The Monster In Me

Stand by

“What to bring in a change of clothes? We're not going on vacation for days!”

Adira dropped her body completely onto her soft bed. The bed with sheets and equipment nuanced blue sky was already full by various clothes that the girl took out of her closet. His eyes were closed for a while, while his hands were still holding the phone he had brought close to his right ear. Listening to the loud voice of someone across the phone who just kept talking excitedly.

“Duh, Dir .. don't look so good, dong, if you're rarely on vacation! There are so many water rides in the park! Not to mention the place that is outdoors will make us dry! Bring the spare shirt it should!” Firda's voice sounded so excited.

A gentle whimper came out from Adira's lips. “But choosing clothes is troublesome! Actually I could have chosen, but you won't stop nagging me!”

“Of course! Geez, while traveling is one of our opportunities to look beautiful without the shadow of a boring school uniform! Do I need to go there to help you choose clothes?”

“Ah, no need!” Adira shook her head in a frenzy. “Fir, if you come here, my time will be more and more seized. Once you come, I'll have a hard time telling you to go home.”

Firda laughed out loud making Adira slightly keep her phone away from the ears.

“Like that's called friend, Dir,” said Firda softly. “OK, if you do not want me to come, you just photograph some prospective clothes that you will wear and bring later, and send them via chat. I'll tell you which one is best.”

Both Adira eyes twirled lazily. Firda is his only close friend, but the fatigue he often feels like he has faced dozens of people. That was how much Firda's energy had affected him.

However, Firda is well-intentioned. Therefore, despite being forced, Adira nodded her head, momentarily forgetting the fact that Firda was unable to see her.

“OK. I will send it. It was a long time ago, yeah. I'm going to go back to draining my closet.”

“Eh, wait a minute! What about your parents? You didn't leave without permission, did you? Love your life!”

Firda's question made Adira rise suddenly. “Of course not! I'm still sane. Although strange, Father and Mother instead supported me to leave, just like Brother Adnan. I was given absolutely no loophole to reason!”

Adira grumbled with a loud voice. I am sure that his house is currently empty. Her only sister always went to study groups at every opportunity. Both of his parents were busy working.

During the working day, Adira is the master of the house and all its contents.

Okay, maybe a little overdone. In essence, at this time Adira can complain about everything about her family to Firda without fear of being discovered. At other times, it's not necessarily this brave.

“Hmm ... is a little suspicious, but come to think of it, not really.”

“Please speak human language, I don't understand!” adira protests while clucking annoyed.

Firda's laughter sounded loud. “I mean, it is strange that your parents who usually always want you at home and study, suddenly support you to go on a trip. But, yes, everyone can change their mind. Moreover, all this time your grades have never disappointed. You deserve to relax a little, Dir.”

The words of the friend made Adira speechless. Unknowingly his hands twisted the closest clothes as his mind reminisced about the time of his life that he had mostly passed with a dull routine. The whole process almost never changes one bit.

Starting from opening his eyes, going to school, studying, until after returning home he returned to busy himself with doing tasks and reviewing the material that has been learned.

His parents never forced him to be the best. However, Adira has witnessed enough things to understand that the absence of demands does not mean she can relax.

“Dir? The adira? Sleepiness, huh?”

“A-what? No, kok.” Hurriedly Adira shook her head while opening her eyes. Trying to expel any thoughts that make him not concentrate at the moment. “In addition to clothes, what else should I prepare? An umbrella? A flashlight? I'm afraid someone's forgotten.”

“Hmm .. Maybe we should bring a thick jacket? Oho! And maybe if you have, you can bring a baseball bat too. Also newspaper. Mineral water and sufficient food supplies,” Firda's advice with dust. “You know? I just saw the movie Train to Busan. I told you a story, right? It was, you know, a movie that told of a zombie attack on a train! I purposely watched it again, and it seems like all those items are necessary just in case a zombie attack also happens to us on the way!”

“Firda ..” Adira breathed heavily. His hands were pinching his phone as if preparing to throw the flat object anywhere. “I don't know what kind of movie it is, but one thing is for sure. We took the bus, and our destination is not Busan. So don't imagine anything weird!”

“Duh, Adira. The location and the vehicle do not have to be exactly the same for us to experience the same bad experience. There is no harm in being on guard. Maybe a zombie attack sounds impossible, but there are still many other terrible events that are likely to happen.”

“What's it like?”

“Hmm .. I don't know.”

“Fir ..”

“Oh! Attacks ******!” firda replied in a bit of a hurry. “True, we also had a discussion about this in class, right? About the tendency of******* to attack crowded places. Dir, what we're going to is the playground that just opened! Can you imagine how many visitors there are? The risk will be higher—“

“Firda! Do you want me to cancel now?”

“Eh, no, no!” Firdah chuckles. “Sorry, I got too carried away. Forget everything I said. But if you want to bring all the equipment just in case is also okay.”

“No will! All of that would be very troublesome. Yeah, I hung up the phone, yeah. I still have to choose a shirt, remember?”

“Iya, yes ... spirit! Look out, I'll wait for your chat!”

Adira just mumbled slowly. Without even bothering to say goodbye, he hung up the phone.

Just now Adira's hand was about to reach one of the clothes lying before her as she recalled her conversation with her family last night.

‘True your sister, relaxing once in a while is good.’

‘Adnan was enough to convince Dad and Mom to let you go this time.’

‘If you knew how lucky you are to have an older brother like Adnan, Dir. Back then, when Adnan was your age, no one could defend him like this.’

I don't know why Adira's heart keeps getting restless. No. gabe. Maybe his brain knew the answer, but he refused to admit it.

Adira's eyes were glued to the photo displayed on her study table. A memory of him and his brother running away from home just to play in the next complex playground. Their parents found them after the afternoon. Surprised Adira then ran and ended up falling, scraping his knees on the surface of the sand that covered the simple garden. Instantly made his mother's anger overflow.

While the father at that time even took out a cellphone and immortalized the incident.

These are not the best memories Adira has. However, the girl always felt comforted whenever she saw a photo of her shabby and tearful figure, standing next to her already handsome brother from childhood. Adnan, who, despite knowing that he will be punished for taking Adira away without permission, still chooses to stand firmly beside Adira and guard her.

The memory is a reminder of when Adira began to rely heavily and obedient to her brother.

“Good. Since Big Brother is asking, I will take advantage of this opportunity to have fun to the maximum!”

***