who says I’ve loss? I still want to take that bet if you’re up to it”

“You mean, you still believe that…”

“Of course, I do!”

Days went by with Roy’s daily routine. Nothing changes… day in, day out.

No one would suspect because he would always wear a happy face, with nary a hint of any trouble inside.

Everything was fine.

One evening, the kids were all waiting for their father… it’s almost 10 p.m. but he is not yet home. The kids were worried.

Night passed and the morning came, but there wasn’t a shadow of Roy in the house. There were no calls even. The kids were very much worried.

Ralph called on their grandmother, Roy’s mother, to tell her about their father. She immediately went to the kids, while Roy’s sister and nieces went around town looking for him.

They went to his office and asked, but all they can say was he just took off fine the other day. They went to hospitals and precincts to ask, but neither have any record nor heard about Roy.

No clues. Where could he be?

Days… weeks… months has passed, and there were neither signs nor news about Roy. His mother took care of the kids, making sure that they could go with their lives normally.

Still, they were looking for their father…

It’s been almost a year, while the kids have accepted the fact that they may never see their father, they still miss him and hope that someday they will find him again.

Meanwhile, in some corner in the street at the downtown, there’s a man who sits on the side of the street. He has a hair so long that it almost cover his face, and from the looks of it, it seems the man haven’t taken a bath for quite a long time. His face was beyond recognition, he was almost covered with charcoal… or was it grease?

He wore a white t-shirt that has many holes, or it more seem like, a hole with a t-shirt on it. His pants, ragged and all, can’t be assured if it was really black or it was all dirt.

Passersby would always move away when they approach his location, because aside from his scary looks, they can smell him stink even from miles away.

“See! I told you he would snap! It took longer than I expected, but eventually he did”

“Yeah, I really thought he won’t. I really wish he did not”

Just then, the ragged man stood up and approached the two individuals, “Who are you people? Why are you always following me?!” he asked in a rather harsh voice.

“What?! You mean you can see us?!”

“Why are you surprised? Of course, he can see us! He’s on our plane now. He can see us now… and so his other persona”

Just then, the three men were suddenly surrounded by ten people. No, more like twenty people… perhaps even more.

They come in different shapes and sizes – man, woman, kids, adult, old, fat, short, thin, tall, grumpy, happy, black, white, brown… but what’s funny, the ragged man noticed, all the people looked the same.

They all seem to have the same face… they all look like… Roy

He looked around and sees nothing… yet he can hear footsteps… he can sense someone breathing… so close

The alley is too dark, and the moon hiding behind the evening clouds isn’t helping.

No sweat. He’s tough, he’s a mean guy, and everybody fears him.

He put his hand in his jacket and pulled out a sharp six-inch silver that has been his companion for the last five years of scaring people out of their wits, until he gets what he wants – money, clothes, jewelries, sex, and sometimes even just to see frightened eyes.

Holding a tight grip on the dagger’s handle, he turns around in the hope to surprise an unsuspecting attacker… yet he saw nothing. No movements, no shadows.

“Hah! I scared him!” he said to himself, so he continued to where he is going… but when he turned around he saw a figure in front of him.

He saw his face, “You!” but before he can react, a swift motion lands a baseball bat right on top of his skull…

As he lays on the ground and blood freely flowing from his head, he tried to look once more at his attacker… only to see another bat assault coming to him. Darkness.

“Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!” laughter fills the dark alley, “that should teach you not to mess with me! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!”

“Ho-hum…” Ricky yawns and stretched after clicking the ‘Publish’ button. He has just posted another creation in his short story blog.

“There,” he said, “I can sleep now…” and soundly he did.

The next morning, while walking on his way to his work, he saw people gathered in an alley opening. Curiosity got the better of him and went to see what the commotion was all about.

He saw three policemen scanning the ground for some evidences… and right in their middle was a dead man lying, his face almost covered with blood… wait! He recognizes the man…

It was the man who attacked him just two days ago and robbed him of his hard-earned salary… he can’t be mistaken… it was him!

And beside the dead man, there was baseball bat… with blood all over it.

Ricky had goose bumps… he felt cold… he left the crowd immediately and went on his way… all the while the scene keeps on flashing in his mind.

In his work in a 24-hour convenience store, Ricky can’t seem to concentrate. As he was arranging the bottles of juices in the shelf, one slipped off his hands… and in his attempt to capture it, he hit those on the shelf… and more bottles fell, one after another… all broken, and a few broken glasses even pierced Ricky’s body, hurting him so bad.

His boss quickly rushed to the sound of breaking bottles and found Ricky in the middle of it, “You idiot! Look what you done! Get out of my store! You’re fired! Get out before you wreck the whole place! Get out!”

“But sir,” Ricky pleaded, unmindful of his wounds, “I need this job, please….”

“I don’t care! Get out!”

And he pushed Ricky out of the store, still with some pieces of broken glass in his body.

Ricky went home… hurting, and without a job.

“I’ll go back tomorrow. Maybe he’ll have a cooler head and he would take me again,” he said to himself.

The next day, he went back to the store. But even before he can approach his boss, he already saw him.

“What are you doing here?! Didn’t I fire you already?! Get out of my place! Get out!”

So Ricky just went home… thinking of what could happen to him now.

To take his mind off his problem, he went to his computer, logged on the internet, opened the control panel of his short story blog, and clicked ‘Write a new post.’

He feels like writing a story… and he did, as if his fingers have a mind of their own… keying in every letter as the story develops right before his eyes…

“No! Please! Don’t kill me! I beg you! I have a family! Please forgive me! I’ll take you back in my store I promise, just don’t kill me please!” the character in the story begs.

“Too late Mr. Santos… you had your chance yesterday. But now… just pray that you have saved enough for your family….” and he strangled him with the rope he’s holding… tightly… choking him to his death…

The next morning, Ricky woke up early. He thinks of going back to the store and ask his boss again. But when he arrived at the store, it was closed.

He knocked, hoping that somebody would be inside… soon his friend Danny came out.

“Why are you close?” asked Ricky “Where’s Mr. Santiago? I’ll ask him to give me another chance, I really need the job.”

“Sorry Ricky,” Danny replied, “he can’t give you a chance no more… the man’s dead. They said, he died in his sleep last night. Must be a bad nightmare… what’s strange though was that they said they found a rope beside him in his bed. The man must have choked himself to death, don’t know.”

“So we won’t be open for a few days, sorry buddy,” Danny continued.

Ricky walks home… his face blank… shocked…

Two events couldn’t just be coincidences?

He reached home still shocked… dropped himself on the couch and thought about what’s happening… yet he couldn’t understand anything…. everything’s vague… senseless.

He was deep in his thoughts when somebody knocked at the door… loudly…

“Hey Ricky! Open up! Open the door!” it’s Mrs. Penny, his landlady

As soon as he opened the door “So, do you have the money now? You’re three months overdue and I need the money! Where’s my money?!”

“I’m really sorry Mrs. Penny,” Ricky explained, “but you see, I’ve been robbed the other day, and I got fired and… “

“Oh! Don’t give me that crap! If you don’t have the money, I want your ass out of here by tomorrow. I have already talked to some people with money and they want to take this place. Got that?! Tomorrow, out!”

“But Mrs. Penny,” Ricky tried to reason to her…. but she already turned her back and walked away.

Ricky couldn’t believe what’s happening to him… three bad lucks in a row… what will he do now?

Seems like everything’s hopeless for him, he couldn’t see any solution to his problem…

Wait a minute! There’s a solution!

Ricky’s face lights up, and he now wears a grin on his face. He went to his computer and accessed his blog… and clicked ‘Write a new post’

He tied the old lady on the chair tightly, she couldn’t move… “Please… what are you going to do? Are you out of your mind?”

As if not hearing anything, he poured gasoline all around her… and all over her…

“Please stop… don’t do this! Please, I beg you! Stop!” the old lady begged….

“When did you say you need the money?” he replied, as he lighted a matchstick and threw it on the old lady…

“Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!”