The Monster In Me

The Hate that is Embedded

Adira almost smiled cynically seeing Irwan take a deep breath. He knew very well that his brother had sacrificed everything so that Irwan would hold himself in front of him. So that Irwan never once swung his hand to his only daughter until maybe the father thought that Adira did not have any grudges against him.

“Oh, Adira. What are you doing here? Shut up in your room, it's dangerous!” irwan's orders. The man looked a little bit of aversive and kept glancing at the wife who was standing not far from him. The goddess only fell silent with a worried expression.

Adira raised her chin up to make her look a little haughty. “I think Father and Brother are talking about something important. I also want to hear it because it still seems to be related to my problems at school earlier.” The girl slightly pursed her lips in annoyance. “It looks like the girl's parents really want me to kneel down and apologize.”

Adira could see clearly how the father's face turned darker after he touched on an issue that he did not know about the solution. Adnan also seemed to want to run immediately and guide Adira back to the room, but was restrained by the many bells nearby. Suffering from stab wounds and scratches is not a very scary thing for the young man, only he does not want Adira to see him hurt. So that now he can only give a sign with his eye movements.

Adira just smiled and refocused her eyes on her father.

Irwan massaged his own temple before sighing. “None of the Bernadette family members can bow or even kneel before others, especially in the presence of people who come from families of lower status than our family!” Irwan's voice sounded heavy, clear, and firm. The man did not provide any loopholes for Adira to protest.

Adira had not had time to give any response when the father approached and held tightly to both shoulders. “Dad will never get tired of saying that we come from a distinguished family. Don't waste your energy on something insignificant, such as apologizing or showing praise. There is nothing wrong with your classmate. They should know who is leading.”

“No! Don't listen to Dad!” yelled Adnan, still standing in his place.

“Shut!” Irwan glared his eyes at the firstborn. One of his hands now moved to grab back the neglected golf club on the floor.

However, Adnan was able to do anything for the good of his sister. “Stop instilling false understandings to Adira!” he said as he walked over to Irwan. He did not care at all about his feet grinding through many glass shards.

The father and son started to squabble. Slowly ignoring the presence of Adira who was still standing there. The girl looked back and forth, looking for the whereabouts of the mother who seemed to have deliberately avoided this unpleasant situation by going to the kitchen. The sound of a large knife colliding with a cutting board is the only sound that can be heard other than the quarrels of Irwan and Adnan.

In silence Adira decided to return to the room. There was nowhere for him to join in all this commotion. At first glance, anyone who sees her calmness will think that the girl is not at all affected by the bad situation of her family.

No one realized, deep down, that Adira had been cultivating the deepest hatred she would feel months later.

***

Adira awakens in a position tied firmly to one of the rides' poles. I don't know what it is, he can't be sure. Both of her eyes were busily twitching before looking at her remaining friends as well as Danita looking at her in horror. Zean stood a little closer to her, carrying something that looked like a teddy bear.

Where is Aron? Adira doesn't care much. The only thing he really wanted to do right now was to go berserk. However, the rope that tied his legs and hands firmly did not allow him to move freely.

The two eyes of the girl saw Zean who accidentally stepped on the big black ant, Adira then smiled.

All humans are the same.

“Stay away from me while you can,” Adira said in a hoarse voice that sounded quite terrible. He had cried too much, growled, and roared. His vocal cords have been working very hard today. “I'm no longer the Adira you know. I'm just a monster that will destroy anything that moves in front of my eyes.”

Evan who was previously busy overrunning Abian's body with various items he found, began to look at Adira fixedly. His eyes widened together with his index finger pointing towards the girl.

“Di ... behind his bloodstained hand. I see a lot of bite marks! He has become a zombie!” Evan stepped back cautiously. “But why is he still walking and talking as usual?”

Danita and Trisha can only be silent while recovering from physical and inner wounds. Only Firda is now trying to dare to open his voice. “Same as Abian earlier. He really doesn't look like a zombie.”

Adira stomped her hand with all her might. Without even a hint of grimacing, he made his wrist slightly sliced by the rope that bound him. “Destroy! Kill everything! You're all uselessaa!” The girl shouted with her mouth wide open. “How can you survive and still be alive today? While ... while my brother had to take his life for granted! This is all unfair!”

The look of confusion then adorned the faces of everyone, of course except Zean and Firda. They both knew very well what Adira meant by having watched with their own two eyes.

Zean massaged his throbbing temple. Had he not remembered how his sister had suffered from this zombie mess, perhaps Zean would not have been willing to help anyone. However, he knows that Helsa expects himself to not only save himself. “It seems like I've seen enough of all this! I have to reveal everything I know, and you have to listen to me until the end!” Finally he screamed.

The young man looked around before pointing at Danita. “Particularly You. You look like a responsible adult here. So, I hope you understand what I will say,” continued Zean. Suddenly he uses formal language to show his respect to Danita who looks older than him a few years.

After making sure everyone—except Adira who was still growling and raging—had been silent and ready to listen, Zean began to tell stories. Sometimes he looks at the body of Taka who still has not moved. For some reason, he felt that the young man understood everything, just as he seemed.

***