My family's really happy, you see. There's daddy, mommy, and me, in a cozy little house with two bedrooms, living a good life!
I have a lot of friends in school. There's Bob, Sally, Tommy, Steven, Tommy Number Two, Fat Tommy, Four-eyes, Kitty and Mushroom Head. I love my former class teacher, Miss Sorry. We started calling her that after she kept saying 'sorry' to a girl she banged with her car. We never saw Miss Sorry again. We also never saw the girl again.
I was across the street. A white car banged into a girl, who was on the middle of the road crying over her dog, which was ran over by another car. My friends told me that the dog ran to the middle of the road and cried over its baby, which was ran over by another car. There's a lot more I wanna say, but the friends whom I told this to complained that it was boring.
There was red water everywhere. It came out of the girl's arms and legs and head and chest. Why were the people who were watching afraid of the red water? Mommy told me to drink eight cups of water every day. Daddy brought me to a pool and taught me to drown. Water is safe! But the adults in blue and white uniforms didn't understand...
Why were the people crying? I know that I cried many times after I've fallen down and injured my knee, but the white-haired lady over there has not injured her knee! A white-haired old man screamed at Miss Sorry. Was he angry? Why was he angry? Daddy told me that anger can never solve anything.
They told me that the girl 'died'. Mommy told me that when people 'die', they go to a better place.
But most importantly, I haven't introduced my friend, Steven! Wait, I did? But I didn't say he was my bestest friend. He is my bestest friend! He and his family visited me and my family a lot! We played computer games upstairs while our mommies and daddies were talking downstairs!
When they left, my daddy would be unusually quiet and my mommy would cry. Sometimes my mommy would yell at my daddy. But mommy told me that they just missed Steven's parents too much.
It's bedtime. Mommy kissed my forehead. Daddy wished me good night. They leave my bedroom. I hug my bolster. I roll around. Something's not right.
They did not tuck me in bed, because my blanket's missing.
But mommy and daddy never forget! They must have taken the blanket for my own good, because they told me that they do everything for my own good.
I try to sleep. It's so cold. Is it because I don't have a blanket to cover me? But my parents are perfect, because they do everything for my own good.
I sneeze. I sneeze again. I rub my nose. There's sticky water coming out of it. Mommy told me that sticky water comes out when I'm sick, and I should always tell her when I'm sick. Yet, mommy and daddy told me that they didn't like it if I sleep later than 9pm.
Ah, I know, I got sick because I did not drink eight cups of water today. But it wasn't my fault. This afternoon, while I was passing by a store, I saw a fish on a tray of ice on a table. Its eyes were red. Mommy told me that fishes need water to live, so I poured all the water out of my bottle onto the fish. The fish smiled at me. I smiled back. A man ran out of the store and hit my head with a broomstick, but daddy told me that the world can be unfair, so I smiled back at the man.
Mommy always placed a large filled bottle on my table in my room. I walk to it and drink all of it. I feel very healthy, because mommy told me that water makes me healthy and daddy told me that water is precious.
I want to pee. The toilet's outside, but my alarm clock shows that it's 10pm. Daddy will be upset if I'm not already asleep by now. So I sit on my bed and pee in my pyjamas. Daddy will not be upset, for mommy told me that kids pee in their pants a lot.
How does pee taste like?
I lick my bed sheet. Pee tastes just like... water?
Someone is pouring water on me. Mommy told me that the roof of our house will block the rain, so it cannot be rain that made me wet. I turn around and I see Steven.
"Chill out, pal. You know people pee in their pants when they're scared, right?"
I know it's Steven although the lights are still off, because I know Steven. He is my bestest friend!
I am happy that Steven is in my room, because he came to play computer games with me. But my parents will be upset... but it's Steven! Mommy and daddy know Steven! They won't be upset. They won't...
"There, pal, you're no longer stinky from your pee! I gave you a great bath! Just like your mommy and daddy!"
He's right. Mommy and daddy bathe me everyday. Steven bathed me. Anyone who bathes me can be trusted, because mommy told me so.
"Yeah, sorry about the big argument our parents had this afternoon. My parents stormed out your house in the end."
But his parents could not have been upset, for they greeted me very happily. I even told them about how I made a fish smile by pouring water on it and they praised me. Mommy told me that anyone who praises me loves me, so Steven's parents love me.
But how did he get in my room?
"I was here the whole time, pal, watching your every move. Took your blanket cause it was cold."
Daddy told me that friends who care for me love me. Steven loves me. But he took my blanket. But he cares for me. He loves me.
Steven approaches the light switch at the end of my room. He turns it on. He opens his mouth so wide that all his teeth are shown. Mommy told me that people with white teeth are cle-
"Tonight, I'm going to kill your parents."
Daddy told me that "killing" means that you are making someone "die", and mommy told me that when people die, they go to a better place. So killing is good.
"Killing people is a bad thing to do, pal. But it's okay, because I'm not real."
I don't understand.
"I'm sure your mommy or daddy told you about bad dreams. We call it 'nightmares'. You're having one right now, pal."
Oh. A nightmare! I did have a lot of bad dreams before, but never once did I knew I was in a dream. Now, I know that I'm in a dream! This is fantastic!
"So, I'm going to kill them, alright? But it's all not real, because it's a nightmare. Trust me, it's gonna be fun."
Okay! Though, I don't see why sending people to a better place is a bad thing.
We walk out of my room. I feel like a bad kid, sneaking out of my room past bedtime. But nothing is real, so a bad kid I'll be!
"Do not venture forth, my child, for they are going to ruin your life."
I've heard this voice before. Steven tells me that the ceiling has spoken, because ceilings can talk in dreams. We continue walking.
"Stay back. You still can change your future!"
A dog spoke. Steven waves at it. It flies away. Three more steps until my parents' bedroom.
"Sorry! Sorry! Sorry! Sorry! Sorry! Please, don't die! Please, wake up!"
Miss Sorry appears in front of me. Steven walks through her. She disappears.
"I'm going in, pal. I'll kill your parents, and you'll be free from this nightmare!"
Steven walks through the door. I hear a loud noise, a bit similar to the sound of Miss Sorry banging her car onto the girl. I hear the noise once more.
"It is done."
Steven places his hand on my head. The house was lit for a short while by a quick and loud flash of light. Steven's shadow extends past mine.
"You'll be awaken, pal. You'll be awaken."
And so I wake up in a familiar room. It's Steven's room. Steven lies on the bed next to mine.
"Good morning, pal. You don't look too well. Had a nightmare?"
I nod my head.
"Have you heard, pal? The houses of Bob, Sally, Tommy, Tommy Number Two, Fat Tommy, Four-eyes, Kitty and Mushroom Head have been burned down last night. They all died. Some of the bodies were not found."
Well, mommy told me that when people die, they will go to a better... Wait, where's mommy and daddy?
I'm in Steven's room, right? That means I'm in Steven's house, too.
"Morning kids, time for breakfast!"
That's the voice of Steven's daddy.
We head to the dining room. There's a new dish I've never seen before on the table. It's very... oval-like.
"Enjoy your meal, kids! This meal will make you smart!"
Steven's mommy cuts a small piece of the oval thing and places it on my plate. I poke it with my fork and bring it to my mouth. I chew on it. Reminds me of mommy.
"We love you, kids, and trust us when we say that this dish will make you smart!"
They love me. Mommy and daddy did not say that people who say they "love me" do indeed "love me", but it's... what's that word called... "obvious", right?
"Sweetheart, do you think the authorities will be suspecting us? We've eliminated all our business rivals, so it should be obvious... right?"
"Ah, darling, I told you already, I've bribed the authorities to keep their fucking mouths shut. And plus, we're eating their brains for breakfast, so we'll be as smart as them, and our business will thrive, darling."
"Took us so much effort to not kill Steven's best friend, eh?"
Steven's mommy and daddy both laugh. I don't understand a word they spoke, but I know that they're loving people, because they said that they love me.
"Hey, your mommy and daddy are in a better place now. We love you as much as your mommy and daddy did. Is it okay if we become your new mommy and daddy?"
Yes!
